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June 25, 2006
Been there, done what?
THERE are few, if any, who can claim to be dead sure about their careers. Most of the time, students graduating out of vocational schools are up against a million different kinds of fears: “Will I get a decent job? Will I be paid enough? Should I take up any job coming my way or should I be selective? I’m getting a terrific offer from this company but I won’t be able to put my vocational education to test; what do I do?” Opting for a career often appears to be more of a dilemma than a wonderful first-time experience. In the end, it all boils down to one question: to be or not to be? If I have an MBA, can I be a manager? If I have an MBBS, must I become a doctor? If I have done my BCS, must I opt for a career along the same line?
Every day, thousands of graduates across the country ask themselves these very questions and come up with vague answers, if at all. To appease the young lot going through such crucial career choices, Education interviewed Saad Khalique, a young engineering graduate who opted for a career in marketing as a client services executive in an advertising firm — the Brand Partnership. What’s more, he is still going strong.
Q: Tell us about your academic background.
A: I’ve done my A-levels from Lyceum, Karachi. Then I went to the University of Houston and studied engineering.
Q: What is your work domain as a client services executive?
A: I coordinate between the client and my agency and make sure that the client brief is being followed. Once our suggestions are put up and strategies formulated, I ensure the implementation of those strategies, routes and suggest the best media possibilities for the client. In the end, it all simmers down to ensuring client satisfaction.
Q: Was the change of careers tough in any way?
A: It is always hard to fit into any career, whether or not it is your own line, especially if you’ve moved back into the country after seven years. When I was in the US, I was working along the lines of IT administration as well as at the library help desk. I have also acted as a telemarketing supervisor. The best bit about working under such diverse set-ups was that I got a chance to develop my interpersonal skills. I learned to deal with people and different situations. All my friends there were employed in diverse fields, so I gained quite a bit of exposure socially as well. Besides, the system of education there included certain core courses which were very valuable. Arriving here, I had already developed a sufficient level of person-to-person skills. Alongside, I also brushed upon my marketing concepts via a good bit of reading. Although initially, I was a little unsure about facing a different work environment, culture and ethics, working in this field has been a great experience. I have a great working relationship with all my colleagues and have adapted very well. Now I feel that my fears were baseless.
Q: How did your family/colleagues react to your decision?
A: My family was very supportive and they left the decision entirely up to me. My friends, however, were a little unsure: “Are you sure? You’ll hate not working in your own field”. But I dealt with that; I look at things globally and I have seen very few people ending up in the same line as their vocational education. My concept is that you might just as well go into any field as long as you are happy.
Q: Do you feel that all those years you spent studying engineering were a waste?
A: Not at all. Education can never be wasted. Although today, if I have an engineering client, I can best be suited for that. But even if I don’t deal with engineering clients, I don’t feel my education has been wasted. I won’t ever lose or forget it; everything I learn in life just adds to who I really am.
Q: Do you have plans for further education?
A: Not at this point as it is not high on my priority list right now.
Q: Should careers ideally be in sync with one’s vocational education?
A: No, the only thing that matters is whether you like the job. Whatever your job is, if you give it a 100 per cent and walk out at the end of the day with a satisfactory pay cheque, it is enough. Career building is a long-term process, and every job that you do adds to that. Whatever you do today will lead to your career 20 years from now and that’s how I see it.
Saad’s story is just one among countless others who have followed their instinct and settled for only that which they hold important. There are no rules saying “follow the path of your degree” and there are no degrees that lay out an open path for anyone. Decision-making has certainly become simpler now, hasn’t it? — Mehreen F. Ali
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