Best academic career paths in Pakistan?

[gkb101277867]

Most of my cousins are now at the age where they have either just started uni or are thinking about applying for uni.

Every single one of them are either doing/planning to do medicine or engineering (with the exception of one who is doing business at comsats in Lahore only because he didn't have the grades to do engineering).

Upon talking with other pakistanis though it seems that job opportunities are extremely limited for both professions allowing employers to take advantage of the situation. Heard a story of newly qualified doctors working for 20-30 thousand rupees per month wich is shocking.

So my question is if you are a young student in Pakistan and are getting close to uni age then what professions are lucrative and promising and which academic career paths would you advise people to enter?

 

[Yossarian]

Don't choose a profession simply based upon it's potential earning power. Choose something that you will enjoy doing for your whole working life.

 

[gkb101277867]

Don't choose a profession simply based upon it's potential earning power. Choose something that you will enjoy doing for your whole working life.

Agree with your point but I was asking in a more general sense. Not asking for myself

 

[Yossarian]

Agree with your point but I was asking in a more general sense. Not asking for myself

Whoever you're asking for, the answer is the same. You've seen the world change, new lucrative careers springing up (eg in technology), previously lucrative careers becoming also rans, and this just in the last few years. So imagine the potential changes to come. Hence the only sure way to succeed is to do what you enjoy, what you have a passion for, because then you will give your best.

 

[DW44]

Don't choose a profession simply based upon it's potential earning power. Choose something that you will enjoy doing for your whole working life.

Unless your family are at least hundred-millionaires, that's a good way to damn yourself to poverty in Pakistan.

 

[Yossarian]

Unless your family are at least hundred-millionaires, that's a good way to damn yourself to poverty in Pakistan.

So you'd rather spend your whole working life doing something you don't particularly enjoy doing if/when you had a choice of doing something that you enjoyed doing as well as giving you a decent quality of life? Also see my above #4 above re- you can't predict what professions will be in demand in the future.

 

[DW44]

So you'd rather spend your whole working life doing something you don't particularly enjoy doing if/when you had a choice of doing something that you enjoyed doing as well as giving you a decent quality of life? Also see my above #4 above re- you can't predict what professions will be in demand in the future.

The dynamics in Pakistan, a third world country, where I live and the UK, where you do, are completely different. I'm already doing something I don't particularly enjoy(I'm an engineer) because it affords me the financial security and stability to pursue what I do enjoy on my own time(development economics). While you can't predict what professions may be in vogue in the future, you can observe the trends to get a decent enough idea of what kind of skillset might be beneficial and in a country like Pakistan, that is 50 years behind the world economically at the best of times, it's clear that those with a technical/numerate education will continue to have a significant advantage over those who don't for the foreseeable future. An unemployed philosophy major in the UK has a safety net to fall back on. In Pakistan, they might as well find themselves in a very precarious position with no support system in place.

 

[Yossarian]

The dynamics in Pakistan, a third world country, where I live and the UK, where you do, are completely different. I'm already doing something I don't particularly enjoy(I'm an engineer) because it affords me the financial security and stability to pursue what I do enjoy on my own time(development economics). While you can't predict what professions may be in vogue in the future, you can observe the trends to get a decent enough idea of what kind of skillset might be beneficial and in a country like Pakistan, that is 50 years behind the world economically at the best of times, it's clear that those with a technical/numerate education will continue to have a significant advantage over those who don't for the foreseeable future. An unemployed philosophy major in the UK has a safety net to fall back on. In Pakistan, they might as well find themselves in a very precarious position with no support system in place.

Fair point.

 

[gkb101277867]

How is engineering as a profession to enter. I've heard employment opportunities are hard to come by

 

[Hamza_]

No academic career or all that is going to give you much of the outcomes in Pakistan. It'd be better if you see what you are interested in, Then follow that thing and learn well about it and implement in your professional life.

Doctors, Chartered Accountants, Engineers and so on are already moving out of the country.

 

[Syed1]

Doing engineering opens more doors than it closes, I know people who did engineering degrees but pursued careers in business management or financial analysis. Never heard of a person doing a business degree and securing an engineering job.


Do electrical/software engineering and it will build up the skills that you need for a lifetime. If during the course of the degree you realize that this is something you do not like you can always get jobs in something else after you graduate. Also more and more jobs are being reliant on people who are nifty with computers this is where engineering skills come in handy. I had three friends who graduated in electrical engineering with me and now they are working in banks as risk analysts etc.


I personally did mechanical engineering and pretty much the same rules apply, however, the scope of mechanical isn't as great in Pakistan as electrical/software.

