I see that the thread is not a very old one, but gathered a lot of posts in a small time. Pardon me if someone else has already mentioned the things I mention here, but here goes.
Career counselling is a real issue here in Pakistan. I remember having the same questions as you when I was in FSc. I asked one of my teachers, and his reply and I quote: "Career counselling k liye mujhe b pta hona chahiye k kon kon se career ho skte hn. Agr foji Afsar bn jana, doctor engineer ban jana, is k agay mujhe e brake lg jae to men kese kisi ki career counselling kr skta hn." And he was right. At that time, he was pursuing his PhD from the Quaid e Azam University, but that dilemma haunts most of our youngsters.
Pakistan's youth consists of the majority of our population. Around half of our population is below 30. This is a make or break moment for our country and we don't know what careers should we choose. I have spent some time in the software industry, interviewed, hired, selected and rejected people. I can tell you one thing, university, GPA, courses etc don't matter. Work ethic matters more. One of the guys in my team had studied from Urdu university. He is by far the best guy I have had. There have been guys from apparentlt the top universities who are just not willing to work. I can tell you one thing for sure, that if you are good at what you do, you won't have to struggle for money, at least not for a long time. Everyone struggles in the start.
One major issue that I have seen is that most people choose careers based on how much they can earn. I have a guy in my office who should have been an artist. Either drawing/designing things or singing etc. He has a natural talent in those fields but he studied software and came to work with us. He is not going to be an excellent engineer unless he starts to think of himself as one. He thinks of himself as an artist, and has not much interest in engineering. That is what generally leads to joblessness. Software is by far the most easy thing to do nowadays in my opinion. Jobs come easy, future demand is good, and after a few years of experience, you will get offers from abroad based on your linkedin profile. It is a good and rewarding career.
I appeared for the army tests after my FSc. I cleared the ISSB, and was declared medically unfit due to colour vision issues. A lot of people don't get past the ISSB. Some people clear the ISSB but don't make the merit list. Some people go to the academy and get medically boarded out. Some people go to the academy and are drummed out. Even some people join the forces and then are court martialled. I personally know examples of all of the above, so nothing is a given.
People study for CSS for years and years, and don't clear it even then. Some of those people then apply for PMS, for IB, for other institutions or for jobs for grades 16 and below. People in the private sector earn more than what most people from the civil or military service earn by some multiples, and in some cases, some order of magnitude. Contrary to popular belief, there is no money in either the military or the civil service unless you reach very higher ranks, which is again, a tough ask. But the prestige/influence you get through that is not available in the private sector.
The point is, it is not a given that you will achieve what you want in any career, and no career path is easy. The thing that can almost guarantee financial stability/success is your work ethic. Our nation doesn't want to put in the effort, but wants to see results. If you are someone who is willing to put in the effort, you will succeed in whatever career path you choose. If you have the work ethic of a German, I can assure you that you will become financially well-off. If you are not, after some years, you can contact me, and I can assure you that I can make good use of your work ethic, no matter what your skillset. If you are ready to get your hands dirty, you are not going to die of hunger.
Civil and military service is a "service". What this means is that the money you get is not the compelte compensation for your services. You will be paid less than what you are giving in. If you have a mentality to serve people, to look for their good, to work for people who might not be able to repay you ever, go for civil or military service. If you think you should b rewarded fairly for your efforts, go for private jobs. Switch whenever you feel you are not getting enough money, and you will get to a place where you think you are getting your worth. But you need to ask this question to yourself: "What is your ultimate goal in life? Is it to make a lot of money, or to make a contribution good enough to excel in your chosen field, or is it to have an impact on the lives of the people?" The answer to this question will lead you to where you should go. All of us, besides fighting, can only provide different points of view. The ultimate decision is yours.
