Alternate Careers And Making Them Sustainable.

A degree in engineering is often touted as providing a good career and a decent salary in reputable companies. Or that medicine is a highly noble profession that pays off generously over time.

Preconceived notions like these with little statistical support are likely to blame for the fact that a large percentage of engineering graduates today are struggling to find work.

In today's world, it has become easier to choose alternate careers like comedy, filmmaking, music production, digital marketing, and more. More students now prefer to follow their passions instead of the traditional engineering or medical courses.

Current Scenario

• According to a recent study, an employability report found that over 80 per cent of engineers in India were unemployed because they lacked the technical skills needed by employers in today's world.
• The demand in fields such as social media management and digital marketing has increased by 400 per cent, according to LinkedIn.
• Career counsellors say that two out of ten students end up choosing a career pursuing their hobbies and are keen to take courses relating to those fields.
• With more students wanting to turn their passions into careers, the demand for conventional courses has dropped in recent years.
• Students are beginning to test-drive off-beat fields with the help of online courses that give them an overview of life in that profession.
• Some students may prefer having a safety net and fall back on family businesses or a well-paying corporate job. In those cases, some of these courses available online can be done on the side.

Impact of Covid-19

• The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the need for online courses. These courses give students the chance to explore different fields and find the right career choice for themselves.
• All e-learning platforms have seen a notable increase in users during the pandemic as they took to the apps to learn fresh courses and explored different fields while in lockdown.
• These courses are often taught by professionals who have hands-on experience in their particular fields and can inspire the students about the benefits and the risks of pursuing an alternate career.
• Careers in fields such as digital marketing, writing, entrepreneurship, etc can be kick-started from home and are perfect options for anyone looking to switch or start their careers during this uncertain time.

Choosing alternate careers

It is never too late to start working on what you are truly passionate about. A few ways to get started could be:

1. Understand that you can do everything you think you can. Learn everything you can about your field of interest. The internet contains a plethora of subject-specific knowledge.
2. Alternatively, you could consider a few online workshops or courses.
3. Pay close attention to developments in your area of interest and try to contribute as much as you can
4. Seek opportunities to work and get practical experience in the field if possible. This will help you boost your CV and also create lifelong connections.

Sustainability in alternate careers

A sustainable career is a career that can grow with you, makes use of your skills, and means something to you. While finding or starting these careers may be easy, sustaining them takes more work.

• To make any career sustainable, one must pay attention to the developments in that industry and keep upskilling yourself to be sharp and up to date with new tools or technology in that field.
• Working with a company that knows how to maintain a work-life balance is a good start as it would teach you how to work as well as have fun.
• Having a plan or vision for yourself is also a good way to go.
• Paying attention to other competitors and learning from either their mistakes or success.
• Once you've got that down, add your twist to it and create something you would love yourself.

Making a career sustainable is work but as the saying goes, 'If you love what you do, you won't work a day in your life.' A little effort does go a long way when it comes to alternate career choices. Time and effort put into it will give you the rewards you've worked towards.

Mohammad Zeeshan

Guest Author The author is Co-founder & CEO, MyCaptain