The Dilemma of Choosing a Career

Dr Asangba Tzudir

There was once as young boy who struggled in his studies as a Standard V student, and one day he told his father that he will never be able to clear Class X and requested that he be ‘enrolled’ in the police. His dad gave him an astonished look. So the boy took a cup and filled it with water letting it overflow and told his dad that there was no more room in his brain to fill it with knowledge.

   Now, with the declaration of the high school and higher Secondary results, a lot of students will be in a dilemma about choosing their field of study especially for those who have passed high school. Of course there are students who are ‘fortunate’ enough to know what they want to study and become in life. Yet, there are many who will be looming in doubt and confusion created through conflicting interests and views, besides various constraints due to considerations of potentiality and resources, and more so for the subject of study and its job opportunities. Indecisiveness will also play a big part which may also be caused due to lack of confidence and fear of failing in the subject. There are many more serious considerations and all these compounds into a dilemma at a most crucial stage where they have to acquire a solid grounding for building ones career.  

With an alarming number of ‘educated’ unemployed youths in the state, choosing the right stream and building a career out of it becomes more challenging. This problem may even discourage one from studying the field of his or her interest due to limited job prospects. Sadly, education is primarily viewed from the prism of job rather than employing education as a tool to unlock the mind towards envisaging ones potential. 

Choosing the right stream and career will have a long lasting impact during the pursuit of education. The ‘will’ finds its place where there is real interest and motivation. A wrong move in the choice of stream often leads one to quitting their studies midway and makes way for frustration. Choosing a particular stream out of peer pressure or pressure from parents and not going by one’s interests and potential will ultimately become the ‘burden for life.’    

Life is long and the challenging part being that there is no surety to life. Many may even find their goal and purpose only after crossing their forties. As such it is essential that each one try to find something, no matter what, with which they can find themselves so also their life’s meaning and purpose which would also enable to challenge themselves. 

The uniqueness of life lies in the fact that everyone has a unique purpose that only he or she can fulfill, and the fulfillment of which depends on knowing oneself.  Being part of a life process, first and foremost, trying to find answers to the question ‘who am I’ will add value and meaning to life. Not knowing oneself would lead one to becoming a wasted talent. As such, self awareness becomes the vital conduit to knowing oneself even while choosing one’s career path. This involves identifying ones interests and understanding ones skills and aptitudes. This analysis should form the basis while taking a decision. Identifying ones interest can be the most difficult thing. There are people that have not found their interest in life while there are those who have too many interests. But, the fact is that choosing a career path is for life and livelihood too, and that should set the tone to place interest/s in perspective, and also to convert the ‘decision’ into right action. A thorough strength-weakness analysis is needed to bring out the right combine of Interest, Skill and Aptitude. 

There are many jobs that require a certain academic qualification along with skills and experience and so students go for further studies and also training in skills. Some people start working right out of school either through ones choice or through financial hardships, while others search jobs after graduation. Just going by it, one can see the various options so also the liberty to choose from. But such liberty has to be exercised within the various clashes of interests and thus it is necessary to take guidance from seniors, teachers, experts and parents and have proper discussion so that confusion and doubts can be erased. 

Let it be known that there is no bad stream or good stream and a lot of opportunities are there in every field. It is all about choosing the right stream giving due warrant to all the dilemmas which requires both knowledge and wisdom. After all, nobody would want to be placed in a wrong career path that will make one a ‘wasted life.’ 

(Dr. Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)