Streaming to success

The recently announced board results have been exemplary, with most students having showcased brilliant performance. With stars in their eyes, these young minds look forward to pursuing their dreams and taking the first decisive step that will pave the way for a glorious career. Passing board exams is akin to a rite of passage in our nation. However, the pressure to make this decision about a suitable career stream is encountered with numerous factors which need careful consideration. As an educator with over 30 years of experience, there are some learnings I would like to share with students and parents as they work on selecting the right career stream

Inherent interests and Higher education avenues

In the age of start-ups, a plethora of career options have opened up for one and all. While one might want to choose a specific subject in an endeavour to pursue career aspirations, it is also essential to evaluate allied subjects in a specific stream. A word of caution that could happen is the risk of outgrowing the love for a specific subject over a period of time. My advice to students is to do a fair amount of research that will help them understand future avenues aligned with their aspirations for a specific stream. Taking into account the flexibility of subjects within grades 11 and 12 is also critical; for instance, opting for subjects such as Mass Communication, Visual Arts, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence, which are highly in demand and can result in different career opportunities. Making a conscious effort to align their choice of subjects with higher education courses could give students a great head start. Nowadays, students are fortunate to take up Liberal Arts universities that provide great exposure to numerous subjects. 

Faculty Skillset and Institute Reputation versus Infrastructure and convenience

While there are numerous private institutes offering integrated courses with options, it is essential to evaluate the quality of faculty. The experience, expertise and exposure of faculty have a remarkable ability to influence career aspirations and decisions. While it is easy to be influenced by world-class infrastructure and convenience, parents and students should think twice before letting go of the regular school/junior college experience. A regular school offers a holistic learning experience comprising of skill-based activities that foster innovation and entrepreneurship and give them hands-on experience in organising events to equip students with essential life skills. These skills and values are inherent to the progress of a 15 -16-year-old until they reach adulthood.

Collaborating with Alumni and Professionals 

The new generation workforce is expected to change their careers multiple times during their lifetime as VUCA world makes it difficult to predict how the jobs of the future would look like with the proliferation of data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning leading to creation of new ecosystems. With social media opening up avenues for networking and building connections beyond borders it is advisable to gather insights, clarify doubts from alumni and professionals. 

Dream Big and Wild

The courage to follow one’s dreams often requires the grit to take a path that may not always have your friends following you. At times it’s the desire to be with a peer group to a specific college or a stream as opposed to finding what motivates you to follow your passion. Very often students believe that status symbols and being in a hep college is essential to be accepted by their social circle. Parents need to be supportive of the choices made by their children and should refrain from imposing their choices. 

As these new batch of students, enter a challenging phase of their lives, I wish them all the success to achieve their dreams and emerge as finest professionals carving a niche for themselves.