Generation Z are the people born between 1996 and 2010. They are technically sound, tend to be pragmatic, and believe in individuality. The rise in the number of people choosing offbeat careers has only increased with time, and a major reason behind this is receptiveness to the idea of new age career options. It is imperative for parents and teachers to understand the perception and thinking of this generation in order to help them choose their desired career path.
It is all about passion over money. It will be incorrect to say that Gen Z does not aspire to be successful in monetary terms, but it is not exactly how it used to be thirty years ago. They do not want to compromise and continue doing something they do not like, and that, in itself, is courageous. In fact, according to 63% of the students who took part in an in-depth study conducted by an organisation, a career decision should be based on a combination of aptitude, strength and passion, and not just on salary, status or security.
The study states that 69% of students would explore different career options rather than give in to parental pressure and career fads. They are also moving away from traditional career choices; 65% of children entering school today will work in jobs that do not even currently exist. High school is an ideal time for students to plan their careers, felt 67% of them, as they can have a roadmap and take up a stream, subjects, and entrance exams in accordance with their suitable career choice.
India is witnessing a paradigm shift in career choices. Today, there are more than 250 exciting careers to choose from. Students need to be rest assured about the gamut of career opportunities that are in store for them to satiate their hunger to do something off the beaten path.
Popular options
Some career choices increasingly growing in popularity are:
Disc jockey: For being a DJ, you need to have a keen interest and good taste in music. Typical places to find work are in a club or a radio station (as a Radio Jockey).
Ethical hacker: As an ethical hacker, it would be your job to protect your organisation from cyber threats by hacking your own systems and figuring out the loopholes. An educational background in computer science, information technology or computer engineering is necessary.
Stand-up comedian: You need to have an amazing stage presence, unique style, good comic timing and knowledge of current affairs. Mostly, stand-up comedians crack jokes about themselves or the world around them. You need to know what clicks with the audience to find your humour quotient.
Tattoo artist: If you have an artistic bent of mind, this can be your field. Patience and the ability to understand the customer’s brief properly is the key skill. Apart from that, you should have excellent art skills, including an in-depth understanding of scale, proportion and shading.
Social media influencer: As a social media influencer, you get to spend a lot of time on your chosen social media platform — Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and so on. You are supposed to share interesting content keeping your target audience in mind and build a huge fan following. Further, brands may tap into your fan following in their influencer campaigns and ask you to review their product, share their contest, and so on, for a fee.
UX Designer: You design the look and feel of the software interface — take the wire frames and figure out the layout, type hierarchy, colour palettes, and create the visual cues for interactive components within the interface. You also work on brand logos, marketing collaterals, explainer videos, and so on, along with working closely with the marketing team.
The author is founder and CEO, Lodestar Career Guidance.
