THIS is the time of year when career fairs and exhibitions are                                                                                        
around again.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Parents are also hard pressed to come up with suitable advice                                                                                         
on what careers their children should pursue.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
In these changing times, besides the variety of jobs-available                                                                                        
in the market, job demands are also changing.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Computer literacy is almost always a prerequisite. Some                                                                                               
working experience will also be expected in certain jobs.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
In the finance and securities trading field, other than the                                                                                           
paper qualifications, recruiters will surely ask for evidence                                                                                         
of initiative, bravado, agility and self-starting habits.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Following through from the present school system, many of our                                                                                         
children will never qualify for the exacting requirements of                                                                                          
today's workplace.  Training can take care of some of the                                                                                             
shortcomings, but this can become too expensive for some                                                                                              
companies to undertake.                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
There is some good to encourage our children to go for a                                                                                              
second qualification. An MBA or another professional                                                                                                  
qualification will be an added advantage.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
From a discussion with some career counsellors, I obtained the                                                                                        
impression that it would be difficult to reconcile possible                                                                                           
career choices with courses available at local or foreign                                                                                             
educational institutions.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
According to a survey conducted by an international school in                                                                                         
Kuala Lumpur, it was found out that many would like to become                                                                                         
managers.  Among the jobs that have emerged, the favourites                                                                                           
are those in the services and tourism sector.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Such preferences have to do perhaps with the visible aspects                                                                                          
of the jobs in the tourism industry.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Another reason is the financial returns from these                                                                                                    
service-oriented jobs.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
As observed by the World Executive's Digest in its April 1995                                                                                         
issue, the choices of jobs have been partly fuelled by the                                                                                            
following trends:                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
DEVELOPMENT of a regional business perspective;                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
QUICK expansion of consumer demand in Asia;                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
RAPID acceleration of infrastructure investments and                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
INCREASED mobility across industries and borders.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
The magazine identified the following careers as "hot" and                                                                                  
"big": telecommunications, financial services and consumer                                                                                  
products                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
(See accompanying chart for sampling of the sort of salaries                                                                                          
offered in different functions.)                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
I was able to gain another perspective on career choices after                                                                                        
viewing the art exhibition organised by the Malaysian                                                                                                 
Institute of Management in conjunction with its 30th                                                                                                  
anniversary.                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
The exhibition, entitled Men on Women, featuring the works of                                                                                         
11 local artists who celebrated the image of women on canvas,                                                                                         
drew a very enthusiastic crowd.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
What was most intriguing was that most of the paintings were                                                                                          
sold before the opening date. This goes to show that there is                                                                                         
money to be made from art.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
With the increasing affluence and the emerging middle class in                                                                                        
most South-East Asian countries, more and more people are                                                                                             
buying artworks as investments.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
People become collectors almost overnight. Paintings by little                                                                                        
known artists were being snapped up by art lovers.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
To match this new craze, art galleries are springing up in the                                                                                        
big shopping centres.                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
The amount of money paid to acquire these art pieces is not                                                                                           
small.                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Take, for example, the paintings sold at the MIM show. They                                                                                           
ranged from RM2,500 to RM5,500 each.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Local art galleries charge about RM1,600 for an ordinary                                                                                              
water-colour work. Others fetch higher prices.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
At Christie's of Singapore, it was reported that works by                                                                                             
Malaysian artists were sold for between S$12,000 (RM21,240)                                                                                           
and S$18,400 (RM32,568).                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
At the same sale held last year, several Malaysian works were                                                                                         
sold at higher prices.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
This situation has brought much excitement to the art scene in                                                                                        
Malaysia.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
As a career and a vocation, art has shown itself to be a                                                                                              
worthwhile pursuit. It is acceptable to paint for a living                                                                                            
nowadays. Gone are the times when one would have to find a                                                                                            
sponsor or an art salon to take you under their wings.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
There are many corporate organisations and individuals with                                                                                           
means to patronise your art shows and make handsome purchases                                                                                         
of paintings.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Other career choices which are equally glamorous include                                                                                              
singing, sports, acting and writing. Parents need not fear if                                                                                         
their children were to excel in any of the above careers.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
The years ahead and the lifestyles of our children will be                                                                                            
challenging. As parents, we are expected to give them a wide                                                                                          
variety of career choices and different ways of preparing                                                                                             
them.                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
We should be able to move away from the traditional and accept                                                                                        
the need to be innovative and creative in deciding what is                                                                                            
best for our children and their future.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
I was especially taken up by a news report in a local                                                                                                 
newspaper entitled Turning art into a money spinner. It                                                                                               
focused on a group of ladies getting together to commence                                                                                             
Kuali Works, an effort to create more art lovers and lovers of                                                                                        
the arts.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
The range of career possibilities should not stop us from                                                                                             
trying out something new.