HOW TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE?

I am a cliched Engineer turned MBA. The one interesting thing I have done in my career span is seen the shift towards digital services and quietly left my job to start a social media marketing agency. I did this because I have already tried multiple avenues to know what I love to do, and have taken a risk towards that direction.

But as I went to a relative's house, I saw some things which reflect very poorly in my mind. My mother was actively trying to hide the fact that I am trying to scale my business. My relative was forcing engineering down my cousin's throat, a 14-year-old kid who clearly ain't good with numbers and loves history.

"No, history has zero career scope" said his mother bluntly as I tried to make her understand how miserable her kid would be. She didn't agree.

Here are some things about 21st-century career every parent, student and fresher out there need to know.

1. JOB ECONOMY IS COMING TO AN END: As this decade comes to an end, one can clearly see the kind of businesses that reign supreme. There is a decline in job specific roles. People are weighing more on skills. Skills which are valuable to businesses out there. Content marketing, Social media marketing, Salesmanship, Coding....there are a number of avenues. Parents need to actively discover what all possibilities are there for their child's future. Not just focus on getting a degree.
2. IF THERE IS A MARKET OUT THERE, THERE IS MONEY TO BE MADE: I loved reading comics books. I still do. I was so in love with them, that I wanted to become a comic book artist. It didn't pan out that way now did it? But today, what are the movies that make the most money? Superhero franchises like the Avengers, Spider-Man etc. Had I gotten an opportunity, or if I had the courage to pursue that dream, I might have been a part of the industry of my dreams. My parents actively believed there is no money in this industry. And hence, so did my 17-year-old brain. I have a good friend who does You-tube book reviews and earns through it. She is 19 and already earning well. What does this tell you? There is an audience out there for everything. Take this as the basic assumption before making any argument about career choices. The likes of Russell Brunson, the Founder of ClickFunnels started his career selling DVDs about "How to make a Potato Gun". Let that stick in your head.
3. STOP DEMONIZING FAILURES: When I was a kid, in the eighth grade I failed my exam for the first time. The subject was French literature and I had no interest in it. My parents said- "Your life is ruined". I chuckle back at the memory. All that taught me was that French literature, not my piece of cake. I failed many more subjects after that, and all it told me was this particular path isn't working for me. Failure isn't a roadblock. It is a beautiful thing. It opens up new avenues. Last month I took a project for a client and it didn't pan out well. Yes, there was a monetary loss, but all I learnt was, this kind of project, I won't be taking up more as I am not good at it. There are so many things one is good at. Leverage that.
4. TAKE UP MANY PROJECTS IN MULTIPLE FIELDS: The way to get to the position in your life, when you do what you love is by trying everything you can. I tried engineering job. I hated it. Change. I tried a sales job. Seemed to like marketing but hated being in the field. Lesson learnt. I worked in Social media marketing agencies. Now, this seems to be great work. I decided to take all my learnings and started up a business around it. Will it fail, will it succeed, all depends on my efforts. But doing a lot of things is a sure shot way ending up doing the thing you love. If I could go back in time, I would do more.
5. USE THE INTERNET MORE: Now how to find a good job in the field of your interest? It is really very simple actually, there are ton of networks out there. Facebook groups, LinkedIn, WhatsApp groups. " But Faisal I have tried LinkedIn, it didn't work for me." said an HR friend of mine ( facepalm). You need to understand these networks. Just because you ask for a job you won't be given one. Use these networks to make new friends. Not acquaintances. FRIENDS. Help them, talk to them, in the comments put a joke, get some traction. Learning the art of selling yourself on Social Media is a very important trait in the 21st century. Parents and Students need to understand, it is not just a toy. Use it from an early age.
6. NOTHING IS BELOW YOUR PAY-GRADE: I left my sales job in a top notch company. I hade some savings, but thankfully I was low on arrogance. I knew social media is my next move. Next few jobs I did were at lower pay but were full of learning. The price of doing what you like is initially you shouldn't expect any returns.
7. NETWORK MORE: I was highly reluctant to network. But is an essential part of business, and life in particular. People love to help. Take this as a general assumption. Everyone out there has some form of leverage. Meet people, talk to them, ask for help. There are online networks for every field, be it entrepreneurship, engineering, marketing...all of them. Every milestone you want to achieve in life is connected by people.
8. CREATE CONTENT: People have been taking this up more seriously. I never understood it as a kid, but writing a blog, creating a video, all of these are a very important part of how you build supremacy in your selected niche. Plus, the more you express yourself, the more you realise what you love to do. I find myself so passionately writing this article, I have realised how much I love helping other youngsters.
9. IT IS OKAY TO BE LOST: Lastly, it is necessary to be okay with the feeling of being completely astounded and lost at some point in your life. Parents need to have the patience, the child needs to have the patience.

I assure you when you do all of these, bide by them, or weigh upon even some of them, you will find out slowly what your true passion is. The more you execute, the more you experiment, the better chances you have to find your love.