T.Y.Talk: Career Plans And Mapping It Up The Right Way!

A few posts back we spoke about how it’s high time to make a career pick: http://www.bms.co.in/t-y-talk-isnt-it-high-time-to-make-a-career-pick/ and here I am to follow up by guiding you on exactly how you are supposed to go about it!

50% of us didn’t have a clue as to what we wanted to do when we got into BMS, generally students take this up because they want to do something better than regular commerce graduation and since BMS does not push you into super specialization i.e. BBI or BAF for banking or accountancy respectively, it’s a safer bet.

BMS gives you a chance to explore a lot of subjects and we have that at the back of our mind. We feel that eventually, figuring out what we want to do would be easier once we study so many subjects. Now let me burst you bubble here – no it’s as confusing as it was on day 1 and I guess many of you have realized that already!

The other 50% wanted to do an MBA and as BMS is the logical base to an MBA you took it up. This 50% went on to convince the confused 50% and managed convincing about a 90% of your batch by the time you were in your S.Y. You joined classes and worked really hard. This hard work resulted into two things, 80% of people dropped out by the time T.Y pressure started to hit and the remaining 20% realized that managing both is going to be super tough and you need to have the patience to wait through this year and then re-start your preparations.

So for the 80% drop outs we are back to square one! Well BMS has given you a good enough idea of what you don’t want to do. Even if it’s difficult to zoom into what you want to take up as a career choice, you definitely eliminate the not doable’s. There are no grey zones where certain things are concerned , so if you are a finance person you are not going to try for a career in logistics or if you are good with marketing you need to evaluate weather you will be able to deal with sales as initially in every marketing job sales is going to be your primary focus. 

Post BMS you can make a career into HR, Marketing and Sales, Finance, Accountancy, Logistics and Banking and Finance. You can also opt for openings in back office, administration departments of various companies. But you have to fix up on where you want to go with life and then make a pick, obviously things don’t work out exactly as you have planned them which is why having back -up plans is necessary. 

We had learnt Mind Mapping and you can apply the process while framing up a career map for yourself. 

5 Easy Steps To Make A Career Map For Yourself:

1. Finalize on a goal – for example setting up your own Marketing Firm.

2. What do I need to get there?

– Experience in the field so that I can deliver.

– Contacts to get me clients. 

– Capital to set up my office.

3. How to do I get these three basic requirements?

– Experience in the field so that I can deliver -> work experience at grass root level to gain proper understanding of the field.

– Contacts to get me clients -> work experience so that I can build my own contacts

– Capital to set up my office -> loans I can apply for + the money I will make with my salary working somewhere initially.

4. Now that I know I need Work Experience, as a solution to all of my above necessities I need to work out what sort of work experience would do me better -> Small firm or a Huge MNC

5. And Finally when I make up my mind where I want to go I figure out the educational qualifications required and that is when I fix up my next course or job application.

Didn’t we always do it the other way? try this approach it definitely helps!

Once you are set with your 5 step approach for some it may go beyond 5, you can make up back up plans and link them up, so you know you have solutions whenever you are faced with road blocks.

Life never goes the way we wish to, aims, goals and targets may be met but rarely does it happen that it works out in exactly the same way we had chalked out, which is why we always need a planned approach and back-up plans to that approach.

Giving up on your dreams should never be an option, working your way around problems is what we should end up doing! This applies to those who had given up on their dreams to be an MBA as well and somewhere down the line curse yourself for giving up. 

Map Up Your Path and Set about Alternates:

1. Field of specialization for my career?

2. Pay package after MBA

3.  What B-schools offer such placements in my field of specialization

4. How do I get in – entrance exam cut off’s

5. Know my weaknesses and start preparing

Do have alternate plans set up by answering questions and know where you will be willing to compromise: maybe you can opt for a general MBA over a finance specialization if you get a better B-school or a college where the placements offered give out a little lesser pay package? can you wait another year if so then what will you do in the mean while?

Map up the process, evaluate your pro’s and con’s and have a very clear understanding of how much efforts you need to put and where. making a career is not always about slogging away to glory, it’s about knowing what you want and working towards it!

It’s never too late to start planning, All The Best!