 

[gkb101277867]

No academic career or all that is going to give you much of the outcomes in Pakistan. It'd be better if you see what you are interested in, Then follow that thing and learn well about it and implement in your professional life.

Doctors, Chartered Accountants, Engineers and so on are already moving out of the country.

Moving out because of lack of jobs?

I've heard great things about chartered accountancy in Pakistan. If I'm not mistaken it's supposed to be one of the most lucrative careers and plenty of jobs available too from what I've been told

 

[gkb101277867]

Doing engineering opens more doors than it closes, I know people who did engineering degrees but pursued careers in business management or financial analysis. Never heard of a person doing a business degree and securing an engineering job.


Do electrical/software engineering and it will build up the skills that you need for a lifetime. If during the course of the degree you realize that this is something you do not like you can always get jobs in something else after you graduate. Also more and more jobs are being reliant on people who are nifty with computers this is where engineering skills come in handy. I had three friends who graduated in electrical engineering with me and now they are working in banks as risk analysts etc.


I personally did mechanical engineering and pretty much the same rules apply, however, the scope of mechanical isn't as great in Pakistan as electrical/software.

If you don't mind me asking bro were you able to find a well paid job as a mechanical engineer? Feel free to ignore the comment if you'd rather not say.

 

[Syed1]

If you don't mind me asking bro were you able to find a well paid job as a mechanical engineer? Feel free to ignore the comment if you'd rather not say.

Yes Alhumdulilah, I had a job offer before I graduated. I wouldn't say it was 'well paid' but it was average for a graduating engineer and most of my peers in other engineering fields had similar incomes in their first jobs as well.

Since then I have changed employers and moved up the ladder a bit and this has helped my income grow to above average levels. Alhumdulilah

 

[CricketCartoons]

Yes Alhumdulilah, I had a job offer before I graduated. I wouldn't say it was 'well paid' but it was average for a graduating engineer and most of my peers in other engineering fields had similar incomes in their first jobs as well.

Since then I have changed employers and moved up the ladder a bit and this has helped my income grow to above average levels. Alhumdulilah

Not surprised. You are a brilliant lad and you will be successful in anything you undertake.

 

[Bewal Express]

In the UK, I taught a lad for his A levels and now he has qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He is in his early 20`s and will be earning in the region of £45-50,000 PA from his next job.

 

[Mamoon]

Don't choose a profession simply based upon it's potential earning power. Choose something that you will enjoy doing for your whole working life.

Lol, the good old run-of-the-mill response people come up with when they have zero clue about how things work in Pakistan.
[MENTION=142303]gkb101277867[/MENTION]

If you are willing to have the patience because your career will start a bit late compared to other professions, medicine remains by far the most stable, respectable and financially secure career in Pakistan, and that will not change for as long as humans exist, because they will continue to get sick and ill. Yes one day, technology maybe able to dehumanize the field of medicine, but that is not happening in our lifetimes.

Apart from medicine, Finance/CA is another good career option. The job market for engineers is a bit unstable though, my friends who graduated from UET/GIKI/NUST etc. have had trouble finding jobs. Maybe things will change by the time you graduate though, especially with CPEC, Gwadar etc.

 

[Yossarian]

Lol, the good old run-of-the-mill response people come up with when they have zero clue about how things work in Pakistan. .

Perhaps that's why Pakistan lags so far behind in literacy, health, law and order - just to name a few, even compared with virtually all of it's near neighbours (bar Afghanistan for obvious reasons).

 

[sshakir411]

Get an education in Computer Science and learn to code. You will have a job everywhere in the next 5 years and it will pay better than most. If I were 17 or 18 that's clearly what I would've done. Don't think twice.

 

[aloo paratha]

Doctor or egineer

 

[confused_amoeba]

Lol, the good old run-of-the-mill response people come up with when they have zero clue about how things work in Pakistan.
[MENTION=142303]gkb101277867[/MENTION]

If you are willing to have the patience because your career will start a bit late compared to other professions, medicine remains by far the most stable, respectable and financially secure career in Pakistan, and that will not change for as long as humans exist, because they will continue to get sick and ill. Yes one day, technology maybe able to dehumanize the field of medicine, but that is not happening in our lifetimes.

Apart from medicine, Finance/CA is another good career option. The job market for engineers is a bit unstable though, my friends who graduated from UET/GIKI/NUST etc. have had trouble finding jobs. Maybe things will change by the time you graduate though, especially with CPEC, Gwadar etc.

