For an enterprising few, it's bidding bye-bye 9-5, hello veejaying, deejaying, event management, theatre, graphic illustration, fitness, bartending or even astrology. They want instant success and a work-life balance and they're willing to innovate intelligently.
If Rakhi Sawant had a visiting card, it would probably read `Reality Queen.' Like her, many people are opting for innovative career options. `Buzz Manager,' `Prosperity Consultant' or `Face Reader' -- these are just a few among many wacky professions. No more humdrum MBA, boring engineering and interminable MBBS degrees -- these professionals feel the need to break boundaries and emerge victors.
The world's a stage "Theatre in India has not reached an industry status. Today, we are better off than our predecessors who could never take it up as a full-time career," says Sunil Vishnu K., director of Chennai-based theatre company Evam Entertainment, which was founded in 2003 in partnership with Karthik Kumar "We were nominated among Tata's Hottest Start-ups of the year 2008-09. At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, we received an award as a young performing arts enterprise. Evam is six years into the business, has completed 275 shows and 18 productions. As per the annual turnover, we are a Rs 2 crore company. Yes, we are still the white elephant, but there is a lot of promise in the field of performing arts." Spirited jugglery While some find their true calling on stage, others are happiest swirling and flambéing. With flair bar tending, mixology has been given a new lease. "A bartender is no longer the one who fixes a gin and tonic. Skill, finesse, jugglery and playing with fire are a part of the act," says Rohan Carvalho, a flair barender, who co-founded BarSquare bartending schools with Prasanna Ganesan and Shawn D'Souza in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Goa. It is a lucrative career option, Rohan assures, "Mumbai's Stir Academy, Delhi's Cocktails & Dreams and Bengaluru's Shaken & Stirred are good options. Even women can try their hand at it. The wellknown Shatbhi Basu is an act to follow."
No suits, please! Shrugging off the corporate garb is George Mathen, a freelance graphic illustrator. George has released his first graphic novel, Moonward, published by Blaft under the pen name Appupen. "Though I studied Economics and Commerce, I never wanted to sit in an office. I started doing banners for stores and wall art for pubs. I even did a stint in animation and painted lifestyle stores. It pays well and is satisfying. A graphic artist can land a cushy job with any firm. I wanted to be an independent artist."
A drummer with the band Lounge Piranha, he also does album art. Learning curves "Creative fields hold great promise in translating into lucrative careers," says educationist Rahul Kapoor, chief trainer at KWEC and visiting faculty at IIM Bengaluru, "I see many opportunities in technology-enabled education," he adds.
Companies like Educomp Solutions and Edurite Technologies provide animations, simulations, interactive exercises, etc for learning. "Event management is also a booming industry," Rahul says.
"Leveraging the business aspect of entertainment in a corporate atmosphere can be explored," he adds.
They say, `Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life'. So true of these young professionals who are busy reinventing the employment wheel.