How to find a passionate career - by Panav Jain

For millions of years mankind had been doing all the activities necessary for survival on an individual level. Agriculture, hunting, fishing, resource accumulation, and other activities/services were all done/arranged by every individual as per their own needs. It was not until much later when a new idea emerged which was specialization.

Specialization is the process of concentrating on and becoming an expert in a particular subject or skill. It made the society civilized and the human race superior to other indeginious animals of earth. It was because of this idea that all necessary survival activities evolved into various occupations and provided all individuals with career options. People could now do what they love and have mastered while earning a living out of it which could be used to buy other necessities. Person who is intellectually developed did not have to fish or hunt in order to gather food and fill their bellies, he/she could use their own skills to become scientists, teachers and what not. This great revolution is of no use if one can not find a career they are passionate about.

Today’s situation is not the same as it was in the period of emergence of this idea. We are now open to many more career options, and there is no limit to what one can choose to do. Choosing an occupation to opt in the future and working hard towards being qualified enough to forge it into a career usually begins at student level.

A student can choose to do what they excel at but the situation is as simple as that only for a handful of students. In contrast, most students can not decide what they want to do in their lives. This eventually stresses them and many undergo depression. But this is completely normal and okay. It's part of growing up and maturing and every professional at the top of their field undergoes this part. Eventually they learn that Choosing a career one is passionate about is actually the fun part. Trying new things, exploring new dimensions and learning about the lives and worlds of professionals are all amazing experiences and then deciding about what to do yourself is one of the best feelings a student goes through. Watching videos/reading biographies/researching on google about the person at the top of his/her field certainly does help in deciding if you want that lifestyle for yourself or not.

Career counseling sessions are extremely helpful and somewhat necessary to attend as it helps to develop a clear vision on what one wants and what one does not want. One must not hesitate in being open to what they seek desirable and must even go for the careers which are often less definitive and overlooked like a youtuber or social media influencer if their heart lies there while being smart about their choices at the same time. A career in a nutshell can be summarized as a blend of interests, capabilities and opportunities. One just needs to be clear about these three dimensions. And if one is clear about what they enjoy, are good at and has potential, it is only a matter of time before they stumble upon their desired passionate career.

Factors that influence while choosing your careers-

• Parental or Peer Pressure - One of the most common reasons for a student to choose a career is to satisfy the expectations of their family members.

• Skills, abilities and talents

• The fear of doing it all

• Stigmas of the society

• Socio-economic factors