Professor MS Rao thinks many people are wrong about their own careers
Myth # 1: Career and job are synonymous
Truth: There is difference between career and job. Career involves passion and pleasure while job may involve pressure and pain as employees may work purely for monetary gains. There is advancement in career while there is limitation in jobs. Career is long term while jobs are short term. Jobs may not involve risk while career involves risk. Jobs are associated more with mind, careers with heart.
Myth # 2: There is one job that suits me.
Truth: Don’t limit your mind and scope – there are a number of other jobs that suit you. Check thoroughly the jobs that match your passion, profile and proficiency. If you think that you are suitable to become an educator you are equally suitable to work as a researcher as research is an integral ingredient of teaching. Similarly, if you find that you are suitable to work in educational institution as an educator you must also look at another option of working as a trainer in any corporate – since both involve sharing knowledge.
Myth # 3: Lacking experience is a liability
Truth: Nobody is born with experience. Everyone has to start from scratch. Hence, don’t worry about lack of experience. What is needed is the attitude and inclination to learn and contribute at the workplace. Most of the time, recruiters emphasize attitude rather than skills while recruiting, as skills can be learned when the candidates possess the right attitude.
Myth # 4: It’s too late to change career
Truth: Peter F. Drucker started his career of consulting and teaching halfway through his career. There are people who spotted their talents late and pursued them later in life. And some people want to pursue certain careers having reached saturation in a particular career. Hence, age is not a deterrent to shift from one career to another. What is needed is to leverage your past experiences, expertise, competencies and qualifications effectively and align them towards your next career and there lies the key to your career success.