Careers of Tomorrow: Sahil Aggarwal – CEO, Rishihood University

Careers of Tomorrow: The 21st century has posed new challenges and opportunities. Changes in social-economic structures, technology, human aspirations, geopolitics and governance, all are affecting our everyday life. In this scenario, we also need to rethink the way we plan our careers.

One thing that is clear about the careers of tomorrow is that they are not static. Compared to traditional professions and businesses, the future is extremely dynamic. This means that what we learn today might become irrelevant or incomplete tomorrow. Therefore, a career will not depend on what you studied in an undergraduate degree. Unlearning and relearning become key capabilities to develop in our young students.

At Rishihood University, we are taking this seriously. The way our programs and pedagogy are designed is to ensure that the students develop an appetite to learn. Once that ability is there, students can use external impetus and internal motivation to pick up new knowledge. Learning becomes a part of a lifestyle rather than something we do in classrooms. This is a critical capability that educators should build in the students. Doing this is not as easy as it may sound. Below, I share some thoughts on how this can be done.

The students should realize the relevance of what they are learning. In many cases, the curriculum is outdated. It sucks the enthusiasm out of the faculty and the students because they know that what they are learning is not going to make a difference. We need to be ready to radically reform the curriculum. It should start with ‘why’. We should include in our curriculum those topics which really serve a purpose for society. At Rishihood, every course begins with a reason to study that course.

Another way to ensure that learning is fun is to make it as hands-on as possible. Projects, case studies, assignments, visits, internships, and apprenticeships are a great way to learn. They provide students a real-life understanding of the topic. They are able to place their learnings in their perspective and contextualize it for their own growth. An example of this is how we teach at the Rishihood School of Entrepreneurship. Our teaching model is a combination of an incubator and boot camps. The students will build their startups during their studies under faculty mentorship. Formal classes and workshops will only when needed, in a natural flow as the students progress in their journey of building a startup. It will be supplemented by guest speakers, industry visits, and internships.

If you are a student searching for a successful career for tomorrow, find something that interests you and then make it your purpose. Yet, be ready to pivot as the situation evolves. The days are gone where we could say with certainty about the success of a career. The three careers of past – engineers, lawyers, doctors – no longer guarantee success. Similarly, there is no profession that is devoid of success. From bloggers to chefs, from designers to entrepreneurs, we see an increasing number of successful professionals.

The future is full of opportunities. So if you are looking at a career that is future-proof, there is none. “The only way to success is the ability to reinvent ourselves and stay ahead in a changing world”.

Sahil Aggarwal

Co-founder and CEO, Rishihood University

B.Tech, IIT Delhi