Infinite Possibilities!

Have you ever wondered about the infinite possibilities of how you truly want to spend your lifetime? I'm sure you have... But the myriad of professions you can engage yourself in and the endless number of things you can achieve while you are here, is truly vast! When we're young we dream of becoming something flashy or exotic, may be an astronaut or an actor or may be a world renowned business tycoon! But as we grow older we discover our own unique knacks and interests and try choosing something our talents are best suited to.

As for me, my five year journey through IIT and especially the fifth year, has opened my eyes wide and clear, but has also raised many unsettling doubts in my mind... During our on-campus placement season I tried out for a lot of companies offering a variety of  profiles including software, management, core engineering, etc. I got shortlisted for quite a few and finally got placed in e-commerce giant Flipkart. Along the way, I also happened to receive a few IIM calls and secured AIR-15 in GATE as well, which would open the doors to a variety of PSUs and government R&D organizations like IOCL and BARC respectively. Furthermore, I was informed about a vacancy in the University of Utah for a Ph.D. in computational sciences, for which I was told I'd get a recommendation without too much fuss.

Therein lies the eternal confusion that plagues students my age... How do we decide what to do? Do we listen to the one track, and often prejudiced minds of our forefathers trying to enforce what they think is right upon us or do we listen to our colleagues many of whom prefer something more daring and funky, with security and peace of mind being the sacrifice?! It is an extremely difficult choice to make, faced with so many options and with so little to go on.

I'd say it ultimately boils down to what you yourself want to do, what your preferences are and how far you are willing to go to achieve success. As for me, I like the independence of thought embodied in the quote on Flipkart's t-shirt that reads "You have the right to remain silent or join a company that lets you speak your mind!" I prefer the performance oriented work culture in a private firm, but along with the perks and long term security offered by a PSU, that are very much needed under practical circumstances! However, we all know that it is next to impossible, at least in present day India, to get both! I guess whatever choice is made can only be validated in due course of time with perseverance and dedication to the set goal. But, as for now, I hope everyone succeeds in whatever they have decided for themselves, because a win-win situation can make the world a much better place to live in.