By Shray Mishra:
We must realize that success is not in pursuing the most sought after goal or profession; it is the excellence we achieve in what we are good at.
That line is a summary of this writing. It perfectly discriminates between a job and a career. Do we ever try to figure out what difference these two have? Well, if you did not then let me help you.
A job is anything that needs to be done, as the action of completing a task or duty without fulfillment. It is the routine task of every work day. And above all, it provides the basics; Cash and Activity. So a job can be termed as a task to earn an income to meet basic needs.
We now should see what a ‘Career’ is. A Career is that work which meets the basic definition while getting you fulfillment too out of it. It is more than income and benefits. It provides opportunities for advancement. An individual gets to challenge and nurture his personal growth. It’s a life, vocation, profession or work; the way one wishes to take it. It provides a person with his/her identity.
The orthodox mentality that was prevalent in the country once upon a time was of people wishing for their child to pursue traditional careers such as medicine, engineering or law etc. The reason for this was that these careers would ostensibly help their family attain a respectable status in the society. The son or daughter will be secure for life and people will always be ready to get associated with their family and above all it will also generate a handsome amount of dowry (if it happens to be the case of a boy) when the time comes. The problem with this mindset is that it is not so easy to fulfill these. These high paying jobs have posts limited in number and the competition is tough. A majority of failed aspirants for these jobs become unemployed. Every parent wants his or her child to be successful in life by choosing an appropriate career. But, forcing your child to pursue a career of your choice may become a burden for the child. The problem lies in the minds of most people in our country. The returns that a student can give after he/she gets a job are taken as the most important factor. Getting a high pay from the first month itself is preferred rather than letting the student start at the basics and go through the ranks to the top. However, with changing times, increasing competition, and with it, sadly, the increasing number of suicides have led the mentality of the people to change. They have started allowing their children to pursue alternative careers too.
If people who are coached to gain entry into professional courses fail to do so, they generally are not able to find other jobs for themselves as they are not able to fit in other environments. Vocational studies on the other hand teach a person various factors involved in the same process making him/her more flexible and adjustable to the work culture. Therefore, it is essential to support your child when he or she wants to pursue an alternative career.
The bad side of choosing the career which parents (and not necessarily the child) want is, children kill their dreams and their interests to fulfill their parents wish and when they fail or if they fail, sometimes they take decisions which make us think twice. One such case is of Bajanjit Kaur. At 18 yrs of age, she was found hanging from the ceiling fan at her home. The reason, shattered dreams!
Prior to committing suicide, Kaur, a first-year student of physiotherapy in a Navi Mumbai college, who had failed to clear three subjects in her second semester exams, wrote on the wall of her room, “I have to achieve my goal by securing good marks.”
Parents believe that what they want for their child is the best. Often they don’t realize the dreams of their children. Their overbearing expectations make children struggle to achieve things that are not their forte.
Pursuing an alternative career can help your child achieve more in life than a traditional one. Nothing can be as great as converting hobbies and interests into careers. It is better to encourage children to become what they want to become in life instead of forcing them into careers outside their choice.
One actor said, “Choosing an alternative career is a way to survive these rocky economic times. I also think it fits in with people’s desire to not be confined by narrow labels and [finally] admit that … we all have varied interests and varied talents and we should be able to pursue them, not just as a hobby.”
Do people always praise your cooking? Are you really good with animals? Are you a good dancer? Do people praise your writing? If yes then why are you afraid of giving yourself a chance?
Some Alternative Career Choices which are becoming famous are …
Drawing and painting, fine arts, calligraphy, commercial arts, copywriting, creative writing, the beauty sector, hair-dressing, social work, diet and nutrition, handwriting analysis, acting, singing, music, choreography, internet marketing, various choices in management studies, fashion designing, interior designing. The most appealing of it seems to be entrepreneurship! Starting one’s own hotel or some business! But only if one has a passionate need to be independent, a burning desire to turn a hobby into a profession and the love of a challenge.
If you always wished to become a painter or a musician, but need to take a job in order to pay the bills, search for a job that seems creative and stimulating. Not every “all-day gig” is as horrible as one might hear. Employers are generally more receptive now towards applicants with degrees in humanities or Liberal Arts. They find such applicants are often more creative and self-motivated in their work. What you want or get in your Career will likely change each year and as your experience and connections improve, new opportunities will surface. So don’t feel as though today’s decision is a permanent one; most of us would probably be bored by a predictable job! What is important is to choose a career that provides not only financial means to live but also the creative stimulus to make that life more satisfying.
Keep in mind that most careers evolve. So never be afraid of taking risks.
Someone had once quoted well…
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
Image courtesy: http://www.dumpr.net/blog/2008/09/21/sketch-artist-effect/