What Should One Do After Graduation?

Okay, this post is not really to lecture you folks about your career goals and paths. It's just that I happen to come across a few pretty noteworthy articles that spurred in me an urge to share my journey of thought processes right since the time I was old enough to decide on a career track for myself.

Back to 2001, while I was preparing for my 10th grade board exams. Since I was supposed to decide what stream to take up, I thought I'd be a chef later in my life. I was always enthusiastic about culinary concoctions and loved to eat myself. Hence, commerce seemed to be the stream to go. However, I was already, kinda, a comp whiz. Moreover, almost everyone from my family took the path of Computer Science and the market was also pretty favourable. So, my dad said I could always take up Science then and later take up being a chef, if I wanted to.

Alas, by the time I completed my Higher Secondary, he already managed to condition me to get into engineering and hence I decided to take up Computer Science. But then again, I was never a normal kid. I never wanted to do anything that everyone else does. I always wanted to be different. I decided I'd like to pursue the art of hacking, inspired by Ankit Fadia. I didn't know that I could rather term the field "web security", which is a big thing today. Anyway, folks back at home got scared and made me realize that Electronics Engineering was the thing to do and I should pursue that.

During on-campus of AIEEE, thanks to a AIR of 36K+, I could hardly get Electronics or Computer Science in any of the NITs and I was advised to opt for Electrical and Mechanical too. As fate has it, I ended up here, in NIT Jsr, majoring in Electrical Engineering. I know, I was a naive back then. I should have followed my heart. But then again, had that been the case, I wouldn't have met all you great guys who are some of my closest buddies.

2004 and came the heart stopper, I had to take leave from college for one whole fucking year! Well, right before that, I also happened to have a lovely and memorable train journey about which I'd blogged almost 3 years ago. Thus started my tryst with blogging. In 2007, I'd visited a career counsellor who'd pointed out my love and efficiency in literature and languages in general. She also made me realize that I am a whole and soul marketing guy. Engineering is a vocation I'd gotten into just by sheer tough luck. Yet, I wanted to make sure that this was what I wanted. I even worked with Crompton Greaves and gave all my heart to my work, just to check if a normal 9-5 is suitable for me. Fortunately or unfortunately, things seemed to be so much out of my comfort zone.

It was late 2007 that I decided to go pro on blogging. I started monetizing my personal blog. I started testing the market of content writing. Gradually I realized, this market had potential. I started forming up my own strategies. It gradually dawned onto me that I am not the kind of guy who'd like to report to a boss. Thus formed the idea of starting up a firm of my own.

December of 2007 and I stumbled upon a web site that ran on the very same business model that I'd thought to run on. It made me happy. It made me realize that my model worked for others, already. What caught my eyeballs all the more were the words "Patent Pending" written in bold, right at the top of every page. This particular fact spurred me out of my dream. I figured that I needed to run and I needed to run fast! I gradually started to make plans for my very first stint as an entrepreneur.

January of 2008 - I was on phone with RD, the founder of WATBlog and I could visualize my very first job. It was an ideal opportunity for me to test out my skill in blogging and also to feel if I am actually made for that market. To top it all, how many actually get the chance to work on something that they anyway love to do? I couldn't resist the offer.

Tonight, I had a word with Vikram Chauhan (one of our 2K2 seniors from North) who runs a forum nitjsralumni.com. I had been helping him out on the forum for quite some time. Now, I feel I also have the opportunity to work on the web site. Let's see how things work out on that front. Although I am not too enthusiastic about hardcore software programming, web applications always give me the orgasms. And also, more I work with web applications...more shall it help me serve as the Assistant Editor of WATBlog ;-).

Well...here is my story of trying to be different. I guess I had gotten more than enough of my share of bad luck just because I always refused to walk on the path that's already been made. Yet, the kind of satisfaction I derive from doing things my way, I feel everything else falls short before that.

And finally, here are 3 articles that made me share this little story with you all. I shall strongly suggest you read them as I am sure you'll love them. Rest, it's your life!

1. When choosing your career path, choose your passion.
2. The Myths of career transition.
3. Ways to teach your children to find the work they love.

P.S. - A wonderful and invaluable web site that every professional should keep visiting -> http://www.payscale.com/index/IN/Job

Update : I expect at least one followup post to this one and the links that I've posted, from the rest of the top floorers.