Success yes, degree no

Usha Albuquerque

The power gym sign board is well lit and marks the entrance to a gleaming steel and glass interior where several young men and women are exercising. Music from next door indicates a dance class in session — but not any dance class, this is a serious health defining aerobics session. 

Shikha is not only conducting the class but is also the owner of this gym, and of two other branches in the city. Shikha is a sporty person, and even while in school wanted to get into a career related to sports and fitness. “I was not keen on going to college and taking up further study. In fact, today ( barely six years after leaving school) I earn more than my sister who has done an MBA”, she says  quite proudly.

Today there are many students like Shikha who have, or are pursuing short courses or job oriented vocational training  programmes that can get them a job, or help set up some business activity. Most are just not interested in studying any further and are not too worried if they have a degree or not. There are so many exciting and worthwhile career options today that do not require years of academic study. Many are based on some basic ability or interest and a willingness to tread the path less travelled.

If you too are not interested in study beyond school, here are some suggestions that can lead to interesting jobs and careers :

Culinary Art

Everyone has a little chef within themselves. Culinary Art is an exploration of new dimensions of food. Given the popularity of  cuisine programmes like Masterchef Australia and others, cooking has stepped out of the traditional kitchen and become a high flying career. Good chefs command high salaries and are amongst the highest paid professionals in the hospitality industry. 

A culinary career could be in speciality cuisines, baking, food styling, as a chocolateir or confectioner and so on. After a course in culinary arts you have the option of joining a hotel chain, a specialty restaurants, fast-food joints, private clubs, airlines catering, office catering services, hospitals, institutional and industrial catering, and tourism associations, Cruise ships or to open your own specialty restaurant. 

A chef can also specialise in the kinds of foods prepared.

Training: Besides specialising in chef training at any of the hotel management institutes, you can also get trained at several institutes, or take up an informal cooking class. Some of the better known courses  include : 

• Hotel and Catering Management institute, Chandigarh
• International Institute of Culinary Arts, New Delhi 
• Culinary Academy of India, Hyderabad, 
• Olive Culinary Academy New Delhi 
• Food Craft institutes  at the Institutes of Hotel management & Catering in most of the state capitals, offer short courses in Food & Beverage service, Cookery Craft, Bakery and Confectionary geared towards direct entry into the industry.  

Aerobics & Fitness

Looking good is in fashion like never before, not only for young people, fitness freaks pumping iron and working on their abs, but also for rotund middle aged mothers dancing in unison to the latest rock video.  With the mushrooming of gyms, health clubs, aerobic and yoga centres, personal fitness trainers and a range of  massage and spa therapies, the fitness industry is possibly among the fastest growing in the country driving the requirement for professionally qualified practitioners like aerobics instructors like Shikha, personal and corporate trainers, yoga instructors, spa therapists, and the like.

Aerobics instructors and fitness trainers choreograph exercise moves and design specific programmes for different people — keeping in mind their age, lifestyle and health parameters. They instruct groups or individuals in various exercise routines such as aerobic exercises, weights, and flexibility training, and the correct use of various training apparatus and gadgets such as trampolines, weights, rowing machines, etc. Fitness specialists are in great demand, especially as personal trainers on a one-on-one basis, who work with many sportspersons, film stars and celebrities as their own personal instructors,  or for those  suffering from a specific health problem. 

The workout is specially tailored to suit the client’s specific health and fitness requirements. Fitness trainers can also be called upon to organise workplace wellness and fitness programmes for companies.

Training: You do not need any special academic qualifications, but you must be energetic and athletic, have a good physique, and enjoy fitness training. Right from a local gym to a Nike Aerobics Course or Reebok Instructor Certification programme, the options for pursuing professional courses are many.

• Reebok India organises a course twice a year under the Reebok Instructor Alliance programme — two- and-a-half-month 80-hour course.
• The Sports Authority of India (SAI) offers courses in sports and athletics and yoga coaching at its various branches.
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences (IGIPESS) (affiliated to University of Delhi, New Delhi offers some programmes
• Private gyms such as Talwalkers in Mumbai, Gold Gyms, and GFFI Fitness training institutes in Delhi & Mumbai
• Private centres for a number of different exercise regimes such as  Kung-fu, Karate, Judo, yoga etc. . It is important to ensure that the trainers are "belted" or certified trainer/experts.

