Letters

Dear Nadine!

I am a 25-year-old guy. I have done my graduation in Engineering, but I don’t like this field at all. I realised this after my graduation. I want to be a motivational speaker because I love human beings - not machines. My parents want me to get a job as an engineer but I know I will definitely fail at it. So sort me out as to what I should do in this situation.

Confused Engineer

Dear Confused Engineer,

You must have worked very hard for your engineering degree, so it is understandable that wanting to do something outside of the scope of your academic qualification must be a strong urge for you. However, you should think this out very carefully, for becoming a motivational speaker - a noble aim - is not something everyone can do. How do you plan to go about it? What are your credentials? Why should people listen to you in the first place?

I don’t mean to discourage you, but before you embark on this mission of helping fellow humans, you need to prove yourself. You have to become successful at what you do so people would be interested in learning from you. Motivational speakers who overcame misfortune and disability and became a source of inspiration, like Sarmad Tariq or late Asad Rafi, were a great success because they spoke about their own experiences in battling their particular issues and inspiring people to do the same. People look up to exceptional human beings as they want to learn the secret of their success. So, just talking about becoming a motivational speaker would not help you unless you do something that can inspire people. Get a job, give it your best shot and take up some social work in your free time. After that, when you feel you have enough experience and knowledge, go for motivational speaking first at a small scale and with time you will make it big! Best of luck!

Dear Nadine,

I am a 25-year-old guy. I have done my engineering and now I am facing problems in getting a job. I have been looking for a job for over a year now. First of all, without any ‘source’, it is not easy to even get a call for an interview. When I finally managed to get three interviews, two companies turned me down because of lack of experience! How can I have any experience when I am freshly passed out of an engineering college? The third company has offered me a job as a trainee engineer, but the salary that I was offered is so low that I will have to turn it down. Is it fair to offer an engineer merely Rs15,000? Please tell me the solution of this problem.

SR

Dear SR,

It is not easy to get jobs nowadays with or without source, so you were lucky to have been offered Rs15000. You are a fresh graduate without any experience, so you should take up the offer and work hard to prove to your bosses that you deserve a raise. After having some experience on your CV, you will be in a better position to apply for more lucrative jobs. It is unfair on part of some companies to expect experience at entry level jobs, but not all organizations are like that. Most companies hire fresh graduates as trainees and then promote them if they are satisfied with their performance. So work hard and maintain a positive frame of mind and hopefully you will get a promotion soon. Good luck!

Problems that need a solution? You can e mail  Prof. Nadine Khan at nadinekhan_34@yahoo.com

 

Note: If you feel you need someone to talk to when you are alone, to share a problem with, or just to get something that has upset or disturbed you off your chest, share it with us. Write to Prof. Nadine Khan, ­c/o Editor ‘You!’ magazine,
The News, Al-Rehman Building (4th Floor)  I.I Chundrigar Road, Karachi.