Charting new career paths

By Dr. Giridhar Kini

Not too long ago choosing a traditional career was the only option for a safe and promising future. While Engineering and Medicine are the go-to options for students, there are many more areas of specialisations that are gaining popularity and most of these courses have been designed, keeping global requirements in mind. Today, the off-beat options that provide benefits of a road less travelled, is vast; depending upon the interests, skills and personal characteristics of the students.

India, with a population of 1.35 billion people as per the IMF report 2019, is the second most populous country in the world and has more than half of the country's population under the age of 25. Unconventional careers are becoming more and more popular with majority of individuals opting for interesting and challenging opportunities, with a will to make an impact for the better. Most of the new careers that the GenNext is taking up, needs a creative bent of mind, are quite demanding but extremely fulfilling and satisfying, as it has made extremely profitable commercial sense to some. GenNext wants to make a career in something they are passionate about, willingness to accept challenges and increase risk-taking ability.

With the evolving digital economy, the job market has seen a radical shift from what was considered to be jobs for a living. The need for experiential projects, acquiring niche skills, specialisation in multi-streams, global exposure through internships are the factors fuelling the education sector.

OFF BEAT COURSES WITH GREAT POTENTIAL

Allied Health Sciences

The need to apply science and technology in Healthcare is making way for new avenues in Health Sciences. In a hi-tech world of modern health care, the need for a team approach in sustaining life is essential and it takes people with varying skills and expertise to form that team. Students can study Emergency Medicine Technology, Exercise & Sports Sciences, Medical Imaging Technology, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Occupational Therapy, Psychology etc. Few other areas that are gaining global recognition are Anaesthesia & Operation Theatre Technology, Audiology and Speech Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Yoga etc. Offering different choices help students to widen their horizon and select only the area they are interested in as against studying something that they are not passionate about.

Integrative & Regenerative Wellness

Increasing stress levels is pushing people to focus on the health and lead a better quality of life. When it comes to health, people are open to trying newer areas of medicine that were previously dormant, like yoga, panchakarma etc. The promising field of Regenerative medicine is to restore the very structure of damaged tissues and organs. Courses in regenerative medicines lay a lot of importance on research and practical knowledge along with theory.

Public Health

A high priority today is keep communities safe & healthy, public health professionals are a growing requirement. Working to improve the overall health of communities through education, research, regulation and high quality accessible healthcare, can be a highly rewarding career for people who are interested in serving their community. Being an inter-disciplinary field, Epidemiology, Community development, Occupational Health, Medical and Psychiatric Social work are bets designed to help the larger community.

Geopolitics and International Relations

As our world becomes smaller and smaller through communication technology and a complex international economy, the value of peaceful relationships between nations is gaining importance. Understanding of complex interrelationships, profound knowledge of countries, their cultures, political systems etc in addition to an interest in people and the ability to combine this knowledge are some of the pre-requisites to have a successful career in Geopolitics and International Relations

European Studies and Gandhian Peace Studies

A keen interest in culture, education, literature, politics and research of European economies, can now be pursued through courses in European Studies while, Similarly, studying Gandhian discourse in length to spread Gandhian values, principles and philosophy is attracting scholars from different parts of the world.

Culinary Arts

This is a unique programme in Home Science domain, helps students in preparing for professional careers in the international culinary industry, patisserie & baking, and the food service industry. Students opting for this course receive a holistic culinary techniques combined with modern innovations. This also prepares them to become future entrepreneurs and the nuances required to have a competitive edge in the hospitality industry.

Conclusion

Geographical boundaries have faded away and the Indian job market has emerged as a promising one with new fields of study & career avenues for millions of job seekers. India has a vast & diverse talent pool willing to think out-of-the-box and looking forward to take risks. Universities / Institutes are stepping up to match their thirst for knowledge by creating exciting new specialisations with emphasis on interdisciplinary nature, experiential learning and industry ready skills. With information a click away, GenNext with talent, knowledge and interest can make it big in today’s competitive world, with targeted efforts and smart work, success is just a step away.

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The author is Director (Admissions), MAHE Manipal