LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

In this world we don’t have a lot of things to choose according to our will.  We don’t have freedom to select our family, parents, siblings even our name itself.  But for certain things that are crucial to our life we do have the freedom to select in which a career and a life partner etc. most outstanding.  

Most of the people don’t set their goals and they just flow with the wave and do name their destination as fate.  They mostly depend on luck or lucky breaks for success.  But some others choose their career according to the market trends.  No one in the world buys the slipper by simply walking into the shop rather he/she does take the size of the leg, quality, price, use etc. We select the slipper which is most suitable for our leg even if it is not the most beautiful one. It is a tragedy that we do not ascribe that much importance in selecting a career which we ascribe to select a slipper.

I have seen a lot of youngsters; they do have a high qualification and wish to have any government job which does not demand such high academics.  They consider a Government job as their goal, which in fact is not a real one. “There is no other course like engineering which offers a job after completing it”, an Engineering aspirant once told me. This is another misconception among parents and students.  Actually every course and profession has got its own scope in job market.  If a particular course is very good then all the students who completed that course must be well placed and if a particular course is worse none of the students who complete should be placed. But this never turns true.  It is high time to realize that the problem is not about the course, but about the way we perceive things during the selection of a particular course. The real trouble maker here is the fact that we never try to realize our potential and skills. What we see today is the huge flow of engineering graduates into the general banking sector as Officers and Clerks. The real comedy here is that none of these posts require an engineering degree as a mandatory qualification. Both these are posts that any graduate can compete for.

But real success is the outcome of a goal setting and wise planning to achieve them. Choosing a career path can help you to set professional goals and develop a strategy for getting where you want to be. Part of choosing an appropriate career path involves making an honest self-evaluation of your talents, abilities and interests. Actually our goal must be a smart one. The letters in the word SMART represents Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound.

Everyone is unique. Hence one must select one’s own career based on potential. Most people are one of the six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.

Realistic

• Likes to work with animals, tools, or machines; generally avoids social activities like teaching, healing, and informing others;
• Has good skills in working with tools, mechanical or electrical drawings, machines, or plants and animals;
• Values practical things you can see, touch, and use like plants and animals, tools, equipment, or machines
• Sees self as practical, mechanical, and realistic.

Investigative

• Likes to study and solve math or science problems; generally avoids leading, selling, or persuading people;
• Is good at understanding and solving science and math problems;
• Values science;
• Sees self as precise, scientific, and intellectual.

Artistic

• Likes to do creative activities like art, drama, crafts, dance, music, or creative writing; generally avoids highly ordered or repetitive activities;
• Has good artistic abilities -- in creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art;
• Values the creative arts -- like drama, music, art, or the works of creative writers;
• Sees self as expressive, original, and independent.

Social

• Likes to do things to help people -- like, teaching, nursing, or giving first aid, providing information; generally avoids using machines, tools, or animals to achieve a goal;
• Is good at teaching, counselling, nursing, or giving information;
• Values helping people and solving social problems;
• Sees self as helpful, friendly, and trustworthy.

Enterprising

• Likes to lead and persuade people, and to sell things and ideas; generally avoids activities that require careful observation and scientific, analytical thinking;
• Is good at leading people and selling things or ideas;
• Values success in politics, leadership, or business; and
• Sees self as energetic, ambitious, and sociable.

Conventional

• Likes to work with numbers, records, or machines in a set, orderly way; generally avoids ambiguous, unstructured activities
• Is good at working with written records and numbers in a systematic, orderly way;
• Values success in business;
• Sees self as orderly, and good at following a set plan.

Keep in mind that none can fit exactly into any of the above mentioned categories, but can find his place among a combination of these categories. Understanding of our personality type is essential before choosing a career. This is the inevitable pre-requisite of success. None of us are destined to be suitable for all professions. It is always better to be master of a particular field rather than a ‘Jack of all trades’.

What we actually see today among students and their parents is the selection of courses without actually knowing their personality types. Priorities range from monetary concerns to social status. Most students are thinking that the best profession is the one which fetches more money to them for living a luxurious life. But while choosing a career we have to consider our potential, skills, family values, financial earnings from it, working environment, working time schedule, spiritual values etc. We should choose a career which balances the above mentioned factors.