Popular career choices among Nepali youth

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

It is perhaps the most common question students are asked. For years, the Nepalese society, in general, has held the belief that the children must grow up and do something technical . This is still prevalent, albeit less than in the past. A survey conducted by Nepal News shows that students (ages 12 to 19) are slowly gaining interest in other fields, and even those interested in technical fields seem to be because they genuinely like and enjoy it.

Engineer/Architect

25 percent of the students surveyed answered that they were interested in pursuing engineering/architecture as their career. While some families do urge their children to enroll in the field, most students aspiring to be engineers are adept in Science and Mathematics. Approximately 26 percent of the male survey takers and approximately 21 percent of female survey takers chose this option as their preferred career.

Business Manager

Approximately 17 percent of the surveyed population indicated that they were interested in becoming business managers. They are the leaders of their teams and must work efficiently with all members of their teams. Approximately 4 percent of males who took the survey and 37 percent of females replied with this option.

Doctor/Surgeon

About 10 percent of those surveyed responded back saying they were interested in becoming doctors and/or surgeons in the future. Doctors and surgeons have both been highly respected professions in Nepal for many years. 25 percent of males and 16 percent of females surveyed chose this option.

Software Developer/Information Technology (I.T.) Professional

Approximately 10 percent of surveyed students said that they were interested in the field of software development. Software developers basically create programs and applications that aid in solving a variety of problems. Thus, they are analytical and procedure-oriented people. All those who chose this option in the survey were males, which comprised approximately 18 percent of the total males surveyed.

Lawyer

Approximately 6 percent of the students surveyed responded back with the intention of becoming lawyers. In the past, law was looked at as if it were the subject only the weakest students would take up in Nepal. However, presently, students that have oratory, critical thinking and researching skills are interested in this field. Approximately 4 percent of males and 11 percent of females indicated that this was their choice of career at the moment.

Summary of Results (Approximate Figures)

Engineer/Architect - 25%

Business Manager - 17%

Doctor/Surgeon - 10%

Software Developer/I.T. Professional - 10%

Lawyer - 6%

Others (Professional Athlete, Barista, Historian, et cetera) - 32%