Engineering is a coveted degree to own. However, a large number of freshly-graduated engineers are turning to the creative route and exploring the increasingly popular arena of content creation for social media. After speaking to some talented content creators from an engineering background, I have realised that having this specialised degree (or any specialised degree) gives people an edge when it comes to making a mark in a creative field. Take the example of two engineers Shubham and Dhruv, who together make Funyaasi. They have been creating content for four years. Funyaasi first started as a meme page but soon pivoted from memes to original videos as this enabled them to connect directly with the audience. It was a bit of an uphill task but eventually, their reels began to go viral. “Our favourite part of creating content is that it allows us to bring our ideas to life.A small thought can be turned into a fun piece of content. Besides, we’re extremely passionate about what we do and being able to do it full time is truly amazing,” the duo share.
Aaron Aamir is another great example. This young DJ and music producer has become one of the few DJ influencers in India. Best known for his latest mashup ‘Stay x Ranjhah’, his compositions have been appreciated by the audience and industry stalwarts like Sonu Nigam and B Praak. Aamir’s first song went viral in 2018. On an international tour in 2019, he performed with Tomorrowland artists. When asked if he thinks his engineering background helped him excel in his chosen field, he says, “It did help me figure out what I want to pursue in life. It also gave me good work experience and helped me get an upper hand in many things. I learned how to have a clear vision and choose the right path to achieve my dreams and build my future.” Urmila aka Lali works for popular gaming YouTuber and voice artist Mythpat and he was the one who discovered her talents. Lali’s YouTube channel is known for its prank videos. Having started about a year ago, this engineer turned content creator has amassed 517k subscribers with millions of views on some of her videos. “When I created my YouTube channel, I just wanted to have fun and make people laugh. I love to see people enjoying my content. But with time I realised how difficult it is to be consistent and upload a video every week or fortnightly. Creating funny videos gets way more challenging. Many times, I struggle with new and unique ideas to make people laugh, but since I love what I do, this part I easily overcome,” she shares. So what’s their advice on being successful in this industry. The Funyaasi team advises that you should upload frequently and as per schedule, as that helps you learn and improve your content. “Only if you genuinely love what you do, you can be good at it,” they say. Aamir adds, “Always give your 100%. Keep your efforts constant and stay focused. One day you will achieve your goal, have zeal and patience.” Lali signs off by highlighting that content creation made her more confident about herself and advises others to stick to it, so they can feel confident too!
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.