Embarking upon unconventional career paths

When your aspirations were taking shape, did your school teacher or principal ever caution you that you were not being true-to-life about your career line and that if you took a plunge in it anyway, you will never be able to make a living out of it? Has it been that a person has remarked that your dream job or career is not convincing at all? Does your father or mother scowl and grimace whenever you talk about your career aims and?

An unconventional career path can prove to be an extremely solitary and desolate trudge. But not necessarily. There are hundreds and hundreds of men and women who have elected to embark upon an unconventional career path; and success has not eluded them. They are as happy as anybody else.

It needs to be understood what precisely is conventional or traditional. When we make a reference to a conventional or traditional career path, there are several connotations and implications attached to it. The most common meaning of the term is attending college to acquire a degree, appearing for an entrance examination, facing an interview, making the grade, getting an appointment, joining an organisation and thereafter making ceaseless progress. As an alternative, getting into a technical profession like engineering or medicine and then working one’s way up is also a reasonable inference. The impression that professions like law, medicine, teaching or engineering provide maximum constancy and esteem is widespread, but not without logic.

The pertinent question however, is if your goals and ambitions are at variance with conventional choices, what will be the ramifications? What would be the outcome if the life that you envision as also the excitement and sparkle in it entails flouting of customary practices?  

Most unconventional careers comprise a pursuit of arts and humanities. Artists, musicians and authors of different categories generally strive for careers in arts and humanities. While some of these careerists may undergo prescribed training, some perhaps may not. Training undergone or not notwithstanding, any career in these arenas where you happen to be supported by your own creativity and ingenuity falls within the gamut of being unconventional.

Another connotation of an unconventional career path is one wherein you take up a career that is generally related to a member of the opposite sex. Professions like nursing, kindergarten teaching, crèche management, receptionists and airline cabin crews are all generally associated with females; and if a male had to opt for them, it would be viewed as flouting of customary practices. Similarly, carpentry, gardening, automobile repairs, mining or firefighting have come to be accepted as male domains; and for a female who decides to pursue them, the career path would understandably be unconventional. The foregoing is no more a rigid rule as young men and women are increasingly deciding to break barriers.

Unconventional and non-traditional career paths have inherent downsides and shortcomings. Various other factors apart, the backing and encouragement that is forthcoming under normal situations from members of your family, friends and acquaintances may be conspicuously deficient, even non-existent. It is also likely that your colleagues and equals of a gender opposite to you at your place of work may view you with a certain degree of trepidation and consternation.   

 Since every cloud has a silver lining, there are clear-cut and definite advantages associated with non-conventional or untraditional careers. You become the centre of attention. The environment remains focused on you and you no longer remain invisible. But this phenomenon does not last forever; eventually it is your hard work that will stand you in good stead. There will be many quarters that will view this aspect as a disadvantage; however, the flip side is that the attention that you receive is flattering and may serve to inspire you, even if it smacks of disapproval, unconstructiveness or cynicism.

By following an unconventional career path, besides the attention that you generate, there is also the aspect of impact. You make a tremendous impact on the society and come to be revered. Traditionally, setting free from conventions has been regarded as synonymous with novelty, inventiveness and progress. Locks having been unlocked and doors unbolted, you also offer opportunities to others like you. They can be motivated and trained to achieve success in a non-traditional field of work.

Albert Einstein said that the world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. Men and women who decide to take up unconventional careers have changed their thinking. They need to be appreciated for their bold moves.