PRACTICE VS JOB

India is growing economy. As we grow, education level of the society is also enriching. We now have more professionals like Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretaries (CS), Doctors etc as compared to a decade back. With increasing professionals, there are increasing inquires for career guidance from youngsters.

I do get regular inquiries or question from youngsters (particularly from CA) after qualifying their examinations, “should they pursue a job or should they start their own practice”? Giving advice to youngsters is no doubt a risky proposition. It (giving advice) is like throwing a stone in pond. For some time it will move, but it will stabilize also within short span of time.

I will try to pen down my view on this important question (Practice or Job) through this short example.

Being an Indian most of us have a roots to agriculture. We are connected to farming from our hearts to some or other extent. Let’s try to understand the difference between these two choices by understanding the farming of two rich fruits – Mango and Strawberry.

Mango (Practice): A farmer having mango orchard does not expect any fruits immediately after plantation. Post seeding the saplings of mango trees, he keeps taking care of same. He makes all the arrangement for safekeeping of the plant till they grow. After 5 – 7 years of consistent efforts he can see some fruits from these trees. Once plants grow into giant fruit bearing trees, there is no looking back. There are fruits in the season year after year without any significant efforts. A farmer doing the farming of mangoes can also try his luck in other businesses while taking care of his mango farm.

Strawberry (Job): A farmer having required fertile land can easily start farming with small investment. The cash rich fruit start providing the yield within 5 – 6 months. It is quite popular and loved fruit among all section of society with huge profit margin. However the strawberry plant requires high level of efforts and caring. It provides fruit only in one or two seasons and farmer need to look for new plants for next year to get equal quality of strawberry.

I hope by now my readers have understood the difference between these two pairs. Mango Vs Strawberry and Practice Vs Job.

While doing your own business or practice / consultancy, let’s be consistent, and keep putting hard work. Do not expect any immediate and big fruits / profit. It has its own gestation period which may range from 5 – 8 years depending upon skills, market dynamics, and geographic advantage among many other things. Once you stabilize on this, the profits are a generally continuous affair without worrying too much about watering the venture.

Contrary to this, job is a short term but juicy proposition. Once you clear an interview and land with an offer letter; salary receipt is a continuous affair in each month. However with changing dynamics of professionalism, employer – employee relationship and value system, expecting the retirement with first employer is times of past. Like strawberry plant, a person need to prove his relevance every year so that job is guaranteed.

While I leave to my young fellow professionals as what fruit they choose, some basic values like hardworking and integrity are like compost which is required for being successful.

Author: CA Hemraj S Joshi

Views are personal.