I graduated from an IIT. Graduates of an IIT ought to land multiple jobs before they even get their degree else the relatives and neighbors give kind of look : ” You must have done something really bad”.
Many of my friends studied really hard and worked on multiple projects and secured a job in core sector. They were delighted. I remember some of them mentioning “I got a dream job”. Now this is the problem- the word “dream” is used rather casually. I graduated in Metallurgical Engineering because it was the stream I got according to my JEE rank. People who would have chosen Metallurgical Engineering, if given a choice, would be very rare (at least in India). So when did becoming a project manager in TATA Steel become your DREAM job?
It was not too long before some of the friends started leaving their jobs. Not to mention those who had worked their asses off grinding aluminium samples, mugging up Iron-Carbon phase diagrams, but could not secure a core metallurgy job. They had to make do with non core IT jobs and just like that, in one moment, all the phase diagrams and a huge quantum of jargon became almost irrelevant to their entire career.
My point here is that you may as well fail in trying to do something you don’t even like. Then why not give a shot to something you are really passionate about. I also do not agree that there is something called “THE call”. If you are not happy with your career, there might be a whole array of things that you would rather be doing. We get many “CALLS”. Only two human frailties keep us from revisiting our goals. Our ego and our fear. Parents push you to take maths/science because of their ego. We get pushed because of our ego. We study hard during college due to the fear that our decision to take up science might turn out to be a wrong one after all. We land some high package job somehow and our ego calls it our dream job.
Fear keeps us narrow minded and ego keeps us short sighted. We must not push ourselves trying to make our life productive and meaningful and significant, and in the attempt making it miserable, full of longings and cravings. Let’s admit not every one want to serve the poor, not all of us would be willing to become Bill Gates once we realize the pressure and anxiety that comes with it.
Living a happy life is far more important and rewarding. An epitaph that reads ” Here lies a president of a multinational company” might sound more fancy that the one which reads ” Here lies a man who lived a happy life” but the latter has lived a richer life. All this may sound philosophical but it is, in fact, the only logical things to do. We plan and scheme and analyse. Something unforeseen happens and we again sit down to re-plan. The trick is to let the universe know what we want and just take a step towards it. Pieces will begin to fall into place. The trick is to be a little impulsive. This is what the audacious have said, and this is what the wise have have said. This is the theme of “Geeta” the holy book of Hindus.
We must keep the doors open. Every passing second brings forth its own fleeting set of choices.
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