Have you ever felt that you don't seem to have control over your career? You are not alone.
When I came out of college, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. However, I was clear about what I didn’t want to do - I didn’t want to become a programmer. So, there I was, a Computer Science student who didn’t want to program. The only other skillset I had was English as a first language. So, I got into the most ubiquitous of businesses in that era - computer training. Then I took another inexplicable decision - I accepted the position as a trainer in the hill station of Ooty. The training centre was a franchise business and after about three years in Ooty, I got the opportunity to move to the regional office in Bangalore. In my new role, I travelled around Karnataka, Goa, and Kerala ensuring that the franchisees were delivering the courses correctly. After a couple of years, the parent company decided that the textbooks needed refreshing. Seeing my background in computer science and proficiency with the language, I was offered a role in the curriculum development team. From there it was a small jump to technical writing, where I found my niche and career.
Was there a plan to this madness? I would be lying if I said there was. There were a few guideposts, and I made sure I stayed within those. But apart from that, there was no plan that brought me here. For the most part, many things were happenstance. Does that mean that you sit back, relax and let life take its own course? No.
Hard work: There is no substitute for this. When you get into a job, ask yourself whether you feel passionately inspired to do the work. If not, it's a temporary thing. Do you best but keep your eyes open for the next opening. I have discovered that most roles are not what was advertised. So, it is quite okay to revisit your decision to take a role after having spent about a year in the role. When you do get into a job where the work satisfies your soul, work hard at it. That will mean picking up extra projects, turning down party invites, working long hours, and much more. The more you do, the better you become. The better you become, the more exciting projects you get.
Constant improvement: To stand still is to sink. Learning isn't something that ends in college. Staying abreast with the developments in your field and in related fields is a non-negotiable. We are blessed to be living in a world where world-class education is available in a keystroke or mouse click. Cat videos, snippets from reality shows, influencers, they eat up precious hours that could be better used to grow your knowledge. Push the envelope and do work that is cutting edge. Be fearless. Don't worry about failing. The only thing you should fear is stagnation.
Impact: Allow me to let you in on a secret. Organizations don't care how well you can do your job; they only care about the impact your work makes. You may be the best programmer on the planet, but if your code isn't improving the product or bottom-line, then you are useless. Among the tech-writing community, I see a lot of people focus on things such as proper English and proper grammar. If you think your CxO is losing sleep over whether the articles in the Help site are in active or passive voice, think again! Certain things are a given. A professional footballer will know to kick a ball. An accountant will know how to tally the right column to the left. A technical writer should know how to write. Nobody is going to give you brownie points for writing grammatically correct sentences. On the other hand, write an article that brings in some dollars of income, and suddenly you are a star. Always measure your work by the impact it creates for the organization.
Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans - John Lennon
Finally, there is luck. We like to believe that we are in control of our lives. We like to think that our success is self-made. We discount the disproportionately large role luck plays in our success. It starts with the family, place, and strata into which we are born. The type of teachers we get in school, which is luck too. Way back in my XI grade, the principal got hold of a love letter I’d written to my girlfriend. I was summoned to meet the principal. She explained to me that love is a common emotion and that I shouldn’t think too much of it at the moment. “You’ll have one girl friend in school, another in college, yet another at work, and you will most probably marry some other girl. Fall in love, but don’t get so serious about it now.” Simply brilliant advice to give a teenager. I was lucky to be in the same school as her.
To come out into a market that was petrified about the Y2K problem was just sheer luck. The market was booming. There were so many jobs to be had. I had three job offers on my last day of college. Was I smarter than the kids coming out of college today? Far from it. I was just lucky with my timing.
Of course, what you do with your luck is up to you. But no amount of handwork can help you escape bad timing. But you continue to plough on. Keep yourself sharp. So, when the opportunity comes, and it will come, you are ready to grab it.
Bottomline? Don’t worry if life isn’t following the pattern you, your parents, or anybody else had imagined. Read the wind and point your sails right and stay true to your principles. You might want to be a programmer, but if the jobs available are in the call centres, there is nothing wrong in getting into a call centre. If you are truly passionate about programming, keep coding in your spare time. It ensures that when the timing is right, you are not caught cold.
In the Bible, there is the story of the 10 bridesmaids. They are waiting for the groom who has been delayed. Five of them had carried extra oil, the others hadn't. When the groom came, the ones with the extra oil were able to prime their wicks and follow him in to the feast. The others were left out. I cannot stress the importance of being ready for the opportunity. No other skill or discipline is as important to a career.
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