Offbeat jobs lure youth

Till a few years ago, there was a mad rush  to join the league of popular professions — engineering, medicine, management, journalism, law, and so on. Ironically, all these sound stereotyped today, because of emerging new professions like “Waste Management Consultant,” “Security Installation Specialist,” and “Conservation Officer,” to choose from. What has augmented this shift in preference is the bold attitude of youngsters, the will to do what they want, and the courage to accept challenges.

Take for instance the case of Gaurav S. who as a child always wanted to be an imaginary Captain Planet, who fights pollution. Unlike most other little boys, Gaurav, 24, actually lives his dream. He works as a clean development mechanism (CDM) management officer to help firms reduce their carbon footprint. “I could have chosen to do an MBA, but a clean environment is my priority,” says Gaurav, about graduating in environmental studies from Delhi University, and later completing his Master’s in environmental science from the university run by The Energy Resources Institute (TERI).

Like Gaurav, there are many youngsters today, who are drawn to — and engaged in —what are known as “green jobs.” Experts say that in years to come, the green collar jobs will soon be more valued than their good old blue collar and white collar counterparts. “It is estimated that about one million green jobs will open up in India over the next two years,” says Samantha Jacob, Conservation Officer with a Canadian firm.

Security is also an important issue in today’s technology-oriented world. And with the increasing threat to security in cyber space — many job profiles, which require security skills are also in demand. Amit Sachdev, who is a security specialist in Noida with a leading IT and technology company, says, “Research and technology have always interested me and I’m glad that now I’m in a job where I have to conduct background-checks of people, who are likely to have contact with the client. It’s nice to do something different.” The 25-year-old has his future plans set. Amit says, “At some point in my life, I plan to become a ‘Funeral Director’, where I have to organize funerals. It’s a lucrative profession abroad and has huge scope here too.”

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