You alone can endorse your career

Men and women, whether young and old, generally seek endorsements from others. More often than not, they always seek to experience only joyful feelings as pertinent to their selection, preferences and career course. In addition, they also want certification for whatever they do – that they are doing the correct things at appropriate moments. And most importantly, they also seek to make certain that their perspectives are understood and valued by all. The fact is that there is none who is not appreciative of recognition. It is also a fact that recognition makes everybody feel superior.

Endorsement generally becomes an issue if you crave for it a little more than usual. It becomes a bigger problem when your stars are not that bright because its absence has a retarding effect. A large majority of people perceive that endorsement in any form implies being cared for and that they stand acknowledged. Each and every word of approval makes them feel comfortable and insulated internally.    

Genuine endorsement originates from within you; the views that you subscribe to as pertinent to your sphere of activity and your goals serve as impelling factors. External endorsement no doubt affords acclaim, but internal endorsement offers you peace of mind and a feeling of calm, besides a new meaning to your life and a course to remain on.

The question thus is how can you get to endorse your career? Three simple rules that are required to be followed to do so are:

Identify aspects that tend to make you content and pleased in your career.

·   Whatever comes to your mind in this context needs to be reduced to writing. You need to give frank responses to the following specific queries:

ü  What are the responsibilities that you yearn to shoulder?

ü  What are the assignments that you covet?

ü  What is type of workplace atmosphere that you seek?

ü  What type of seniors and colleagues do you want?

ü  Where do you want to be located?

ü  What is the remuneration that you wish you ought to get?

·   The objective behind the exercise is to get your contemplations out in the open so that you are able to see them. And once you get glimpses of them, you can definitely play around with them to advantage. However, you should refrain from talking yourself out of your ideas and plans while your pen is on paper. Remember that all those things that raise your spirits are there inside you. All you need to do is to open the confine and let them come out.

Understand that the only person who has to be paid attention to for sure is you.

·   You can always walk the road that leads to a satisfying career only if you lend ears to yourself. If you ponder over occasions when you did so, you will realize that everything moved in your favour. And if you reflect on times when you did not, you will be able to recall how disappointment came your way.

·   People would have given advice to you; never ever forget that all recommendations and suggestions are actual based on opinions that are not necessarily yours. People harbour their own outlook and standpoints; they also have experiences that perhaps you may not have undergone. But you can always learn from them. Words of advice can definitely be of immense help in walking on that road that leads to a satisfying career. But the most important aspect of the matter is that eventually the person who needs to be listened to is you and you alone. And if you do so, your walk on that road leading to a satisfying career will always be a pleasurable one.  

Anticipate misinterpretation and misconception at the hands of others.

·   If you expect that people will misread you and get the wrong end of the stick, you will never be flabbergasted in life. It is rather a difficult state of affairs when you are chasing an objective and people do not endorse your actions. The situation gets further compounded when no word of encouragement or backup comes from them. It is a known fact that people invariably mean a lot and their guidance, suggestions and help, howsoever small that they may be can matter significantly. But that does not imply that you will not take the first step till such time people gather behind you; and if you do so, your wait can turn out to be endless.

·   The above notwithstanding, people who have a place in our lives are our well-wishers and mean well whenever they give a word of counseling. But they are not you and can never be so. Your visions will never be theirs and theirs never yours. So, there will always be problems understanding what the other person aspires for. If you comprehend this fact, it will dawn on you that you need to be self-reliant and independent. Like everyone, whenever you are in hot water, you can depend on only one individual – the one who knows the in and out of you and who can be your best guide. And that person is you! 

            Getting yourself to endorse your actions requires guts and nerve. If you have them in you, you will be able to keep your head when others point fingers at you. The matter is all about reposing trust in oneself, but concurrently give due consideration to people if they have any reservations about you or your actions. If you endorse your career, no one will be able to hurt you, come the most disastrous moments also. Adversity or prosperity, you will always have the motivation and resolve to hold on.

Remember that to the question of your life, you are the only answer and to the problems of your life, you are the only solution. But you have to go away from the abode of your relaxation and happiness and find a new home in the backwoods of your sixth sense.  You will realize something that will be astonishingly superb.  And that something will be none other than you.

 

 

Deciding on an exciting career

Career selection has always been a thorny affair. In the current times, when practically every sphere of activity stands altered to a commercial pursuit, the state of affairs stand further compounded. Therefore, one should weigh various factors in a holistic manner before going in for a career that is truly interesting and apposite in relation to one’s persona.

