“If I were a rich man .....”

As you write the last line on the answer paper of your graduation exam....a slow heady feeling takes over. You feel all the chains that bound you are falling away. There is an adrenalin rush of this emotion called FREEDOM.... and you can almost hold it in your hand.

But then are you really ready? All through the great time you had growing up within the portals of college – understanding people, friends, teachers and getting this game of life into perspective – there was little taught about the Real World that thrived within the corporate corridors. Will those mushrooming training centres teach you enough to cope with this large experience called LIFE?

And what is topmost on your mind – “If I were a rich man....”( the song from the award winning film Fiddler on the Roof), because throughout school and college you were on pocket money and felt guilty about asking for more. So now, you know that you want to make good money and quickly that too.

You are not alone. Everyone has and will feel the same way as you do now. The trick however is to take time out and figure out what you want to do and how you are going to do it - both in terms of your career and life. This is a decision which you will have to take – all by yourself.

The only help that may come in handy are the conversations which you can have with people working in the areas which interest you. For example if it is training, then you need to talk to people in training organisations and trainers themselves for insights. It is the same with whatever you think you want to do - be it sales, HR or animation.

In case you decide to move into a post graduate program – it is important to understand the nuances of the career you are most likely to choose and follow the specialisation program which would benefit you.

This is about when you are really ready. For you have educational expertise which will support your career and you know what it would be like when you plunge into your job.

The caution, which you will have to carry like a placard in your mind, is that money is not everything. Doing your job well and winning accolades from your colleagues and superiors is the real challenge. Yes the money will follow you and you will one day be a rich man too. It is unwise however to take short cuts and be driven by money alone as someday you may find that you have not done justice to your own life.

From the outside, every shop window is interesting – but when you ask a window dresser about it, you will get to know the challenges that he faces with regard to space, accessories etc. The challenge is to work well and efficiently within the constraints and shine. Your fresh enthusiasm can knock out despair from your working area and as you already know – happiness is always contagious. And this can make you a rich man.

- Gita Nair (views expressed in the article are that of the author)