“I wish my father had left me a house and a nice portfolio…I would have pursued my passion”

“With 2 kids and a non earning wife I have to pay all the EMIs…how can I hope to leave?”

‘Yes, sure I want to do my own business but I am afraid to leave my job’

How many of you have said this? And how after saying this you go back to switching channels on the TV?

What should you do? First forget the myth of the ‘safe career’. Safe is a word that is just got disconnected from jobs. Those in the media realise this every few years. Mass recruitment is always followed by mass sacking.

So do the following:

1. See what are your skills: forget what are you doing currently. See what people turn to you for. One kid who was working in a ‘support’ function of a technology company used to be passionate about travel and food. When I say passionate – I mean real passionate. Today he is in a career in the travel business – working for an airline and I am sure enjoying every second of his job.

2. Forget your qualifications: Many people pretend that their qualification is very different from their passion, so they will not get a new job. Imagine a boy/girl with history major and working in technology and saying ‘who will take me in sales – I am yet to complete my MBA’ . LOL. Hey with a history major if somebody is willing to use you as a Business Analyst, surely somebody will consider you a worthwhile experiment in sales, right? In the real world YOUR qualification NEED NOT be connected to your passion.

3. Go out and talk to people: There are kids who sit in their own silos and have no clue what is happening in other parts of the world. Worse they do not even know what is happening in other parts of the company itself! If you are working in one part of the company (say Technology) but you are passionate about sales or customer service (you listen very well?), or HR (you can relate to most people’s problems and most people use you as a sounding board?) – at least ask WITHIN the company. Most companies would love to get a HR person with some experience in tech, accounts, audit, sales,…..it adds a good perspective.

Get up from your desk, stop fooling yourself (I will start applying from January…), find your passion, go and get it.

Like Swami Vivekananda said ‘Awake! Arise! Stop not till the goal is reached’ – maybe a 150 year old saying…but will hold true for another 1500 years!