My mother grew up to be a teacher. My grandmother aspired to ‘just’ pass from college. And my great grandmother wished to just have an opportunity to be able to read and write, to learn. I aspired and have fulfilled my ambitions of being a writer and entrepreneur.

This is the case of not just my family but of scores of other families in India, for whom over the years, no dreams and no ambitions are far-fetched or impossible.

Even 20 years ago, if a girl ventured anywhere outside the profession of being a secretary or a teacher or an accountant; she was considered ‘fast.’ Times have changed and for the better. Children today are raised with values and independence to be anybody their heart desires. No dream is too childish to achieve.

If you have a passion, a talent for something ‘unique’; you can earn a living in that niche. And, this is a change in the job market scenario not just within developed nations but also in India.

Society today is more accepting of different, unique and sometimes unheard-of careers.

I have come across people who are professional dog walkers, tea tasters, tour walkers amongst other increasingly ‘different’ careers. I have always loved to write, possess a flair of writing and obviously, hence, opted for a full-fledged career in writing. My parents never questioned my decision. This utter acceptance of any career choice is the beauty of today’s times. The rise in Indian entrepreneurs itself is the ‘symbol of change.’

Need for vocational education

Today, you don’t have to have a big surname or come from a family of wealth and power to run a successful business. A big name helps, gives you an edge, a jumpstart but not having that ‘tag’ does not imply the end of your dreams. There are entrepreneurial loans and schemes, scholarships from universities for winning ideas and more importantly, an environment, which is conducive to growth. My decision to be an entrepreneur started with a struggle but it did not deter me from being a successful one. That is the change. The industry is open and inviting but not reluctant to change; it is tough and needs patience but it can be done.

Rise in entrepreneurial programmes

In the past decade, there has been a rise in offering of entrepreneurial programmes offered in universities in India and abroad. However, we now need to grow a step further. We need to have more profession-oriented courses and that doesn’t just imply engineering, medicine and similar white-collared courses.

India now needs to venture out of the ordinary. There are so many B.Com, B.Sc, BE, MBBS and MBA graduates now that the degree itself has lost its importance and value; we should lay more stress on vocational educational courses and degrees.

There are air hostess training institutes, photography workshops, catering institutes, beauty classes and hopefully, one will soon see adventure training courses, professional ‘walking’ courses, tea-tasting courses, classes to teach nuances of making the perfect fragrance for a perfume, so on and forth. We are a country of innumerable opportunities and this is our time, our opportunity to explore, change and grow.

Today, a dog walker earns up to Rs.10,000 per month with just one dog. A tea taster and coffee connoisseur earn around Rs 25,000 for tasting and reviewing different flavours. When niche career choices can pay well and give you a unique identity for doing something you are passionate about, why not dare to be different?

Beyond bank balance

Yes, one of the reasons why parents today allow their child to pursue their dreams is because financiallythe pressure has eased.

Today, with both parents earning and both being educated, they also understand the need to grow beyond just accounts or banking or engineers and doctors.

You too can be different. You love to draw and paint, be a painter, an artist. You are passionate about taking photos, be a photographer. You can be a star, a model, a landscape professional, a consultant, an entrepreneur — anybody and anything you want but remember, create a niche for yourself within the chosen field of work. You just have to dare, take a step into darkness and walk a mile for a world flooded with light.

(The author is entrepreneurpartner at Soulpen, a creative writing agency in Mumbai.)

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