Beyond conventional careers: Opt for niche courses for a change

There may be many career options but students get stuck with the select few including, engineering, medical, law, chartered accountancy.

Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla had recently revealed that he never wanted to become a chartered accountant (CA).

However, the story isn't the same anymore as there is a long list of professional courses that are far from conventional career list.

For instance, Mumbai University offers a course on puppetry which is a certificate programme. Students can learn about different forms of puppetry in India and attend workshops held by experts.

To follow suit, other universities in India are also contemplating the introduction of this course as part of their curriculum.

Your love for animals can be translated in to a full time career. Individuals can opt for training courses on canine behaviour from multiple animal behavior experts in the country. Shirin Merchant, a canine behaviourist and trainer offers such courses in Mumbai.

Career opportunities post completion of these niche courses are not the regular 9-5 jobs that are generally offered post a degree completion. Individuals who have completed these special programmes are of the view that there is a long period of struggle before they are able to make money. So, those with a financial backing can opt for such courses.

Some of the courses act as skill enhancement areas for existing professionals. There is Glass Academy is which is one of India’s first learning platform for glass and glazing. It has started an initiative called Glass Curriculum.

The glass curriculum is a futuristic program of study that is beneficial for anyone who is in the field of architecture and construction.

Need for corporate etiquette and power dressing has also become a crucial part of the work culture. Organisations like the Image Consulting Business Institute offers programmes on image consulting and soft skills trainer.

These individuals look at attractive salaries after course completion.