I'm a physician too. It's hard work, you get paid well and you get respect, but its hard work. I don't know if I would chose medicine again as a career choice. At the time I was in medical college, the whole internet culture was just starting to make its presence in Pakistan and there were no known careers in that field at that time. If I was even 5 years younger, maybe I would have done something in IT or computer programming. Or maybe something in arts. Maybe painting or movie direction or something else creative.

 

[Mamoon]

I'm a physician too. It's hard work, you get paid well and you get respect, but its hard work. I don't know if I would chose medicine again as a career choice. At the time I was in medical college, the whole internet culture was just starting to make its presence in Pakistan and there were no known careers in that field at that time. If I was even 5 years younger, maybe I would have done something in IT or computer programming. Or maybe something in arts. Maybe painting or movie direction or something else creative.

Yes it is hard work. A very long and enduring journey, but ultimately rewarding. Also, it is normal to look back in hindsight and feel that an alternative career path would have been more fruitful, even I feel that way at times but then again, if I would have done something else, I would have thought the same about medicine.

Arts is still a massive risk in Pakistan, but you can afford to get into these creative fields if you come from a financially secure background.

 

[gkb101277867]

Yes it is hard work. A very long and enduring journey, but ultimately rewarding. Also, it is normal to look back in hindsight and feel that an alternative career path would have been more fruitful, even I feel that way at times but then again, if I would have done something else, I would have thought the same about medicine.

Arts is still a massive risk in Pakistan, but you can afford to get into these creative fields if you come from a financially secure background.

In your opinion, what are your thoughts about employment opportunities in pak for engineering, medicine, business studies etc. I've heard especially for engineering that the market is extremely saturated and it's very hard to get a job. Not sure about the others though...

 

[Vorador]

I graduated in Engineering a year ago. Still no luck. It's the same story with all my engineering mates. So I'd suggest people stay away from engineering. But engineering is a vast field and which engineering you opt for matters. Go with something that's relatively new I'd say.

 

[DW44]

The observations of Pakistan based PPers(Mamoon and Vorador) w.r.t engineering not being too hot at the moment are fairly accurate. Civil Engineers are better positioned than Mechanical Engineers who in turn are better positioned than Electrical Engineers(Software Engineers are NOT engineers but they do OK for themselves for the most part). That said, engineers are still better placed than most other professions apart from the financial services side. An electrical engineer, despite a crappy market, still has it better than hard sciences or arts majors.

I doubt CPEC will create a lot of high end engineering jobs given the involvement of Chinese companies who mostly bring top and mid tier workers from China and mostly hire locals for grunt work. This is something I first observed long before CPEC was a thing, when Huawei and ZTE used to be my then employer's clients and we had to work with them extensively. These companies have been here for ages and yet upper and middle management are mostly Chinese as are a large percentage of senior technical staff despite there not really being a skill shortage here in the particular jobs that the Chinese do for these companies.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Yes it is hard work. A very long and enduring journey, but ultimately rewarding. Also, it is normal to look back in hindsight and feel that an alternative career path would have been more fruitful, even I feel that way at times but then again, if I would have done something else, I would have thought the same about medicine.

Arts is still a massive risk in Pakistan, but you can afford to get into these creative fields if you come from a financially secure background.

Do you think Medicine is rewarding in Pakistan?

Without meaning to sound condescending Pakistani public and people GENERALLY DO NOT respect doctors.

And financially doctors are paid peanuts in Pakistan.

If a person is in Pakistan why would he chose medicine as a lucrative field? I mean of course if people are into serving humanity crap then sure, but for a profession I would never recommend anyone to become doctor if they intend to stay in Pakistan.

It is extremely unrewarding, thankless and all the public looks at you superciliously as if they know better.

Frankly speaking I am glad I moved abroad and invested my degree abroad after graduating from Pakistan.

 

[TalhaSyed]

To everyone the advice would be the same- do what you enjoy.

If you enjoy what you do, the chances of you being good at it will be significantly greater, therefore giving you a greater chance to succeed.

If you pick your profession based on salary, stats, figures, other peoples opinion etc., chances are you wont be very good at it and, therefore, you wont succeed.

IMO that rule applies regardless of if you're in Pakistan or in any other part of the world.

 

[troodon]

Career and marriage. Two of the most important decisions a young man makes in his life.

Always 2 paths. Money or love.

I choose my career based on money. I have no interest in IT. But here I am developing Web Applications for the past 15 years. Doing it just for money. Sometimes I feel like I am doing mental prostitution.

