Many students in India are confused about which career path to choose after Class 10 or 12. Even with a wide range of courses and career options available today, most students still lack clarity about their future plans.
At the NDTV Education Conclave, renowned education expert Viral Doshi shared his observations. "I would say 30% do and 70% don't," he said when asked how many students know what they want to pursue after school or intermediate.
He stressed on importance of choosing a career based on personal interest rather than societal expectations or academic pressure.
"Eventually in life, it's not your undergraduate degree that matters most, but your postgraduate qualification. If you study something you enjoy during your undergraduate years, you will excel," he said.
To prove his point, Doshi gave examples of successful individuals:
- Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, studied Film Studies as his undergraduate course
- Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, studied English Literature
- Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, pursued Metallurgical Engineering
Despite their unrelated undergraduate degrees, all three followed their interests, excelled in their fields, and later earned MBAs from top business schools such as Harvard, Wharton, and others.
"What you study in your undergraduate years and where you study is honestly irrelevant. What matters is how well you do," Mr Doshi said.
To help students find the right path, he suggested a simple four-step plan:
1. Psychometric Testing - A test to identify a student's strengths, interests, and aptitude.
2. Career Research - Reading about possible career options that match the test results.
3. Talk to Professionals - "Speak to three digital marketing experts," he suggested, to gain real-world insight.
4. Job Shadowing - Spend a day or two observing professionals at work to better understand different career options.
He also discussed global education trends and why studying abroad remains popular, especially in countries like the US, UK, and Canada.
He explained that out of every 100 students who go abroad, around 60-70% choose the US, and about 20-25% go to the UK or Canada. These countries attract students because of their strong research facilities, world-class faculty, English-speaking environment, and global opportunities.
