Do students know what they need?
It was a typical work day, and my admin's head sent me this young girl`s profile, which she had selected as the new intern. While I was glad to see that this intern had done so many internships and was still passionate about her studies, what struck me the most was that she was just an undergraduate.
It was beautiful to see that the newer generation is so passionate about work and aware of the opportunities out there! We love your spirit, Muskan:)
So if you ask me, students are often very aware of what they need and how to get it. Where they sometimes lack a little is in understanding that what matters more than benchmarks is the journey. What matters is not just the tickmarks of how many internships or degrees you get but if you have learned what you should be 'doing' every day you are working.
Don't get me wrong. The degrees, benchmarks, networking, Mphil, Ph.D., and exams are all tangible achievements and are of utmost value. But at the end of the day, what matters the most is, when the client is sitting in front of you, can you make them feel at ease? Can you help them get to a place in their journey where they want to reach? Can you apply the trip you have been through in that 60 min to bring an insight that can change a client´s life? Because if you can't, all the benchmarks are mute. And if you can, all the benchmarks are mute again :D
Let me give you an example. When I was teaching Masters's students in colleges, many educators were more experienced and educated than me. But students loved me because I was good at the ground-level job, which is, teaching.
In the same way, whenever you are thinking of upskilling or thinking about how to grow in your career, come back to the most basic question. Is this going to help me become better at my everyday tasks? Do not underestimate the importance of working on the soul of what you do.
In this high-paced, multi-faceted world, which expects every working professional to be good at 1000 things more, don't lose focus on that one central role that your job has and keep on upskilling in it. A therapist will remain valid IF they can provide good therapy. All other extracurricular strengths make gold of it, agreed. Tickmarking vital benchmarks will make the field stronger. But if you have no new coal, how would the fire make diamonds out of it?
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