Times have changed in point of fact. Gone are the days when the selection of a career was based on conservative considerations. Today, most ordinary leisure pursuits and pastimes can be converted into highly profitable and rewarding careers. But in case if one is not clear as to the career that is most fascinating, apt and gratifying, job discontent will be a rule rather than exception. Hence, it is extremely significant for every person to discover the career that is most suitable and in conformity with his or her penchants. 

THE SELECTION:    There are several factors that should be considered in fair amount of detail if you have to decide upon a career that is interesting, stimulating and lucrative. Some techniques are:

·   Unswerving interest:   Every individual has varying inclinations and innumerable interests; it is only that one interest is greater than the other. Such proclivities tend to change with age. That is why a kid interested in drawing today may shift attention to music tomorrow and eventually become an artist. With the passage of time, one gets to become more mature and resultantly capable of coming to a final decision regarding what they want to do in life.

·   Search & survey:    An ideal career can well be one of your leisure activities. Should it be one that does not serve you well, like a hobby, you can change it. Therefore, when selecting a career, you should always consider one that is your hobby or fad or an extension of it. In doing so, your entire career selection process becomes trouble-free and uncomplicated – something you can get pleasure from for certain. There is one more exciting method to discover your fascinations – reflect over the likelihood of you taking up a particular career without any remuneration. If your response is positive, there is every possibility of the same being a first-rate career option.   

·   Individual abilities & expertise: If any pursuit attracts your attention or you happen to take interest in a pastime, it does not imply that you possess the requisite capability to take it up as a career or line of work. Know-how and proficiency are two different things; combined together they mean skills. You have to make certain that you acquire the necessary skills for the career that you want to take up. Mere possession of skills is not sufficient; you also need to upgrade them on a continuous basis because they will eventually prompt you to continue with a career or not. Traits like or related to headship, voluntarism, sincerity, organizational ability or administrative acumen are helpful in deciding what career you would like to embark upon and continue with.

IDEAL CAREER EVALUATION:   The career that matches your personality and skills flawlessly can be best weighed up based on the under-mentioned factors:

·   Complexity: More often than not, a person who is interested in a pursuit may not be actually inclined to take it up as a career. Even if he or she is, no indications are generally displayed. To illustrate the point, you may be very fond of good food, but that does not mean that you can become a good chef. Likewise, you may be quite adept at working on the computer, but it does not suggest that you have the potential of a computer engineer or a software designer. Considering all these aspects, it is crucially indispensable to have an idea with fair amount of exactitude whether a career being thought off is actually viable or not.

·   Practicability:   It is next to impossible for any person to embark on a career without considering involved financial angles. In fact, everybody looks at his or her career from the point of view of financial rewards that it offers. And it is correct to do so because remuneration is one of the most important factors in career selection. But it is necessary to make certain that hobbies and leisure pursuits should be pragmatic and practical for being taken up as a career. This evidently calls for an improvement of one’s knowledge base to the level of a career as soon as possible.

·   Devotion:   No job allows for more than usual free time. One will have to work and contribute. You will have to make your mind up on whether you can work for six, eight or ten hours on a daily basis. Ab initio, men and women may not accord priority to their domestic affairs, but in actuality, particularly in long-term perspectives, it is the family that needs to be accorded top priority. Therefore, you will have to decide on the number of hours you would be willing to work daily and how progressively they can be augmented so that your career graph indicates a rise.

·   Disposition:   The attitudinal requirements of each profession are different and in some cases, quite poles apart. While one may call for a very social outlook attitude, another may necessitate a very reticent attitude. It all depends on how much public dealings or social interaction and principled behaviour or upright functioning that could well be the qualitative requirement of a job. Since individual ideals vary from person to person, it could well be that you may land up in the wrong place. Therefore, you will have to take into account the kind of approaches and mindsets that are at ease with.

         An important aspect to be borne in mind is that bad career options are not irrevocable. At any stage, you can well decide to repeal your earlier decision, but to be able to do this, you should evaluate your achievements on a regular basis. It is only then will you will be able to make up your mind on your next step.                   

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Holiday time, also money time

Out of school and getting into college or finished college and dreaming of the future – you surely seek free will and independence. This is possible only if there is money in your pockets. With holidays around, you do have time up your sleeves alright, but what about money?

If you a wish to make money, you need to take up some work. That will also help you get to know what working or business activity is all about. You may perhaps be aware that  tycoons often start as part-time or subordinate workers. The classic example is of Dhirubhai Ambani who went to become a business magnate by first selling snacks to pilgrims in his native Gujarat and subsequently as a petrol pump attendant in the middle-east. There are many others who had very modest beginnings and their lives are real rags-to-riches happenings.  