Beauty Care

In the world that we live in where every person wants to look beautiful, has seen a burgeoning of beauty products and beauty treatments, turning beauty care or cosmetology into a  huge growing industry. Work in the field of Beauty & Hair care encompasses several areas , including Beauty Therapy, hairdressing and Beauty Consultancy and covers treatments of face, skin, nails, hair and body, and extends from make-up and facials to massage and diet. 

Training: Although it is not necessary some training is advisable. A Diploma in Beauty & Hair Care/ Cosmetology is an advantage if you want to work as a Beautician or Cosmetologist.

There are several training schools for beauty and hair care courses. Most require no particular academic qualification. However, a Plus II or at least a ClassX level qualification is preferred.  The duration of the courses varies from institution to institution, and also depends on the area of specialization. 

Some of the prominent institutions imparting training in beauty and cosmetology are listed as follows:

• VLCC, in several cities across the country
• Shahnaz Hussain's Women's World International, also in several cities
• South Delhi Polytechnic for women, New Delhi.

Fashion Photography   

If you have an eye for beauty and are adept at wielding a camera,  then fashion photography is probably the ideal career for you. With the growth of advertising and the mass media, and with innumerable fashion shows and fashion weeks, fashion photography has become a profession with great commercial value. Fashion photography, covers photography of fashion models, clothes, designs and other areas related to the fashion and beauty business. Fashion photographers work along with models and designers, make out portfolios for models, take pictures of designer accessories in studios and showrooms, and take photographs during fashion shows. 

Preparing a portfolio for a model is definitely a very paying job, provided one is adept at the craft of producing attractive photographs. Knowledge of fashion trends, styles and colours is also important, as the photographer's pictures should give expression to the designer's creativity and bring the apparel to life.

Training: A college education is not essential for a Fashion photographer. Experience is the best teacher. Moreover, to work in the area of fashion, you must have a strong visual imagination, an eye for detail, attentiveness to colour, shapes and shadows,  artistic sensitivity, as well as the ability to work in difficult conditions and irregular hours. 

Some formal training earns knowledge and command over a variety of cameras, lights, props, and photographic techniques. Alternatively you can look for an apprenticeship with a senior photographer,  and learn as you go along.

There are several institutes that offer courses on photography, not necessarily with specialization in fashion photography: 

• India International Photographic Council, New Delhi
• International School of Photography, New Delhi 
• Academy for photographic excellence New Delhi 
• Atul Kasbekar’s School of photography, Mumbai

Whether it be adventure sports, web design, video editing, tour guide, social media marketing, e-commerce, fashion styling, event management, and many others, you do not need to go to college or undertake a degree programme to fetch yourself a good job. Now you can work at whatever interests you, find yourself a suitable course —  many of these are also available online for free, and  launch yourself in a career.

Airlines — flight crew

The cabin crew on a commercial flight, along with the pilot is responsible for the safety of passengers on a flight. A typical cabin crew on board a flight consists of a team of male flight pursers, and female air hostesses who assist passengers on board the aircraft with information on safety and emergency measures,   weather and places of interest en route; supervise seating and look after air-sick travellers, babies and children travelling alone. 

They also serve meals and refreshments, provide reading material, and  make inflight announcements. Most of the time cabin crew while airborne are continuously busy, and working at great speed. Duty hours vary from one airline to another

Training: Though no formal qualifications are required, most airlines recruit cabin crew who have completed Class XII or graduation. Knowledge of a foreign language and first aid or nursing can also be an advantage. You should be unmarried and in the age bracket of 19-25 years, at least 157.5 cm in height, if you are a woman, some foreign airlines specify a minimum height of 160m, and 163cm for men — with proportionate weight, and have normal eyesight or corrected with contact lenses upto 6/6. With the increasing demand for more cabin crew, many airlines are on a recruiting spree. 

There are several flight training programmes where students are put through personality development training and lessons on etiquette, beauty, skin and hair care and also given practical exercises on simulated flights, accident rescue, first aid etc.  Most programmes run for a year, and take on students after school, or graduation.