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Choosing a career is a life-long decision, and if you are not clear about which field to choose, it may result in poor career choices, leading to less efficiency at work.

For several years, my followers have requested me to advise about choosing a career and if they can switch careers after working in a particular field. Today I am going to discuss the same to help you guide into choosing the best careers and also to ensure that you earn good money through the job as well.

Professional and Academic Degrees
First, try to understand that there are two types of degrees;

1. A professional Degree is a type of graduation degree that can help you make money directly after passing the institute. It makes you industry ready from the first day you step out of your institute.
   
   For example, Hotel Management, 5 or 3 Years LLB, or Doctor in Medicine, etc.
   
   Now, as you go through programs like these, you find that you are provided the tools to learn the skills that can help you in running your own business or work with someone who may require the skill sets that are taught in these professional degrees. 
   
   The money earned might not be on a bigger side initially, but once you can expand your skillsets and client base, you can make money on a larger scale and that is all because you have gained skill sets that industry ready and easily saleable as those skill sets are requirement of the day.
   
   A Hotel Management Graduate can start his or her business or can work in a hotel as soon as he or she completes his or her education. Similarly, an Advocate can take cases as soon as he gets his or her license to practice Law from the Bar Council of India, and then they can work with good lawyers to gain experience or open their law firm.
   
   Also, a Doctor can work to gain some experience under a good professional and then he or she can also start their clinic that will help them make money for their life.
   
   I am not saying that every single person that completes these degrees can start their businesses, but most of them have the option to do so. That's why we have titles that go along with each one of the occupations. For example, a cook that has done his or her education at Hotel Management Institute and works in big hotels is titled a "Chef". Similarly, a lawyer is titled an "Advocate", and a doctor has the title "Dr.".
   
   Also, one needs to understand that all these professional courses do not give an immediate huge amount of money, but one has to work hard to make their brand, and only after that one can churn out huge amounts of money (in the longer run). 
   
   One should only pursue these professional courses if you are passionate about the same. This is because these are demanding careers and if you are not passionate about the field, then you are destined to fail alongside. I had done my Hotel Management, and although I was not that much passionate about departments in hotels, still I was a good student and was able to gain experience in the Tandoor section as a Chef. 
    
2. Academic Degrees on the other hand do not give you the capability to start your career directly. You need to show your competence and work hard on yourself before you can end up having a good job opportunity. For example, Engineering is a very broad term that was used by several people in our community and most of the students after 12th used to go for Engineering.
   
   Having said that, most of them have to undergo MBA programs to land a good job after completing their engineering. Even government jobs are not enough to provide every one of them employment in their domain.
   
   Not only do they need to be good in their subjects, but in academic degrees, one also needs to be good at scoring projects and delivering those on time. If you are a computer engineer for example, or if you are learning coding or programming from a college, then you won't be able to get a good-paying job just because you have learned something. You will have to undergo different projects and develop applications to showcase your ability to your potential employers.
   
   Also, you end up working for companies throughout your life if you don't have enough ability to start your own digital business. But if you can get a good job, in that case, you can earn good amounts of money from the initial stage as well, because tech companies pay handsomely.
   
   Similarly, if you are undergoing BSc. or BTech. then you need to undergo internships or complete some projects to showcase your worth, and most people end up doing MBA or some Post Graduate Diploma to get good jobs. One brighter option is to go for Masters and then Doctorate programs, as these give you a good hold on your subject and you are also able to secure good jobs in the Teaching line.

So, which career should you choose?
From the above explanation, you may be thinking that Professional Degrees are better than Academic ones, which might be true to some extent.

This is because you end up having a good grasp of skills that are actually required in the industry. But one thing is clear you end up earning lower salaries than Academic Degrees in the initial days. After you have gained experience then it doesn't matters if you have a professional or academic degree. Then you earn a good salary or money in both types of degrees.

So while you are pursuing your 12th, you should try to figure out with your parents, which subjects you are good at and what are you interested in. But don't just go for a language like English, Hindi, or Sanskrit, just because you are good at it, because being good at something is different, and being passionate about something is different altogether.

Below are some guidelines to help you decide which degrees to choose as per your passion:

1. If you are good in PCM and are passionate about being an engineer, or if you like to work on computers and do coding to develop mobile applications or websites, or if you have an innovative idea and are constantly working on your projects, then go for an academic degree and computer engineering is good.
   
   Go for Civil Engineering if you are passionate to work for government jobs or if you want to work in road and infrastructure development. I have seen students taking Civil Engineering just because their parents wanted them to do engineering without thinking about prospects.
   
   Similarly, go for Mechanical Engineering or BSc, if you are passionate about building things or doing Research and want to become a Scientist. It hurts to see people doing BSc, and then going for MBA because there is usually no connection between the two. If you want to become a Scientist and want to do research then going for BSc, MSc, and Ph.D. should be your priority.
    
