What to do after 12th?

One of the most crucial yet confusing moments in our lives is when we are about to complete the 12th standard.

Whether you completed your 12th a decade ago or you’re about to complete it this year, we all have gone through the same perplexion...

What to do after 12th?!

Now some of you may be thinking that it’s better to continue the stream you had taken after your 10th. Some might be thinking a way to change your stream after 12th and some may not have any clue where they want to go from here.

Don’t worry!

In this post, we’ll be covering every possible career path you can take after you’ve completed your 12th standard. We’ll be discussing the possibilities of changing streams, pursuing the same stream courses and also what to do if you don’t know what you wish to do.

Before we get into these career paths and the options you will have to pursue as a career, it’s important to know this…

Do something you love!

This statement is thrown in conversations by many people but only because it’s important. If you’re someone who will be passing your 12th in coming months then this may sound boring but I can’t stress enough on this… Do something you love!

Because a career is a lifetime commitment, so before you choose anything, ask yourself, “Can I do this for the next 20 years of my life and not get frustrated?”.

This question is the easiest way to know whether you want to do something or not.

That being said, let’s explore the world of opportunities that lie ahead in your life!

What to do after 12th science

Starting from the students who are about to or have completed 12th with science. There are so many options for science students to pursue. There are a lot of high salary courses after 12th science that can be pursued.

Medical field

If you are studying or have studied 12th with PCB/PCMB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology) then you may want to pursue a career in the field of medicine.

However, most people only know about MBBS as the option to pursue their career in the field of medicine. But that’s not the case, as there are so many career paths to choose from.

If you wish to get into top medical colleges of India, then as a PCB/PCMB student, you can appear in the NEET examination. You can get good colleges if you score a good rank. NEET is the only national level entrance examination for medical students.

There are other entrances such as AIIMS & JIPMER which are conducted by individual universities.

Career in medicine

There are a load of opportunities for people who want to get into the medical industry. Economic Times reported that there’s a mass shortage of doctors and nurses in India. Over 600,000 doctors and 2 million nurses are still needed to reach the recommended one doctor for 1000 people ratio (set by WHO).

As much as this shortage is shocking, it also opens a lot of opportunities for aspiring students like you to join the medical industry.

If you love white lab coats and want to save lives, then get into medical, as you can see the country needs it now more than ever.

Medical programmes

Here’s the list of courses that you can pursue in the medical field.

• M. B. B. S. (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery): MBBS is a 5.5 years bachelor degree in the medical field. Completing this course will make you a professional medical practitioner.
• B. D. S. (Bachelor of Dental Surgery): BDS is a 4 years bachelor degree programme to become a professional dentist.
• B.A.M.S. (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery): BAMS is a 5.5 years bachelor degree in the field of Ayurveda. The traditional science of healing is an official degree. So, if you want to learn our ancient methods of healing along with some modern medicine principles, then this might be for you.
• B. H. M. S. (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine & Surgery): BHMS is a 5.5 years bachelor degree in homeopathic medicine and surgery. This course is regulated by the National Institute of Homeopathy.
• M.D. (Doctor of Medicine): MD is a 3 years course that offers you the opportunity to specialize in medicine. This course can be considered as a post-graduate degree programme because you need to be an MBBS to enrol for this course.
• M.S. (Master of Surgery): MS is a 3 years course in mastering the intricate skill of surgery. Again, you will only be eligible for this course, if you have an MBBS.
• D.M (Doctorate in Medicine): This course takes about 2-3 years to complete. A doctorate is equivalent to a PhD in the field of medicine. You need to complete your MBBS and MD before you can pursue this course.
• B.Pharm (Bachelor of Pharmacy): This 4 year is a degree programme for the study of pharmacy and medicine. You need to have at least 50% marks in 12th with biology or mathematics as one of the subjects.
• B.Sc Nursing: This course is of 4 years which trains people to become qualified nurses and members of medical teams. You need to pass your 12th with at least 45% marks in physics, chemistry and biology.
• B.P.T (Physiotherapy): This 4 and a half year course turns you into a professional physiotherapist. You need at least 50% marks in physics, chemistry and biology to enrol yourself for this course.
• B.O.T (Occupational Therapy): Occupational therapy is when you treat the ill, injured and disabled to develop and recover with the help of day to day activities. This 3-year course is quite unknown and requires you to pass 12th in physics, chemistry and biology.
• BMLT (Bachelor of Medical Lab Technicians): This 3-year course teaches you the technologies that are used in medical labs. Candidates need to pass 12th with PCB.
• DMLT (Diploma of Medical Lab Technicians): This is a diploma course similar to BMLT. Candidates need to pass 12th with PCB to be eligible for this diploma.

