[The following column written by me appeared in the Deccan Herald Education Supplement of March 21, 2013]
Dear Madam,
I am
currently in the 8th semester of my engineering, studying under VTU. I
attended two companies in placement, but did not get selected. I am very
depressed about it. I am not interested in pursuing M Tech also. I have
an aggregate of 76%. I am interested in civil services and I have a
dream of becoming an IAS officer. It was my dream since childhood. Can
an engineering student like me pursue IAS? Do I have to take coaching
classes? I work very hard and I have commitment towards studies. I want
to achieve something in my life. Please guide me in achieving my dream.
Dear Student,
I
understand that you are depressed because you have not got a job during
the campus placement season, even though you attended 2 interviews.
There
is no reason to be disheartened. Look at those interviews as learning
opportunities, and try to analyze and understand for yourself what went
wrong.
Why do you feel you did not get the job? If you do this
after every event that you perceive as a failure, the failures will
transform into learning opportunities and stepping stones towards your
future goals.
Remember, there may be many such failures along
the way, but they don’t mean that you are a failure. All they mean is
that you failed in that attempt. You need to learn from your mistakes
and move on.
I am not aware of the best way that you can prepare
for the IAS entrance exam. Someone who has either done that exam or is
involved in the process in any way will probably be in a better position
to guide you on that. I understand that you have a dream of achieving
something in life.
I think you need to take some time to define
what that ‘something’ is because only then can you take some steps
towards achieving it. So, what is your dream?
All the best!
Dear Madam,
I
completed SSLC in 2006. After that I did a Diploma in Electronics and
Electrical Engineering, but I never completed the course, nor am I able
to study, I don’t know what future I have. I would like you to guide me
for a better life ahead. I’m struggling in every field I enter as a
professional. Please help me out.
Rakesh Manipal
Dear Rakesh
I
understand that you are feeling disheartened and are anxious about your
future. I am not sure of what you mean when you say that you are not
able to study.
Do you not have the interest, or the time, or the
financial resources, or the opportunity. It would be good for you to
understand why you are not able to study.
Often what we perceive
to be an external reason for us not to do something, actually ends up
being an internal reason over which we have complete control and can
change if we want.
I would need to understand a little more about
what you mean when you say you are struggling in every field you enter
as a professional.
You should also analyze what happened in
every case and what were your specific struggles. This may help you
arrive at a list of areas that you may feel more comfortable in,
temperamentally, and a list of areas that you feel you may just not fit
in. After all, success in the work place does not only depend on your
degrees.
Many of the most successful people in the world do not
have ‘degrees’ to support them. Of more importance in the workplace,
eventually, is your self-confidence, your ability to learn, your ability
to problem-solve, your ability to work in a team and lead a team; your
communication skills, etc.
So find your strengths, and find a field of work which will allow you to build on your strengths.
All the best
Dear Madam,
I’m
studying M Sc (Physics). I am losing my interest in studies because I
am afraid of not getting a job in this field. My parents have a lot of
hopes for me. Kindly suggest some methods by which I can start studying.
And also please give some information about what I can do after this.
Meghashree
Dear Meghashree,
You
say your parents have a lot of hopes for you. What about your hopes for
yourself? Do you want to study only because your parents hope you will
study, or do you want to study because you see that as a way of growing
and doing something.
If your parents did not have expectations
from you, what would you do with your life? Ultimately your life is your
own, and you need to take charge of it, and do what you want to do,
because you want to do it, not because your parents expect you to do it.
Ultimately
the person who will benefit the most from your studies is you, not your
parents. So you need to shift your motivation to study from the
external reason (i.e. your parents) to an internal reason (i.e. you).
Spend
some time understanding what you would like to do, what will give you
happiness, what are your strengths and what kind of a career will play
to your strengths.
I am not in a position to guide you about
your future study plans. All I can say is, you need to do what you want
to do, and you need to do it for yourself.