Students often dwell on whether their passion or rationale should make for a career choice. Sumit Kumar shares tips that can simplify decision-making
The dilemma to follow your passion or to let the rationale lead in your career choice has dwelled in every student’s head. It persists and amplifies even more because as a high school or college student, you lack industry and workplace know-how. Several dynamics come to play in causing such dilemma: economic concerns, job satisfaction, exposure, time that will be expended to achieve success and others.
On the flip side, the stakes are extremely high as the right choice will get you a good and satisfying career and living in the future. The ultimate destination of your choice between working on your passion and making well-calculated career choice leaving emotions and ideals aside is to get placed in the industry with the most suitable and promising job.
So, before you take that leap of faith, ask yourself some of the important questions like:
What is your favorite subject?
Straight and significant, the question points toward the subject you are most passionate about. You may want to explore more about the subject and pursue it further to establish your career.
But at the same time, it is crucial to determine the prospective careers offered by such subjects. Analyse whether your favorite subject can offer you a career that promises an economically stable life.
What prospects will your favourite subject offer?
Some subjects naturally open the door to well-paid jobs. And, then there are those subjects that offer adventure, experience, exposure, and travel but not a big pay package.
If you study engineering, management, law, medical courses, data science, and others, you may land a well-to-do job. But if your choice is off the conventional career course, like photography, art, social science, disaster management, journalism and others then, you may not find the five-digited paycheck within the first five years of your career.
These subjects offer well-paid jobs too, but the only fact is that you will have to work a lot harder to earn your name. If you are passionate enough about it and are keen to learn and explore, go ahead! But the main aspect here is what you prioritise and want to do: a 9 to 5 job, saving lives, creating art or shaking up the world with your stories!
What are the elements that will affect your career choice?
Ensure educational stability of your selected subject through the following checkpoints:
- Apposite college or university facility
Hands-on skill training along with strong theoretical fundamentals are pre-requisite in most subjects. The college you choose to pursue studies must be well-equipped with advanced technology and faculty to provide quality education and training to assist you to get adequate placement.
- Earning capacity and encouraging work environment
Whether the subject is chosen out of passion or is rationally decided, make sure that they offer high-salaried job packages and a decent work environment. Good academic background and skills get you placed in reputed corporate organizations exhibiting harmonious and prosperous work culture with added benefits of extra-curricular activities to engage their employees.
- Exact scope
Another crucial consideration before taking the final call is to analyse whether you are capable of attaining a good career profile that offers fair promotional and increment opportunity, flexibility and a wide spectrum of prospective growth by picking the respective course.
- High market demand
It is non-negotiable to ensure that your subject choice must have great market value and demand to abolish consistent struggle of getting a good job and work environment.
- The current job scenario
A recent research has revealed that about 60 per cent of employees are unhappy with their existing jobs. Out of these, 50 per cent employees admitted that irrelevant job responsibilities, unsuitable job profiles, lack of skills relevant to the job, toxic work culture, poor management and extended working hours are amongst the prime reasons that lead to job dissatisfaction.
These stats highlight the issue that comes with landing into a mismatched or poorly paid profession.
Before you continue to pick your favorite subject as a career choice, be analytical enough of all the aspects revolving around it because your future depends on it. If your passion facilitates you with all the factors mentioned above, then go for it. But if it does not permit the same, then it would be wise to choose a subject that can transform and improve your quality of life.
The writer is Director, Headsup Corporation
