Career Problems of Rural Students

People generally are quick to comment on professional successes or failures of other people or may be even themselves. It’s natural to attribute the recent past or current activities to success or failures. But I think one forgets that career path had already begun right after the graduation. Perhaps even choice of professional course determines rest of the life of many professionals.

In today’s competitive world one often finds that most people are dissatisfied with their professional life and in turn personal life as well. Sizeable amount of this dissatisfaction could be attributed to few decisions that one makes as a fresher.

Many students in India lack the presence of career oriented people around them. This is especially true for youngsters from rural area. They have a very limited exposure to professions. For instance, they do not get to see professionals from areas other than teachers, farmers, government employees that generally doesn’t involve more than 4-5 government departments, or at best the bank employees (which is again limited to only public sector banks). In most cases these rural youngsters remain totally aloof from first hand awareness as a result of interaction with professionals (probably the most effective career awareness) of variety of professions offered by private sector. Thus these youngsters are not only deprived of the awareness but the guidance that ideally should have come along with it, which I think is all the more critical in rural and semi urban set up. I would also imagine girls to be much more unfortunate than their male counterparts when it comes to awareness and guidance. This is a result of our cultural mould that is prevalent in rural and semi urban India. I however do not mean to say that the depriving cultural mould is non existent in urban India. Although the deprivation of awareness and meaningful career guidance for girls is a large and probably more critical issue, I shall try to be generic in current discussion.

Youngster from non urban areas often exhibit lower levels of confidence when they come to city for professional studies. Several factors (both socio-economic and situational) contribute to their lower self confidence. Some prominent factors are

1. Inability to speak fluent and polished English
2. Perceived uncertainty of quality of their knowledge of subject of study
3. Lack of exposure to urban activities like dining etiquette, discotheques, picnics, multiple sports expertise (basketball, badminton, Table Tennis, Tennis etc), mall and shopping etiquettes etc
4. Inability to afford prevalent in-fashion attire / Poor dressing sense
5. Most students are relatively low on pocket money

The lower levels of confidence often guide their career decisions because of irrational peer pressure that they suddenly experience. These problems although prevalent in initial period of urban stay, can prolong quite a bit for many, sometimes as long as their tenure in professional colleges. As a result, youngsters stay away from informal groups that have high potential of quality exposure and networking. Thus their career decisions are result of cocooned brainstorming that practically doesn’t involve any expert/knowledgeable advice. Moreover, in most professional colleges there is no comprehensive career counselling. Thus, in spite of being in professional colleges the career decisions often go wrong. There are many MBAs who opt for marketing as specialisation when they are more inclined towards operations or HR. They choose marketing because most people opt for marketing as they perceive it would fetch them employment relatively easily, thereby totally ignoring their interests. This leads to long term frustration in the form of mid career blues. Same is the case with engineers who opt computer engineering (because it seems glamorous and is perceived as career with better monitory benefits) when they are actually interested in mechanical engineering. At later stage multi pronged pressures (family, financial, social etc) make it difficult to make a career shift. Moreover, the atmosphere for career shift in India is not very conducive since the recruitment industry in middle management and junior levels works on experience and not on skills and competencies.

Able guidance and unbiased self analysis is the key to overcome these career problems. In my opinion, following things could be attempted to reduce the probability of career and personality mismatch.

1. Wide exposure: Exposure to as many people/situations as possible during your schooling and professional education. This might mean joining adventure clubs, sports club, professional groups, social networks like facebook and orkut, online discussions like on linked in. Knowledge gained and people interacted on these forums could help you form important opinions thereby making one make healthy career decisions. Just as children experience a healthy growth when exposed to activities like music learning, sports, and cultural activities, above mentioned ensure healthy growth as professionals. Some of these might cost a bit, but I would say it is as important an investment as tuition fees for professional courses. At times, it may prove to be more beneficial than professional course itself. One has to find means and ways to afford at least few of these. Wide exposure is very important.
2. If parents can be made aware of the importance of this non-study related activities, who in turn can support their children in terms of orientation and money, nothing like it. Many youngsters feel the first mind block as convincing parents of the importance of these activities. This is particularly true for non urban parents who traditionally believe study is all that is required. Convinced and supportive parents can make a huge difference.
3. Importance of mentor/s: Having one or more mentors as early as possible in career is very important. One can have multiple mentors depending on their expertise. Most students/professionals from rural areas might not have access to able mentors, but one has to develop them if one is ambitious in career. Usually good and people love to be mentors, since it realises their hidden potential and is immensely satisfying for them. It is just a matter of identifying the mentor. In most cases, good teachers/professors, various domain experts that can be found on online platforms, sports persons, coaches, placement officers, established professionals. If one persistently reaches out, it is not a tough task to find a mentor. These days, many grown up and established young professionals choose to have mentors for further growth. The inspiration and the guidance of mentors can lead to life changing growth. We hear many successful people attribute their success to mentors. Don’t we?
4. Importance of extra curricular activities (like sports and cultural activities) at college/profession and extra curricular reading that inspires and keeps your spiritual being on growth path can not be undermined. Healthy career growth requires healthy mind and healthy body.

Coming from rural background can be a slight disadvantage in terms of exposure but it comes with certain advantages also. People from rural background are lucky to escape undue peer pressure that their urban counterparts face in their childhood years at school. It helps in growth of an uncluttered mind which is one of the basic ingredients of success. That’s why probably we find many successful sportspersons and emerging leaders who have roots in rural or semi urban India. Pollution free life amidst countryside that avoids day to day struggle like that in Mumbai or Chennai is nothing less than a luxury. This also helps in relatively better growth in formative years. However, pace of life suddenly changes when one has to make career decisions. Thus one has to be aware of what it takes to cope and succeed in career and in turn life.