The job market in India turned out to showcase some positive hiring trends in 2016. From shifting towards skills-based job roles to a steady increase in Information Technology and ITeS related jobs, this year had it all. For the first time in years, the job market witnessed its revival, enabling many job seekers to explore their options and choose a career path that best suited their capabilities.
For women, 2016 proved to be an especially excellent year, with a host of opportunities available just for them. Be it in IT, E-commerce, or any other industry, this year introduced the female workforce to new and dynamic avenues, from which they could choose to pursue any career that they were interested in.
With so much potential witnessed within this space in 2016, many industry experts have predicted that 2017 will prove to be equally favourable for job seekers. According to a market analysis conducted by Michael Page, a leading professional recruitment consultancy, India is poised to continue its positive economic growth due to the constant inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the government’s nation building initiative – the ‘Make in India’ campaign.
With such optimistic facts, the report postulates that the employment outlook in the country is also reflecting similar expectations. Out of the companies surveyed for this analysis, a whopping 80 per cent of employers have suggested that the hiring activity in India is expected to range from steady to strong over the next 12 months, which is quite higher than the Asia average.
The survey stated that more than 60 per cent of companies are expected to increase headcount next year, with middle managers comprising 45 per cent of these new employees.Moreover, the analysis suggested that over 83 per cent of companies have placed diversity on medium to high priority for 2017.
These days, many organizations in India have now begun to prioritize gender parity within the workforce by encouraging women to enter the corporate sphere, and are doing their bit to create a responsive work environment to cultivate their professional growth.
Let us now look at some prospective career opportunities for women in India that are expected to be the biggest trends in 2017:
Virtual Collaboration refers to a unique approach towards enabling group effort between two or more virtual team members via technology based communication. While it is quite similar to conventional collaboration, the difference lies in the fact that in such collaborative models, the participants involved do not interact with other physically, and communicate almost exclusively via virtual networks.In simpler terms, virtual collaboration allow individuals to communicate online, whether it’s verbal, visual, or written.
There are mainly five types of virtual collaborations:
Storytelling is perhaps one of the oldest forms of art in the world. In India, storytellers have traditionally been a part of theatre or other similar visual art to engage the audience. However, not many would consider storytelling as a serious career prospect or professional choice. Why then is this activity being regarded as one of the most trending career nowadays?
The answer lies in its market demand. Over the past couple of years, India has begun to witness a rise in unconventional career options that are proving to be immensely popular among highly creative individuals.One such profession is Storytelling that is gaining prominence among many individuals, especially women, in India. Those who have a knack for improvisation, and can tell compelling, unforgettable, and witty stories are best suited for this profession.
The Indian MSME industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the past couple of yearsowing to a favorable ecosystem that has resulted in more opportunities for growth for such businesses. The same holds true for the thriving startup culture in the country that has enabled many to chase their passion and build their own business from scratch. Even the government has announced several initiatives under its ‘Make in India’ & ‘Startup India’ campaigns to provide such emerging entrepreneurs with a stable platform that can facilitate the growth of their business.
The result: Such initiatives have begun to encourage many women to come forward and establish themselves in the corporate realm on their own terms. While there have been several women entrepreneurs in India, collectively they still form a small percentage of women-led businesses. Since women are traditionally believed to be the home-makers in our society, most of them never consider pursuing their ambition, either due to family or societal pressure.
According to a report by the Sixth Economic Census by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), only 14 percent of business establishments in India are currently run by female entrepreneurs. This suggests that out of the estimated 58.5 million functional businesses, only 8.05 million are led by women.
Despite that, many have now begun to realize that with changing times, one needs to change their mindset as well to broaden their horizons and explore a sea of options available in the job market. Women have now begun to validate their capabilities by confidently leading their business ventures through challenges, and are garnering lots of success through such determination.
Looking at such facts, it is evident that Micro Entrepreneurship will be one of the emerging career prospects for Indian women in 2017.
Almost all individuals harbour a talent for being creative in what they do. It may be the way they solve arithmetical equations, design a blueprint for a skyscraper, or have the ability to depict feelings/depth through their artistic creations, creativity can be utilised in any form.
Some of the most popular careers in Design, Creative, and Art are:
Although this is a conventional career path, being an architect can enable people to bring out their creative side and create unique designs. What’s more, if their project is commissioned, they can actually see their dream turn into a tangible reality.
Independent Service Providers are individuals who agree to perform specialized services for either an organization or as part of their own project and are not associated with any company or corporate establishment. While it is quite similar to freelancing, ISPs carry out only specific tasks for a person or organization usually on a one-time basis.
As a possible career option, being an ISP enables individuals to have a better work-life balance as the working hours are flexible. They can either choose to work from home or conduct field work based on the project they have been assigned. This can also be quite a lucrative option for women, who are either looking for unique career opportunities or just wish to broaden their skillset by performing such specialized services.
With most industry insiders predicting a favourable job market for the upcoming year, it is evident from the aforementioned career trends that this will be a job seekers market. Additionally, with almost every employer looking to create a diverse & conducive work environment irrespective of cast, creed, race, or gender, candidates from all walks of life can expect to find any job opportunity of their choice in 2017. In conclusion, we hope that the New Year brings a host of new prospects to all the talented women in India – enabling them to a build a career on their terms.
This post was origianlly published on iamwire.