Choosing a career path is never an easy decision. A lot of things need to be factored in – one’s financial status, personal preferences, goals, immediate needs and the like. But sometimes, people tend to settle for professions, which is not really their choice. On the brighter side, instead of getting stuck in a rut and cribbing, a volley of youngsters are ready to take the risk – and make a shift. Bengaluru Chronicle gets chatty with a couple of youngsters, who share their stories with us....
Rahul Ramachandran is a hotel management student turned film director who’s harboured an innate flair for films since childhood. He adds, “I had always dreamt of being a film maker. The other things I did in between were just for the sake of it. So, making the shift was never really hard. My mom has always stood by me and dad is also a big film enthusiast. So, in terms of emotional support, I had plenty. Financially it was a bit tough, but my friends helped me through it.”
Another city lad, Aditya Garg led a very creative life in Rajasthan. But things took a dull turn when he was forced to lead a sedentary life due to his corporate job. Thankfully, it wasn’t long until Aditya decided to quit and become a serious actor and theatre artist. “It was an easy choice for me because I’ve always been excited about performing arts and the fact that I get to do that every single day was great. I found myself unable to do the simple dance moves that I used to do before. At that moment in my life, I decided that the job that I am doing is opposite to my very nature. This is the career which allows me to be in tune with myself, to work on myself and as a result become better version of myself every single day.
While a few chose arts, it was the drive to lend a listening ear that egged this city girl on, to shift gears. Chrisma Lobo is a hotel management student turned counsellor/trainer. She says, “I really loved interacting with people and that is why the preference was Hotel Management. With what I am doing now, I am able to change lives of people. I experienced it and I was bowled over. So that’s why, I shifted. Through counselling, I am able to change lives rather than just working with people. I had sufficient support, but I had to spend some time studying, so its an ongoing process.”
Treating along a similar path, Sapna Sahu is a teacher/HR recruiter turned baker/pastry maker who felt her creativity is better used in this field. She says, “Bakery is one thing where you can really put your creativity to work. I have always loved making desserts, so that’s why I made the shift from being a teacher to a baker. Shifting careers was hard, as I wanted to specialise in French pastry. There were not many institutes where I could learn from. The hospitality industry is a very male-dominated one. For freshers, your creativity is curbed by senior chefs and sous chefs.”
