blog Higher Education Innovation | 6min Read
Published on August 4, 2021
Practicality or Passion? Top Seven Professions of the 21st Century
What do you want to be when you grow up? This is often an anxiety-inducing dilemma for all teenagers. It can be overwhelming to try to make such a decision when it feels like your life is up in the air and the only thing that feels certain is uncertainty. In the modern-day and age, this question gets even harder to answer as innumerable factors weigh in – some high schoolers value job satisfaction overpay and get stressed out when they struggle to find a career path that suits them. Others hold wage factors in higher regard and don’t care much if they get incredibly bored working 9 to 5. Others can fall victim to parental pressure, unable to pursue their true passion. There are countless scenarios where students struggle to decide, finding themselves stuck in a tug of war, wondering which to choose, practicality or passion?
The Promise Of Practicality
In the 21st Century, the way we work and the number of career choices have changed substantially. For most non-manual professions, being highly literate in technology, business and creativity is a necessity. New generations are continuously coming up with ingenious and inventive job prospects and carving their own paths in this new world. Radical changes in globalization, technology, and competition in the marketplace as well as shifts in societal conditions have altered our speculations for the future. Experts continue devising new scenarios about working in the 21st century and the careers that will be highest in demand. Currently, these include:
1. Nanotechnologists
For many years now, our gadgets have been getting smaller and smaller which has caused an increase in the demand for nanotechnologists. These are people who can manipulate matter at a molecular level, and as miniaturization and portability for our gadgets increases, so will the demand for this job. Those who wish to study <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology”>nanotechnology</a> should opt to study organic chemistry, molecular biology, and microfabrication.
2. Stem Cell Research:
For many years now, our gadgets have been getting smaller and smaller which has caused an increase in the demand for nanotechnologists. These are people who can manipulate matter at a molecular level, and as miniaturization and portability for our gadgets increases, so will the demand for this job. Those who wish to study nanotechnology should opt to study organic chemistry, molecular biology, and microfabrication.
3. Business Developers
These workers pursue strategic opportunities for businesses by, for example, cultivating partnerships or other commercial relations. It is one of the most sought-after jobs for fresh graduates and has many sub-areas to work within. To get hired as a business developer an individual must possess good analytical, negotiation, creative, and communication skills.
4. Robotic Experts
Individuals in these careers will be sought after in the coming years due to increased automation outside of factories and production facilities. These developers and specialists will have a special responsibility as artificial intelligence and automation continues to grow.
5. Genetic Programmers
Another profession in the scientific field that is speculated to increase in demand is genetic programming. As a genetic programmer, you will work on the development of medication that suits the individual genetic code of the patients to achieve the best possible treatments for diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s. Health and medicine, in general, will remain hot topics, so seeking a career in them instead of genetic programming will also result in high pay.
6. Urban Farming
Even though manual jobs, specifically in the agricultural sector are fading, inhabitants of large cities will have to be increasingly provided for by urban farmers. Jobs in this area will require agricultural and technical knowledge and many sub-areas involving R&D, automation, etc. may open up under it.
7. Data Scientists
This unusual profession shocked many when it originally came to be, but now its demand is expected to increase in the coming decades. Data scientists are big data wranglers who gather and analyze large sets of structured and unstructured data. Their role combines mathematics, computer science, and statistics.
8. Software engineers
9. Healthcare Workers
The demand for nurses and care workers is predicted to grow as the work hours of physicians decrease and the population grows. These jobs have many opportunities to grow and succeed and are perfect for someone interested in healthcare.
10. Artificial Intelligence Practitioners
AI promises to deliver some of the most cutting-edge breakthroughs and innovations of this century. With an upcoming AI revolution, there are limitless opportunities for those who want to go into this field.
The Heart Wants What It Wants
Of course, working in the highest-paid professions is tempting. But what if you just don’t want to? What if you know that the benefits of entrepreneurship are far better than pursuing something you’re not interested in? Teenagers struggle to decide what to do, especially at such a young age but should you really settle for something that you don’t love doing just for money? Or just to make your parents proud? Taking the more creative path is riskier, and will probably result in uncles and aunties judging you, but if it may ultimately result in contentment – is it worth it?Â
The answer may be affected by many external factors, but following your heart can rarely ever prove to be detrimental. Rather than being average at a job you dislike, but get paid a lot of money to do, it may very well be better to get paid less but be much happier. In your one life, it should be your choice and your will that guides you, not the opinions of others. Even if you possibly end up disliking what you once thought was your passion, that is perfectly fine. In fact, it’s needed because knowing is always better than wondering.
So, to know, to experience, to be satisfied and happy, listening to your heart instead of your head may be what’s best for you.Â
Passion and Practicality can go hand in hand, but even if they don’t, your choice matters most. Deciding what you want to do based on your situation is completely up to high schoolers or even adults as it’s never too late to switch sides.
Big Red Education and our Ivy Early Entrepreneur Program
In our entrepreneurial workshop – Ivy Early Entrepreneur, students go through the process of business development and leave the entrepreneur program having completed a business model canvas, competitive analysis, financial model, minimum viable product, and a pitch deck.
Students get an opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs who are alumni of reputed universities and are experts in their respective industries.
These experts serve as coaches guiding students through the processes of developing a business concept. Risk-Taking, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication &
Storytelling, Design Thinking & Innovation, and Opportunity Recognition are a few of the key learning areas of our program.
On successfully completing the entrepreneur workshop, the guaranteed internship will be extended to all the students within our partner firms and with most of the mentors teaching the program. Students will be provided with a certificate of participation by Big Red Education. This certificate can be used for your college portfolio.
Ivy Early Entrepreneur
11th – 17th Jan 2022
Idea Generation | Market Research | Design Thinking | Pitching
