There’s more to life than studying medicine and engineering. So much more that you can make a career of anything you like doing most. For Raghu Dixit, it was music and his guitar. For Ramesh Aravind, it was acting in a skit. For P Achutha Rao, it was fiddling with things around.

Admission Next 2011

When these experts along with other educationists came together on May 22, Sunday, at the Nimhans Convention Centre for Admission Next, a seminar organised by the Education Times, it was a huge eye-opener for students on the career options available. And, the message was clear: there are lots of buses; even if you miss one, it’s ok; you will catch yours. Education is a life long asset; once owned, it will keep giving dividends. Addressing students who were at the crucial junction of their life, Dr N Prabhu Dev, vice-chancellor, Bangalore University and the chief guest, said, “Do not get bulldozed by parents or friends. Go by your own hunch. Decide for yourself whether you need an immediate job or whether your family is financially sound to support you.” The cost of education is going up, he said. Educational loans come at high interest rates.Yet, the duty to increase the enrolment ratio is still on. “Do not hold on to your daughters. They can take care of themselves. Earlier, they were not allowed to study in a place away from home. Get out of that mindset. If you educate girls, you educate an entire family. They have anyway proved better than boys,” he added.

Careers in Acting

A seventh rank in SSLC, 98.6 per cent in PUC and a BE in mechanical engineering from University Visvesvaraya Engineering College. But now in the film industry with around 140 movies to his credit, Ramesh Aravind is the biggest propagator of the concept — ‘Follow your heart’.
“More than about a career in acting, I would like to speak about choosing what you like to do,” he said at the seminar. “Your heart will speak to you. Just listen to it. When you were a kid, you would have been good at something; you would have had a passion. You would do best by it,” he said.
There is no specific route to the movies. “There are no placement cells. For each actor, there have been separate instances through which they entered movies. As for me, it was through a skit in college at which a judge noticed me,” he said.

Ask him what the best part about acting is, and he says, “You will have an installment of everybody’s life in yours. You get to do everything, become anyone. You get to go to the best places, meet the best people. And, most of all, you get to get into a role and emote.”  The career is good only if you are successful in it. “Some became successful by being patient and resilient, others through intelligence. At the same time, do not over estimate your capabilities. Get into it only if you’ve a passion,” he signed off.

Careers in Designing.

“Everything is about design. Even a child crossing the road forms a design in his mind,” said Prof P Achutha Rao, centre head, National Institute of Design, Bangalore. “For an engineer, a fan means four blades which turn with power. We as designers take it from there. We try to see where people are struggling with machines and try to provide solutions through better design,” he said. Designing products can range from furniture and interior design, ceramic and glass design, communication design comprising of graphic design, animation film design, film and video communication, exhibition (spatial) design, textile, apparel and lifestyle design, toy designing or even designing logos. There’s hardly any theory for the exams; students submit projects, assessed by a jury. “It’s not about Mathematics, it’s about doing things with the hands. So, it’s not just engineers who come, but also people from fine arts,” he said.

Careers in music

Music, according to Raghu Dixit, the popular musician, can be developed at any point of life as long as one has the taste for it. Initially a microbiologist, Raghu Dixit quit his job as a scientist to chase his passion. “My dad was against anything Western. The first pair of jeans I bought was with my own money at 23 after he died. After my decision to become a musician, my mother did not talk to me for nine months. But I am sure if my dad was still alive, he’d have been proud of his son,” Raghu said.  An inherent talent, creativity, charisma and stage craft can pave your way to success in a career in music. The career options are varied — it can be performing live, in a studio, teaching, journalism, engineering and management.

While sound engineering (for both live and studio performances) is gaining popularity with many institutes offering a course, new avenues like artist management, event management, venue management, tour management and booking agents are booming. “When I started, I’d manage all aspects of my show — starting with booking the flight tickets to making sure the instruments arrived on time. Now, I have someone taking care of it leaving me with time to focus on music,” Raghu said.

Musicians can earn quite a bit. “I know studio musicians who earn Rs 15,000 per show and have recordings 25 days a month. You can earn much more than in any other career explained at this venue,” he said.

Careers in Defense

If the adrenaline rush grips you every time you think of the country, join the army. The number of vacancies in the officers rank itself come up to around 12,000. “Yes, you have to work hard, but it’s worth it,” said Colonel J S Virk, director, recruiting. The biggest advantage of being in defense is the lifestyle. “It’s not just about money, which you will save up to 75 per cent of your salary, anyway. No corporate will provide the kind of security the defense does. Not just for you, but for your dependents as well. This includes ration, pension, education and health services,” he said. “There are also more openings for women now. As of now, it’s just short service posts. But the proposal for permanent commission has come up,” he added.

Careers in IT

The largest generator of jobs in the past years in the city, Information Technology still provides hope for a lot of graduates in the city. “IT stands for India’s Tomorrow. Around 2,50,000 jobs are available in a single year through this sector,” said S Sadagopan, director, IIIT-B.

How to get into IT? It can be through engineering, MCA, IT and design, IT and media, IT and law.

Careers in  LAW

Calling a career in litigation deeply satisfying, Aditya Sondhi, an NLSIU alumnus and a practising advocate in The Karnataka High Court and Supreme Court of India, he told students about careers in law.  “It may not match the service provided by army, but the magnitude of contribution is not negligible. Every order from the court is a protection of somebody’s right,” he said. Also coming to the relief of hundreds of students who are skeptical of their chances in cracking the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), he said, “Do not worry if you don’t get in through NLSIU. No matter where you study, you will find green pastures if you have the potential.”  “Speaking well or articulating well may help you at litigation. But that is only one aspect of law. Corporate law does not need all these qualities. You can also work for NGOs with a law degree,” he said. “Our judicial system is still a robust system. It’s wrongly accused of delay and incompetence. The quality and speed at which it intervenes is terrific,’’ he added.

Did he ever get disillusioned as a litigator? “I was never disillusioned or bogged down. I did have moments of frustration when I started practising. But you must stomach it all. Hard work and patience are required.” CET When D S Narasimha Murthy took over the stage with his CET brochure, students had many doubts to clear with him. From revaluation and retotalling to the process of counselling, Murthy patiently cleared them all.

Source: TOI