Unconventional careers are cropping up everywhere, and as a result, courses considered soft and less helpful in the job market are being given a rethink and in some cases, rebirth, according to experts.They were speaking at a webinar, Careers Beyond the Obvious: Unlocking New Pathways in Humanities & Sciences, organised on Saturday by The Hindu and SRM Institute of Science & Technology (SRMIST) as part of the Future Career Conversations series.As one of the panellists, A. Vinay Kumar, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Science & Humanities, Management), SRMIST, said that when the new generation is being trained for skills, they must be trained to acquire multi-disciplinary skills. The goal is to get them to think through different hats. Mr. Kumar said economic growth always spurred creation of new careers and opportunities: deeper the economic activity, deeper the career opportunity.Kamal Karanth, co-founder, XPheno Private Limited, a specialist staffing company de-romanticised portfolio careers, pointing out that it thrived in certain habitats, one of them being the creative fields. Portfolio careers usually emerge after someone has spent considerable time at the “crease”, discovered themselves, and has become a specialist in one area.Mr. Karanth also dwelt on freelance work, sifting fact from fiction. Everyone would want to be their own boss, but hesitate to pay the price: the lack of a steady income. Unlike some economies in the West, Indian economic realities militate against freelance work.On making internships count, Deepa Sethi, Professor and Executive Chair of Globe, IIM, Kozhikode, said by being focussed on being impressive, seeking validation, students miss the mark, which is about paying attention. Her advice to students: “do not treat it as a performance, but an opportunity to showcase your learning, apply what you have learnt and also bring some clarity and critical thinking to the table”.A. Duraiswamy, Dean — Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRMIST, noted that interdisciplinary careers are the future. He highlighted proven efforts at SRMIST to work out various combinations of disciplines for optimal learning. He added that for successful completion of a programme, a student would have to rack up a huge chunk of credits from other disciplines. He underlined how courses diametrically opposite in terms of their application are brought together in multi-disciplinary offerings.This webinar can be viewed at newsth.live/THSRMHY Published - May 17, 2026 02:15 am IST