I married the person of my choice. Even though I got marriage proposals from a couple of super rich families, I chose the girl of my choice (from middle class). Could not compromise on that.

 

[desirous of desire]

Entrepreneurship, specially if you are an Engineer.

 

[Mamoon]

Do you think Medicine is rewarding in Pakistan?

Without meaning to sound condescending Pakistani public and people GENERALLY DO NOT respect doctors.

And financially doctors are paid peanuts in Pakistan.

If a person is in Pakistan why would he chose medicine as a lucrative field? I mean of course if people are into serving humanity crap then sure, but for a profession I would never recommend anyone to become doctor if they intend to stay in Pakistan.

It is extremely unrewarding, thankless and all the public looks at you superciliously as if they know better.

Frankly speaking I am glad I moved abroad and invested my degree abroad after graduating from Pakistan.

I think you are painting a very negative picture, or have had a bad personal experience. Yes there are instances where doctors are needlessly criticized when a patient dies or a certain treatment doesn't work, but generally speaking, doctors are very well-respected because unlike other professions, they interact with the common man a lot more, who don't care about engineers, accountants etc. because they live in a different dimension. The only profession that commands more respect in Pakistan is of course the Armed forces and Civil Service, but that has more to do with power.

Financially speaking, as I said, it is a long journey. You will be paid peanuts initially but with experience, you can eventually start your own clinic and that is when the money pours in. However, you will have to establish your name first because people are simply not going to turn up to your clinic door if you are not well-known.

Obviously, there is comparison between the earnings of a doctor in the West compared to Pakistan. They are far, far ahead but even if you live in Pakistan and are prepared to bide your time, it is very rewarding. If you want quick bucks, then medicine is not the right option in this country.

 

[Mamoon]

To everyone the advice would be the same- do what you enjoy.

If you enjoy what you do, the chances of you being good at it will be significantly greater, therefore giving you a greater chance to succeed.

If you pick your profession based on salary, stats, figures, other peoples opinion etc., chances are you wont be very good at it and, therefore, you wont succeed.

IMO that rule applies regardless of if you're in Pakistan or in any other part of the world.

Unfortunately in Pakistan, apart from a few renowned fields, you simply cannot afford to do what you enjoy. For example, if you like Sociology or Philosophy or History, what hope do you have? Nothing. The best you can hope for is to land a job in a reputable university as a professor, and that's it.

The only practical career advice in Pakistan is that limit your options to Medicine, Engineering, IT, Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Civil Services, Armed Forces and Law, and opt for the one you relatively like the most. Beyond these professions, pursing your interest in a career such as arts etc. is a luxury you can enjoy only if you are financially secure, and will not be struggling to meet your ends meet if you don't land a good salary soon after graduating.

 

[Mamoon]

In your opinion, what are your thoughts about employment opportunities in pak for engineering, medicine, business studies etc. I've heard especially for engineering that the market is extremely saturated and it's very hard to get a job. Not sure about the others though...

As I mentioned before and as DW44 explained in detail, engineers are not thriving at the moment. On the other hand, I've seen people have better luck with a Business degree. I know quite a few people from LUMs, IBA who landed good jobs soon after graduation, but these are the top business schools in the country, those from lesser institutes also have had better luck than graduates from top Engineering universities like NUST, GIKI and UET etc.

 

[Moiza]

Nothing pays you more than Chartered Accountancy in Pakistan.

If you are into studying like a mad man and wishing death upon yourself for 2 3 years on a daily basis then this is a career for you. I choose this over IBA and LUMS solely on the earning potential but boy is it hard.

The worst stage in this career is the 3.5 year compulsory internship. The official timing are 9 to 6 but for 4-5 months you'll work till 10 in the night and on weekends too. You may think this is bad but what makes you what to die is the fact that when you come home after working you'll have to study for 8 remaining papers which can only be given during the internship and afterwards. These 8 exams are probably the most difficult exams being conducted in Pakistan so it's no wonder that only 300-400 people qualify every year.

If you want the greens then go for it but it'll kill I swear. If pass everything in your first attempt then you'll be done in 5.5 years but this is the best case scenarios, I have known people who completed it in 12+ years. I'm not very thrilled about the fact the I choose this over the very chill life in lums which I get to witness everyday on snapchat : ))))))))

 

[Moiza]

Unless your family are at least hundred-millionaires, that's a good way to damn yourself to poverty in Pakistan.

Very true.

Following your passion in Pakistan is a good idea if your passion is to be a Dactar or an in demand enggginear.

 

[sshakir411]

Financial services is a shrinking industry and we Pakistanis are 10 years too late to get on that wagon