Into the future - journey towards a career !!

 

Growing in India, the kids of 90^s were always fascinated by films, actors and cricketers. Everyone had a secret dream to be one or meet one while most of them ended up with engineering if they did slightly well in studies. Engineering was a kind of insurance in people’s mind which can bail them in troubled situations of future.

Shruthi was in 5^th grade when she thought of documenting the folk jingles taught by her Grandma to cherish later. With that she wrote other songs and poured her heart out on paper which felt better than speaking to someone uninterrupted. Shruthi and her best friend started to write few rhyming lines as it was fun to do. She never knew, becoming a poet could be a career too.

Films had a major role in dreaming a future. One can always attach self to a movie character. She liked the police role. But, it required one to be physical fit. Shruthi had asthma and couldn’t even participate in athletes at school. So, she thought, she couldn’t do justice to the role. Then, found an advocate or judge might be a better one as they also get to fight for the right. As she grew, she always enjoyed to bask in the nature and loved to know more about it. By then, she had an understanding that biology could be a career option too.

Her father had gleam in eyes for seeing a doctor daughter. Though interested in biology, Shruthi never dreamt of becoming a Doctor as it scared her that a small mistake could be very painful physically for someone and mentally forever for her. Also, she wasn’t real good at studies to clear the pre medical entrance test.

Mother was always appreciative of reading and writing skills. Said, you could be a news reader. Encouraged to write poems and even made her students to learn some of them to be recited on special occasions at her school.

In India, there is another face of the future – marriage. Career and marriage walk hand in hand. If you are a female, the due importance is always tilted towards nuptial bond. It’s a big question mark if your career would be apt to render the demands of marital relationship. In many temples or tourist places, future tellers will talk only about this. Finally, Journalism took a side corner in heart and Engineering was given precedence.

While doing Engineering, She wanted to do an MBA that too in some foreign university. Father was strictly against it. She pleaded that they could take some education loan and clear within few years. When you are a younger child and that too a girl, you can’t be too ambitious. The hell will fall if you want to do an MBA after Engineering rather than getting married. So, the family makes it clear that you work for a year and then get married. Disheartened she agreed.

It was best nightmare to be part of a recession immediately after completing Engineering. Jobs were suddenly scarce. Still, IT was in bloom. Struck with Biotechnology, Shruhti wasn’t able to join anywhere. Either the perks were too less or she had to go far off place.

Seeing daughter’s plight, father arranged for an interview in a Biotech company. Wanting to do justice to her studies, she requested for a role in the production or R&D line. Impressed by the way, Shruthi spoke, the MD was interested to take her in for marketing role. Alas, it was not exactly what she studied for and again a far flung place with much lesser perks. Still, months were passing by, time was ticking to get married. There was a little light in heart that marketing was one of the things she wanted to study as a part of MBA. Hence, engineering fetched a job in Marketing.

 Shruthi wanted to grow higher in life. So, the plan was to prepare for entrance exam in whatever leftover time she had after working. Thought many times to ask for more money from family to enrol in a good MBA prep tutorial. Didn’t want to burden them as they were all working very hard and what if she couldn’t really make it. Everyday, she religiously woke up by 4:00 am to study for few hours before going to office as studying late at night was never a habit. Weekends were mostly devoted to full time study.

Enrolled for CAT and XAT. Once again, it was not a very good time. The riots were happening in Hyderabad. Many entrance exam centres were either closed or they postponed the schedules. Shruthi checked the schedule for her CAT exam on internet and showed all the exam centres were closed for few days. When she didn’t get any update on the reschedule, she got perturbed. Somehow managed to find the number of exam organizers and called them. It was heart-breaking that only one center operating on that day in which she was supposed to give exam.

Now, in no way she could afford to lose the chance of attending XAT. She made a plan to call her parents to be with her so that after an hour of exam, they could go for visiting places in Hyderbad which she didn’t explore alone. Dad was to bring the printed copy of hall ticket on D-day. He forgot. As riots were still on, most of the shops were closed. Just before the exam, Shruthi and her parents were searching for a photocopier shop. Somehow, they spotted a shop which was luckily opened by a shopkeeper to fetch something. Shruthi got the print out. Exam went on well and they has good time together. This helped her to get into MBA program.

In this country, people give more importance to horoscopes, future tellers and rituals than a person’s choice to opt for a career or like someone as life partner. One has to abide by this law of the land to not be called as an outlaw. Some rare species like Shruthi are always outlaws no matter howsoever hard she tried not to be.

There is always a saying, if there is something for which you yearn, dream and work; the whole universe conspires to bring it to you. In due course of time, MBA leapfrogged to varied shades of sales. Never knew when she became a journalist in the disguise of sales. Everyday has to be creative, you have to know people, organizations, technologies and what not. Every moment demands a write up in thoughts or mails or paper. Now, Shruthi is always on the go and still feels better to write to express.