2. If you like to cook food and you are good at it, you can think of going for Hotel Management. Hotel Management is not a course that you should go for if you are not good financially because it is demanding during the course as well. LLB 3 Years or 5 Years maybe a 1 lakh rupees course in some of the universities, but Hotel Management institutes take at least 3 to 4 Lakh rupees for the whole 3-year course after 12th.
   
   I have been witness to the same, where we could have done a simple graduation for 1 lakh rupees, hotel management cost us a whooping 6 Lakh rupees, and if you are not that passionate about cooking or serving people, then you will not be able to survive in this industry for long.
    
3. Go for LLB 5 Years or 3 Years if you are interested in law or legal applications. Many students are unaware of the benefits of becoming a lawyer, and we should always help our kids to understand the weightage of the "Advocate" title. This is because as a citizen of India, we have to abide by the rules and regulations of the Indian Constitution, and also follow the law of the land. 
   
   Therefore it is always better to motivate your kids to go for law and legal studies as it will make them better aware of the laws of the country and they can also make money out of it. 
   
   Even if your kid is passionate about computers or blogging or vlogging on YouTube, encourage them to pursue law as they will be able to apply that knowledge in the content that they post on their website or YouTube channels. This in turn will help them in building their brand and they will also be able to find clients much more easily.
    
4. Go for Doctor in Medicine if you are interested in Biology and are also good at the same. Being passionate about becoming a doctor and being good at it are both required in this case. This is because you cannot risk someone's life. One of my sisters wanted to become a doctor so badly, but unfortunately wasn't able to clear the entrance exam.
   
   Most of you can also go for private institutes if you have good money and time, but being passionate about the same is also important in this case. I was not that much passionate about pursuing Doctor of Medicine and hence I chose something else.
    
5. Go for Analytics if you are good with Computers and Statistics. This is again important to understand because Analytics will also be an academic course. You can go for a doctorate in this field and then you can do wonders in this field because this field requires you to be good with statistics, and coding at the same time.
   
   I have been in this field for quite some time now, and have observed that the more you understand a subject, the more you can apply analytics to that field. Therefore, it is a constant work of studying and learning new technologies.
   
   Although a computer programer or coder is more sought after, but an Analyst is something that cannot be replaced, because you can ask a coder to develop an application or website but you need an analyst to understand the need and come up with unique solutions in the first place. 
   
   Having said that it also depends on the time you want to spend to learn new technologies because as a Data Analtics Expert you are expected to know most of the new dashboard making tools, and to implement Machine Learning and Big Data Sets into systems to gather insights that can help management to make critical decisions.
    
6. Going for BBA is also good, if you are not able to decide which field to choose, which is absolutely fine because BBA teaches you essence of Business and how you can set up your own business to make money. But most of the times, it requires us to go through MBA to understand the overall application.
   
   Having said that it is always better to combine BCom with LLB after 10+2 because there you learn both some commerce and law at the same time and you can also go for an honors.
   
   Only going for BBA will pitch you up for a general industry audience because most of the companies hire Sales People or HR People from BBA or MBA colleges. Depending upon the reputation of college and the hard work or knowledge you have your salary is determined.
   
   I basically believe you should go for MBA or PGDM from a good college with good placement record, and also try to have dual specialization. For example, I had my course in PGDM HR and Analytics, that helped me in exploring best of both the world and integrating my professional expertise from HR and Analytics.
   
   As I was passionate about computers and wanted to pursue my career in HR, HR Analytics made more sense.
    
7. Go for BPharma or BTech Cosmetology if you are interested in manufacturing of Medicines and Cosmetic products. But it is always better to be good at Chemistry in this case and apply for positions in Research and Development. This is because Research and Development helps you to be in control of the work that you do and you are always developing new formulations that have a greater impact across the world.
   
   Therefore, if you are good in Chemistry and Biology and also passionate about innovation, go for these fields, but try to steer yourself towards research and development or else you will always end up in sales department of big brands.

Can we change our field after Graduation or Post Graduation
Yes, you can always change your field after Graduation or Post Graduation.

I had done BSc. Hospitality and Catering Technology and after working for 2 years as a Tandoor Chef, I went for PGDM HR Analytics after consulting from my parents and right now I am working with organizations in Data Analytics dealing will all kind of analytical requirements like Finance, HR or Sales.

You need to understand what you are passionate about. If you love developing websites, just go for it even if it is not related to your field. You will always find a way to connect all your experiences together as life rolls on.

It's just a matter of being passionate and ready to take risk.

Most of the people are not comfortable in taking risk. It's not only about being a business man that you have to take risk, but as an employee also you will have to take risk now or then and these are the risks that will help you grow.

You will have to take decisions about being in your stream or changing it. You will have to explore new avenues. Currently HR is something that I like to work in and also provide consultation on HR, Analytics and Legal fronts to my clients, but it was not initially like that.

I was also confused as to take this step and change my field from Hotel to corporates, but once you have taken a ticket, the the bus will take you to your journey. You just need to ensure that you sit tight on the bus or else you will again divert from your course or direction.

