Six lesser-known but highly rewarding careers to pursue in 2023

Remember what Farhan Qureshi, played by R Madhavan, in the movie “3 Idiots” said to his father?

“I don’t want to be an engineer, dad. I don’t enjoy engineering. I’d make a terrible engineer. I want to become a wildlife photographer.”

He found the courage to convince his parents that he wasn’t destined to follow an age-old career choice. He sought contentment in turning his passion into a successful career.


Gone are the days when young minds had no other option but to become doctors, engineers or lawyers. The Indian employment landscape has changed dramatically over the last few years. Today, if you have the zeal to make a difference and the right set of skills, you can taste success in whichever field you wish to enter.

In fact, there are multiple lesser-known yet highly rewarding careers. For instance, people can earn money — sometimes more than what a corporate job can offer — by taking up passion-led careers that could range from wedding planning to ethical hacking. But they need the right skills and networks.

Continue to read to get a brief idea about 6 such career options:
1. Event Planner: If you envision building your career in a field that relies heavily on creativity, management and interpersonal skills, then event planning is a perfect option. As a planner, you will be organising weddings, birthdays, parties, corporate events, exhibitions and more by strictly keeping in mind the budget, preference and convenience of the client. You can either operate as a full-time planner for an event management company or as a freelance event planner for several clients.
Educational requirement – A bachelor’s degree in event management, hospitality management, public relations or a related field.
Skills – Organisation, networking, attention to detail, problem-solving, communication, creativity and interpersonal.

2. Ethical Hacker: Due to a consistent increase in cyber crimes, the demand for ethical hacking is rising. However, the lack of awareness has resulted in a shortage of talent supply in this field. The State of Cybersecurity Report 2022 highlighted that more than 60% of organisations in India have vacant cybersecurity positions. So, if IT is your area of interest, then you can definitely earn well as an ethical hacker. Your job would be to prevent the confidential data of a company from landing in the wrong hands by implementing various security measures.
Educational requirement – A bachelor’s degree in computer science and a certification course in ethical hacking.
Skills – Information collecting, website hacking, penetration testing, website security, countermeasures and mobile as well as wireless hacking.

3. Personal Fitness Trainer: If you are passionate about fitness and health, then training others to achieve their goals is undoubtedly a suitable career path for you. As a fitness trainer, you will be offering personalised workout and dietary plans to people who wish to adopt a healthier lifestyle. In addition, this profession gives you the freedom to pick the work hours that suit you the best. And, you get to work in a myriad of settings — gyms, health centers, corporate setups and private homes. You can even work from the comfort of your home by providing online exercise sessions and nutritional consultation.
Educational requirement – Diploma in nutrition and fitness, or a certification course in a related field.
Skills – Communication, healthy lifestyle, knowledge of fitness and nutrition, and motivation.

4. Wildlife Photographer: If you like to travel and photography has always been your favorite pastime, you must consider becoming a wildlife photographer. This genre of photography will allow you to move to different locations to capture exotic plants, animals and landscapes in their raw and untamed form. Plus, you get the power to evoke a range of emotions in the viewers just by mastering the art of capturing images through your lens. While most wildlife photographers work as freelancers, you can also operate as a full-time employee for media houses or publications that produce wildlife content.
Educational requirement – Bachelor’s degree in photography, marine and natural photography, or a certification course in professional photography and wildlife photography.
Skills – Passion for wildlife and nature, strong technical photography skills, and an exceptional amount of patience.

5. Video Game Designer: If a major part of your childhood revolved around playing video games and you have always admired their highly creative world, you can surely develop a flourishing career as a videogame designer. By simply blending the art of storytelling with advanced gaming technologies, you can take the gaming world by storm. However, remember that this industry is gradually becoming highly competitive, so you need to constantly upskill yourself and widen your spectrum of knowledge. Nonetheless, it could also allow you the flexibility of working from any location as you design innovative gaming concepts.
Educational requirement – A bachelor’s degree or diploma in computer science engineering or game designing to learn the basics.
Skills – Creativity, problem-solving, ability to collaborate, time management, and knowledge of software development and programming

6. Tea Taster: India is a country where people take the flavors of their tea very seriously. But who knew, tasting tea could be an area of employment? Just as the name suggests, tea tasters or sommeliers specialise in tasting, assessing quality, sampling and differentiating various kinds of teas for manufacturing companies, five-star properties, the Tea Board of India and independent buyers. Experienced professionals also take up consultancy services to offer advice on generating blended mixtures and the new varieties to be planted.
Educational requirement – Bachelor’s degree in food science, agriculture and horticulture. Or, a diploma course to learn about tea tasting, quality, varieties, marketing and more.
Skills – Ability to accurately assess, remarkable sensory skills, excellent communication skills, and knowledge about the tea industry and recent developments.

These are some of the many lesser-known career paths that have the potential to offer you a decent pay and an exciting professional journey. If required, you should seek a career coach to understand more about your skills and abilities, and plan out your career vision.