Career counsellor's advice to students before making their final career decision

Choose a subject you feel confident about

q My parents want me to pursue medicine, but I’m not sure I can handle it — the amount of studying required or the pressure of being a doctor. I like biology but not medicine. How do I convince them?

Medicine is rigorous and requires long-term commitment. If you already feel overwhelmed, trust your intuition. Pursuing medicine primarily to satisfy your parents can lead to burnout and unhappiness.

At the same time, your parents’ push for medicine stems from concern. Medicine offers stability and a clear career path. Instead of arguing, acknowledge their concerns and clarify your stance. Instead of saying you can’t handle it, state your reason — though you like biology, you’re not ready to commit to the extensive training or intense pressure medicine requires. Come prepared with alternatives. Simply rejecting medicine may worry them but demonstrating you’ve explored meaningful paths shifts the conversation.

Many paths within biology offer stable careers. Look into those options. Share your findings and why you think they suit you. Explore courses like BSc in life sciences, biotechnology or biomedical sciences. These expose you to areas within biology and help build clarity before specialising. Some students choose interdisciplinary programmes for career flexibility. Talking to professionals can give you realistic insight into the work.

Focus vs flexibility

q I enjoy sketching, creating characters and storytelling through images but I’m not sure whether I should pursue animation or stick to a safer degree like a BBA, since it seems to offer broader career options. How do I decide?

Animation and BBA lead to very different career paths. Animation is a skill-based, creative field where growth depends on how much you practise, experiment and build your portfolio over time. A BBA is broader and more structured, often leading to roles in business or management or further study, such as an MBA. Also, remember that BBA is just one of many options. You may want to explore other courses as well, depending on your interests.

The real question is what is your preferred way of working. If you are naturally drawn to sketching and storytelling, and you’re willing to spend time consistently improving those skills, then the creative route is worth exploring. There are several degree programmes that lead into this space, such as those in animation, graphic design, visual communication and game design. You could even opt for film and media courses.

Before taking a decision, try out your interests. Build a small portfolio — experiment with digital illustration, simple animation tools or short visual stories. Figure out if you enjoy spending hours refining your ideas. Do you feel bored or frustrated if things don’t go right? Are you motivated to keep trying and improving? Your response to the process matters much more than the outcome. If you enjoy the process and want to keep getting better, that’s a strong sign you are a fit for this field.

Choosing animation, or any other creative field, is logical if your motivation is strong and steady. However, if you prioritise flexibility and are not ready to commit to an intensive creative path, opt for a BBA. The crucial point isn’t what is a safe career path but which one keeps you genuinely engaged over time.

Nina Mukherji is a career counsellor and certified psychometric assessor. She conducts workshops in various areas for students. Mail your queries to telegraphyou@gmail.com with “Ask Nina” in the subject line. Don’t forget to add the name of your school or college and a contact number