London, January 2025 \u2014 When Adeelah, 21, told her parents she wanted to study film production at university, she braced herself for the reaction. \u201cMy father said, \u2018Beta, film ka kya future hai? Why not medicine or law?\u2019 But I explained that this is my passion. I don\u2019t want to do a degree just because others expect it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For decades, Pakistani families in Britain have encouraged their children towards the so-called \u201csecure\u201d careers \u2014 doctors, engineers, lawyers. But a new generation is quietly breaking away, pursuing creative, technical, and entrepreneurial paths that reflect both their interests and the realities of the modern job market.<\/p>\n
A slow but visible shift<\/p>\n
Mariam, 19, is training in digital marketing. \u201cI used to hear, \u2018Girls should become teachers or doctors.\u2019 But I saw so many opportunities online. Companies pay for social media work, and it suits me. I\u2019m learning something that feels current.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Imtiyaz, 23, left university after two years studying pharmacy. \u201cI realised I wasn\u2019t happy. I switched to an apprenticeship in IT. My parents were shocked at first, but now they see I have steady income and a clear path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parental expectations vs. personal goals<\/p>\n
For many, the challenge lies in balancing respect for parents\u2019 hopes with their own ambitions. Samira, 22, said: \u201cMy parents sacrificed a lot to move here. Of course they want me to succeed. But success for them means doctor or lawyer. Success for me means enjoying my work. I\u2019m studying architecture \u2014 still professional, but not what they first imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes the disagreements are sharper. Adeelah admitted: \u201cMy relatives gossip \u2014 \u2018She wants to work in film, is that even a career?\u2019 But I try not to listen. Times are changing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Community role models<\/p>\n
Young people say it helps to see role models in new fields. Khalil, 25, runs a small graphic design business in East London. \u201cI started by making logos for friends. Now I have regular clients. When younger cousins see me doing this, they realise creative work can be real work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schools and universities also play a role. Mariam said: \u201cMy college encouraged me to look at digital apprenticeships. That gave me the courage to convince my parents. Without that support, I might not have dared.\u201d<\/p>\n
The weight of tradition<\/p>\n
Despite progress, old patterns remain strong. Many still feel pressure to follow \u201csafe\u201d options. Imtiyaz noted: \u201cSome of my friends are in medicine because their families insisted, even if they didn\u2019t want to. It\u2019s hard to go against your parents. In our culture, family approval matters a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samira agreed: \u201cIt\u2019s not just about jobs. It\u2019s about izzat (family honour). Parents want to tell relatives, \u2018My son is a doctor, my daughter is a solicitor.\u2019 It\u2019s a badge of pride.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking forward<\/p>\n
Still, optimism shines through. Adeelah hopes to direct a short film this year. Mariam wants to launch her own small marketing agency. Imtiyaz is aiming for a full-time IT role after his apprenticeship ends.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe in ten years,\u201d Khalil said, \u201cno one will think twice if a Pakistani student says they want to be a designer, filmmaker, or entrepreneur. It will just be normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
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London, January 2025 \u2014 When Adeelah, 21, told her parents she wanted to study film production at university, she braced herself for the reaction. \u201cMy father said, \u2018Beta, film ka kya future hai? Why not medicine or law?\u2019 But I explained that this is my passion. I don\u2019t want to do a degree just because …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sci-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56875"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56876,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56875\/revisions\/56876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}