At the Crossroads of Life: Making the Right Career Decision

`You must study only maths and physics’, `Slog hard…u have to aim for IITs and AIIMS’, `Don’t’ idle away your time playing sports…focus only on studies’ ,`What ! You are interested in painting…will this fetch you a lifestyle?’……If you are in the age group of 14 to 18 years, all these phrases must be sounding familiar to you!! These are some of the remarks that will haunt you all your adolescence years.  You are always at the receiving end of criticism, suggestions and advices from parents, siblings, peer group, neighbours and just anyone who comes across you!! Due to the fact that the external world is becoming highly competitive, parent’s aspirations and expectations are rising. To add insult to injury, someone `well placed’ in the family is set as a benchmark and you are supposed to tread the path on which the `achiever’ had trailed. You have no other option but to idolize the `trend setter’ and follow his/her entire behavioral pattern to know how the lady fortune who had smiled upon this person might please you as well!! At a time when almost everyone has imposed their aspirations on you by telling what you should become, have you ever sat down quietly and done some amount of introspection as to what YOU want from your life? Have you ever analysed your own strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes? If your answer is no then it’s a wake up call for you. Shut out the world for sometime, preferably in the morning when the mind is really fresh. Preferably sit in a place with lots of greenery around; being close to nature acts as a great stress buster and opens the channels of mind and then analyse the following:

Identify the areas in which you would like to make a career for yourself and accordingly the educational stream you should choose. Write this down without any inhibitions; if you wish to become a fashion designer then why study science?Reflect on your likes and dislikes, needs and wants. Change is a way of life; everything around us changes, as do our likes and dislikes. Something you loved doing one year ago may now give you displeasure. Make sure you reflect on the things in life that you feel most strongly about. Make a two-column list of your major likes and dislikes. Then use this list to examine your career choice that you have mentioned. Then identify what you need or want from your life in terms of education and career…To be rich or to enjoy high power and status.Examine your favorite pastime and hobbies. Many times your hobbies and leisurely pursuits can give you great insight into future career path. Never think that you can’t make a hobby into career. History has it that many great painters and chefs in the world nurtured their hobbies and made it their career.It’s very important that you review the career and job trends. If you were always fascinated on the thought of flying an aircraft, review what scope a commercial or a defence pilot has.Develop a roadmap for your educational and career success. Set short-term (one year) and long-term (beyond two years) career goals. For example, learning c++ may be your short-term goal and being a software engineer from a reputed institute a long term goal. Analyse your personality or career anchors. Career anchors are certain attitudes formed early in life that guide people throughout their career. These attitudes `anchor’ an individual to one or a few related types of career. The following broad career anchors have been identified :Managerial Competence – If you have the capacity to take responsibility and have the ability to influence and control others you must think of taking up subjects of your choice and then pursue management related courses.Technical-functional competence – If technology fascinates you then its better if you strive to be an expert in it; Take up science and engineering stream. Creative and free-willed competence – If innovation and creativity energises you, then develop a list of your passions and work on to become an entrepreneur. If you are free-willed and do not love to take orders or be bound to one seat, one job, work upon being a free-lance writer, consultant.

  It’s very important not to succumb to external pressures and identify one unique quality you have. The moment it has been identified, is the moment the career turmoil is over. While career planning is an important aspect of your life, do not put so much pressure on yourself that it paralyses you from making any real decisions. It is also important to know that career planning is an ever-changing and evolving journey – so take it slowly and easily…