A rather common statement said by successful people is, “I always knew that I wanted to do this,” or “becoming this was my childhood dream,” but what about those of us who did not have a ‘childhood dream’ of a career? What about those of us who did not know until their 10th grade whether they wanted to choose science, commerce or arts? According to a 2019 article by India Today, a survey concluded that up to 93% of Indian teens are not aware of more than 7 career options.
And I can’t help but want to question how we can expect 14-year olds to decide what they want to do with their lives when they cannot even vote? Why does the system force us into these boxes so early on in our lives? Most teens do not even consider changing career paths once their education has started. It happens very frequently that kids who choose STEM-based degrees do so because they just have not figured what they want to do yet. Hence, in order to hop on the bandwagon and gain a sense of security, kids tend to choose what comes off as lucrative. With a severe lack of emphasis on exploration and practical experience, most kids are not even exposed to what they might want to pursue in life until much later.
“Life is a race,” this famous dialogue from 3 Idiots pretty much sums up the way education and careers are treated in society. We are expected to keep running until our feet hurt and spirits ache while simply not understanding the point of making life a competition.
Therefore, it is very important to champion the acceptance of changes in career paths later in life. An excellent example of such a success story is Alan Rickman. He was first a graphic designer by profession and was not recognized as an actor until the age of 42. Another inspiring story is of Bob Ross who had enrolled in the US Air Force. It was not until the age of 41 that he explored his passion as a painter and started teaching.
Such is the story of Ashudhra, a nurse in India itself. Having shown keen interest in painting and music, she was forced into studying to be a nurse as her parents refused to pay for her education in any other field. "It's very important to be happy doing your job", says Ashudhra, "As a nurse, I have to keep my temper under control as patients can be arrogant and grumpy. However, that is one thing I cannot do."
48% of healthcare workers are not satisfied with their jobs and in a field like medicine, not only does it affect the individual but patients and co-workers too.
With family being the first form of education, how we feel, the values we have and our career choices are highly impacted by those around us. Constantly wishing to please our kin, we tend to forget what we stand for. Similarly, parents are blinded by societal pressure and economic problems from their past that impact their offspring a great deal. Living in the occupational ghosts of their past, parents tend to push their children into the careers they once planned out for themselves. Affluent families with great fortunes from businesses often plan for their children to be the heirs of the family business and start training them for the same at an early age. There is a wispy line between being supportive and being controlling when it comes to parenting. While some parents master the art of being well-read and a pillar of support, some parents turn a blind eye to the talent and charisma of their child and seek a life with success over happiness. Times are changing, it's about time our thought process did as well.
In the words of the great Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, "Agar koi alag tarah jeena chahta hai toh use jeene do... Har dil apni hi tarah dhadakta hai... Har dil dhadakne do."
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