By Nuha Elzubeir
Growing up in the Middle East, we’ve all been told that engineering and medicine are the most successful and prestigious professions. Just a week ago, as I was telling a family friend that I graduated, she casually asked, “mohandisa wala doctora?” There are many who have it even worse, being forced into studying medicine or the various forms of engineering to satisfy their parents, but hey, other professions can be just as awesome. Here are the reasons why we should appreciate all these different fields, in all their glory.
1- Passion comes first
Surely, this is a given, but many still fail to appreciate the power of passion. People achieve their greatest works in times of inspiration, and more so with the things they feel most passionate about. A doctor or an engineer, passionate about their profession, will serve far better than a doctor or engineer who is merely doing it because it’s the societal norm.
2- You don’t always have to work in the same field as your degree
Of course some professions remain unlocked to those without the specific qualifications but the majority are fair game and those armed with the best skill set can pretty much work in any field they wish, regardless of what they studied in university.
3- We can’t all be doctors and engineers
We can’t all be doctors and engineers because there are many jobs that still remain vacant and do need someone to fill. For a society to progress, we need to ditch the idea that one profession is more dignified or successful than the other, and start to appreciate the individuals who particularly excel in their respective professions.
4- Science and non-science professions complement each other
Really a given, but most organizations and companies today find themselves integrating those with science and non-science backgrounds because productivity is best when the two work together. Now not only are we diversifying, but we’re also integrating.
5- Career paths and options aren’t as limited today
With the job market changing so rapidly, with technology shifting the ways in which we conduct most of business, so many more new jobs have been created. Evidence to that is that many new majors and educational programs that weren’t available a few decades ago were introduced to fulfill a market need that’s not stagnant, but ever changing.
