What do you want to be when you grow up?

I always found this question embarrassing, when asked to me. Embarrassing, not because I didn’t had an answer to it but I never thought it was important at that age while others of my age had a well decorated & rehearsed answer to the this question. In fact they were made to practice among different audiences
Having no answer helped me. I had no pressure of becoming like someone else…I was happy being myself and picked up what I felt was good. After my XIIth when most of my friends were trying hard to get into an Engineering College (We were SCIENCE students, you know), I chose Bachelors in Statistics. No, I didn’t know the importance of Statistics, neither had I dreamt of Data Sciences & role of Statistics in it; I found it much simpler as compared to Physics & Chemistry.
Somehow, I passed the exam and the biggest challenge of life was posed – What will you do? With valuable suggestions/advices flowing in from all directions, I still chose to do what I loved and I grabbed an opportunity to become a lab instructor in the institute where I was learning computers and I am happy I did that. It was a humble start to my great journey in Education, Training & HR. And I think I did reasonable well, I could help so many others like me in shaping their career.
I am not writing this to advocate/justify what I did. The question is meaningful and I in fact asked it to a bunch of freshers that had approached me for a job in my company.
This question must not be asked to get an answer but to give these young souls an opportunity to think what they want to do with their lives. Asking this question didn’t went well as most of the candidates that came realized that this is not what they wanted to do
Answer to this is issue is another question – WHY?
Yes, it is important to have a reasoned WHY behind whatever we do
The stream we choose for our Education (Graduation)
First job that we select (remember, it is all about your grand career and each job may not lead towards it)
Know your aspirations well.
Don’t just pick up any Skill; don’t follow others, identify what you want to do with your life plan for it
Why did I write this blog?
I wrote this as I do not find things any different even after so many decades. Fresh graduates still wonder why did they study what they studied. Most of them are still selecting a program because they want to be successful like someone else who followed this path.
Most of the freshers whom I met recently were just looking for a job…any job which is good and unfortunately they didn’t know what was good for them
And I asked one simple question from all of them and it was…
What do you want to become?
All I wanted them to do was to think and identify their real PURPOSE. More than me selecting/rejecting them basis the answer, I wanted them to decide if this Job fits into their life’s journey
My only advice to them is:
Don’t listen the question to answer; these are meant to make you think, understand and acknowledge – Your PURPOSE in Life
Remember, life is not a rapid fire round where all questions need to be answered, instantly…some questions are meant to leave you thinking
And YES, this became my PURPOSE – to Enable & Empower our Youth, to support them in building a successful Career, a Career which is not just inspired by someone else but a Career that is their OWN.
This thought had sown the seeds for our dream venture Skillhub when we work with the Youth and help them aspire, dream & build THEIR Career
We invite all of you who need any kind of support in identifying what Is RIGHT for you; We will be more than Happy to be a small part of your large CAREER