One word that has always been in the forefront of an Indian household discussion is career. Right from the beginning of adolescence to adulthood the questions around career take different forms in different situations but they are always around the corner. Due to this clutter of questions and the burden of pressure, many students question their own decision and weigh it with others. This creates a confusing atmosphere around the individual who is still figuring out what to do and what to pursue in life. Whether you are a 10th pass or intermediate or a graduate, the leaning views and questions around career and its implication on our lives have always made us a little bit worried and cautious at the same time. In this article, I am not going to talk about which career is the best for whom. What I am focusing on is how to choose a career and excel in it without any ramifications.
i) College and its Effect on Career
Every year there are hundreds of thousands of students who graduate from different colleges in different branches. But the number of students who actually start a career in their graduate branch is very less. There are many reasons why this happens.
Some students are not actually graduating because they want to, but because they have to. Many students pursue their career through a traditional college because it’s what everyone is doing or it is their parents’ decision to complete college education in a certain branch. This creates chain reactions of students joining in a branch that they have no interest in, graduating with minimum knowledge, and ending up not getting a desired job as others who are excelling in their choices.
If you are really interested in the college and the branch you are in, then it creates an atmosphere for you to achieve a career in that branch since you already have a liking to that branch and hence the respective future. But the problem arises when you just graduate without any interest and skills that are necessary to survive in a world which expects nothing but good results. If you or any other belongs to that section, don’t worry you can still make it with abilities that you can acquire during the course of your college or after graduating.
ii) Know What You Want to Do
The hardest and, at the same time, the easiest for students is knowing what they want to do and in which field they want to be recognised. If one figures it out at an early age, then one can give 100% focus to attain the desired job. If you are in the midst of deciding what to do, then that’s where you need to concentrate on a few things that might help you to shape a distinct career for yourself.
Firstly, be patient. Don’t jump on the bandwagon if you don’t want to. Knowing what doesn’t interest you is as important as what interests you. Secondly, make a list of things that you are good at or fields in which you have a good command. This helps you to clearly identify the things that have a potential future for you and can help clear out distractions. If you are in a situation where you can’t afford the time, then it’s okay to accept the immediately available opportunity and start figuring out what you actually want to pursue simultaneously. This may seem to be a tough boat to sail but by the time you gather your courage to follow your gut, you will have enough financial support that you have earned from your previous endeavor. With this glimpse of how the world works, you can plan accordingly to accomplish your goal.
iii) Plan According to Your Profession
When you get your priorities in the right place, the next step is tailing them and executing your plan. When you realize your desired profession, the first thing to do is how to access its source. For example, if you want to get into a State/Central government job, you have to know its procedure, exams, interviews and the process to get into the office. Then, to prepare for the exam, you need the syllabus and the appropriate books. If you are willing to get into a coaching center, then it is about knowing which is the best coaching center that caters to your need. Then you need to observe the people who have actually achieved what you want to achieve, follow their pattern, how they prepared for the exams, what tricks and tips they followed, what books they referred to, and what lectures they had attended. All these references will guide you in the right direction of your purpose. The above said example can be applied to any profession with slight alterations and desired results will follow. What is important is to have a clear idea on your holy-grail. This instills a positive attitude in your mind and in your work. Consequently, you can utilize your full potential to succeed in your goal.
About the Author
Abhinav has finished his graduation in Civil Engineering only to realise that writing is also as analytical as Structural Analysis. From finding hidden references in movies to writing them in his stories, which may one day triumph as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, he is all about the culture of Pop Culture. He considers music as therapy and story telling as catharsis. You can write to Abhinav at his email address: abhinavsriramoju@gmail.com