Looking at fast changing world scenario and global free economy, it has become practically impossible to forecast about tomorrow’s requirements. Things, which are in demand today, will become abundant tomorrow and vice a versa. This applies to all sectors, commodities, services etc. Under these circumstances, giving an advice on a career has become very difficult proposition. Those who are presently giving the career guidance are basically telling you various options available subject to your percentage of marks especially in 12 Th exams. Very few consultants are really gone into the exhaustive and in-depth study of various professions and how these professions will be faring tomorrow, what are the new gateways opening up, will they go for long or will they dry up suddenly, no one really knows, Under this circumstances, what are the career options available in front of students and their parents?
Having spent more than 20 years in the field of Human Resources in India and Abroad and actively involved in career development, I have few suggestions for the readers of this article.
1 Please don’t carried away by the latest craze in each profession. i.e. In engineering, every one is aspiring for electronics, till the year 2000 it was computer engineering, few years back, it was chemical engineering. Incase you wish to go for engineering, and don’t get admission for the discipline of choice don’t get disheartened, choose a subject from mainstream such as mechanical, electrical etc You always get a chance to go for specialization once you complete your graduation. Incase you wish to go for management, then choosing a subject from the main stream will broaden your understanding of industry. While doing engineering, focus on how you can strengthen your knowledge base related to your principal subject and develop your adaptability to changes happening in that industry.
2 Incase you wish to go for science, focus on stream which as broad based applications. Same principle also applies for arts. By this, you will able to strengthen your base during graduation, you will also come to know your strengths and weakness and you can then do a specialization during your post graduation.
3 Under stand your people Management skills. Here I would advise you to go for aptitude tests. These tests are very useful for finding out your people management skills or soft skills. Now days, lot of professions require these skills and unless you are strong in these skills, you will not succeed in these professions.
4 If you are lucky to get an admission in the stream of your choice, please study the various options such as sub branches or super specialization, also find out the soft skills requirements so that you an equip your self from the beginning.
5 Lastly, My sincere advise to parents, please don’t get disheartened if your son or daughter does not get the stream of his or her choice as no one knows whether that stream would be derby horse or ordinary one in the long run. Best thing to prepare him or her to widen her knowledge base, develop expertise in change adaptability and develop soft or people management skills for the profession which he or she ultimately chooses.
Any profession is successful, as long you remain expert in it.