Engineering field

If you have or about to complete 12th with PCM, then there are a plethora of options in the field of engineering.

There are various courses in the field of engineering at diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate level. Following are the career paths in the field of engineering.

Career in engineering

Most of the people know that B-Tech is the only way to get into engineering, however, there are other ways to get into this field.

• Diploma course: Diploma in engineering is a 3-year course which can be pursued right after 10th grade. Students can later transition into the third semester of engineering. The diplomas are available in all disciplines of engineering.
• B-Tech course: B-Tech is the traditional way to acquire an engineering degree. Typically, B-Tech is a 4-year course which can be achieved in multiple disciplines.
• M-Tech course: M-Tech is a post-graduate programme which is offered in multiple disciplines. It’s a 2-year course that can be pursued after the completion of B-Tech.
• Doctoral course: This is an advanced research course in the field of engineering. It can range from anywhere between 3 to 5 years in duration.

Engineering disciplines

Here’s a list of disciplines in engineering that can be pursued as diploma, B-Tech (undergraduate) or M-Tech (postgraduate) courses.

• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechatronics Engineering
• Genetic Engineering
• Ocean and Marine Engineering
• Mining Engineering
• Electrical & Electronics Engineering
• Electronics & Communication Engineering
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Biochemical Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Material Engineering
• Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering
• Information Technology
• Automobile Engineering
• Aeronautical Engineering
• Architectural Engineering or Architecture
• Agricultural Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering
• Food Technology
• Textile Engineering

Also Read: Civil Engineering Career Guide

What to do after 12th Commerce

Let’s talk about the students who are studying 12th with commerce as their discipline. Apart from popular courses like BBA and Bcom, there are plenty of options to choose from, when it comes to frustrating question; What to do after 12th?

As commerce is the field that manages the financial and economic aspects of businesses, we don’t need to create a separate list.

Career in commerce

The commerce field offers multiple options for students to get into business administration, finance, business operations, accountancy, human resources and so much more.

Similar to the field of engineering, there are undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses in commerce. Each undergraduate gets a chance to pursue a postgraduate and doctoral degree.

Commerce programmes

Here’s a list of courses and programmes available for commerce students.

• Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com): B.Com is a three-year undergraduate program which teaches you the core subjects like commerce and finance. There are three types of B.Com including B.Com (General), B.Com (Honours) and B.Com LLB. The difference between the three is the difference in depth of certain subjects.
• Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS): BMS is a 3-year undergraduate program that delves into the advance methodology of human resource management, economics and business studies.
• Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS): With the elements of finance, economics, marketing, accounting and organizational studies, BBS is a 3-year undergraduate program.
• Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA): BBA is a 3-year undergraduate program that involves the study of business management and administration.
• Master of Commerce (M.Com): M.Com is a 2-year postgraduate program which is perfect for B.Com students. It advances in the study of commerce and finance. You can only do M.Com after the completion of B.Com.
• Masters in Business Administration (MBA): MBA is a 2-year postgraduate program aimed at developing business and management skills. As it’s a postgraduate program, you need to complete your graduate degree before you can enrol for this course.
• MBA in International Business: Similar to MBA, MBA in International Business is a 2-year postgraduate program that focuses on business management.
• MBA in Operations: MBA in Operations is a 2-year postgraduate program focusing on operations management.
• MBA in Finance: MBA in Finance is a 2-year postgraduate program focusing on finance.
• MBA in Marketing: It’s a 2-year program focusing on Marketing.
• MBA in Human Resource Management: It’s a 2-year program focused on Human Resources.
• MBA in Information Technology: A 2-year MBA program focusing on Information Technology.
• MBA in Supply Chain Management: A 2-year MBA program for improving skills in Supply Chain Management.
• MBA in Rural Management: A 2-year MBA program in understanding and improving Rural Management skills.
• MBA in Health Care Management: It’s similar to the MBAs mentioned above but its primary focus is on Health Care Management.
• Chartered Accountancy: A graduate and post-graduate course with multiple exams to become the elite accountant in India.
• Chartered Financial Analyst Program (CFA): CFA is a 1.5-year course which requires you to be a graduate for enrolling. It’s a course that focuses on financial management and analytics.
• Company Secretary Program (CS): CS is an undergraduate program of 3 years. It focuses on entrepreneurship, management, communication, ethics, economics and accounting.

