Mystory@Neeraj Kapil: How I selected my course and made my career

After completion of my schooling, I decided to prepare for entrance exam for my undergraduate course in Bangalore. I took admission in CET coaching for all medical exams since I had opted for PCB in Senior Secondary. But at the back of my mind I wasn't prepared for this. I was looking for a subject of my interest in which I could devote as much as time I could without getting bored. Even though my parents had great expectations from me of becoming a doctor or to be in Indian defense Academy, but I had something else running in my mind.

One should understand his/her potential and choose his/her career depending on the same. I too wanted to choose a career for myself on the basis of my potential and skills. You can't just run behind the crowd without knowing what you are running after. The first thing for any student who is deciding upon his/her career is that he/she needs to be clear about the interest level and why is he/she choosing a career in that field. Scoring marks become easy when you love the course that you are pursing.

I applied for all the entrance and competitive exams that my parents wanted me to apply to, but at the same time I also applied for the entrance exam of my interest too i.e. BSc in Environmental Science. It was shocking for my parents to know that I couldn't clear a single exam of their choice but I scored 1^st rank in the entrance test of the subject of my choice in St. Joseph's College, Bangalore. So you need to make sure what you expect out of yourself. Choices are not made on interest but on facts which only you can evaluate and identify. Run for passion and you will reach your goal. Even though I didn't get enough response after completion of my education, I still conduct research on Science and few of them are published internationally.

Currently, I am working as a Human Resource professional and I am doing good, but what keeps me alive is my passion for things I love. So discover your passion, skill, talent and profession, and you will be like Sachin Tendulkar of your game.  

Take time, but choose a right career for yourself. Passion is the key to success and gives you motivation and confidence to take up challenges for growth and success. From the laboratories of Science to the glazed boardrooms of the corporate world, my career journey so far has been nothing short of the myriad contours of a rainbow in full splendor.

About the Author:

I hail from Ambala, a place well-known for the Punjabi ‘can-do spirit’, and have a long association with the Indian Army. My father served in the Armed Forces for thirty-two years. I have been raised in the finest traditions of discipline, perseverance and ingenuous thinking.

I attended St. Joseph's College, Bangalore for a Bachelor's in Environmental Sciences. My quest for education then took me to Rajasthan for a post-graduation in Bioinformatics. Next, I went to Bangalore with an aim of enrolling in the prestigious IISc.