5 Mistakes I made (that Freshers are still making)

We've all been at that young age of thinking "I can do anything in this world". I remember turning down jobs for stupid reasons and finally choosing my first career for the unbelievably stupidest reason ever.

The sad part is, all up till now, I was thinking youngsters today aren't making these mistakes I made. Because information is even more easily available today as it was 12 years ago. Learning anything under the sun, reaching out to experts in our fields, and having mentors to guide us in our paths are much more easily available today as they were...back in 2009 when I graduated.

But the kind of mistakes fresh graduates are making today mirror my own, which is outrageous. So if you're someone who is just graduating or know someone who is at the cusp of a new career, read this. It'll save you much valuable time.

1. I learned a lot in college. It's time to start working now.

This was one of the misconceptions I had for a long time. In fact, I think as a society in India, we are expected to just go from studying to working overnight and no one really understands the concept of "learning the work".

This is less of a case in IT companies where extensive training programs are in place but for instance, I had started my career in Education without even knowing/understanding what it means to teach something to someone.

I was hired as an Assistant Professor on the basis of my bookish knowledge but I had no idea at the time how to impart it to others. Neither was it expected of me to spend any time learning the skill.

If I had to do it all over again, I would spend more time learning about how to teach than the subject matter itself.

2. My parents don't approve of this profile/job/company

I graduated during the height of the recession in 2009. The scenario wasn't much different from what it is now with hiring freezes and recalled offer letters. What I failed it realise at the time is that it was also the time when job dynamics were changing in India.

It was not just about getting placed in an IT company anymore. One of my friends I remember took up a job in a no-name company that made encryption APIs for payment gateways outside India. I remember thinking at the time that my parents would never have been comfortable working in a company with 5 guys working out of an apartment in Pune.

Little did I know that digital payments would become a common reality in just a few years and her knowledge of the subject would be priceless to so many companies.

I myself was offered the role of a Content Writer in TestFunda, the biggest testing platform for the CAT exam at the time. They had recognized my way with words and were offering me a great job where I could have explored this side of me properly.

But since Content Writing (or Content Creation) was not a legitimate career till then, my friends and family weren't excited by me working there. It didn't help that the salary package being offered was lesser than the standard IT packages of the time.

I undervalued the company, the profile, everything and ended up not joining. One of the biggest mistakes of my life.

3. I spend most of my time on Instagram anyway, why not make a career out of it?

Just because we think we know something or we consume something a lot, doesn't mean we are ready and equipped to have a career in the same.

Having 3000 followers on Instagram is a good start but nowhere close to making a living off it. Similarly just because you make amazing food, you don't start a food venture.

If you are choosing something to be your career, make sure it's not just out of familiarity or convenience. Consistency and discipline are the only two things that can help you career-wise.

4. Am I under-valuing myself?

If you are a fresher, trust me you're not! Even if by some luck your best friend has got an amazing job that pays a hell lot in the same field as you want, doesn't mean you're going to get it too.

I know two people...both Android programmers, graduating from the same college, at the same time. One got offered an annual CTC of 10L+ while the other couldn't score anything above 4L+.

Does that mean he shouldn't join and should just keep looking for better offers? Getting a job is not directly proportional to how much you know or you think you know. It also depends upon how desperate the company is to hire someone at that point.

There is no such thing as a perfect job, so evaluate your options in the present and make a decision. Future prospects are great but they aren't real.

5. Looking for a job rather than a career

This is the biggest mistake of all if you ask me. And this has actually changed the course of my life much more than I like to admit.

But think about it...if I had gotten into Content Writing back then, I'd be much farther advanced in this skill till now. And the pieces that take me hours to write (like The Sunday Letter every week), would be done in half the amount of time.

And so whenever we hire in Dohful Cookies, we make sure to understand if the applicant is looking for a job or a career. And it saddens me to see that this is still not being given a good thought by most freshers.

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Thank you for reading! I hope this helps someone get a better understanding of their careers. Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any questions for me.