I was coaching my flagship programme, ‘The Finishing Touch,’ to first-time jobseekers at an all-women’s engineering college some years ago.

The ten-day curriculum, delivered over six weekends, infuses confidence in the learners who, this time, were in the sixth and seventh semesters. Learning many new things, they were never aware of, opened them up. Their level of confidence in themselves was rising.

I inevitably touched upon working in jobs aligned with what they always wanted for a career. I was perplexed when the students looked at one another. During the break, they approached me, enquiring if they could speak privately. We gathered after lunch, just before the start of the post-lunch session. Each confided in me. One wished to be a fashion technologist, but out of the compulsion of parents, the teachers, and the college Chairman and peer pressure, she was given no option but to join the engineering course. The second wished to be a Creator of television commercials with a natural flair for visualisation and copywriting. The heart of the third was in strategy – corporate financials, to be precise. And so, the list went on.

After hearing them all, I advised them to complete their engineering semesters and graduate.

Second, to inform their parents of their genuine interest and desire. This would involve studying afresh for another two to four years which required parental sponsorship.

In the following holidays, the girls did this, and all emerged triumphant with parental approval. They continued their education and, in one to three years, successfully completed what they sought and got into fields of their choice. They put themselves in the saddle of their dream careers.

This is the power of following your passion in the career of your choice.

You, too, can pursue your dream career. To do so, needs rock-like conviction. In addition, you need courage. When once you have the first, the second follows automatically.

Best wishes.

Ash Nan

11 th January 2023