Do You Know "Who You Are Meant To Be"?

Rafiki: I was on Oprah today and started surfing around. I rarely go to her site but when I do I stay for hours.

Red Jade: What did you find?

Rafiki: I found a career quiz which would be no big deal except I have taken every quiz you can think of and always dismiss them as not being accurate.

Red Jade: I take it then, that this one was accurate? Or did you suddenly realize that the tests have always been accurate but you never knew yourself well enough until now?

Rafiki: Not exactly, but it was funny. It measures what someone is striving for....and I am STRIVING TO BE SPONTANEOUS :-). Have you taken any career quizzes?

Red Jade: I think I took that same quiz! I also rarely go to the Oprah site but I had heard of her finding her sister and I wanted to read the story. It was very heartwarming, but I digress. I took down some notes, let me check. Carry on, while I search - so how does spontaneity make you feel?

Rafiki: It makes me smile . . . I already know that about myself though. I have come a long way in accepting myself. I used to feel like admitting my sense of adventure made me seem irresponsible, now I accept it is who I am and embrace it.

Red Jade: And yet, I do not see you as irresponsible at all. In fact you are one of the most responsible people I know. Perhaps you are still curbing your spontaneity . . . you should let loose a little more.

Rafiki: I think I was incorrectly equating spontaneity with irresponsibility. My lowest score was striving to be secure and cherishing the familiar. To some extent I think that age helps us appreciate the familiar. The quiz was called, “Who am I meant to be?”.

Red Jade: Yeah, you can be responsibly spontaneous though that does not sound as much fun as irresponsible spontaneity :). But seems like we are on opposite ends of the spectrum - I am striving to be SECURE and knowledgeable. I had equal scores in both categories.

Rafiki: How funny...creative and knowledgeable were the others I scored highly in. Jokes aside though, it may have been helpful to take some type of career assessment before I decided my major. I am not sure it would have made a difference but it may have allowed me to know what all my options were.

The most important function of education at any level is to develop the personality of the individual & the significance of his life to himself and to others. -Grayson Kirk

Red Jade: Knowing what you know now, what would you have chosen for a major?

Rafiki: I think about that very often. I think I would still have studied business because the knowledge has been pretty helpful at the MBA level (but not bachelor level). I would also have liked to study counseling psychology. The mind is fascinating!

Red Jade: I definitely would have made different career choices. I always knew even as a kid that I liked to learn and I have a wide variety of interests. I think I would really have enjoyed a career in policy. My career in marketing has not fulfilled my thirst for knowledge, so it has not been satisfying but it pays the bills and that is important for my need for security.

Rafiki: I think one of the things I did not consider when I was in college was that I do not have to study something to do it, unless it was law, medicine and a few others. School should be to learn what you love and are interested in, not necessarily for career preparation. I work for a software company and only half of our programmers have a Computer Science degree. Some of them have a degree in History! I recently discovered that our 401(k) consultant was a History major and never took a class in Finance.

Red Jade: I absolutely agree. Earning a living should not be the only reason to go to college. I believe in higher education as a means of self development and self seeking. However, try telling that to the folks and they look at you like you have lost your mind.

Rafiki: I guess security was very important to them and they had to know that we could make a living. Going back to school can be a catch 22 because it can be costly. Looking back would you have gone to a different university?

Red Jade: Considering the expense of college tuition and the opportunities an individual college can open up, yes I would have made a different choice. I did not know then that the school can make such a big difference. Obviously going to an Ivy League school usually pays off handsomely as recruiters are not only eager to hire from such schools but they also come to the school to recruit and do interviews. As a student all you have to do is prepare your resume and sign up to meet with the recruiters. You have easy access to recruiters. I would also choose a school that is well known for the program I want to study. The overall school many not be highly rated but program ratings can be even more important. Also I would consider where I wanted to live after graduation and go to the best school in that area. Many companies recruit heavily from their "local school" as many of them are alums. Long story short, I would have made a more calculated choice to find a school that was more likely to meet my individual needs and goals.

Rafiki: I totally agree. The school that you graduate from matters. Many companies post their college recruiting schedule on their career sites and most of them recruit from the top schools in their area. That is why our company financial advisor was recruited by Morgan Stanley from a top school though he was a history major. Here is Merck's recruiting schedule around the world, www.merck.com/careers/campus-calendar.html.

Red Jade: It's all about access, get your foot in the door. That is one thing that holds immigrants back. We don't know these "rules", these "tips". Most of us apply the same rationale in making decisions that we would have applied at home yet the environment in the new country is different. What works at home, coming from a developing country, usually does not work, in the developed world. Sometimes, it's like we are applying last century's thinking to this century's problems.

Rafiki: That is very true. I also think that since you will already have to overcome certain obstacles as an immigrant, it is important to give yourself the best chance. Networking begins in college campuses and there is no better place to start forming great contacts.

Rafiki: It is never too late though. One of my friends wanted to move his career to the next level. He went to MIT for a 9 month Masters program and his career took a new turn. Here is a link to the supply chain program that he took, http://scm.mit.edu/program.

Red Jade: Depends on what you are striving for! But, generally I agree it's never too late. The Princeton College Review Guide is an excellent starting point to identify the best college for you. I wish that every immigrant as they enter the country could be given this book as a "Welcome to America" gift.

Rafiki: That would make a great gift. Back to our career test, the jobs that match my personality are: Coach, Police Officer, Events Promoter, Family Lawyer, Nutritionist, Investigator, Broker, Travel Agent or Tour Operator.

Red Jade: Ha, ha . . I can see you hiding behind bushes spying on someone! You can put your MBA to good use and set up your own Sherlock Holmes gig.

Rafiki: That does not sound appealing at all unless my detective adventures were as a fashion detective. I would have to book myself first. :-) Here are your jobs: Paralegals, Accountants, Electrical engineers, Dentists, School administrators, Public servants or Computer programmers.

Red Jade: Mine are pretty boring, certainly not as exciting as yours . . . I have taken a paralegal course so I am qualified to do that. I think I would enjoy being a public servant e.g. in city government. Make the city run better. All wishful thinking . . . maybe one day when I grow up! Are you motivated to make a change?

Rafiki: Here is something that could work for both of us . . . you could be mayor and I could run your campaign. I am motivated to make a change because I am convinced that we only have one life to live and I want to live it well. I do not want to have many what ifs, if I can help it.

I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing. -Socrates

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Knowing what you know now, would you have made different career choices?

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