Importance of professional courses in the current job market
In the current competitive job market, a majority of employers are searching for candidates having knowledge and skills rather than traditional certificates or degrees. Therefore, in this dynamic and uncertain job market, a large number of students are showing their interest in enrolling in professional courses as these courses can allow them to obtain the required skills and competencies which employers are looking for that help them to remain ahead in the competition. With the theoretical underpinning, the professional courses offer practical exposure to students, which helps to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge.
Professional courses can contribute towards the value addition to the resumes of job applicants while they can get accessibility of a high earning potential considering the demands of the professional courses in the contemporary employment market. These professional courses are available in both short and long terms, and can be accessed both online and offline, which adds additional flexibility to taking admission to these courses.
Top 10 job-oriented professional courses
Digital Marketing
With the advancement of technology and increasing penetration of the internet, online platforms and communication channels have become an integral part of the marketing strategies of businesses. The value of the digital marketing industry amounted to around Rs 367 billion in India. Therefore, digital marketing has become one of the most demanding job-oriented professional courses among recent college students as employers across industries are increasingly looking for talents having the skills to connect their brands with the appropriate customers through the combination of digital channels. This course helps the students to get a comprehensive understanding of email marketing, social media marketing as well as other digital platforms and internet trends.
After completion of this course, students can get various options of job profiles, including social media manager, SEO specialist and content marketing specialist. The estimated annual starting salary that a student can expect after the accomplishment of this course is Rs 3 lakhs while it can be increased to Rs 6 to 8 lakhs with experience. There is also an opportunity for the senior experts to earn more than Rs 18 lakhs per annum.
Graphic Designing
Graphic design has become an emerging tool accountable for branding, storytelling and customer engagement in the modern world of visual communication. In every sector and domain, starting from marketing strategy, social media promotion, and packaging to designing websites, the application of this field is found nowadays, making it a great option for career growth. This course allows students to leverage their creativity for the development of corporate design that will appeal to the audiences.
This will lead to the understanding of the fundamental elements of color theory to typography, which will sharpen the skills of an individual regarding the formation of stunning visuals and captivating attention. Graphic designer, UI/UX designer, web designer, and art director are some prominent career options available in this field. The estimated annual salary of individuals in this field ranges from Rs 3 lakhs to 7 lakhs.
Business Analytics
In modern times, data is considered as one of the major assets of the businesses. Organizations across the world are involved in the usage of analytics for boosting sales and business performance. Business analytics are accountable for the conversion of structured business insights into strategic data, which can assist firms in integrating smart and informed decisions.
That is why there is a high demand for this course over the other professional courses in contemporary times and it will be one of the best career options for individuals having good analytical, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Amazon, Deloitte, Infosys, IBM, Oracle, and Accenture are a few examples of many companies which utilize business analytics. The average annual salary for a business analyst in India is around Rs 6.5 lakhs.
Data Science
Data science refers to the comprehensive study of data with the usage of statistical methods, algorithms and programming techniques for the analysis of both structured and unstructured data. When it comes to the selection of professional courses, it remains the top-most priority among the students. A comprehensive data science course helps individuals grow the skills required for the analysis of complex and large data sets and generate informative choices. The job profiles included in data science are machine learning engineer, statistician, data mining engineer, and data scientist. Many global MNCs, including Walmart, Adidas, LinkedIn, Barclays and others offer job profiles of data science with attractive salaries.
MBA
The Master in Business Administration (MBA) is regarded as one of the trending professional courses which offers a two-year post-graduate degree. The course helps to develop the management and communication skills of an individual as well as the development of business plans which allows one to get access to several career opportunities. In the contemporary global business market, over 90 per cent of organisations are most likely to recruit an MBA graduate.
High salary as well as job security are some of the vital factors which drive the increasing popularity of this professional course. An MBA graduate is found to be earning much more than an employee having a regular Master’s degree. Moreover, this course offers a number of specializations to pursue an MBA degree, which includes Marketing, finance, supply chain, human resource management, operation management and many others.
