Why Do People Choose the Wrong Career? 4 Reasons, and Why Career Clarity Must Start in School

A career is one of the biggest decisions of a lifetime. It shapes how much we earn, but also how satisfied we feel at work and how calm we feel at home. And yet, a lot of people end up in jobs that do not suit them.

A recent tips column in a Hindi daily (Jamshedpur edition, 25 October 2026), citing Harvard Business Review, listed four common reasons why people choose the wrong job. Reading it as a parent or a student, one thing stands out: every one of these four mistakes begins long before the first job. They begin in class 9, 10, 11 and 12, when stream and subject choices are made.

Here are the four reasons, and what students and parents can do about each one.

Reason 1: Choosing a career by looking at others

Many people pick a career because everyone around them did. A cousin became an engineer, a neighbour's child is preparing for medicine, so the "safe" path is copied. The problem is that nobody stops to ask whether the work suits their own nature and skills. After some time, the job starts to feel like a burden.

In school, this looks like: "Everyone in my class is taking PCM, so I will too." Peer pressure and family comparison are the biggest drivers of stream selection after class 10.

What helps: Ask the child one question before any stream decision - "which subjects do you actually enjoy working on when nobody is checking?" The honest answer matters more than the class trend.

Reason 2: Giving importance only to a good salary

A good salary is a real need. But choosing a job only on pay can backfire. People chasing a high package often ignore working hours, responsibility and work culture. The high income feels exciting at first, and then stress slowly builds.

In school, this looks like: choosing a course only because "that field pays well" or "that is where the packages are".

What helps: Teach students to look at three things together - the work itself, the lifestyle it creates, and the pay. A career with high pay and a daily routine the child dislikes is a short-lived win.

Reason 3: Not understanding your own interests and abilities

To perform well in any job, a person needs to know their strengths, weaknesses and interests. Many people accept a role without checking whether they are suited to it. Choosing with self-awareness raises the chances of doing well and feeling satisfied.

In school, this looks like: a child who scores well in a subject through memorisation but has never tested whether they truly understand it or enjoy it. Marks alone do not reveal aptitude.

What helps: Use tools that go beyond marks. An aptitude test, a concept-level assessment and a regular record of which topics a child finds easy or hard give a far clearer picture than a report card does.

Reason 4: Taking a wrong decision in a hurry

The rush to get a job, or the fear of being unemployed, pushes people to decide without full information. They do not learn enough about the company, the role, the growth path or the work environment. Later they find the job is very different from what they expected.

In school, this looks like: deciding the stream in the last week before admission, or choosing a coaching programme because registrations are closing.

What helps: Start the exploration early. A student who spends class 9 and 10 slowly learning what they are good at will make a calmer, better-informed decision at the class 10 boundary than a student who decides in a panic.

Where the wrong-career story really begins: class 9 to 12

By the time someone is 25 and unhappy at work, the pattern was already set years earlier. The first big fork is stream selection after class 10 - Science, Commerce or Arts. The next is the entrance exam path after class 12, such as JEE, NEET, CUET or a professional course. Each step narrows the options.

The good news is that the system is becoming more flexible. National Education Policy 2020 encourages students to mix subjects instead of being locked into one rigid stream. But flexibility only helps if the student knows what to choose. Without clear self-knowledge, more choice can mean more confusion.

How to choose the right career after class 10: a practical checklist

List strengths with evidence. Not "I am good at maths" but "I solve geometry problems fast and enjoy them." Evidence comes from test results, not feelings.
Find the weak concepts early. A weak foundation in one chapter can quietly close a door later. Fix it before the stream decision, not after.
Explore before you commit. Talk to two or three working professionals, read about the field, and try a small project in the subject.
Separate pressure from preference. Write down which choices come from family or peers and which come from the student.
Delay irreversible decisions as long as the system allows. Take the time the process gives you instead of the shortest path.
Review every term. A career plan is not a one-time event. Interests and skills change between class 8 and class 12.

How parents can help without adding pressure

Parents are the most important voice in a child's career decision, and also the loudest. The most helpful approach is to be a thinking partner rather than a decision maker.

Ask about the work, not the title. "What would you do all day in this job?" is better than "which job is respected?"
Share your own career regrets honestly. Children learn more from a real story than from advice.
Look at data together. A clear record of the child's strengths turns an emotional argument into a calm conversation.
Accept that a change of mind in class 11 is learning, not failure.

How QuizAttempt helps students and parents choose with clarity

QuizAttempt is built around one idea: a child should be assessed on what they truly understand, not only on what they scored. Our AI-powered assessments identify weak concepts chapter by chapter, track strengths over time, and give parents a clear view of where the child stands.

That record becomes useful far beyond exam preparation. When the stream decision arrives, a student and their parents are not guessing. They can see which subjects the child handles well, where the gaps are, and how things have changed over the year. It is the opposite of the "decide in a hurry" mistake - and it is the simplest way to avoid the other three.

If you have a child in class 6 to 12, this is the right time to start building that picture, not the week before admissions.

Frequently asked questions

Why do people choose the wrong career? The most common reasons are following others, focusing only on salary, not understanding their own interests and abilities, and deciding in a hurry without enough information.

How do I choose the right career after class 10? Start with evidence about your strengths, check for weak concepts in the subjects you are considering, explore the field by talking to professionals, and avoid deciding under last-minute pressure.

Which stream is best after class 10 - Science, Commerce or Arts? There is no single best stream. The best stream is the one that matches the student's strengths, interests and long-term goals. Marks, aptitude and enjoyment of the subject should be looked at together.

How can parents help a child choose a career? Be a thinking partner. Ask about the work itself, avoid comparing with other children, and use objective data about the child's strengths instead of opinions.

Is an aptitude test useful for students? Yes, when used alongside subject performance. An aptitude test or a concept-level assessment shows patterns in strengths and gaps that marks alone can hide.

Can a student change career direction after choosing a stream? Yes. Many students do, especially with the flexibility in newer education policy. The earlier the student understands their strengths, the less costly a change of direction will be.

Source note: the four reasons discussed here are drawn from a tips column in a Hindi daily (Jamshedpur edition, 25 October 2026) that cites Harvard Business Review. Practical suggestions and school-level examples are QuizAttempt's own.