S.Z. Arshad
Adam Smith taught us to trust the laws of supply and demand for things to turn out for the better. But is this the only thing that parents and students need to consider when making decisions about career? Definitely not! I have seen a great number of parents push their children blindly into IT or 'Computers' just because it seemed to be the most lucrative field at that moment. Later on, whenever a slump in the job cycle of this field is observed (which by the way is quite normal in contemporary economic scenario) I find all those forced students quite confused and depressed.

A couple of years ago when I used to insist that not everyone is fit for IT or Computer Science, people thought that I was a spoilsport and just wanted to deprive them of a chance to make some easy big bucks. It was a time when the IT fever was 'on' - everyone young or old, from accounts or medical world wanted 'to do computers'. Numerous small computer centres popped up on every street and minted a lot of money while this IT mania lasted. Now that the IT bubble has busted, it has become relatively easy to talk about the harsh realities.

Career decisions are long term decisions - determining decisively the future direction of life. Decisions about career are to be made after careful analysis - not simply of the most lucrative professions, but also with due regard to the interests and potential skills of the candidate. Unfortunately, in Pakistan career counselling is not taken seriously.

The abilities, skills and interests of a youngster are of the least concern when career decisions for the professional degree or life are being made. The primary and secondary schools are not used to developing a potential profession-ality profile of the student. The highlights of this decade spanning profile would conveniently reflect the proven abilities, skills and interests of the youngster and in turn facilitate guidance to the type of higher degree and profession meant for this particular individual.

Career choice (for most Pakistani youngsters) is not a matter related to inherent capability, but rather the first opportunity that comes their way. A higher paying job or a multi-national is considered better (no matter what they make you do). Success is usually measured by the amount earned and not by the excellence, quality or commitment with which a job is done. The monetary criteria may seem very appropriate at face value, but then talk about being stuck with a job (or career) that does not match your capabilities or interests for a number of years. This may result in frustration and other adjustment problems.

I consider it of utmost importance that people should enjoy their jobs or professions (no doubt there would be exceptions, but I still suggest the same for the majority). Counselling mostly received by teenagers here is in the form of either parent or peer pressure. The parents try to figure out which is the best paying profession in their environment and then start coaxing their children into it. After all the parents want what is best for their kids (and what can be better than to have a greater income?) The other form of pressure is the peer pressure. I once asked a potential candidate of my university what was his interest and what did he plan to do about it? And he replied that he was not sure but he was preparing for the aptitude tests of all the universities with his friends (likewise had joined coaching centres and took tuitions with his friends) and would like to do what everyone was doing (but better than anyone else!) Popular demand does indicate the trend of the most paying professions but it does not ensure whether a student with a certain set of capabilities would be successful in that area or not (for example many students taking up computer sciences and not having a pre- engineering background usually end up dissatisfied with their studies).

One more thing that people don't realise is the longer run' aspect of Smith's theory. When people make decisions about professional degrees they tend to overlook the fact that it would be three to four years before the candidate is actually going to enter the market. By that time in this fast moving world, the demand patterns for human resources may have changed drastically. Pursuing a short certification or diploma that is in demand these days may be fine, but pursuing a three to four year professional degree that is in demand these days is not the same. I would suggest that the choice for a professional degree should be based on interest and capabilities of candidate rather than purely the market demand.

The benefits of candidates pursuing higher education according to their capabilities and interest are numerous. The person is able to put up with low pay or to pass the bad cycles simply because the person is interested in the nature of his job and profession and would not give up easily. The person is able to innovate and perform quality services because of his relevant capabilities. Thus company or organisation is also better served.

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