Nursing
There is a promising and bright future in starting a career in nursing, which is one of the most popular professional courses in the healthcare sector in India. Aspirants who want to pursue a career in the healthcare industry can opt for a diploma in nursing while there are also bachelor’s and master’s degrees available in nursing. As per the annual report 2020-2021 published by the Indian Nursing Council, around 282219 students were found to have accomplished nursing courses from different nursing colleges and schools in India, while the total number of registered nurses doing their duty was 2340501.
Cyber security
Year | Number of cyber-attacks in India (In thousands) |
2015 | 49.46 |
2016 | 50.36 |
2017 | 53.12 |
2018 | 208.46 |
2019 | 394.5 |
2020 | 1158.21 |
2021 | 1402.81 |
2022 | 1391.46 |
With the rising usage of technology, the incidents of cyber attacks are rapidly increasing, which leads to the growing demand for cyber security professionals. Over 1.3 million cyber-attacks were found to be reported in 2022 in India, making it one of the top five countries with the highest number of incidents of cyber attacks per year.
Businesses across every sector are found to be making significant investments in security measurements, which leads to the generation of several career opportunities in cyber security domains, which include the roles of associate cyber security analyst, information security consultant, digital forensics analyst, cybersecurity engineer, and cyber operations specialist. This is why, in this tech-driven world, the field of cybersecurity is included among the top professional courses which can have guaranteed placements.
Hotel management
Hotel management is considered a four-year professional degree course which facilitates students to build the essential skills and knowledge required for the maintenance of a personality relevant to the hospitality sector. This sector involves a wide range of areas including hotels, cruise lines, restaurants, resorts, theme parks and many others, resulting in the generation of diverse job opportunities. From catering and guest services to hotel operations and event planning, one can get diverse options to choose from to start a career.
The market size of the hospitality sector was found to be valued at 24.61 billion US dollars in India in 2024 which is projected to increase to 31.02 billion US dollars by 2029. The rapid growth of this sector contributes to the high demand for skilled professionals, making hotel management a relevant job-oriented degree among the professional courses.
Journalism and mass communication
Pursuing a degree in journalism and mass communication can build a solid foundation for getting quick placement in the relevant fields. The popularity of this course has grown over time, especially in recent years, in which one can start his/her professional journey as a reporter, anchor, content writer, social media manager, public relations specialist, broadcast technician, sports journalist and many other job roles. However, due to the ever-evolving nature of the media landscape, the aspirants who want to succeed in this field require hard work, adaptability and dedication.
Animation
The animation sector is recognised as a multi-billion dollar industry which contributes to the generation of a large number of employment opportunities across different job roles. The job profiles can include image editor, animator, background artist, layout artist, and special effect artist. There are more than 300 animation studios in India which recruit more than 15000 animation professionals. The animation course offers the learning skills to convert 2D images into motion through the usage of different tools and techniques. Pursuing this course can allow an individual to develop artistic capabilities with the help of 2D and 3D visual effects and motion graphics while skills like typography, time management, screenwriting, camera direction and production planning are also developed.
FAQ
What is the importance of professional courses in today’s times?
In this dynamic and uncertain job market, a large number of students are showing their interest in enrolling in professional courses as these courses can allow them to obtain the required skills and competencies which employers are looking for that help them remain ahead in the competition.
What are some job-oriented professional courses?
Some job oriented professional courses include digital marketing, graphic designing, business analytics, data science, MBA and many others.
What are the career options available in a graphic designing course?
Graphic designer, UI/UX designer, web designer, and art director are some prominent career options available in the field of graphic design.
What is the earning potential of a digital marketing course?
The estimated annual starting salary that a student can expect after the accomplishment of this course is Rs 3 lakhs while it can be increased to Rs 6 to 8 lakhs with experience.
What are the specializations available in MBA courses?
MBA course includes a number of specialisations such as Marketing, finance, supply chain, human resource management, operation management and many others.
What is the market size of the hospitality sector in India?
The market size of the hospitality sector was found to be valued at 24.61 billion US dollars in India in 2024 which is projected to increase to 31.02 billion US dollars by 2029.