Getting admitted to a degree of choice quite often seems to be as difficult as looking for a needle in a proverbial haystack in today’s world of competition. In the current domestic socio-economic scenario, a major in the arts or humanities is generally perceived to be unsafe in terms of both career and compensation packages, and only “rich kids” are presumed to follow such career paths.
After studying in courses like History and English Language, many graduates find themselves despairing over the looming unavailability of jobs in their preferred sectors. In this particular scenario, one could choose to study and sit for the BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) exams, passing which would enable them to get a government job that is respected worldwide, along with many additional fringe benefits on offer.
Furthermore, there are also jobs in the education sector for those who want to help teach and nurture the future generations of Bangladesh. In order to do so, graduates may choose to take a well-trodden route by becoming a lecturer at a university after completing their Masters in the chosen discipline and later moving on to higher posts. However, if they know that they want to be professors in their subject, a PhD should be undertaken as soon as possible in order to maximise their chances of being selected by a reputed university.
Another option for these graduates is a career in the banking sector, which recruits from any discipline. Graduates are required to sit for a generalised bank examination to qualify for the particular post for which they are applying. Once they get into a particular job at a bank, they can always choose to progress in their careers by sitting for higher banking diplomas, and if they perform well, the time span from one promotion to the next can be shortened significantly.
However, many still believe that educating young minds is an extremely fulfilling and satisfying experience. For those studying Philosophy, English or History, you could go for masters in child psychology and educational development. You could then join organisations like the UNICEF, where you will be able to teach underprivileged children, thus helping to spread the light of knowledge to those who still live in the dark. The added satisfaction of making a social contribution makes this career particularly attractive.
A career in the performing arts such as playwriting and drama does not necessarily imply a life engrossed in the theatre. On the contrary, if a graduate of drama decides to get an MBA from a leading public or private university, he or she will have a diverse skill set combining the communication skills and business nous. This may be of particular interest for public relations, media, advertising and marketing roles.
A key example would be Ramendu Mazumder, who is a noted theatre personality of Bangladesh. It is perhaps little known that this famous personality majored in English from Dhaka University, and his first job was as a lecturer at the Chaumuhani College in Noakhali for three years. While he kept himself associated with the literary canon and the theatre scene, he later gained prominence for working in client services for advertising firms in Karachi, Kolkata, and later on in Dhaka.
Akbar Ali Khan is also another personality worth mentioning when talking about subjects within the Humanities stream. Although he had studied history from the University of Dhaka, achieving first class in both his Bachelors and Masters degrees, he is more well-known for working in the civil service, and later going on to serve as one of the advisors of the caretaker government near the end of the year 2006.
He has written various books on Economics and is a part-time faculty member of the BRAC Business School (BBS), a department of BRAC University. These examples demonstrate that the limitations of an arts and humanities career are just as much about perception as it is about reality.
For those who choose to take the conventional path, there is still a variety of options available. A graduate of linguistics for example need not necessarily be a teacher or a lecturer; he or she might choose to work as a translator for a foreign embassy in Bangladesh.
This may be especially attractive as it might involve lucrative travelling opportunities on a regular basis along with excellent compensation packages. In addition, one might choose to work as an executive at any of the leading NGOs, such as UNICEF or the World Bank.
Just because one has majored in a course that is rarely opted for does not endorse the conclusion that you have limited options for a prosperous career. On the contrary, if a graduate does have the characteristics of what it takes - that is attitude, aptitude and creativity - the land of opportunity is quite fertile.
One only needs to open up his or her mind to see the exciting careers that await.