Successful career is a trinity of Interest, Skill and Values

As I recommend

Upon asking for career advice , I often hear people- parents and well wishers say " Go by u r interest , u will succeed". That is cliche and is too dangerous to heed. Interest after all is personal and has no social meaning. If interest were to make someone successful, then every kid going to cricket summer camp will end up in Indian national team or every student in a dancing school would become a dancing exponent.

A successful career needs at least three components: Interest, skill and value system. Interest of course is needed but sufficient. The best that interest can give u is "satisfaction". But skill is what gives social meaning, contribution and of course economic value to an individual. Skill also gives u the edge in time of competition. Finally value system that which makes the individual to enjoy if not tolerate the mundane part of the work. Unless NR Murthy had fully accepted the value of his work in building Infosys, he would not have enjoyed the otherwise boring - millions of miles of air travel.

So before u take up a career check the following

1. do have interest- gives u  satisfaction
2. do u have skills - makes u productive
3. do have value system- gives u  happiness to remember and relish

Discovering New Career Paths

Ever since IT industry came into lime light in 1990’s and become a desired career destination for technical graduates, they followed a very simple and straight forward career plan: complete degree, get campus recruited, join company and have a “settled” career path with occasional vertical and horizontal moves (promotions, marriages, specialization etc). Fortunately for over a decade or so it has worked very well. Many of my own students have been still serving the company they joined after graduation for nearly twenty years.

Life is a basket of surprises and it pops them very unexpectedly. Like the fall of Constantinople in 1453 that forced European traders to discover alternatives to land routes which they have been used for centuries , the current recession or economic slowdown (circa 2008) has derailed many a career and forcing people to find new career paths. One of the paths that seems to be catching attention is that of pursuing higher education. For instance, the International institute of Information Technology, Bangalore a premier institute offering specialized courses in IT domain has received more than 2000 applications this year for the 120 PG seats at the institute. The VTU, Belgaum has seen a a jump of 300% in the number of applications received this year. Although the above observation exemplify the trend, the rush to higher education is seen everywhere.

Although recent recession has forced many professionals towards academics, higher education always pays in the long run and every one should consider it as a regular option. With the availability of educational loans and scholarships, higher education has become a relatively easier way to follow towards a rewarding professional career. To help you in this direction, we have taken up a small initiative that connects you to available options and creates awareness on possible directions. To know them visit onwards regularly.

Good Luck in your career discovery endeavour