This audio was created using Microsoft Azure Speech Services
Written by Guest Blogger, Neena Sharma
Competition hijacks human genius. In today’s competitive world, it’s important to give this advice to new college graduates. Especially when all they have seen in our education system is grades, competitive exams, and the need to get into good colleges. So when students work through all this competition, all they have in mind is to find new areas to compete in their careers.
But to succeed in professional life, competition is not what is required. You need to know yourself first. Know your strengths and weaknesses and work on improving. Continuous learning is what will make you succeed.
If one finds the need to compete, it should be with one’s younger self. What were you a year ago? One month ago? This is the perspective you should be using when evaluating various job offers, or roles within a company.
As new graduates, you should be looking at all companies and roles equally and choosing the one which is most in line with your personality. Use this mindset, and success will follow.
Many students evaluate job opportunities by looking at pay, company name, or industry. I believe this is the wrong approach. Let me give you an example.
Many young people believe that working on the latest smart electronic device or tech is the highest profile job. Especially compared to less attractive industries. While these types of jobs seem sexy, they are not the only roles that society needs filled. Let me make an extreme point. When a bathroom is out of order, or the thermostat in the office stops working, it is not the programmer you look for. On that day, the facility manager, or even the janitor is the most in-demand employee at the company.
Now most people are not weighing the options between positions in tech, and those in janitorial services. But the point is that successful organizations need many varied positions to run. You might strive to find the position with the highest pay, profile, and status. But if it does not match your personality or make the best use of your strengths, you should keep looking. The drive to compete with your peers could lead you down a path where success will be more challenging.
You will never be able to win if you are running in the wrong race. Albert Einstein once said, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
So choose your battles wisely. If you are destined to invent the next iPhone, pour your energy into reaching that dream. But if your personality and abilities lead you down a different path, embrace it. The decisions you make today will define your potential success for years to come.
I hope you find the right path, and that when you do, you run your race as best you can. Wishing you all the best in your new career.
Neena Sharma has worked as an IoT Embedded Hardware Development Engineer in the Building & IT group at Schneider Electric since July 2016. Her prior experience includes working in the Telecom field for over six years. Apart from Engineering she has a keen interest in public speaking and writing.
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