The dawn of the new millennium has thrown up a plethora of new career opportunities that were hitherto unknown. They have made the task of choosing a career for the youth more confusing and perplexing. The decision at times is fraught with suspense and anxiety and is a vital decision that has a direct bearing on our lives.

Fortunately for us, there are vast avenues for getting career information, through newspapers, electronic media and the Internet. There are an equally large number of career options to choose from. The new millennium shall see major advancement being made in the field of Information Technology.

The advent of the Internet and associated e-commerce, shall offer immense possibilities for trade and industry. This would therefore, require manpower with specialised skills, thus creating enormous employment opportunities for the youth. For instance, the youth would have new career options as Web designers, administrators and developers beside software and hardware engineers, programmers and analysts

In Science we have such new fields like Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, Genetic Engineering, Nuclear medicine and a host of other fields in medicine and health like Acupuncture, Magnetic therapy etc. These careers are in addition to the traditional options of doctor, lawyer, engineer and a teacher that would continue to attract talent.

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The host of career opportunities is no cause for despair, for there are some basic cardinal principles that we must bear in mind while exercising our choice. The first and foremost being, that we must objectively identify our inclination and aptitude, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes and inborn propensities.

Keeping this in mind, we should identify the careers that are best suited; with respect to our disposition. We should also closely examine the future career prospects that exist for that particular branch of study, by reading and discussing extensively about it. It is very common to find young people, enamoured by the glamour and razzmatazz of a particular profession opting for it. Only to have their dream shattered, on discovering that it does not suit them temperamentally. They thus end up highly dissatisfied and frustrated.

We should also give due weight age to the views of our parents, friends and peer groups. Our parents and peers can guide us by their experience. It is important that they render their advice objectively and dispassionately. It has sometimes been observed that the youth takes up a career, bowing to the wishes of his parents. Thus we see the son of an eminent doctor, taking to the medical profession, just to please his father. He may become a doctor, but in the absence of aptitude and inclination, he can never achieve his father’s eminence.

The innovative career options in the new millennium are indeed very exciting. Thus a timely decision needs to be taken for as they say ‘well begun is half done’. With the right option, we shall work more assiduously for realising our dream. It does not matter if we do not get admission into the best of institutions, what matters is that after getting the requisite qualification, we excel in the field which is closest to our heart. We must remember the words of H.W. Longfellow when he says “Life’s battle don’t always go to the stronger and the fastest man. But soon or late the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”