The New NORMAL

Gone are the days when we slogged into the wee hours of the night to study for a shining career in engineering. We’re now moving towards a future dotted with unconventional jobs that are proving to be a lot more fulfilling. Sara Shah and Mallica Patel tell you about our top picks for out of the box careers.

How strongly do you want to quiten those who are pushing you to take up engineering and medical or any of those beaten career paths where the numbers of students are enough to cause a stampede? How strongly do you feel that the world is too big to hide those aspirations and dreams into a little case in your heart? How many times have you rehearsed your Oscar speech in front of the mirror?

If you feel strongly for all of the above and have a raging fire inside of you to achieve great heights and follow your passions, we suggest you go for it. For as they say, life is too short to care about what others are going to think. Graham Moore, in his Oscar acceptance speech for best screenwriter said that as a 16-year-old he often felt different and couldn’t fit in, to the extent that at one point he felt like ending his life. Little did he know that his uniqueness would win him an Oscar one day! In his closing remarks he asks everyone who feel like they don’t fit in to ‘stay weird and stay different’.

Thinking out of the box will raise eyebrows, trigger questions and worry minds. Fortunately, all of them come with a greater package of happiness. There is nothing more liberating than working towards something you feel in your bones. If you have not found it yet, give it time, it’s yours and it will come to you one day.

For all you achievers out there we have this section of out of the box careers where we discuss careers which are unconventional, not usual and not one which the nosy auntie in your building is going to coax you to pursue. Phew!

Take a user experience designer for example. Did you know that there is someone out there who is responsible to enhance customer satisfaction by improving the usability and ease of use of their respective products? So, the next time you seem unhappy with your product, remember that the poor sleep deprived attendant who you are shouting at, at the call centre is the last person responsible for the frown on your face.

Further, if you are someone who enjoys his or her gym time and can’t get enough of that gruelling (read death defying) place and is one of those people who derive immense pleasure from posting gym selfies (and making their friends too conscious of the fries on their table) you could pursue a career in physical training. You’ll be surprised at the number of people who need assistance in priming their bodies into slender versions of themselves. And, who doesn’t need a year-round membership to the gym?

However, if you are someone who has a passion for food, consider this — you could start a food truck. Decide upon the menu you want your customers to love you for, invest a small amount into your truck, and off you go. Take up this interesting job and be able to cook or serve delicious gourmet styled menus and take the city over with your culinary skills. Not to mention, you’re free to conduct experiments.

Next we give you the art of image consulting, the process of grooming people to upgrade their performance consistent to their professional roles. Although one does not require major league institutes to learn this art there are a few institutes who provide learning in this field.
Finally, we talk about spa management. What are those fancy words doing strung together you ask? Well, it refers to everything a spa does to make sure you visit again. From management to therapeutic spa treatment learn everything there is to make your spa the most peaceful and rejuvenating of them all.

So, if you are one of those who can’t wait to make a difference in the world, but hate taking the beaten paths of life, flip over to this section and learn about the various avenues of life that one can pursue, and the next time an annoying, overachieving cousin’s father tries to ask you what your plans are, you know what to say!