5 offbeat careers to explore after graduation

“One who takes the road less traveled earns the rewards most missed.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo

In India, you either are a doctor or an engineer to be successful in life. All other professions aren’t really professions unless you’re the Lata Mangeshkar of music or the Prabhu Deva of dance. Often, when it comes to choosing professions that aren’t in line with the cliche thoughts of society, you find yourself stuck. Amidst the dilemma, what interesting line must you choose that’s unconventional and pays you well too?

To cut your options down to a few, we have listed a few possible off-beat careers which you can explore after graduation. Check these out and give yourself a chance to figure out what you really want in life.

1. Ethical Hacker

If you’re the one who likes hacking your friends’ social media accounts for fun or are an expert at cracking passwords, this field might intrigue you. Popular as the coder of the gang, if you’re often found curating codes in the corner of your room, you might like tapping into the field of ethical hacking. Your passion for coding your way into the systems can, in reality, get you paid. Often, big companies require ethical hackers to deal with various security issues.

To be the one to land an opportunity with one such firm, you need to be an expert in multiple programming languages. You can start with an internship which can then be land you a full-time, permanent job. Beginning with a decent Rs. 2-5 lakhs per annum as a fresher, you can easily earn around Rs. 10-12 lakhs annually after an experience of five to six years.

In addition, many institutes provide training courses in ethical hacking. Institute of Information Security, Arizona Infotech and School of Ethical Hacking provide are some amongst them. 

2. Photography

Another interesting field for building your career will be that of photography. Where social media and digital marketing are redefining technological systems, photojournalism has emerged as the sought after field in new-age journalism. The sectors of entertainment, media and journalism are the ones looking forward to employing people for this profile. Be it freelance or full-time, you can choose photography as a career option in case you find solace in clicking pictures. You’ll be required to be skilled in communication with a brief knowledge of some photo editing software. In addition, you must have a creative bent of mind with technical skills required to use suitable equipment for photography. An entry-level pay will be around Rs. 3-6 lakhs per annum.

3. Food Taster

The mere sound of it is fascinating. Isn’t it? But your qualification of being a foodie might not be sufficient for you to pursue this profession as a career. Proper training along with a degree is required to make you eligible for a position in this domain. Degrees in culinary arts of food sciences/technology will hold relevance here.

A few top institutes offering courses in this area are National Institue of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Central Food Technological Research Institute, National Institute of Nutrition, etc. Having a degree in nutrition or holding a work experience at an F&B company will add value to your skills. For the start, you can expect a salary in the range of Rs. 2-3 lakh per annum.

4. Youtuber/Blogger

Earlier people wrote blogs to share their piece of work with others and to earn fame. But today, along with sharing your work and getting popular for the same, you can earn as well. With Youtube having surfaced as the third most viewed website and the second largest search engine, you’re most likely to earn well if the quality of your content is good enough. Many youngsters have dived into this domain already and have taken to creating and publishing engaging content online.

Though a career in this field sounds easy, the work required to achieve success in this area requires creativity and uniqueness. In order to get limelight, your content must be fresh, indulging and relatable. Where Google takes 45% of what you make, Youtube starts paying only after you get a total of 1000 subscribers to your channel, paying you around $9.9 for every 1000 views. Earning your first dollar will be the toughest. But once you’re down that lane and you start publishing quality content, more people will start viewing your channel. In the spotlight lately, this is a fascinating choice in the list of careers to explore after graduation.

5. Dance Therapist 

Taking dance therapy into consideration, the medical world has figured the connection between mind and body. Even though the history of its implementation dates back to the 1940s, it still is in its nascent stage in India. Dance therapy is known to treat numerous psychological, emotional and physical impairments with the use of dance movements. Applied in a variety of settings such as classrooms, hospitals, rehab centers, and nursing homes, this therapy works on patients in all age groups, from children to adults.

To pursue this as a career, you must have a master’s degree. Revolving around the field of dance, you must essentially have some level of expertise in different dance forms. Where possessing a Bachelor’s degree is the bare minimum, various institutes like the Pune University provide diploma and certificate courses. If you’ve studied psychology in your bachelors, it’ll add value to the requisites for becoming a dance therapist.

If you’re the one who does not believe in following the crowd, the one who wants to prove his/her worth in a different genre altogether, this list might give you an idea of the careers to explore after graduation. Choose wisely. In the words of Eric Vance Walton, “If you don't think outside the box, you may just get stuck inside of a cubicle.”

Step out of the herd and paint your canvas in the colors you like. Be different and get ready to define uniqueness.