YUVTHA SPECIAL- CAREER OPTIONS

YUVTHA SPECIAL- YUVTHA (YOUTH) CAREER OPTIONS

How many of take unilateral decisions when it comes to choosing a career? Truth to tell, very few of us. Mention the word career and only two or three career options keep popping in our heads - doctor, engineer, MBA. That is how we have been conditioned by years of parental pressure. Talk of other options, will only get us labeled as a drifters and rebels. One significant reason for this narrow view of options is ignorance of so many other alternatives that could meet the criteria of being a vocation that you have a liking for and also be the means to a comfortable livelihood. Choosing a career has lifelong implications. It can span your entire working tenure. It means choosing an occupation, getting a job, rising in our job, possibly changing your occupation, and eventually retiring. So before your firm up on something, give the choice process a little consideration.

AGRICULTURE - RELATED COURSES

The term agriculture encompasses a wide range of disciplines. It includes farming, ranching, and horticulture, floriculture, the production of food for human consumption and the preparation of animal feed. It even includes poultry and dairy farming and, the manufacture of agricultural machinery and implements and industries whose output is processed farm products. No wonder 42% of the world's labor is engaged in some form of agriculture. At some point in time man began to give up his nomadic ways, and shunned his role as hunter gatherer and began to settle along river banks that were conducive to the conscious cultivation of crops for food. It was in these settlements that human civilization began. It was from this period on that man began his quest for other things since food was no longer the sole concern. Over the centuries man involved himself in the cultivation of a variety of crops that served a variety of purposes. Although individuals in these settlements began to take up other crafts, the majority of people were occupied in agriculture or in work that was somehow related to agriculture. This situation hasn't changed much since then. However agricultural output accounts for only about 5% of global GDP. Farming has come to mean different things to different people based on the size of the farming endeavor. At one extreme you have subsistence farmers whose farm produce is only large enough to meet the needs of individual families. At the other end there are massive commercial ventures for intensive and industrial agriculture. Such farms involve vast tracts of land and a great number of machines, making farming as mechanized as possible. In India farming has been the backbone of our economy for centuries. The sector employs more than two thirds of the population. Agricultural production is a major contributor to the country's economy. A decade or so ago, agriculture employed methods that were rather primitive compared to the agricultural methods of developed countries. However, today the industry employs improved technology, resulting in better quality and output. In spite of all the industrialization the significance of agriculture to the economy as a whole will only increase in the coming years. Coupled with this, advances in biotechnology and genetics will only add to the importance of the sector. This means that the need for agricultural professionals will continue to grow.

Requisite Qualification

Although it is possible to pursue a career in agriculture with no formal qualification, to do so will diminish an individual's career scope. On the other hand the career scope for qualified professionals is immense. To be a professional one could pursue a BSc or MSc in agriculture; or even a PhD. Agricultural education in the country offers degree programs 11 different disciplines in agriculture and related fields. At the postgraduate level the choices are even more; there are 55 different programs to choose from.

Scope

Qualified professionals can seek employment in government, in the corporate sector, in private research organizations or in NGOs. You could be in agricultural research, agri-business, agro industry, agricultural education, agricultural journalism, services in agriculture, banking, farming, conservation, agricultural engineering or management

Remuneration

You can just about eke out a living or you could make a pile that will depend on where you fit in this ocean of options.