Try to complete things. If you want to change, then do it properly by educating yourself about the course and taking proper courses. Then work in the field for few years to explore your trajectory. Not doing this and if you keep on searching for a new field after ever few months, then you will end up not reaching anywhere.

Spend some time in newly chosen career and focus on your tasks at the moment. Dont rush into conclusions or what people say, and you will definitely succeed.

All The Best!

Several of my friends had asked it before and continue to ask if they can switch their careers to "Data Analytics". It may be because initially they were interested in Sales or some other department and then they were fed up with the work or maybe because of the salaries.

For several years now, salaries of regular posts have started to see some decline, especially in Sales, this is because most of the sales are now done through online modes, because of which there has been more competition for all the sales employees that get a job in the initial stages.

If you are also someone who is fed up with your job in Sales or in HR, this answer will clear your doubts about switching your career to "Data Analytics".

I would not take much time and explain what Data Analytics as a subject is because that will take us to a different tangent altogether, but to make it simple for you - YES YOU CAN SWITCH YOUR CAREER TO DATA ANALYTICS.

This is because Data Analytics is just understanding the data and exploring insights using the data that is with you. You would have done it in your Sales or HR jobs as well while creating your Presentations or while giving the Sales or Attrition Reports to your management.

It's the same analysis but with the help of some sophisticated tools.

So, how can you switch your career to Data Analytics?
One of the best ways will be to get a certification in "Data Analytics" from some institute or some online courses because they will be able to handhold you whenever needed. This will also make you more confident in the tools that you may be using.

Having said that, you can still learn Data Analytics without any course at all, and that is possible by following below steps:

1. Start learning Advance Excel:
   If you really want to join an organization as a Data Analyst, you should be confident in using Excel. It should be your go-to software to exploit all the loopholes and formulas. There shouldn't be any corner of Excel that you don't have explored. This you can do by checking out videos or searching for articles that can help you understand various formulas.
   
   Then you should practice using those formulas in Excel spreadsheets using some dummy data. This is important to hone your skills in advance Excel. This should include, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, IF, NESTED IFS, etc. Also, it will be great if you can learn VBA (Visual Basics for Excel), as this will help you in developing several dashboards and macros that you can showcase to your potential employer.
    
2. Start learning Statistics or at least its Basics:
   Statistics is applied mathematics that you can use in any field that you are in. For example, if you are in sales then you can always use average or percentage change in sales of online vs offline shops. And if you are in HR you can use it to showcase trending changes in attrition across different companies in your sector.
   
   This is also important because statistics helps you in creating a story behind the data. It will help you in understanding what tools are doing and how you can explain it to the management. Further, statistics is an integral part of any Data Analytics project, so it is always good to have a good knowledge of the same.
    
3. One of the first tools should be Power BI:
   There are several colleges or courses that can help you in learning Power BI. It is a Business Intelligence tool by Microsoft, similar to Power Point, and has some functionalities similar to Excel's Pivot Table. Therefore, your first go-to tool should be Power BI in learning Data Analytics or the tools that can help you in making Data Analysis more faster and efficient.
   
   One of the important things to understand is that tools like Power BI help in visualization as well. This is because Businesses not only require insights into data but that should also be in a proper way.
   
   Power BI has simple one-click charts and maps that can help you create different dashboards and reports that you can showcase during your interviews as well. Also, there is a demand for Power Bi these days, therefore if you will put Power BI in your resume, you will start getting more calls.
    
4. Start building stuff:
   Although I can suggest more tools like R, Python, Tableau, and Alteryx, it is always better to first start with basics and easier tools to gain confidence. 
   
   So, the best way is by developing and analyzing data. 
   
   Try working on dummy data, clean it using excel macros and then fetch the data in Power BI to create good-looking dashboards. Although there are advance formulas in Power BI as well, but you should focus mainly on developing dashboards using the components that are readily available to you.

What should be your course of action?
When you have decided to switch your career to "Data Analytics", it is always better to keep on practicing using your own dashboards and checking out several sample dashboards that have been built online by several people or experts. 

You should try to dismember those dashboards and then create them one by one.

This can be done to improve your ability to back track the overall functionalities of the dashboards that have already been built. Then you can add Power BI and other tools in your resume as well. This will help in making your resume stand out as you would have listed some of the work on your resume.

Then ensure to keep on learning new software and techniques to achieve more expertise on Data Analysis Tools. This is important because landing an entry level job in Data Analytics will be easy, but to grow in the same, you should be able to first enhance your knowledge as there are several changes happening in the Data Analytics Domain these days.

Conclusion:
These days data analytics has become a wide term and there have several technologies come into picture which were not there initially. Several organizations want people that have industry specific knowledge in this field. Therefore, you should try and explore more and more information about Data Analytics while you learn the basics.

It is always better to explore domains like website development or Google Apps Script to add it to your resume, as the demand in the industries is growing for cheaper analytical softwares.

In the end, I would like to say that you can surely switch career to data analytics domain, just ensure to be dedicated. It is not easy in this field but you can surely make fortune if you are interested in Data Side of the Story.