Career Explorer
Ninety-nine careers written out in plain language — what the work is actually like day to day, the stream you need after Class 10, the subjects, the courses, the Indian entrance exams and the honest difficult parts.
After Class 12 the main routes are engineering (JEE Main, BITSAT, state CETs), medicine and veterinary (NEET UG), law (CLAT, AILET), design (NIFT, NID DAT, UCEED), architecture (NATA), defence (NDA), commerce (CA Foundation, CSEET) and CUET-UG, which opens arts, science and commerce degrees at central universities with a single examination.
No career matches that
Try a shorter word, or clear the filter and browse by category.
Compare two careers
Pick any two and read them side by side — the honest differences show up fast.
Careers open to each stream
Choose the stream you have taken, or are thinking of taking, after Class 10.
There are far more than two careers
Most students can name doctor and engineer. This list has ninety-nine, and many of them are short, affordable routes that very few people talk about at home.
Browse widely first
Open ten cards you have never heard of before you open the one you already wanted.
Read the hard part
Every card has a "what is demanding" line. If that line puts you off, that matters.
Check the stream
Use "For my stream" to see what your subject choice actually keeps open.
Print and discuss
Print a career card and take it home. Parents ask better questions with facts in front of them.
The entrance exams, in one place
Engineering: JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, state CETs. Medical & veterinary: NEET UG. Law: CLAT, AILET. Defence: NDA, CDS, AFCAT, Agniveer CEE.
Design: NIFT, NID DAT, UCEED. Architecture: NATA. Commerce: CA Foundation, CSEET, CMA Foundation, ACET. Management: IPMAT, NPAT, SET. Hotels: NCHMCT JEE. Marine: IMU CET.
General degrees: CUET-UG opens central universities for arts, commerce and science courses with one exam.
About the salary lines
Each card gives only a broad early-career band, because real pay depends on the city, the employer, the college, government pay commissions and the year you join.
Treat these as rough signals, never as promises — and remember that the gap between a starting salary and a tenth-year salary is usually much larger than the gap between two careers.
Short routes deserve respect
An ITI trade takes one to two years after Class 10. A polytechnic diploma takes three years and can take you into the second year of B.Tech through lateral entry.
A skilled electrician, CNC operator, lab technologist or beauty professional can be earning, and independent, years before a degree student finishes.
Every career here is for everyone
There is no such thing as a career for boys or a career for girls. India has women fighter pilots, ship captains, welders and chief justices, and men who are nurses, dancers, chefs and pre-primary teachers.
Choose by what you enjoy and what you are willing to work at — nothing else on this page should decide it.
Career Explorer — your questions
What are the entrance exams after Class 12 in India?
Engineering: JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT and state CETs. Medicine and veterinary: NEET UG. Law: CLAT and AILET. Defence: NDA, CDS, AFCAT and Agniveer CEE. Design: NIFT, NID DAT and UCEED. Architecture: NATA. Commerce: CA Foundation, CSEET, CMA Foundation and ACET. Management: IPMAT, NPAT and SET. Hotels: NCHMCT JEE. Marine: IMU CET. General degrees: CUET-UG.
What can I do after 12th PCB apart from MBBS?
A great many things: BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BPT and other AYUSH courses; B.Sc. Nursing; pharmacy; allied health courses such as radiology, optometry and medical laboratory technology; biotechnology, microbiology and biochemistry; agriculture and veterinary science; psychology; and research degrees. Several of these need NEET UG and several do not, so check each course separately.
What is CUET-UG and which courses does it cover?
CUET-UG is a single common entrance test used by central universities and many other institutions for undergraduate admission. One examination can open arts, commerce and science degrees across several universities, which means a student no longer needs a different cut-off for each one. You choose subjects that match the courses you are applying for.
Are short courses after Class 10 worth doing?
They can be an excellent route. An ITI trade takes one to two years after Class 10, and a polytechnic diploma takes three years and can lead into the second year of B.Tech through lateral entry. A skilled electrician, CNC operator, laboratory technologist or beauty professional can be working and independent years before a degree student finishes.
How do I choose a career when I do not know what I want?
Read widely before narrowing down. Open ten careers you have never heard of before you open the one you already had in mind, and read the demanding part of each as carefully as the attractive part. Then pick three and find one real person doing each — an alumnus, a relative or a neighbour — and ask what their first two years were actually like.
Are some careers only for boys or only for girls?
No. India has women fighter pilots, ship captains, welders and chief justices, and men who are nurses, dancers, chefs and pre-primary teachers. Entrance examinations, courses and employers in these fields are open to all. Choose by what you enjoy and what you are willing to work at.
How much do these careers pay?
Real pay depends on the city, the employer, the college you studied at, government pay commissions and the year you join, so any single figure is misleading. Each career card here gives only a broad early-career band as a rough signal. The gap between a starting salary and a tenth-year salary is usually far larger than the gap between two careers.