Every year we see that there are more career
opportunities and options available for students. When a child completes his
tenth standard, it is often time for him/her to choose certain streams for
which he/she has an aptitude towards, or which he/she is interested in.
However, many students make the mistake of
letting their marks decide what stream they should take up. This leads to the
thinking that if the student has scored between 80-90 % then he/she could opt
for science. If the percentage is between 70-80 % then the commerce option is
good and if the percentage scored is below than that the only option remains
with them is Arts.
There is still another misconception about Arts
stream. Most of the people feel that the stream of arts does not open up many
career opportunities and the only option which is available for students is the
teaching line and becoming a professor.
However, most of the times students follow a
faulty method of arriving at or choosing career options. What they should do
instead is first identify, broadly, what they want to do, and then they should
find out what they need to study in order to get their dream job. If they do
this the other way round, that means that they are being dictated by their
circumstances.
‘Social sciences’ or ‘Humanities’
popularly termed as the Arts stream includes study of human beings, the society
they live in, their interrelationships and behavioral patterns. The humanities
stream offers a variety of subjects for study. Education, research, the
development sectors, service sectors, government jobs, politics, administration
& public affairs, law, mass media, defense, investigative and protective
services offer an array of career openings.
The avenues available are vast in the field of
Arts with specialization in the English literature, Marathi literature, foreign
languages, psychology, political science, philosophy, sociology, politics,
economics, history, geography, mathematics, statistics and so forth. As the
student completes the HSC, they have to choose their specialization along with
other optional subjects and the duration of the course is 3 years.
Following are the avenues open for students who
specialize in any of these subjects:
ECONOMICS
Economics is the
study of production and distribution processes, which encompasses the most
effective means of utilizing available resources in every sector. Ability to deal with
numbers, good analytical mind and good communication skills are important
aspects of this field. Some of the specializations in economics are
agricultural economics, international economics, industrial economics and so
forth.
HISTORY
History deals with preparing a chronological
record of events dealing with some phase of human activity, either individuals
or social, ethnic, political or geographical. Archeology, museology,
conservation and heritage management, numismatics are some of the
specializations of this field.
Persistent and determined approach along with methodical and well organized
attitude is important. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in history is excellent
preparation for a career in law, teaching, library and information science, in
publishing, civil services, in administration, human resources management, in
films and television etc. Local authorities, art galleries, museums, travel and
tourism organizations, the Archaeological Survey of India, historical/cultural
research institutions are also some of the places which would provide job
opportunities for students. They may also serve as researchers, writers,
editors, and educators. They may work on programmes for the History Channel, on
historical films, in history-related web site creation and production of
CD-ROMS, etc.
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is the
systematic study of relationships among people. Sociologists investigate the
structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact
within these contexts. Skills
in analyzing and interpreting information, planning and organizational ability,
and an eye for detail are imperative. sociologists may join as faculty in
colleges and universities, teaching and advising students, conducting research,
and publishing their work. Other than academics and research, they may enter
the corporate world, on-profit organizations, and the government in market
research, policy analysis, as consultants, and in administration. The job
opportunities could also be in qualitative market research and analysis, survey
research, work in urban planning, community development, criminology, in
demographics and in politics.
PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is the study of seeking knowledge and wisdom in
understanding the nature of the universe, man, ethics, art, love, purpose, and
so on. Analytical and critical thinking skills along with
precision and creativity are most important in the field of philosophy.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Political science is
the study of politics, which involves the study of structure and process in
government that attempts to assure safety, fairness, and closure across a broad range of
risks and access to a broad range of commons for its human charges. Independent
thinking, good written and oral communication skills are important in this
field. post graduation in this filed could fetch you opportunities in research,
teaching, civil services, Public affairs, Social work, Law and so froth.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
COURSES
The
study of any foreign language involves learning the grammar, syntax and other
subtle language nuances in depth.
Foreign languages help prepare you to work in many types of jobs.
Foreign languages offer opportunities in teaching, film subtitling, archiving,
interpreting, copy editing and so forth. One can also major in a foreign
language. Good verbal ability, patience and the ability to withstand strain are
the essential abilities for this field. German, French, Japanese, Italian,
Spanish, Arabic, Persian are some of the languages which do have a demand in
the market. Translation (General & Technical). The job opportunities in the
field of foreign languages could be plenty such as Technical Translator,
Research and Documentation, Interpretation, Transcription, Teaching, Hotel
industry, Aviation industry, banking and so forth.
REGIONAL LANGUAGE
MAJORS
The study of any
regional language involves learning the grammar, syntax and other subtle
language nuances in depth. Regional languages offer opportunities in teaching,
film subtitling, archiving, copy editing, copy writing, journalism, and so
forth. One can also major in a regional language. Good verbal ability, patience
and the ability to withstand strain are the essential abilities for this field.
Hindi, English Literature, Marathi Literature, Sanskrit are some of the
languages taught under this section.
STATISTICS
Statistics is the scientific application of
mathematical principles to the collection, analysis, and presentation of
numerical data. One needs to have a liking towards working with numbers along
with good analytical ability and interpretation skills.
GEOGRAPHY
Geography provides accurate, orderly, and rational description and
interpretation of the variable character of the earth’s surface. Good
observation skills, precision, and perseverance are some of the aptitudes
necessary in this field. Urban and regional planning, economic geography,
political geography, physical geography, cartography, and geographic
information systems are some of the specializations in the field of geography.
PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is a science, which adopts a
systematic approach to the understanding of people and their behavior. Good
communication skills, patience, analytical ability are some of the skills
necessary for this field. counseling psychology, statistics, abnormal
psychology are some of the subjects taught at the graduation. A student can
later specialize in Clinical Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Counseling
Psychology, Social Psychology and so forth.
Anuradha Prabhudesai
Counseling Psychologist
