As a kid, I cherished the time spent with my cousins and friends, especially our favorite discussion: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This conversation sparked one day when Amba Kaki from the neighborhood asked us, "Chora, Thaare ko ke bann na hai?" (Young boy, what do you aspire to be?). Without hesitation, I replied, "Kakisa, mhare ko padh-likh ke suit pehanno hai." (Aunt, I want to study and wear a suit one day!).
Why does this childhood conversation matter today? Because it reflects a universal truth—we all had dreams as kids, but most of us ended up abandoning them. Reality hit, and we realized that being a florist wouldn't fund a European vacation, so we chose the "practical" path—engineering, an MBA, and a corporate job. (Thanks, 3 Idiots, for the reference.)
Growing up often forces us into careers we aren’t truly passionate about, leading to a mismatch between jobs and young professionals. True success isn’t just about a paycheck—it’s about finding fulfillment in what we do.
Education - The Ladder to Success?
We’ve all been told that education is the ladder to success—but what if that ladder is missing a few rungs? 🤔
Take Kerala, for example. The state boasts a 97% literacy rate (basically, everyone can read and write), yet it also leads in unemployment at a staggering 30%. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh, with a literacy rate hovering around 68-70%, has an unemployment rate of just 2-3%. So, apparently, the less you study, the more likely you are to find a job? 📉🎓
If that wasn’t alarming enough, let’s talk about the bigger picture. According to the ILO, youth unemployment in India jumped from 35% in 2000 to a whopping 65% in 2022. And guess what? 83% of our jobless workforce is under 34! 🚨
India’s young population is booming—we’re not Japan, where people are retiring faster than fresh graduates enter the workforce. Here, over 50% of our population is under 25, meaning more and more people will chase MBA degrees 🏃♂️📚… only to enter a job market that has no room for them.
Basically, we’ve created an army of highly educated, overqualified individuals with nowhere to go. So yeah, in India, being educated sometimes feels like a curse rather than a blessing. 🎭
Freshers vs. The Job Market: Struggles & Survival 💼🎓
The job market is brutal for freshers. Here’s how three grads are navigating the chaos:
🚀 Aryan (BMS) – Stuck in the "Experience Required" Trap
Despite his Marketing degree and internships, Aryan is struggling to land a job.
🔹 Job postings say "freshers welcome," but recruiters want 1-2 years of experience.
🔹 Automation is replacing entry-level jobs, and competition is fierce with 50+ applicants.
🔹 Networking challenges: LinkedIn messages go ignored, and his internships don’t count as real experience.
🔹 Forced to take online courses to catch up with skills like digital marketing and Excel.
😞 Varun (BCom) – Family Pressure & Unrealistic Expectations
Varun is under pressure from his family to find a job quickly.
🔹 His dad has set a one-month deadline before Varun must join the family store.
🔹 Fake job listings and constant ghosting have left him frustrated.
🔹 Relatives keep asking for referrals, comparing him to his cousins with better college placements.
🫠 Sid (BFM) – Lowball Offers & Confidence Struggles
Sid is getting offers, but they come with major drawbacks:
🔹 ₹6,000/month or no pay for "exposure"—barely enough to cover expenses.
🔹 Struggling with low offers, he’s questioning his skills and worth.
🔹 Trying to catch up with online courses on data analytics and digital marketing.
Fixing Unemployment - The Startup Way 🦄💸
One might think, "How can startups create employment? Isn’t it just a bunch of EdTechs teaching kids how to code?" 🤔 But when you take a broader lens, you start seeing the finer nitty-gritties in this game.
With the rise of startups in fintech, SaaS, D2C, and healthtech, thousands of jobs are being created across tech, sales, marketing, and operations 🚀. Government-backed initiatives like Startup India and funds like SIDBI’s Fund of Funds are pushing more startups into the ecosystem, indirectly generating massive employment.
While startups do help the youth skill up 🎓, that’s not the only thing happening. The SME ecosystem and startups are now the real job creators! Just look at Zepto and its quick commerce counterparts—they've created more than 500,000 jobs in the gig economy alone! 🛵💨
And for the white-collar crowd, startups have already created 1.5 million jobs in 2024. 📊 Given how fast the ecosystem is scaling up, this number is only going to skyrocket. 🚀 According to a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Indian startups could create up to 50 million new jobs by 2030. Yes, 50 million! 🤯
More Than Just Jobs—A Shift in Mindset 💡
It’s not just about job creation, but also how the youth think today. My father used to say:
👴 "Back in my time, you had two options: Either sit at the shop or study like crazy to get a stable job."
But times have changed. Recently, I was talking to a BMS student in Mumbai, and he said something that blew my mind:
🧑🎓 "It’s tough to find jobs today, so why not try to create them instead?"
19-year-olds are thinking like this now!? 😲 At 18, I was worried about placements, while these kids—just 2-3 years younger—are thinking about building startups instead.
And why not? Capital is now available! 💰💡 I recall talking to a CFO of a unicorn startup, and he told me:
👨💼 "Between 2012-2019, raising capital was a nightmare. There were barely any startups, and VC/PE players were scarce. Even families opposed the startup culture, thinking it was a waste of time."
Today? Even parents understand the value of ESOPs 📈 and the importance of working with or building a startup. The startup wave has gone from "Beta, sarkari naukri kab milegi?" to "Beta, ESOPs mil rahe hai na?" 😂
This is just the beginning. 🚀
Startups & SMEs—The Ultimate Job Machines! 🏭🚀
If we really think about it, startups and SMEs aren’t just businesses—they’re job factories! 🏭🔥 The days of relying solely on big corporations or government jobs are long gone. India’s real job creators today are the scrappy founders, the hustling SMEs, and the crazy problem-solvers building the future. 💡💼
While people keep debating over "job crisis this, unemployment that", the real solution is right in front of us— startups & SMEs. These companies don’t just create jobs; they create opportunities, skill people up, and shift mindsets. From Zepto riders to fintech analysts, from SaaS engineers to quick-commerce gig workers—everyone is finding a place in this ecosystem. 🏃♂️💻📊
Because India’s employment problem won’t be solved by waiting for government jobs—it will be solved by the startup and SME revolution that’s already underway. 🚀🔥
Till we meet again—Aavjo! And don’t forget, phir padhaar jo!
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