As winter approaches, management campuses around the country waken to chill mornings and long debates. Over steaming cups of tea and coffee students weigh the most crucial question in their minds: “What sort of job should I go for? Should I choose a big brand name or should I look for a great job profile?” It is not that the two are mutually exclusive like night is to day without any twilight thrown in. However, to get both – a great brand name and a great job profile in one job, needs lady luck to really smile down upon you. Hence the debate. Actually there is a third twist in the tale.
The question really is: Should one choose a job that gives one:
a. a big brand on one’s bio-data,
b. a job description that makes one’s mouth water or
c. the fat paycheck that turns everyone else green with envy?
I think on many occasions b is sacrificed to point a and point c. Economic security is the most decisive factor on which an Indian professional is evaluated. Blame it on our culture which values “settled” as a prerequisite for having any social standing. That is why we find very few people who actually pursue their interest as a career. Career choices are made based on the status they hold in society and the ability to earn a good buck.
It is in this very cultural context that the question needs to be evaluated.
A big brand translates to greater social status. A fat paycheck speaks for itself. It is easy to go for either. However, choosing a job because of a great job description or because the job interests you requires a certain level of confidence in one’s abilities especially if the company does not feature in the big league or the pay check is nothing to write home about. |
For a moment if we were to leave the sociocultural pressure aside, and evaluate the question in isolation, the choice invariably should be made depending on what you want out of life. Since a job takes up more than 10 hours a day initially, the job must satisfy you, else you will never be able to perform. What therefore needs to be identified is which of these three variables:
a. recognition
b. satisfaction
c. money
is most vital for you to be happy with yourself?
To explain this, let us borrow a question from a Lifestyle magazine quiz:
Which one of the following statements reflects what you think most closely?
a. Everyone should recognize the name of the company I work in.
b. I must truly enjoy the work I do and each day be excited to go to work.
c. I should earn more than most of my friends or I should earn enough money to help me fulfill my dreams like traveling overseas, buying that dream car or house etc.
If you chose
a) you are most likely a big brand person, if you chose
b) you are most likely a job responsibility person and if you chose
c) you are likely to be a fat paycheck person.
Once you know the kind of person you are, the choice becomes evident and you can apply accordingly. Try this exercise on yourself to use as a radar to direct your career moves.
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