Monday, March 15, 2010

Focus on your strengths

Do you remember when you were about six years old and Uncle Abdullah used to ask you, "What do YOU want to be when you grow up?" The answers back then were so easy! A Doctor…. A Pilot… or RAMBO! But sooner or later, the question got more serious ... and the answers didn't come as quickly! It seems that whether you're just starting high school or about to finish college, the question on everyone's mind (including yours!) is, "What do you want to do with your life?"

Unless you've already signed an BIG TELEVISION CHANNEL contract or are the next big pop singing sensation, making decisions about your future can be pretty overwhelming! But figuring out who you are and what you want to do can actually be a lot of fun. Here are a few tips to get you on track...
Focus on Your Strengths

RITO — lets play it. Take out a pencil and write down three things that you're good at. Don't be modest ... and no, sleeping doesn't count! Are you the one who always provides a shoulder to cry on? Do you make a mean chili? Can you easily ace an essay exam? Chances are your strengths are also things that you enjoy doing. And, the most successful people in the world would probably agree ... it's important to love what you do!

Now, next to each item, write down some jobs that use those strengths. For example, if you're great in the kitchen, you could pursue a job as a chef, a caterer, or even a nutritionist. Or, if you have a knack for writing, consider journalism, teaching English, or even writing the next great novel!
Livin' the Life

Once you have some ideas about what kind of career would be a good fit, you need to figure out what kind of lifestyle is important to you. Do you think that making money is the most important aspect of a career? Or, do you think that if you're doing something that makes you happy, nothing else matters? For many people, "giving back" to society by choosing a career that helps others is important. So, try making a list of the values that are most important to you and then compare it to your list of jobs to see where there may be overlap. Once an elder said to me “ KIA HOSAKTA HAY is not important, BALKAY TUM KIA KAR SAKTAY HO YE SOCHO.

You also need to prioritize what you are
willing to do in order to get your dream job. So, if you dream of being a surgeon, you need to be OK with eight years of medical school! And remember, most musicians perform for peanuts for years before being discovered and hitting it big!
Find a Mentor.. THE GURU

One of the best ways to find out if you're on the right career track is to spend time with a mentor. A mentor doesn't necessarily have to be in the exact job that you want, but find someone who does something in the field that interests you. Here are some questions that you might ask your mentor:
  • What kind of training and/or education does this job require?
  • What are the best things about this job? What are the bad parts?
  • What would you have done differently in your career path?
  • What advice do you have for people who are just starting out?
and a single question you have to ask yourself :
A good mentor can steer you in the right direction and even help you when it's ultimately time to look for a job.

According to Seema, a 19-year-old childcare provider, "You want to be able to pick your job ... you don't want it to pick you!" Take your time figuring out what will be a satisfying career, and don't be afraid to take some chances. Many people go through several careers before sticking with one that fits, but it's never too early to start thinking about what suits you!

Fresh graduates and young professionals have a higher chance of being unemployed today. Recession has forced companies to close down or cut their operations which, either way, forced job losses by hundreds or even thousands.

A few months ago, job loss is thought to be only on companies who offer luxury items or services.  Essential products and services are also being affected today as they announce massive job cuts. This situation is not only felt in Pakistan as the whole world is bracing for recession which could greatly affect the lives of millions or even billions worldwide. You are listening NOKRI KAHAN HAY YAR ! type of phrases these days frequently.

The young professionals will have a hard time getting a job during recession. But that doesn’t mean they would have financial trouble ahead. There are still ways on how to thrive in this looming economy for fresh graduates. As a young professional, they have the ability to adapt, improve and even unlearn some things just to make sure they would fit to a new career.

Self Employment Approach


Versatility to thrive in recession for young graduates is not only based in careers. They also have the ability to make some changes and improvements in what they know to establish a good business. (APNA KAAM)

Some would refute the idea of starting a business because of the current recession. Even small businesses are feeling the bug of recession. This should be taken into consideration when starting a business but this only happens in a wider environment.

You need to examine the local economic conditions. Although the general feeling about the hardship in recession is there, not everyone is having a hard time dealing with it. There is still a chance that your community is striving well.

But even if the local community is not doing well, there are still services based on recession that a fresh graduate could consider. Discovering these businesses only require creativity and a little research. There will always be something that you can offer to your community that might have some profit during recession.

Overhead Way


The rising unemployment, if you take a look at it carefully, is only based on the fact that large companies are opting to close down. Although there are blue collared jobs lost, the number is a lot less compared to white collared jobs.

In short, the jobs that are lost today are mostly jobs that offer great pay with great benefits. These types of jobs offer a great career and a great chance to live a good life. But because of recession, these types of jobs are now gone and if there are a few left; the chances of fresh graduates getting them are very small.

For that reason, pushing yourself to that type of job is not really viable. They could just get you frustrated as competition to these jobs is very fierce.  In the meantime, consider having a job that could be considered as a “bridge” or a temporary job that could pay your basic needs. These are simple jobs that will be used until the economy is back on its feet.
