HYDERABAD: It’s 5 am. As dawn breaks over the Arabian sea, diver Rohan, checks his bag, cluttered with safety equipment. An hour later, he’s 30 feet underwater, helping his clients explore yellow and orange corals and schools of colorful fish in the deep blue sea. This defines his typical day at work.
For most of us, workplace would mean a computer, cabin and endless hours of slogging. But in the recent years, the trends have changed, and people are seeking something more than a typical 9-5 desk job. Gen Y and Gen X, to an extent, has moved on from engineering, chartered accountancy, and rest of mainstream career choices to non-conventional ones.
A decade or two ago, no one knew about these kinds of professions, let alone pursuing full-time opportunities in them.
Now, with more number of people opting to follow their passion, scuba diving, bird watching, rock climbing and many other adventurous roles are a hit among the youth and are re-defining the way people look at workplace.
Here are a few Hyderabadis who dared to follow their passion and chart a path less taken:
Hemant Kumar
Age: 35
Profession: Nature Photographer
Right from his childhood, Hemant Kumar had always been passionate about bird watching and took to capturing the winged beauties in his lens. Part of the ILoveBirds team, Hemant says he has a lot to offer to people interested in learning about birds and on nature conservation.
The man who was featured in the National Geographic magazine and Daily Mail, a UK-based newspaper, for excellence in photography, he says, “I’m still learning”. “We don’t just go out to take pictures of the birds, but help others understand a bird’s unique aspects, and the reason a particular bird is found in a place. We also share other interesting facts with people. ILoveBirds is just the beginning, there are many miles to go,” he says. He thinks the app will shape his future and he is happy doing what he is doing. “My job takes care of my passion and needs,” he concludes.
Srikanth Bhamidipati
Age: 33
Profession: Conservationist
For Srikanth, it all started with the sight of a tigress in a national park. He was overawed by the sheer majesty and beauty of the animal. Ever since, he has always had a special fondness for nature’s creatures.
Although Srikanth is an IT professional, conserving wildlife has been his true calling. This Hyderabad-based bird watcher and photographer has volunteered with many forest department offices throughout the country for conservation projects. When he started a Facebook group called ILoveBirds, he was determined to take it forward and make it a startup that educates people interested in learning about birds, conserving wildlife and protecting nature through discussions. He says, “Nature has given so much to me and I have every right to protect these wonderful creatures.
Our passion for these species is not just limited to photographing them but detecting any kind of threat they might be facing. An idea was formed through which we sought to educate people about these special beings by conducting regular meetups.
Conducting surveys is our forte and through ILoveBirds, we wish to evaluate and protect these amazing beings”. Srikanth also thinks that he is in a ‘fetching’ job.
Akhil Mujampalli
Age: 24
Profession: Rock climbing / Skiing instructor
After graduating with a degree in aeronautical engineering, Akhil thought he had it all figured out. The twist in the tale came when he found there were no jobs for his specialisation in India. That’s when Akhil decided to take his passion one step forward. Being an adrenaline junkie, he signed up for a diploma in adventure tourism in New Zealand. “In adventure tourism, different training programmes exist for being an instructor in subjects like sea kayaking, river rafting, rock climbing, skiing, and other sports. I chose to master in skiing and rock climbing,” he says.
The Hyderabad-based adventure lover had scaled many peaks in India.“With more and more people wanting to take up adventure sports, the demand for instructors is on the rise. Adventure sports have always been my passion and although the risk is more compared to other professions, I chose to follow my heart” he adds. He earns `6 lakh per annum and says he is happy for now as he loves what he is doing.