|
Opportunities
MUSINGS
The differentiator is - the ability to think differently
It was yet another boring Sunday afternoon, when the world seemed to be enjoying a good siesta. I sat there in front of the idiot box, flipping through channels and trying to catch something worthwhile to drive away the boredom and gloom of a pin-drop silent household! I always wondered as to how channels come up with multiple copies and duplicates of the same old boring stuff. Is there any room for innovation today and does anyone at all, think out of the box? Or have we
succumbed to the success of cloning machines, in producing replicas and stereotypes?
With thousands of graduates and engineers passing out of colleges every year, how is it that only a set percentage of them obtain the right jobs and follow their dreams? The others are left behind in the rat race. How is this difference brought about, in spite of pursuing similar courses? We attribute it to what is known as the X Factor. If an individual possesses the required passion and qualifications, coupled with some ground-breaking ideas and an innovative outlook, he is preferred over one that simply possesses the course certificate.
The other day, me and Aditya Pandey, HR Manager and a close associate of mine were engaged in a conversation that revolved around, predominantly, the current interview trends in the industry. “Fresher candidates these days equip themselves with ready-made answers to the most expected questions asked in interview sessions.”, he quipped. “ We tried out an innovation in one of our sessions and were taken aback---those promising candidates could not come up with creative and innovative answers in rounds of simulation and creative thinking!”
We learn answers by rote, in schools and colleges, all of us write similar answers to pass exams, we qualify and make our way through interviews. And then carry forward the ‘legacy’ of performing the same office chores. In fact, one cannot point fingers at an individual, as responsible for this trend. The system has become an expert in producing clones and has in fact, led to stereotypic thinking processes.
How often do we think of widening our horizons and peeping outside that restricted boundary that dominates our thoughts? We have succumbed to the cloning system and if ever there is a way out, it is through constant self-appraisals and venturing out. How do we start off taking a fresh stand towards the system? Who would dare to do so and when do we construe that we have started retracing our steps? These rhetorical questions require you to spare a serious thought.
The day an electronics and communication engineer gets into something like documentary film-making, to reach out to the rural society; or perhaps, even if you chalk out an innovative mechanism to perform your work at office, could be that much needed breakthrough!
Every revolutionary change requires a ‘first’ act. In the words of Robert Frost:
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Do we really have to stick to the existent stereotypes or should we go beyond.... and explore unexplored horizons? The latter one would be more rewarding. Perhaps, not in terms of that bulging pay packet and incentives or insurance policies offered. But, to break monotony and to add spice to life, career and work! It pays to be different!
PREETI RAGHUNATH
faqs@cnkonline.com
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Opportunities
|
