By Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Provost of HSNC (Hyderabad Sind National Collegiate) University.
In today’s fast-paced world, it is very important to choose a career that both sustains well and helps personal growth. Although most common career choices for today’s youth involve learning skills that help develop their professional interests, are there any skills that one should learn to become more successful as a person? At the end of the day, any career can only be satisfactory if it favours personal growth and development, along with a sustaining professional interest.
Most self-help books and corporate gurus will tell you that success is a state of mind, achieved through “job satisfaction”. But as a youngster, how does one choose which job will prove to be satisfactory, or rather which career will be successful? Is it mere interest that motivates one’s choice of career? Or should there be other factors that influence which profession is best suited for a person? And once a career is decided upon, are there more factors that play a role in furthering one’s success?
Firstly, with the array of courses available to today’s generation with respect to professions, it can be a daunting task for anyone to choose a profession. It is important therefore, to have a vision that can guide one’s professional interests. Once the vision is established, it is very important to assess the feasibility of the profession, especially in terms of growth, success, economy and sustainability going forward. Next, one needs to gauge the various aspects of education in that field and choose a course (or progressive courses) that is best suited to one’s interest and compatible to one’s skill set. For example, if one is good at creating or ideating, it may be a better idea to pursue a career that gives scope to newer developments or creative pursuits rather than say, a profession which is repetitive or managerial. These steps will help guide the student towards a career which is suited to their interests and will likely ensure their contentment with the profession in the long run.
Along with these basic requirements, it is very necessary to imbibe certain talents while learning the subject of choice. One of them is the skill to envision the expansion of the field. This applies not only to the professional input that the person gives, but also to the personal contribution that one can make. Every individual is unique and has their own bent of thought, and hence every individual is capable of giving a unique, personalized touch to the development of any field. It is also very pertinent to learn how to be a quick-thinker, especially if one is interested in pursuing out-of-the-box careers. With newer professions emerging and the scope of diversity increasing in almost every field, it has become more important than ever to be on one’s toes at all times. Similarly, skills such as a strong commitment to one’s career, good networking skills, and humility with confidence are basic qualities that have been established over time to be crucial to one’s growth and success, both professionally and personally.
These are just a few of the skills that should be learnt along with the general subjects like communication, leadership, interpersonal relation-management, time-management, and basic technological knowledge to bolster the career-growth of youngsters, especially in unique and offbeat professions. After all, however unique one’s profession, one can only be successful if one is happy and ensures the happiness of those they work for and with.
