From an early age, Indian parents place immense importance on academics, their entire life and some crucial decisions such as budgeting or scheduling vacations depend on their kid's study schedule. We don't stop just there, even after a job, we are so obedient and sincere that we take our jobs too seriously. Well, given our situation i.e. we are a developing economy trying to regain the influence and wealth that we had once upon a time. In such a scenario, it would be anyone's priority to first settle and accumulate wealth and it's correct to go miles for it.
But have you ever paused to ask yourself if the rewards you’ve achieved match the effort you and your parents have put in? For many of us, the answer is no. This could be due to the intense competition in India where everyone is striving hard. However, I believe it's also about our approach. Whenever we embark on a certain journey, be it profession or education, we start our research from the very scratch, we do things that are already done and sometimes just one conversation away. Indians are in general shy (I am including extrovert Indians as well), and we are always hesitant to take something that we find unconventional. From my experience, I think it is because we are so much under Western influence. For example, we shy away from using our hometown dialects, or talking about our culture when in a larger setting. You might not realise it now but take yourself 10 years back and think about it. We would even shy away from talking in Hindi as for most of us - it doesn't sound cool or somewhere in our minds we have set up that success comes only to those who speak English. This might seem disconnected from networking for a career but think about it. Deep down in our subconscious, we are an under-confident lot and trust me it stops us from doing a lot of things! In the back of all our Indian minds - we have certain negative connotations associated with the Indianness and we don't respect fellow Indians which means we don't respect ourselves.
The key to overcoming this is by starting to acknowledge and embrace our identity and culture. Think of the remarkable achievements we’ve made and begin to respect your own roots. This shift is crucial for building confidence. From there, it’s about being proactive: talk to people, leverage cold calls, send cold emails, and engage with online communities. The internet has made reaching out easier than ever. Often, all it takes to save time and avoid unnecessary steps is getting the right advice or direction early on. This can greatly simplify your path to achieving your goals!
It's important to manage expectations when reaching out for guidance or opportunities—anticipate a conversion rate of only about 2 to 3%. Not everyone you contact will respond, but remember, even a single response can be pivotal, pointing you in the right direction. Before diving into something new, take the time to really immerse yourself in that field. Understand who the key players are, what they are doing, and how they are doing it. This preparatory step can significantly enhance your reward-to-effort ratio. By gaining insights from those already in the field, you can streamline your approach and increase the efficiency of your efforts, ensuring that when you do take action, it's informed and impactful.
Comments