It is part of human nature to wonder what the future holds. Most importantly it’s not certain we are going to be part of the future which is why in Islam when talking about a future event be it tomorrow, the next hour or even the next minute the statement Insha’Allah is pronounced which translates to “God’s willing”. Also, in our careers we do not have the ability to fully control our future as humans. However, we do have the ability to adequately prepare ourselves.
For some people, they are at a point in their careers they simply are not satisfied with. For example, people tell themselves things like “I didn’t do the right major in College”, “I’m not in an opportunistic position at my workplace”, “I don’t like my role, but I’m stuck” etc. No matter what you are struggling with right now, it is OK and normal. Identifying what the problem is, is the first step which is important.
Some years back, I Identified I had a problem after completing college. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering. After my degree, I did a self-reflection and I realized I did not have any real technical or Engineering skill set that was hireable, my resume was blank. Even if I had gotten an interview, I knew I could not walk into an interview and convince a hiring manager to hire me as an Engineer, I just did not have the skill set! I did have a good result out of college but for all my 4 years, I just went through the motion of being in college, I focused on passing my exams but not actually learning.
After identifying the problem, formulating a plan and solution then setting a goal is the next step. Having identified the problem, only you know what the version of your solution looks like. For example, a solution could be having the skill set required to land a particular type of Job. Research what is takes to get that dream job, this can be done by reading Job postings to understand the required qualification and skills. Depending on the situation, this can range from learning new skills in your field through self-study, certifications etc. to completely switching your career field. When setting this goal, it is important to take a top down approach, break the goals down into different objectives to accomplish and set realistic timelines for these objectives.
Picking up from where we left off, after my self-reflection, I concluded that I had to develop a new skill set from ground up. Right around my senior year, leading up to graduation, I started gaining interest in computer networking, but nothing was done then. I reawakened this interest and decided to get an education in Computer Networking by pursuing a master’s degree in this field, this time with the intention of learning; like a popular saying in my home country Nigeria “Letting school pass through me”. Without meaningful work experience in this field, in parallel I targeted Computer Networking certifications that will help me further solidify my skillset and help me get closest to real world industry experience. My goal was to complete a couple of certifications by halfway through the completion of my master’s degree so it will aid in my job search.
The most important step of it all is the last step which is to pursue your goal and develop grit. In pursuing the defined goal, it is imperative to develop grit because that is what will get you through the challenges and hurdles which is bound to happen in one way or another. This is where most people lose sight of the goal and backslide. There will be rejections, frustrations and setbacks but the determination and optimistic attitude should remain unshaken.
After spending weekends and nights studying, I got my first certification after the first semester of my master’s degree. I had the intention of securing an internship to gain some industry work experience but that did not work as I had hoped. Brewing with confidence with my new certification and a perfect 4.0 semester GPA, I was getting rejection after rejection for all my internship applications. These rejections made me doubt if I was on the right path, but I had that inner conviction that kept me going, I firmly believed I was on the right path. Rather than focus on my inability to secure an internship, I persevered and saw that as a sign that I needed to get better so that is what I did. I kept on going by getting more knowledge though certifications and whatever opportunity I could find on campus. Without going much into the details, 9 months before my graduation, without ever successfully getting an internship, I had two full time Job offers from two great companies, one of which is a fortune 500 company where I ended up and it has been smooth sailing since then. Even after landing that dream Job in a dream company, I have been working with these same principles and it has helped me grow in ways I never imagined. To put it in numbers, I have had 4 promotions and grown to a Senior role in less than 5 years from joining the company as a fresh graduate. Because it has worked and is working for me, I think it will work for anyone at any stage of their career.
I share my personal story here not to tell you that is how yours must go be but just to give you practical examples of how to approach career challenges. To summarize this post in one sentence; If you are not satisfied and currently feel stuck in your career, do something about it!