Follow your dreams
Author : Kirti Arora
Choosing a career that suits your personality and interests has never been an easy task. But life becomes happier when your passion becomes your vocation
As children, we all want to follow our dreams and become successful adults. But dreams come to naught if not supported by passion and resources. Some receive immense support from their environment in the form of resources and choose their desired field of study. However, if you are unable to get admission in a college of your choice or afford an exorbitant fee, there are other exciting avenues of vocational courses that you can choose from.Choosing a vocational course also allows you to carve an entrepreneurial niche, where you are your own boss.
For instance, while studying engineering Sushant V Raikar realised that it is not something that he would want to continue doing his entire life. He was bitten by the yoga and meditation bug; so he undertook a few short-term courses in the discipline. To his surprise, while doing simple wrist exercises, he felt glass piercing through his wrists. “It was a result of sedentary lifestyle, which I decided to challenge,“ says Raikar.
Today, a full-fledged yoga professional in Goa, Raikar can sit like a log, all thanks to his meditation practice. “I have become calmer. No matter how much others provoke me, I can keep my calm,“ he says. He adds that with regular practice of yoga, the difference between internal and external world, which is one of the major causes of stress, lessens.
Following her passion for yoga, Sneha Singh too did a couple of short-term courses in yoga, meditation and selfdevelopment. Today she works as a corporate professional, but sees yoga as the best way to spend time with self, which she calls her true self. “I always believed that yoga is a tried and tested ancient science, which has benefitted people since centuries, so I wanted to benefit from it too,“ Singh cites her reasons for learning yoga. Making the switch from a school, where Sneha taught yoga to autistic children, today she is teaching yoga to her colleagues at her workplace.
So what does pursuing a vocational course entail? Do they offer professional stability? Are they on a par with graduate or undergraduate college degrees?
Career experts suggest that vocational courses are on a par with other courses and can offer any student ample career opportunities. Also, as these courses offer job-based training for specific careers, students can also start their own entrepreneurial ventures from the very start.
A case in point is Delhi-based beauty expert Pooja Goel. Her passion for beauty, Ayurveda and panchakarma is benefitting many aspiring beauty enthusiasts.With courses in permanent hair reduction, hair extensions, panchkarma treatments, airbrush and permanent makeup, she is th nent makeup, she is empowering her students to build stable careers. Her students are working as beauticians, aestheticians or as hairdressers and making a name for themselves in the beauty industry. the beauty industry.Goel advises students to remain true to themselves to excel in the field. However, for Shekhar Rao, dropping out of an MBA institute, turned out to be a turning point in his life.After facing jabs from his parents, he decided to pursue a course in media, against their will. But destiny had its way as Shekhar started loving the course. “I learnt how to write a story, how to design a page, write scripts and shoot films. My biggest takeaways were the teachers, who were fellow professionals and guides,“ adds Rao. After studying the intricacies of media, Rao is growing at his new job as a journalist. He loves meeting new people every day at work I and seeing his byline in publica tions.
Certainly, stu dents and profes sionals alike are drawn towards drawn towards media these days as it opens wide plethora of opportunities in different areas. Prachi Jaiswal, for instance, chose to study photography after complet ing her graduation in Journalism from Delhi University. Currently, she is pursu ing a short-term vocational course in photography from a private institute of a renowned photographer. She owes her passion to create memories for herself and others to be drawn towards photog raphy. Jaiswal aspires to be a family and wedding documentary photographer and for the same spends a lot of time clicking camera-loving friends while also indulging in street photography. Her advice is straight; the course clearly doesn't offer a job but it's your workportfolio that can take you places.
“Being persistent in pursuing a creative field is a must. Since the job is demanding and the stakes are high, you can easily get de-motivated, but if you really have a passion for preserving moments of life, it is the field for you,“ says Jaiswal. For media-aspirants, film appreciation is another avenue that has gained momentum these days. Students aspiring to be filmmakers, teachers, researchers, film journalists or even simple film aficionados are actively seeking such courses from govt-run or private institutes to expand their understanding of cinema.
So, whatever your dreams are, don't restrict yourself due to your current circumstances. Challenge the impossible and soar like a phoenix. For those, who know how to accomplish their dreams, sky is the limit. Go follow your passion and dreams!
(For editorial inputs contact: Dipti.Srivastava@timesgroup.com)
Sources http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31812&articlexml=Follow-your-dreams-19042017015007
