5 steps to achieve your dream career

Manu Bhaker is one of India’s most talented sports shooters. She represented India at the 2018 ISSF World Cup and went on to win two gold medals. 16-year-old Manu Bhaker then clinched a gold medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Manu Bhaker first tasted real success at the international level after she won a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships.

For some, success comes sooner than anticipated. For most others, it takes a longer period. During her school time, Manu competed in sports like boxing, Huyen Langlon  (a Manipuri martial art), skating, and tennis and went on to wina couple of national games medals in these events. At the age of 14, Manu informed her father that she wanted to take up competitive shooting as that was her ‘dream career’.

Manu was highly inspired by her grandfather ch. Rajkaran Saheb who was also a great shooter. He was a soldier in the Indian military, Regiment 3 Jat and saw the 1962 Indo-China fight, 1965 Indo-Pak fight, and 1971 Indo-Pak fight. He always taught Manu and the other children the value of hard work and incessant practice. It was the result of hard work and practice that Manu rose to the global horizon as a shooter and achieved success in her dream career.

Now, coming to the question:  What is your dream career?

When you ask someone what their dream career is, you get varied answers:

• Right now, I don’t have a specific dream career in mind.
• My dream career is something creative where I can use both my design and writing skills.
• My dream career is to become an IAS officer.
• My dream career is to become a reporter.
• My dream career is to be a scientist etc.

First and foremost, it’s important to narrow down as to what exactly is your dream career. Anybody and everybody can dream, but it takes diligence to turn this dream into reality. Not everyone who dreams of a particular career will achieve success in it. So, how can you go about ensuring you get your dream career?

5 steps to ensure you get your dream career

Step 1: Figure out – what you want

Among the people you know, whose career would you most want to follow? Who exactly is your role model? Get in touch with them to learn more about how they got to where they are today. Or you can also read about them. Don’t wait until the last minute to start making final decisions about your future. It’s important to explore how the role tends to change as you progress. Figuring out your passion, your career path isn’t an easy process. It may be time-consuming. You need to think about it. 

Step 2: Create a career roadmap

Career planning is not a ‘band-aid’ solution that you apply once your marks come out. It is a developmental plan. Create a career roadmap during your high school (9th& 10th grade). Think about the opportunities for advancement that your career may have, and set achievable but challenging goals for yourself. Deliberate on what you’d like to complete in high school. Ask your teachers about the types of courses offered by the college. For example: If you’re interested in taking an honors class, are there required classes you have to take first? 

Step 3: Get good grades and take part in extracurricular activities

Academic grades and involvement in extracurricular activities are both important for development. Creating a schedule is the key to being able to manage your time and get everything done without getting stressed. Be exceptionally selective about your extracurricular activities. Participating in student activities and programs have been proven to have a positive correlation with psycho-social development.

Step 4: Network or get involved in school/college activities

There are a lot of ways in which you can get involved on campus, including school/college clubs, social organizations and communities, businesses, social media etc. Not only will you be able to connect with a number of other students, you’ll also be able to connect with speakers, advisers, and mentors.Attend college fairs and school-sponsored programs. Attend career information programs.Check the bulletin boards in the library and talk to classmates and friends.

Step 5: Talk to a career counselor

Spend time exploring different careers. Meet with a career counselor regularly and update your progress. Career counselors help you figure out what you would be able to do by offering ideas and guidance on how to find a career that best suits your strengths and passions. 

Wrap-up lines

It’s great to dream about a career, but it requires dedication, hard work, persistence and patience to make your dreams come true. Once you’ve figured out your career path, it’s time to put work into action. Meeting with the people in the field to get their advice and getting the right guidance from our experienced online career assessment consultants will go a long way in making your dream a reality.