Dare to tread the road less taken

Preetinder Kaur

Gone are the days when conventional career paths like engineering, banking, teaching and accountancy held sway and were sought after by everyone. Taking the unconventional route is the latest norm for anyone who dares to think out of the box or wishes to create a niche for themselves. Here are 10 alternative career options that are not just super interesting but can promise a good pay package too!

Political Campaign Manager

Political campaign management is an extremely critical, dynamic and interesting field to work in. One needs to train the logical part of the brain for this off-beat career option and adapt to the fast paced and stressful working conditions.

Jobs: Working at the core they provide services like political consultation, marketing, fundraising, crisis management, and public relations.

Qualifications: A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in political science and campaign management is a requisite. One can also go for PhD. Excellent communication skills are also necessary.

Income: The average fresher salary ranges from Rs 3-4 lakh onwards. Growth prospects are good and salary packages can become more and more handsome.

Learn the discipline: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) offers MA and MPhil. Delhi University offers BA (Hons) Political Science, MA in Political Science, MPhil in Political Science and PhD in Political Science. Jamia Millia Islamia offers BA (Hons), MA and PhD.

Emotional Intelligence Designer

One thing that currently separates robots or AI devices from humans is their inability to interpret and react to human emotions. But that’s about to change, according to Computer Society of India.

Professionals with a background in computer science, or programmers with a deep understanding of psychology, will be needed to create algorithms that turn human emotions into code. How high is your EQ?

Qualification: Bachelors/ Masters in Psychology

Financial Comfort: The average fresher salary ranges from Rs 3-4 lakh.

Creative Home Decor

Nowadays, there is high demand for smart, small homes with maximum light and green corners. The number of things that can be made covers a broad spectrum, thus there is wide choice based on your preference. You can associate with companies that sell hand-made products or you can sell them independently over the internet.

Qualification: No minimum educational qualification required. Need imagination, creativity and connectivity. Should have creative spark and able to deliver as per client’s expectation.

Financial comfort: Can earn maximum with handful of creativity.

Undercover Detective

Break out of the convention and head out on your own path and if spying is your passion and all those spy movies have had a considerable effect on you, then it might be exciting to opt for a career in a detective agency. Do keep in mind that the job may be severely taxing and boring moments too at times.

Qualification: You may not need any qualifications to become a trainee investigator. A paid traineeship will be difficult to come by if you do not have relevant skills and knowledge. A Masters is criminology or forensic science or both is desirable.

Financial Comfort: Can earn upto Rs 5-6 lakh per annum.

Freelance Writer

Freelance writing is possibly one of the most well-paid options for those wishing to make money without spending all their time roughing it in office. Today, sites like freelancer.com and elance.com provide easy ways to obtain a freelance writing gig. Individuals and organisations from all over the world can reach out to you about projects that suit your profile. The best part about this is that most of the time the details of the project, including the amount that you will be paid for it, is usually provided beforehand, helping you decide whether it is worth your time and effort or not. You can increase your monthly revenue by taking on multiple projects from either the same or different source, a highly encouraged practice, considering the ample monetary compensation and experience you can receive.

Qualification: As a field there are no defined paths or qualifications necessary to enter it. Not to say that you can’t take steps to ensure smooth entry into the field. A degree in literature, journalism and mass communication are preferred degrees, while for technical and research writing you may need a master’s degree in a specialised field (for example, life sciences, physics, engineering, psychology, etc.)

Salary: A good and experience freelance writer in India can earn Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per month while beginners can earn Rs 8,000 to 10,000 per month.

Travel Consultant

If you are a free bird and like to travel a lot, then being a Travel Consultant is what you would like the most. Your geography and knowledge about various regions should be sharp and you should have a good network. Once a travel consultant establishes himself well, there is scope to earn a handsome amount and gain more clients.

Qualification: You should have a travel and tourism degree or diploma in travel management. They help you in understanding how travel industry works and the challenges involved.

Salary: Once your work is established, you can earn anything between Rs 50,000 to 1,00,000 per month, based on your network of customers and organisational skills.

— The writer is PRO, IIT-Ropar

Marriage and Family Therapist

No marriage or couple is perfect. Even the family affairs have various kinds of problems. Gone are the days of traditional and joint families. There are different challenges from small families, nuclear families, single parent families, and families with same-sex parents. Some common issues may be about financial arrangements, infidelity, jealousy, disagreements, child birth, child care, household responsibilities, separate career paths, career ambitions etc. This leads to stress, tension, domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, teenage rebellion and more.

So like in the West, when people are in such circumstances, they need expert services of a Marriage and Family Therapist. Hence, the job prospects as a Marriage and Family Therapist are very bright and career path is very good.

Educational Qualifications: Graduation / Postgraduation in Psychology with Diploma in Psychotherapy / Family Counselling

Salary: Rs200,000 to 15,00,000

Sketch Artist

It takes tremendous amount of skill and precision to make a sketch/ cartoon. The art is within and if you have explored that while doodling at the back of your school notebook, then you can make sketching a career choice. Convince your peers and your parents showing Akshaye Khanna’s character in ‘Dil Chahta Hai’or Prateik Babbar’s in ‘Jane Tu Ya Jane Na’. Also, this art can be utilised by investigating agencies, like CBI etc.

Qualification: Although a degree is usually not a requirement for employment as a sketch artist, aspiring artists could consider obtaining a degree in art or fine art. Some employers require a degree, while others require a degree and experience.

Salary: Average salary of beginners is between Rs3,00,000 - Rs5,00,000 per year.

There are many options on the roads less driven, follow your passion and break the barriers with positive start. Remember the saying of Oscar Wilde, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”

Modelling

You boast of having confidence, a healthy attitude, with near perfect body and flawless skin. You are able to make heads turn, are fascinated with the glamorous world of modelling and have supportive parents. If you tick all these boxes, then you may look out for a career in modelling.

There is no specific educational qualification required to enter this profession. To begin with, one can approach the reputed modeling agencies with a portfolio of recent photographs or can apply for the contests sponsored by various magazines, cloth manufactures and cosmetic companies etc.

Financial Comfort: There is no dearth of opportunities and a big start. Earning for a fresher may range between Rs 3-4 lakh a year.