“I was in a delusion that I'd get a job really easily"
For many South Asians, career success can mean more than simply choosing a job.
Family expectations, financial security, and social status can all influence how young people view professional achievement.
From childhood, some may be encouraged towards careers seen as stable, prestigious or financially rewarding.
However, choosing a less traditional career can be difficult when previous generations have already shaped ideas about success.
As attitudes towards work change, many young South Asians are questioning whether career success should be measured by salary, status or personal fulfilment.
When Career Success Becomes A Family Expectation
Career expectations can begin in childhood, with certain professions becoming closely associated with success.
For some South Asian families, medicine, law and engineering can represent stability, respect and financial security.
These expectations can reflect previous generations’ experiences and their desire to create greater opportunities for their children.
However, pressure can develop when young people choose less traditional career paths or show interests outside these professions.
One participant in a qualitative study of South Asian youth in Peel Region, Toronto, recalled:
“They compared me to doctors and engineers when I was in grade 4. It was stressful.”
The study explored how academic pressure, parental expectations and comparisons can influence the experiences of South Asian young people.
The participant’s experience shows how ideas about career success can develop before young people have fully formed their own ambitions.
Those pursuing journalism, fashion, music or media may later face questions about income, stability and long-term prospects.
For some, choosing a different career means balancing personal ambition with family expectations and the fear of disappointing those closest to them.
The Pressure To Keep Up
Career pressure does not always come through direct demands from parents.
Sometimes, it develops through comparisons with siblings, cousins, classmates, and family friends.
A relative securing a prestigious position or promotion can make personal progress feel harder to measure.
Social media adds another layer, with LinkedIn announcements, new jobs and university achievements making other people’s milestones highly visible.
This can encourage young people to question whether they are progressing quickly enough.
In a 2025 study of South Asian undergraduates, one described this comparison, saying:
“There’s always other people on my course that seems like they know more than me.”
The researchers linked these comparisons to feelings of inadequacy, showing how achievement can become closely connected to self-worth.
Career journeys rarely follow identical timelines, with some people entering their chosen industry immediately while others take longer to develop their skills.
Salary can also become a measure of success, particularly when financial independence is expected.
However, earning more does not necessarily mean someone feels fulfilled by their work.
The pressure can grow when salary, status, and comparison become the main ways professional achievement is measured.
The Fear Of Disappointing Family
For some young South Asians, career choices can carry pressure beyond personal ambition.
Family expectations can become harder to navigate when parents have made financial sacrifices to create better opportunities for their children.
This pressure can be particularly difficult when young people enter industries where employment is less predictable, or salaries take time to grow.
Recent Guardian reporting followed Sam, a graduate who took out a £25,000 loan to study finance in Scotland, hoping it would lead to better career opportunities.
“I was in a delusion that I’d get a job really easily,” he said, after struggling to secure the graduate role he had expected.
His experience shows how financial investment in education can increase the pressure to achieve a particular career outcome.
For those entering media, fashion or other creative fields, building a career can involve freelance work, multiple roles and gradual progression.
Family concerns about financial security can be understandable, but they do not have to define what a successful career looks like.
Redefining What Success Means
Career success is becoming increasingly personal, particularly for young people questioning traditional expectations.
For some, success means earning a high salary or reaching a senior position. For others, it means creative freedom, flexible working, financial independence, or finding purpose in their career.
British Asian actor and writer Meera Syal recently reflected on her own experience, saying:
“My uncles and aunties thought my career was a waste of time.”
Syal’s experience shows how creative careers can initially be viewed differently within families, particularly when success has traditionally been associated with stability or status.
There is no single career path that guarantees success. People can change industries, return to education, leave unsuitable roles or discover new interests later in life.
For young South Asians navigating family expectations, redefining success does not mean rejecting traditional careers or family advice.
Instead, it means recognising that a successful career can involve financial security, meaningful work, creativity, or simply enjoying what you do.
A career can be impressive without being conventional, and meaningful without being the highest-paying option.
