(Alternate) Career Choices

Can you imagine someone giving up a plush software development job and become a courier person who rides a bicycle? Frankly, even I didn’t think it was possible, until I read this post.

Frank Duff did exactly that and has given a wonderful account of it in that article. (I would highly recommend reading it). He is convinced it’s the best job for him.

Issues of pay aside, I can easily say that couriering is the best job i have ever had (and I have more than a few eclectic jobs on my resume). It is fun, the people are friendly, the stress is almost non-existent, it keeps you in excellent shape, and you spend most of your time outside (although this isn't really a year-round plus in Toronto). And, even considering the fact that my pay as a courier is between half and two thirds what it was as a coder, it is a rare day that I seriously consider going back.
One thing that I was worried about was that riding would cease to be fun. Delightfully, this never happened. Admittedly, riding does feel like work these days, but I still derive pleasure from it. And no matter how gruelling my day, when the time finally rolls around to call in "see you tomorrow" and turn off my phone, the act of riding home is immediately transformed from work to play. In fact, I still ride for fun on the weekends.

He loves riding, and that makes it a simple no-brainer for him to do what he loves the most for a living. Lot of people are lucky enough to do it. But when your loved profession is not as high paying one as the others, and specially when it is not held in high esteem (whatever that means) by most around you, it does become very difficult to go for it.

I was even more amazed when I read this follow up discussion on my favorite forum. There were more people who actually wanted to take up a similar job, some for a stop-gap break, and admired this fellow a lot. It is very very different to the situation here in India, where doing anything other than conventional (typically white collar) jobs roughly qualifies you for a ‘stupid’ or a ‘little bit crazy’ tag. Even starting you own business/company is not really a very acceptable option for many.

I am sure you must have heard this around here:
“That stupid XYZ, junked his great number crunching job in I-Bank and is now doing [insert anything here that pays less]”

”Beta, as a ‘wildlife photographer’, would you be able to give my daughter everything a IIT-IIM wala would? ”
Okay this one is generally only implied and not said directly by ‘well respected’ people. :-).

I agree, in a developing country like ours, getting a good standard of living is probably a priority for many (and rightly so). Arguably it is the biggest reason for us under achieving in the sports arena. (Not many pursue it, and those who do, have to leave it very early). But i seriously hope, at least from the next generation onwards (or may be from this it self), a lot of people do start getting in to other professions and it is not looked down upon by others.

Even now, I happen to know people who would rather be an expedition leader, a primary school teacher, a dance instructor, a book store owner at a hill station, a forest ranger, a motorcycle maker, a badminton champion, etc. So if you all are reading this blog, good luck to you, and hope you start doing these things (if only part time) very soon. :-)