There is an interesting proverb that says: Parents are very anxious in trying to select the

right career for their child, but they are unaware that the career their child will eventually take
up has not been invented yet.”
Change has always been a constant of life since inception of this universe. But rate of change
has increased at such an unbelievable pace that it is mind-boggling. Even the greatest stalwarts
have been taken by surprise. Since I belong to IT industry, I remember the visionary Bill Gates
went on record in the 1980’s to say that 640 Kilobytes is the maximum memory that a computer
will ever require! But today cell phones are carrying 8GB of memory almost 13 times of that!
At the same tune the number of years of active working life of individuals is also steadily
increasing. Longevity has increased remarkably. In India it hovered between 20-30 for centuries.
By Independence it had gone up to 45. Today it is nearing 70, and likely to cross 85 before this
generation dies out. This being the national average, the educated sector who lead a life of
better nutrition, hygiene etc., and have access to better medical care, can expect a life-span
between 90-95 on average.
Added to these senior citizens will soon be able to keep working into their sunset years
efficiently because of unproved health-care and medical facilities. Arthritis, cataract,
hearing loss, heart ailments, are no longer crippling, and diabetes or hyper-tension no longer
affect day-to-day life.
Hence I always point to this specific fact that any young person entering into his or her working
phase should prepare for a minimum of 50 years ahead. The changes in technology, life-
styles and vocations that will occur in these five decades cannot be predicted, not even by the
best astrologer. Hence we do not know what “profession” we will be practicing in future. But
what we can do is to prepare ourselves in such a way that we are ready for the change, the
innovation, the new concepts - and we are able to adapt to the future trends.
This book aims to highlight the emerging careers, not only to improve your awareness about
them, but also to help you to look beyond the routine or the past, and start visualizing what life
is likely to be in the coming decades.
Ask your elders whether 30 years ago they had even heard of words like: Nano-technology,
biotechnology, artificial intelligence, laptops, mobile connectivity, Infrared, Wifi, Internet, remote-
controlled surgery, intelligent buildings, voice-interactive gadgets. Ask them if they had ever
sat and dreamt or visualized that such things will be commonplace within their own lifetime.
The answer you will get is obviously NO!
Extensive surveys and research has shown that people quit jobs more often due to their
bosses or colleagues behavior than for better financial prospects. Every profession has a
culture and a working environment. When choosing a career, very few students take this