Getting a holiday job is not a cakewalk. It is all contingent on your disposition and power to portray yourself.  There would be occasions when you could well perform a job but the person at the other end doubts your capability, Some other problems that you may encounter could be inadequate time at your disposal, non-availability of a job in consonance with your preference, the employer thinking that you are too young for work or a means of conveyance not available with you for moving around. Some distinct and apparent jobs for youngsters that can be taken up during holidays are:

·   Service Staff at Eating Joints:  The expertise to work in any eatery calls for both theoretical and practical knowledge. If you intend taking up hotel management as a career, working in a restaurant is a good choice. You can opt for as many positions as possible and should not be reluctant to ask questions about staffing, inventory management, menu making and cash flow. Hotels are distinct from restaurants and restaurants from fast-food joints. All of them pay differently and hold out varying charms for different people. Before taking a decision, you should weigh the pros and cons of each.

·   Attendants at Petrol Pumps:  You should reflect on the prospects of working at a petrol pump as an attendant.  The responsibilities include filling tanks and collecting money from the customers. The attributes called for are awareness, vigilance and good accounting. You may be required to wear a uniform while on duty and deal with different types of customers. Therefore, you should invariably display patience, a sense of service and of course an affable attitude.

·   Assistants at Offices & Establishments:  Come holiday season and employees want leave. But work has to go on and hence temporary vacancies stand created. You can work in stores, at the reception, in the accounts section, as a clerk or secretary, etc. More often than not, you will have fixed timings of work, but organizations working day and night may rotate you in day and night shifts.

·   Baby-Sitters:   It has always been regarded as the perfect and ultimate method for any youngster to earn some money. But you should have a penchant for the job. Any family that has children needs baby-sitters, but finding dependable ones is indeed a difficult task. You could render in-home baby-sitting service, but before you actually do so, make certain that you are well-familiar with first aid procedures to cope with any adverse contingency.  You may also consider forming a group from amongst your friends so that opportunities do not slide away.

·   Lawn Caretakers:   Well off people invariably seek well-manicured lawns and well-trimmed hedges outside their homes. If you have an inclination for gardening, this job is cut out for you. No doubt, it involves some amount of physical exertion and a sort of readiness to shed a notion that it is a menial task. In case, you have like-minded friends who are willing to team up, you can definitely make enough money. You should be prepared to soak yourself in such work that is otherwise outside the capability of an average person..

·   Housekeeping:   There are families whose every member is working. With domestic helps becoming an increasingly difficult task by itself, they do not mind employing responsible and dependable youngsters to do jobs like tidying up their homes. That is what housekeeping is all about and if you have a proclivity for it, you are bound to find acceptability amongst the more prosperous lot. Do not umph at this idea, because in your own home, you do up your bed, clean up your shelves and arrange your wardrobe, etc.  Remember that the difference between try and triumph is a little umph.

·   Pet Care:   You do not have to be a veterinary surgeon to take to pet care. But you do need to love and appreciate animals, if you want to explore such an assignment. Every person who has a pet desires that the best possible care be there for it. You could help pet owners by taking them out for walks or taking care of them if they go out of station. 

·   Errand Running:  This may appear to be an inconsequential job. Mostly, such employment is offered by people who have busy schedules and hectic lifestyles. Such people do not have time to stand in queues to pay their electricity bills, water-tax, property tax or any other bills. Though they may be employing household staff, but are unable to relieve them to do outside jobs. If you have drive and enthusiasm, you can be of great help to them.

·   Car Detailing:  People who own cars want them clean and sparkling. They would be much happy if instead of going to a service station for the purpose, their cars could be cleaned at home instead. You could do it for them. All that the work entails is washing and polishing it. If necessary, you could also use a vacuum cleaner to dust-free the interiors. Car detailing is not a difficult task; however what it calls for is willingness to shed any white collar attitude that you may have.  

·   Teaching Others:   Depending on your acumen and proficiency, you could utilize your knowledge and skills to teach others. You could offer private tuitions to school kids in your neighbourhood or educate the elderly on the use of computers. Once you have a person to teach, thereafter it is all word-of-mouth publicity that will get you more. And the best part of the matter is that it is quite possible to undertake this venture from the precincts of your own home.

            The moment you are able to decide on what you want to do, the issue of how much you need to get or charge will come to your mind. Therefore, it is essential that you do your homework well; and this best possible through a survey – essentially getting to know how much professionals charge. If you settle for something less, rest assured that you will have eventful holidays. Remember that whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.