Why do rabbits report to tortoises?

Sanjay Arora

As children, we were told the story of the ‘Rabbit and the Tortoise’ so many times. In the end the tortoise is the winner of the race and the choices he made to start early, move steadily and keep focused were the lessons we were to learn.

Fast forward to today, the lessons are still holding true. Employability is a major concern as a mere degree doesn’t hold ticket to a job of any type, much less a good one. For most students working on employability factor is the last thing on their “to do” list as they prefer to wait till the final year of degree to gear up for the work life. However, as you enter college the choice is before you in the first week itself — to be the rabbit or the tortoise. And if the tortoise is your choice, then preparing yourself well for a meaningful career must start early — it must start on the day one. 

So where do you begin? Good question — here are a few mantras.

Start with knowing yourself

It’s the first step and the most important one. When you know where your strengths lie, what you want to do, what you are passionate about — then you can make meaningful choices. Take time to think about this. Too many times during interviews, one hears candidates describe themselves as hardworking, passionate and committed — and  one wonders —towards what? For what? Why? 

Refrain from the obvious and the generic — there is only one you and demonstrating that uniqueness is essential.

Choosing well-wishers

Your trustees are those people who have observed you in your daily life, in class or at home, who are able to help you establish your path. Trustees are custodians of your choosing, who will keep your confidences and support you in your journey. Choose those who are authentic, unlikely to be influenced by bias and most importantly, who care about you. Spread them across your life — family members, close friends, classmates and teachers who you trust. In my experience, they have amazing insights to offer, you just have to ask. Be open to what they have to say and you could have a number of wonderful ideas about what would be best for you.

What experiences  do you need?

Once you know your strengths and your path, then the grunt work begins. You need a profile that speaks to the kind of job you want, your personal brand needs building. A big focus is on the projects, internships, experience in the social and entrepreneurial space, and these are important to do. The amount of learning and perspective that comes from experience is immense. It’s always a delight to sit across from a candidate who is talking about what he did, how he did it and what he learned through the process  — it makes her/him more appealing and is a great way to assess fit.

Sharing ideas & thoughts

While you gain this experience, don’t lose sight of your own thoughts and original ideas. Put them out there —  articles, blogging, speaking in public will contribute immensely to your profile. Employers generally read up about a candidate before  meeting him — whether is on forums like wordpress or medium or LinkedIn.

Your network

This area needs equal effort as you build your profile — who you know and are connected with, physically and virtually. This applies to both organisations and brands that are active in this space, doing pioneering work, and individuals who are publicly prominent in the kind of work you want to do. These networks will enable you to learn constantly, keep updated on the latest, be aware about opportunities and roles and also to connect with the right resources when an opportunity you are seeking presents itself.

Great academics

Now while you are actively doing all this, don’t neglect the education part of your profile. Academics are a big part of the picture — great grades and a very sound understanding of your subject are a must. Without this, the story can’t move forward.

But I encourage you to think three steps ahead. We need to work at both our width and depth constantly to keep pace with the fast changing world. So invest in relevant courses and certifications in addition to what’s being taught in class. How will you know which ones are relevant? The network you are building will tell you.

A fellow traveller

There is one more step — a mentor. As you prepare for the work world, for the role you want, for the career you are dreaming about, you need a person who is living that life by your side.

This will give you an insight into how things really happen, what successes look like, who are the influencers and how to access them, where the opportunities lie.

 You will realise that at this point you need to begin to create YOUR situation. Don’t wait. The time is the first week of your starting your college. It can’t wait for the last year or the last semester. 

Remember, Rabbit was the one who did the waiting. And eventually reported to the tortoise for all his life.

— The writer is Chief Mentor, Maven