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10 years ago, when Bunny from ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ said, “Mai kabhi rukna nahi chahta, Naina”, all of us felt it. It was our initial brush with one of those whose life revolved around their glamorous, quirky job – their ultimate dream. But do dream jobs really exist? Or are they a fantasy only meant for TV screens? Should getting a ‘dream job’ be the ultimate endgame of our life? Let’s find out.

Imagine waking up in a new country every day, meeting new people every time and all of that because of your job! What a dream! Anybody would want it. But sadly, none of it’s true.

When we talk about ‘dream jobs’ today, the conversation automatically takes itself to the ‘creative professions’ – a cinematographer, an independent musician or even a travel photographer, like Bunny. It’s bizarre how we think about the ‘dream job’ aka the job that would give the ultimate happiness and satisfaction. An ideal job for us then looks like something outside the ‘boring 9 to 5 routine’, something that gives your life ‘raftaar and pagalpan’ (in Bunny’s words), so that everyday seems like a mystery, an adventure, a rush of adrenaline and presents itself with unusual surprises. All of this sounds glamorous, anybody would fall for it. And this is exactly where the toxic narrative of fantasizing a dream job begins.

Much like the idea of a ‘dream school’ (“my life is worth it only if I get into Harvard”), the idea of a dream job grabs many. We are constantly on the rush to be different, to be unique, to do something outside the box. The ‘motivational’ posters of “only dead fishes go with the flow” or “The road less taken” by Robert Frost scream to us. Doing something ordinary seems like a criminal offence, you are officially branded as a sell-out in the society. Try telling your friends that you dream about nothing besides a 9 to 5 job with your briefcase and filling your boring accounts sheet and…ugh, it’s so dull that I can’t describe it any further. Exactly. That is what is deemed of mundane things.

But then the question arises, what’s wrong with wanting ordinary things? Does life always have to have an extraordinary purpose?

Think about it: A job that is secure, with a proper and adequate salary, with health insurance and that sustains you through the day or a job with no defined hours, meagre pay with no security of sustenance and you could be fired any day. Sadly, the narrative of a dream job has been woven in such a way today that we tend to overlook all the downsides that come with this ideal job. Even though Bunny might be having the time of his life exploring restaurants in Portugal and sipping wine in Paris, at the end of the day, he comes home to an empty hotel room, exhausted through his bones and overworked. But he has quite a sustainable income, you might say. Well, fiction and reality differ, after all. * Winks *

This is also quite a prominent thing that is wrong with the creative industries. They paint a picture of being an industry ‘run by passion’ and ‘doing what you love’ and tend to exploit this same ‘passion’ of people by overworking them. All the sayings like, ‘when you love your work, it never feels like you are working’. All bullsh*t. One fine Tuesday afternoon, after you have been overburdened with tons of job assignments for months, leaving you no time to even have lunch or call your loved ones and not enough income to clear your rent dues, you are going to snap. That dream job ain’t gonna look so dreamy anymore.

But is this all about money? Does capitalism matter over our passions? Not really, but it stealthily creeps into your ‘ideal job’ as well. Imagine working day and night for your ‘passion’ and investing all your sweat and tears into it. Initially, it gives you a sense of satisfaction, of fulfilment. You have something to defend your job at your friend’s party (provided you get the time to attend those because Bunny won’t), “My work fulfils me from within, so what if the pay is less?” But ultimately, you start to wear out. Sometimes, you do not want to wake up in a new city every day. Some days, you just want to cuddle up in your bed, listening to the familiar sounds of the dishwasher at your home, in your home town.

And this brings us to another aspect wrong with this ‘dream job’ and even Bunny mentions it. “Naina, mai kabhi rukna nahi chahta” but Bunny, dream jobs are such wo tumhe rukne bhi nahi dete. That is how the industry runs. Mental health breaks are considered invalid under these settings. What do you mean you need a break from the thing you ‘love’? The only thing that gives you happiness in your life is giving you problems as well? It might sound bizarre, but yes sir, it’s true. Your so-called passion or your ‘monetized hobby’ can give you trouble. Because, essentially, it ain’t a hobby anymore but another cog in the capitalistic wheel that has hypnotized you with its so-called glamour. And hence, ‘rukna’ becomes a non-existent concept in this industry- you work despite how you are feeling because your so-called passionate work will cure and heal you. That’s how they advertise themselves, at least.

And hence, you and me were so easily mesmerized by Bunny’s life back then. Who needs friends and family when your job is already so fun? Well, another major red flag of this dream job narrative. This job asks you to compromise everything, your friends who stood by you for years, your family that hasn’t seen you in ages or the girl you wanted to marry. All of it, for the ‘raftaar’ and the ‘pagalpaan’.

Yes, ordinary life, wanting simple things or ‘dal chawal’ might sound incessantly dull but life often balances itself out. Bunny might be living his ‘udna, daudna, girna’ life but at the end of the day, he comes back home to a cold hotel room, has no clue what his friends and family are doing back in India and hasn’t felt the walls of his childhood home in years. Contrastingly, Naina has a so-called dull and boring job but comes home to a warm family, home-cooked meals and people to lend her a shoulder when she needs it.

