Mystory@Sonam: How I chose my course and career path – Challenges and learnings

It was the year 2008, when I was in a real dilemma for my onward journey in life. I was confused, scared, not getting what to do next. I was in a teaching job and was very much comfortable in my zone. I didn't want to come out of that zone. Suddenly, one day I realized that life should not have a stoppage. We should move forward as long as God is giving us an opportunity, which is called ‘future’. I found that I am a book worm, deeply interested in reading, writing, and gaining new knowledge. I can read for hours continuously. I could crack any entrance examination. I opted for MBA as I wanted something that could transform me.

How I cracked college admission

I checked and I found that I was left with only one entrance examination in Jiwaji University and I filled the form. I had only three to four days for preparation but I prepared. In the examination hall, I was not confident about getting selected. The only line that was my inspiration for all my tough times was 'Work hard and give your 100% and leave everything to God'. I didn't care about the results and gave my entrance exam. Next day, to my surprise I got 16th rank among 5,000 students. I was happy, astonished but I knew that this is the philosophy of life to work harder and give your 100% and you will always get results, based on your hard work and efforts you put on your goals. What next? Which stream should I choose? Again in dilemma, I had no idea. I had got 16th rank and I could get any stream of my choice. I opted for HR, not because it was my choice. I opted for HR as my uncle was an HR Manager in a multi-national company and he assured me of a job. That was my real reason. Yet I had not found myself.

My college life

The first day in college was not so good, as usual. Everything was new, unknown. I was not comfortable and was shy. But as it was my selection, I had to make it. I got my first good friend Priya. We shared a good time together and I do not remember how the first day passed. We chatted for six hours continuously about past, dreams, subjects, studies, future, marriage, and careers. Life becomes joyful if you have good friends with you. Someone who can understand you. Someone with whom you can share everything.

Days passed and I focused with all of my energies on studies. I was an average looking student and I was not getting any attention from anywhere. I never used to care about my looks and may be because it was my nature to study hard I got first position in first assessment. Everyone was shocked, including me. How I made it? How could I manage to get first position? The answer was clear, when you have a goal you have to put your 100% to achieve it. You have to shift your mind from all the things and focus on your goal. The one incidence that has always inspired me is from Mahabharata when Arjuna replied to Dronacharya, “I can see only the eye of the fish and nothing else”. This line was my inspiration whenever I decided to achieve anything.

After first semester, I moved to New Delhi and Noida for my vacations and here I got to know that looking attractive increases your confidence level to a higher degree. No matter how God has created you, you should work hard to look your best. It does not mean that success depends on your look. Success depends on the confidence and hard work and whatever increases your confidence, you should work on it. When I returned from New Delhi, everyone was surprised to see me. New hairstyle, new wardrobe, everything new. I was myself feeling positive. The friends who were ignoring me earlier, were copying my style. Guys were up to me. I got a lot of new friends here. But I never shifted my focus from studies because these are outer things, the real things are hard work and dedication.

Days passed and I got first position in all assessments. People called me topper and I had a good number of friends. Priya was my best friend for all those years. She helped me in studies, dealing with relationships, everything. And professionally there was no one whom I could call my ideal. I only focused on studies and worked harder. Ultimately, final examination came and I appeared for it with full confidence. On the day of departure, I remember that I was very nervous, sad, and weeping. I knew I was going to miss my college years, my best friend Priya, as she was moving to Dehradun and I wept a lot. But life is about moving on.

How I chose my career

Next, I shifted to Delhi with my family. I took a break. Meanwhile, due to some reason, I could not live in my hometown where I could have easily got a job. What next? Again a question came to me. I discovered that I had made a wrong choice. I was not meant for HR field. I was not extrovert, I was a book worm, confined, always thinking and reading. What should I do? I could not work as an HR. I had not made the right choice. I tried to work but discovered that I was not interested. My professor always used to say that one can do anything in his life but only in the field, he is meant for. You should discover yourself first, what you can do, what is your nature, what do you like to do, what you think whole day. Do not run behind what others are doing, run behind your own goal. I was so depressed about myself that I stopped working at all. I used to live in my house and my parents accepted that. One year passed. I opened an account on Facebook and started commenting. One publisher noticed my extraordinary comment and inspired me to write. What? Can I write? Can I provide words to my feelings? “Yes, off course”, he said. What you think whole day, you should write it.

I had an extraordinary vocabulary in Hindi and it worked. Twenty years of experience of reading authors like Shri Sharat Chandra to Prem Chandra, Respected Mahadevi Verma to Kalidas, Surdas to Mirabai, and Kumar Sambhav to ParshuRam, everything worked. I felt wonderful to translate, to write. I wrote my first article on the website and it touched more than 100 likes in just one hour. I was inspired. It was a hobby that changed into passion. It was a fun activity that changed into career. I left HR work forever and joined my first publication house for life time. Writing is still my passion that has changed into my job. I write whatever I have to as my job demands. But at night I write whatever I want to write. By the grace of God, my first ever book is coming very soon in India.

About the Author:

I have done MBA in HR from Jiwaji University. Currently, I am working as a content writer in Online Trip Designers.com. I also do freelancing. My only hobby is to write and read. I have been given one life time and I want to dedicate it to my passion.