Also Read: How to Become a Chartered Accountant

What to do after 12th Arts

Influenced by human culture and expressions, Arts is a field driven by human impulses. It is described by various names such as visual arts, literature arts, performing arts, decorative arts and more.

There are a lot of options if you are an art student. There are several courses and career paths to choose from.

Let’s see what the arts field has to offer.

Career in Arts

Similar to the commerce field, Arts offer courses like undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees.

Numerous courses are ranging from animation, cinematography, literature, designing and more.

Let’s look at the courses and programs that are available for art students.

Arts programmes

Here’s a list of courses that are available to the students of arts.

• Hotel Management
• Bachelor in Environmental Management
• Bachelor of Foreign Trade Management
• Aviation and Hospitality Management
• Tourism Management
• Bachelor of Management studies
• Fashion Technology
• Air Hostess
• Anchoring
• Animation Film Making
• Animation Master
• Animation Standard
• 3D Animation
• Advance Diploma in 3D Animation- Expert
• Advance Diploma in 3D Animation
• Advance Diploma in Fashion Designing
• Advance Diploma in Interior Designing
• Company Secretary (CS)
• 5 years of integrated MBA course
• Fashion Designing
• Interior Designing
• Law
• Advance Hair Diploma Holder
• Advanced Diploma in Digital Animation (Diploma in VFX & Animation)
• Advanced Diploma in Multimedia
• Advanced Editing
• Artistic-Basic Jewellery Design Programme
• B.A. (Honors in Political Science)
• B.A. (Hons.) Economics
• B.A. (Hons.) Humanities and Social Sciences
• B.A (Hons) Marketing
• B.A (Hons.) in Marketing Management
• B.A. (Hons.) in Social Work
• B.A. (Hons) English
• B. A. Programme with Functional Hindi
• B.Sc Degree in Fashion, Interior and Textile Design
• B.A (Honors in Sociology)
• B.A (Honors) Economics
• B.A (Honors) History
• B.A (Hons) English
• B.A (Journalism)
• B.A (Media & Communication)
• B.A (Psychology)
• B.A – Tourism, History & Journalism
• B.A Economic (Hons)
• B.A Hons in English Economics and Hindi
• B.A LLB
• B.A (English)
• B.A. (Apparel Design & Merchandising)
• B.A. (Economics)
• B.A. (Economics, English, Politics)
• B.A. (Fine Arts)
• B.A. (H) English with Journalism
• B.A. (History)
• B.Sc. (Mass Communication, Advertisement & Journalism)
• B.Sc. (Mass Communication, Advertising & Journalism)
• B.Sc. in Fashion Technology
• B.Sc. in Interior Design
• B.Sc. Mass Communication, Advertisement & Journalism
• Diploma in Retail Management
• Diploma in Textile and Leather Designing
• Diploma in Human Resources
• Diploma in Banking
• Diploma in Company Secretaryship
• Diploma in Infrastructure and Construction
• Diploma in Marketing
• Diploma in Interior Designing
• Diploma in Entrepreneurship
• B.B.A.
• B.B.M (Bachelor of Business Management)
• B.A (Fashion Communication)
• B.M.M. ( Bachelors Degree in Mass Media)
• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) + Graduate Diploma in Retail Management (GDRM)

Note: Some of the recurring courses don’t require a specific stream. They can be pursued regardless of your stream in 12th.

Concluding, there are countless options for students who are worried and have the question, “What to do after 12th?”. Whether you’re a science, commerce or arts student, there are several options in diverse careers for you.

But the most important of them all is to find something you can do for the rest of your life.

Good Luck!