How should you decide on the future course or stream?

Do you ask your neighbour’s kid which stream they would choose if they get more than 80% marks in the 10th?

Uh, rarely. They would be going for Science, right!

We Indians do not have much of an in-depth understanding of the future prospect of all the streams. No, we do not know about most of the career choices available today. We still rely on a handful of careers that even our grandfathers knew of. It is the time when a career counsellor can help you.

The usual scenario

And this is why, we all know that “Pandit ji ki beti” who prepared for NEET for 2 years and then got admission to some private engineering college. Or that “Ahuja ke bete” who did not get satisfactory marks in Mathematics, still took Commerce and eventually an Accountancy honours over his passion in History because- supposedly one can do better in Commerce stream over opting for the subject they love.

But do you know, the interviewers are smarter now!

They only take in a candidate who they think has the most potential in the field and also aligns with the vision of the company.

So if you have a degree but do not have the relevant skills, or your personality does not match up with the job profile, you might not bag that job.

Upcoming opportunities

On the other hand, there is no shortage of opportunities in the world today.

The vacancies for the usual and conventional jobs are not enough, but nowadays, you can literally make a career out of any skill set.

People are earning a good income by even managing the Facebook page of a company for full time. If you are passionate about art, you can learn psychology and be an art therapist.

You can also earn by testing video games.

All you need to do is look for the right option for you.

The most amazing fact is, only countries like the USA, UK had these opportunities until recently. But now more and more Indian startups or established companies are needing this type of unconventional careers. You can also work as a solopreneur in this case.

All you need is a clear understanding of yourself and the current career dynamics and you can achieve much more than you ever thought you could.

Steps to choose the right career

You have to follow some steps to choose the right career option for you. Go through the following guideline for that-

• Academic strengths-

Which subjects do you enjoy studying the most? What do you like to read or learn about in your leisure time?

Here’s a caution you should keep in mind. The subjects might seem completely changed once you go for higher studies.

The Physics of class 11 is different from that of class 10 in many ways. The subject again gets much more deep and analytical in college.

So talk to your seniors and teachers and borrow some books to understand your subject of preference in-depth.

• Interests-

Here comes another aspect of your career. In many ways, our learning at school gets too limited. You only have to go through a rigid syllabus there and your analytical or creative thinking is not much valued.

But you do not have to be limited by them now. If you are reading this article, you have access to internet connectivity and you can use this to learn about your interests in detail.

For example, if you go through your YouTube or Google search history, you can understand which topics you are the most curious about. Your most-used apps on your phones tell about your hobbies and skills and the books or movies you last read or watched also indicate your interests.

Use these tools and learn more about yourself. You might find some aspects of yourself even you did not notice before.

• Skills-

Notice and list down all the in-born, learned, and acquired skills you have. Usually, these align with your strengths and interests. It is also a great parameter to understand which stream will be a better fit for you.

• Opportunity and prospects-

Next comes knowing about the job market.

You can again use the internet or talk to some knowledgeable persons to know about the kind of future opportunities you can have.

Go through some articles or reach out to some ex-students to know about the Universities or boards you are looking for, and also the courses.

This process might take time but you can get so much information and define the right choice for yourself this way.

• Choose-

The final step is making the decision. You are unique, and so your decision might be completely different from your peers and family members. And that’s completely okay. Discuss with your teachers and parents if you are still not confident about the choice.

In the end, it is your career. And you will have to bear the fruit of your decisions. So take time and search everything you can. The job dynamics are expanding every day and you might end up landing a job that does not even exist right now.

So keep your eyes open and take that next step!