To B.E. or not to B.E.

The world does not end for you if you are not an engineer… there is an array of offbeat jobs to choose from.

July 01, 2015 06:56 pm | Updated 07:02 pm IST

From chartered accountancy to a career in the armed forces, fitness, and cooking, a whole world of options is out there Photos: S.R. Raghunathan, H. Vibhu

From chartered accountancy to a career in the armed forces, fitness, and cooking, a whole world of options is out there Photos: S.R. Raghunathan, H. Vibhu

According to the National Employability Report for Engineers (2014), of the 6 lakh engineers that graduated that year, 53 per cent wanted to be software engineers.

Only 18.09 per cent actually got software engineer jobs. So think beyond B.E. — play to your strengths!

Got good social skills? Most companies have sales and marketing divisions, and some companies specialise in this field.

You don’t need a high percentage or an IIT/IIM degree, and the salaries can be much better than an engineer’s take-home.

All you need is a basic graduation degree. An MBA or a degree in sales and marketing helps.

If you are blessed with excellent spoken and written English along with networking skills, and are smartly dressed, then it will take you straight to the top of the heap.

Great at Sports? A defence career is perfect for people who love sports and travel. Post 12th standard, apply for the SSB (Services Selection Board) to join the Army, Navy or Air Force.

If you are a graduate in any discipline, you are eligible to try out for the armed forces.

You can also opt to serve for just five years in the Short Service Commission, which is open to women as well.

P.S: Don’t believe what you see in movies – serving in the defence forces is no more dangerous than driving a two-wheeler on Bangalore roads!

Fitness Freak? A career as a personal trainer is also definitely worth a try, if you’ve got a killer physique and love to work out.

Get a reputed certification, or join the bandwagon as an instructor for a fitness programmes such as Zumba or Pilates.

You can also join a reputed gym and conduct your own signature exercise class under their aegis.

And, who knows, if you’re super-successful, you might even end up being a trainer to a movie-star!

Maths Whiz? Channel your mathematical ability into finance. Auditors and tax consultants are in huge demand in the market.

The pay rivals the best software jobs, and often exceeds it! A Bachelors’ or Masters’ degree in accounting is the first step to an auditor’s job (and no company can do without an auditor).

A Bachelors’ degree in commerce, finance or taxation from a recognised university followed by either a post graduate course in taxation or the certified public accountant course offered by the CPA Council will qualify you to be a tax consultant.

Awesome at Cooking? Whether you bake or cook, this is a lucrative field, especially with the expansion in the tourism sector.

Take a professional course in hotel management from a registered institute.

Alternately, take a course from a good culinary institute, or a reputed international cookery school that focuses on your area of interest. A whole world of options is out there, just waiting for you. So go on, get your dream job!

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