JAY JOSHI
There are times when some trends are so deeply rooted in our society that we have to take special action to reverse them. We see for instance, states such as Bihar and UP becoming synonymous with migration, or Maharashtra making headlines for issues relating to agriculture. Many of us will be thankful that our little laid-back state does not face such acute problems, but Goa too is witnessing a negative social trend, says career counselor Shailesh Kulkarni, adding that measures need to be taken to change this trend.
Kulkarni is currently making a film titled Sushegad which gives the message that youth should try other career options including starting their own business rather than simply relying on government jobs. The idea for this film, Mr Kulkarni says, came from his experiences as a counselor.
“During my counselling, I noticed that eight out of ten youth who came to me wanted government jobs. They had not given a thought to any other option,” says Kulkarni who made the foray into counselling after spending 14 years working in various fields across the corporate sector ranging from production, to sales, to HR and quality control. “Around 80 percent of these kids came from rural areas,” he informs further, observing that the youth in cities, especially the ones who scored close to 90 percent in Science stream showed the willingness to choose different career options in private sector.
Here, one often raises the question: if the rural youth have already decided that they want a government job, that means the question of their career is solved as far as they themselves are concerned. Why then would they visit the career counselor?
“Parents.” Kulkarni quips. “I often conduct seminars in colleges where I outline career options for students. Parents are also invited for these seminars so as to facilitate communication within the family regarding the road youth wish to take in the future. Sometimes more than the youth, the parents agree with what I say and bring their children for counseling.”
“I come across kids whose class X percentage is between 70-80 and but who aren’t really ambitious about life. This is where our counseling truly helps,” he adds. But for the counselor’s advice to work, the person receiving the wisdom too must have some patience, and that is not always the case, note Kulkarni while diving deeper into the origins of the idea behind Susegad.
“We once came across a post-graduate in Hindi language who showed good talent in writing, and after counselling it became clear that she had an aptitude for journalism. Following this, we arranged for interviews with some mass media companies in Goa, and the firms stated that they will get back to the girl regarding job opportunities,” informs the counselor, “But within a few days, the girl lost patience. She decided to enroll for B Ed, and try her luck at becoming a teacher in government school,” he sighs. “At that point we gave up pursuing her case and concluded that a government job is a mentality. And that mentality needs to change.”
Here, a large number of skilled people opt for lower-level government post rather than aiming for GPSC and working hard to become officers, says Kulkarni.
His film, which has been directed by Suraj Patki, tells the story of a youth who is inclined towards a government job and neglects other opportunities that come his way. While narrating the story, the film also sheds light on employment situation in Goa and suggests ways to overcome the problem. Kulkarni plans to show the film in various schools and colleges around the state, urging the youth to look past the lure of government jobs and consider other, more lucrative options.
