By Hiti Khatwani
Learning responsibility is very important in life. It is widely believed the sooner one tends to learn it, the more confident one becomes. Being responsible or successful doesn't get achieved in a night’s time. The confidence comes from failures. If you’re courageous enough to try to take a step towards achieving your goals and work hard, you’re one step closer to success.
Starting your professional life early has many benefits. It allows you to learn the art of independence and looking after your needs. It allows you to contribute to your household affairs and maintain a healthy relationship with money. Understanding how to manage your own expenses is a huge part of growing up. If you want to study abroad or have higher ambitions, one paycheck a month can go a long way in investing in your future.
Earning money is a small part of why you can start your professional future early. Even though it is small, it is a very charming motivator for many people because let’s face it, why wouldn't someone want to earn money if they could be doing something they’re good at? Sometimes, people are not just lazy, they’re just scared of failure. Procrastination is not just an effect of laziness, it’s also an effect of fear. However, one step forward and two steps back is still one step forward.
Working in a disciplined environment, learning how to form bonds with your employees and communicate your needs are some foundational learnings that one gets to carry with them throughout the course of their working career. Not to forget that the recommendations you could gain as a young intern would be much more impressive to colleges, grad schools and future companies who wish to hire you. It shows your motivation to work hard at a young age which helps in building a reputation as a responsible adult.
Starting a professional career at an early age also might help you gather a collection of corporate experiences which allow you to have a practical experience of where you would like to end up in your future. This helps you to judge the environment that might be better for you to fit in. For instance, is it a lively office that brings you joy or does a private practice with lesser people more in your comfort zone?
Being productive helps you learn more stuff and feel more useful. Having responsibilities and a job also enriches having a purpose in your life and staying true to your work ethic. At the end of the day, it’s all about taking a step towards starting to build a better life for yourself.
These experiences which you start at a young age will help you build your portfolio and maintain a work ethic that will help you reap plenty of benefits throughout the course of your life. Working at an early age teaches you the importance of many things such as healthy communication in a workspace, the skill to manage time and deadlines, the mental engagement to overcome obstacles and the dedication to keep going.
Having a strong portfolio at a young age is a bonus for when you’ve finally graduated. Your impressive resume, brilliant work ethic and soft skills prepare you to fit in the world before you even know it.
It’s okay to start small and work your way up. Maybe the only job you managed to get as a first job was a volunteer or an unpaid intern, however, your experience is going to make it count. The more you work, the more you get recognised. Don’t try to run after money just when you’ve started out. Your financial goals will follow you as long as you stay true to yourself and work hard. With a reputation of working hard, success and money would be chasing you, more than you would be chasing them.
Every step along the way counts. Even the CEO of Google failed a million times before finally launching software that the whole world relies on. Even the most successful fashion designers started out by looking at scraps of fabric that their brilliant minds made into an outfit. Even the most talented marketing agencies got the motivation to start their dreams when they made up their mind to do it. It’s necessary to start your journey and let it take you to your destination on its own time.
BY HITI KHATWANI