A Shift in Preferred Professions: Young People Increasingly Want to Be Doctors and Teachers, not IT Specialists

There has been a change in the trend of preferred professions. Whereas five years ago young people tended to choose careers in computer science, today they increasingly aspire to become teachers and doctors.

This is according to a study conducted by the National Centre for Parliamentary Research. The survey involved 1,059 Bulgarian citizens aged between 15 and 35, carried out from 21 May to 5 June. The research indicates that salary is the most important factor in choosing a job, while fewer young people now wish to work abroad.

Sia decided to pursue programming while still a student at the Spanish High School in Sofia. From that time, she has had a passion for mathematics.

“I spent many years working specifically in programming; I enjoy it, I love doing it. But sitting in one place for eight or more hours takes its toll. I wanted to have time for my children, I wanted to have time for myself,” said Sia Simova.

She has now returned to where it all began—the Spanish High School—but this time as a mathematics teacher.

“Programming is a way of thinking and a way of life. While teaching, we show people what they can achieve; we build patterns of thought in their minds that they can later put into practice,” commented Sia Simova.

According to the National Centre for Parliamentary Research, interest in computer science has declined in recent years. The most sought-after professions are now teaching and medicine, while journalism, sales consultancy, and firefighting are among the least desired.

More than two-thirds of young people say they would under no circumstances leave Bulgaria. Among them is Ekaterina, who dreams of building her career in the country. Approaching her third year at university, she is already gaining practical insight into the work of medical professionals. When she dons her uniform and enters the hospital ward, she finds the sense of purpose she has always sought.

“What attracts me is being useful. Seeing how fragile life is, and how valuable it truly is, makes the little things that frustrate us daily seem insignificant compared to the fragility of life,” said Ekaterina Petrova, a student caregiver at the Medical Oncology Clinic at UMHAT “Tsaritsa Yoanna – ISUL.”

Although she has yet to decide on a specialisation, her experience as a caregiver in the clinic has led her to consider oncology as a potential path.

“For me, financial reward does not play a role in my choice. What I believe is that trainees, especially nurses, perform enormous amounts of work. They work countless hours, and those hours should be properly recognised and compensated,” said Ekaterina Petrova.

For most young people, however, the primary criterion in choosing a profession remains salary.