What if I want to be an astronaut and not a doctor?

I've never seen parents who would proudly push their kid towards becoming a professional photographer or a film maker.

Shiraz Abdullah Mahmood November 04, 2012
The very first profession (barring the childhood fantasies of becoming a superhero or flying jets) I was genuinely interested in Psychology; becoming a shrink, if you will, drew me like a magnet.

That of course lasted maybe a few months (four or five months at the most) and this was when I was in the 10th grade. I never really pursued it nor explored it. What attracted me towards this profession was listening to and helping people understand their problems. Unfortunately the fact of the matter was (well at least what I felt at that time- I may have been wrong back then and even now) that I didn’t see much of a scope for a profession in Psychology in Pakistan.

Perhaps, if I had been given the right guidance, or rather had the opportunity to get the guidance I required, I would have chosen an entirely different career path. It’s not that I have spent all this time, nine years since I started my BBA, exploring Psychology in hopes of reliving a past dream, but it still makes me wonder ‘what if’.

Since then I have thought about the innumerable other fields that I would have loved being a part of, some of which I could still be a part of (depending on how much I want to do it – separate topic and issue) and others I cannot be a part of anymore.

My point, however, is not to cry over spilt milk, but to point out a lack in the past that should be addressed now so our future is not affected by the ‘what if’ mindset many of us now suffer from. Had someone helped me explore the other professions out there and made me understand what profession I was suited for, then things might have turned out differently.

I know this is the story of many Pakistanis. Many today wear a doctor's coat, but wonder what it would be to be a professional golfer.

There is, thus, a dire need for proper career counselling to be established within our educational system. This counselling should take place prior to the student entering the undergraduate level so as to maximise the effectiveness from the very start, so the student picks his/her professional education with a clearer mindset of the end goal. It would hardly be sensible for an MBBS student to try switching fields by joining a Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in branding.

Career counselling has an extremely important role to play for students in the 10th and 11th grade. It enables a student to be able to test out different core subjects within these two years of school and then establish a stronger career path whence the subject of choice is picked. Not only will this help expand horizons and create better opportunities within Pakistan it will allow more professions to flourish, be accepted and recognised. There are so many professions that get their due respect, social acceptance and growth globally that don’t get their fair share in this part of the world. Those that are trying to make it big in this part of the world still have a long journey ahead of them.

For example, an athlete’s career in this country can only go so far as cricket. To prove his/her mettle, the athlete will have to do really well in cricket; any other sport- by and large gets ignored.

With regards to journalism and writing, apart from a small number of columnists and journalists who have earned a place in the top, the profession itself is not considered as highly as it is abroad. Photographers, film-makers, artists, chefs, psychologists, software and fashion are all examples of professions that are trying to make their own space in the Pakistani professional realm.

Unfortunately, the masses of our population believe that picking a ‘safe’ career in law, engineering, chartered accountancy, business or medicine is the smartest thing to do. Although these professions may be risk free and generate the right amount of financial stability, these are not the only stable professions out there.  I have never come across a set of parents who would proudly push their kid towards becoming a professional photographer, or a media content developer, or a film maker.

Part of this mindset is due to the risk factor and fear of not being able to make a decent living; however, what they may fail to see is that there are some who are making their way through these professions and have made a decent living for themselves. Some examples are Hasan Rizvi with his ‘Bodybeat’ classes and event-based choreography services, K Bridals and Kohi Marri with their photography, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy with documentaries. But collectively, there is only a small amount of people who encourage these ‘alternative’ professions and under the right guidance and level of encouragement; those who have set about this career path have done well for themselves.

Encouragement at the right stage of life can help students get the motivation they need to really go and explore different careers, choose the right one and equip themselves accordingly. We need good career counselling, with career fairs and talks to be established at the secondary school level to induce more ideas into the system and allow mindsets to expand.

I would love to see a Pakistan where there are careers other than the ones that have become a norm here. I want to see a Pakistan where the youth is guided well enough to make an informed decision when choosing their desired profession.

Who knows if I was guided well enough I might have picked out journalism as a career or maybe become an astronaut. Who knows? Thoughts anyone?

Read more by Shiraz here, or follow him on Twitter @sammywiseguy85     
WRITTEN BY:
Shiraz Abdullah Mahmood The author is a marketeer by day and a blogger by most nights. He loves writing, football (Arsenal! Gunner since '99) and is a delusional romantic of the Pakistan cricket teams. Avid book reader, viewer of sitcoms and general fun lover! He tweets @sammywiseguy85
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (7)

JazbatiJhaaru | 11 years ago | Reply its readings like these that makes me want to check out tribune blogs. more substance and less feminist opinion :p good going!
rkhan | 11 years ago | Reply Emigrate to AMerica or China
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