Even though it might sound like it, I’m not trying to invalidate having a passion or an ambition. Sure, passions and ambitions are important. They are what keep us going. But it’s also important to sometimes pause, stand back and question the system, wipe your lens and figure out the labels – what is dull and what is glamorous, what is real, what is unreal. And sometimes, to say to yourself that although mai udna, daudna, girna chahta hu; rukna is also important and a part of life, even in your ‘dream job’.

Featured Image Credits: Google Images (iDiva)

Read Also: A Lost Cause: A Testimony to Dying Jobs

Priyanka Mukherjee

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The placement season in the University of Delhi (DU) is a period of adrenaline rushes and great havoc. After shedding sweat and efforts of three years, the students have passed with flying colours as top recruiters visit the campuses of one of India’s premier universities.

The highest package, this year was provided to a student of B.A. Economics (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram (LSR). The student received an offer of INR 38 Lakh per annum, which is a Rs. 1 lakh per annum increase from last year’s highest package offered, which was INR 37 Lakh per annum. A total of 127 students were placed this season with more than a hundred companies with stellar companies like BCN, EY, ICICI, KPMG, Schoogle among the many, this placement season.

Students from LSR, St. Stephen’s College and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) are usually the top performers, with respect to packages offered. B.A. Economics (Hons), B.Com. (Hons) and B.A. Statistics (Hons) continue to be the most sought after degrees by companies. Highest offers have increased, and so have the average salaries offered.

A B.A. Economics (Hons) student from St. Stephen’s, Nitish Korada bagged a package of Rs. 31 Lakh per annum, from consultation firm Ernst and Young-Parthenon. St Stephen’s College has seen an increase of INR 12 Lakh per annum, from the highest salary being 19 Lakh per annum last year. At SRCC, a B.Com. (Hons) student has been offered a package of Rs 31 Lakh per annnum from EY-Parthenon. At Hindu College, the highest offer witnessed an increase from Rs 29 lakh last year to INR 31 lakh this year.

While colleges like Hansraj College received packages shooting to Rs 31 Lakh per annum with companies like Macquarie Global Services, Deloitte USI, Deloitte India, ICICI bank, Outgrow, Boston Consulting Group among the many coming for campus placements. The average package rose to 5.5 LPA as compared to 5 LPA in the previous session. An impressive number of 168 students have already been placed out of a total of 220 applicants, with the most popular job profile offered in this placement cycle was of Business and Financial Analyst

Ramjas College saw the highest package worth INR 21 Lakh per annum with companies like TresVista, PWC, Decathlon, Growisto, BCG,  Zee Media, Tata Consultancy services, ITC Group, and EY being some of the companies out of the total 32 companies that visited the campus this placement season.

Maitreyi College saw a 100% hike in the highest placement, which is Rs 12 Lakh per annum as compared to INR 6 Lakh per annum in the previous season. They conducted their very first Placement & Internship Fair which saw a participation of almost 600 students in the fair. Over 50 companies provided internship opportunities to the students in a multitude of profiles ranging from digital marketing, content writing, graphic designing, business development, finance, blogging, teaching, volunteering, and research. The stipend ranges from INR 3,000-15,000.

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College saw highest packages worth INR 6 Lakh per annum with companies like McKinsey, S&P Global, L&T Construction, Red Carpet, Six Red Marbles, Just Dial, Life Easy, Jaro education, Decathlon, EY India among the many, with around 128 students being placed into the 37 companies that came this placement season.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College saw highest salaries at INR 9 Lakh per annum with companies like Egon, Byjus, Patent Yogi, Smith and Drucker, Eigo, Paathshaala, etc. recruiting students from all fields of study.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi received of 10 LPA and an average package of 4.5 LPA. Companies like PayTM, Dell, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, Wipro (Computer Science scholar program), Byju (Computer Science Associate), Zycus, Deloitte (Computer Science Associate) and CVent came to the campus.

It is observed the most generous packages have been offered in the consultation field, which attracts many young students aspiring to carve a niche for themselves in the corporate world. Top Companies also look for Extra Curricular activities, Social Work, Analytical and Logical abilities and communication skills, apart from good grades.

Following are some statistics that explain the colleges with the highest placements.

College Highest Placement [Rs] Average Placement [Rs] No. of companies visited that  campus this placement season Number of students that were placed this year
LSR 37.8 Lakh per annum 8.9 Lakh per annum >100 127
Hansraj 31 Lakh per annum 5.5 Lakh per annum 70 168
Ramjas 21 Lakh per annum 4 Lakh per annum 36 80
SBSC 20 Lakh per annum 4.89 Lakh per annum 20 160
 Maitreyi 12 Lakh per annum 4 Lakh per annum 7 62
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa 6 Lakh per annum 3.5 Lakh per annum 45 128
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa 9 Lakh per annum 4.77 Lakh per annum 48 66

DU Beat congratulates all students for their extraordinary achievements.

Image credits: Debaangshu Sen for DU Beat

Avnika Chhikara

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Antriksha Pathania

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Shreya Agrawal

[email protected]

 

What becomes of you outside the college gates should not be decided by your neighbour and other Sharmajis. We bring you five choices your relatives never thought could pay your bills.

It is the time for board examinations, and the time for graduations. DJ rightly said in Rang De Basanti, that the life beyond the gates of the school is an entirely different, perhaps more cruel one. The one factor to making it seem less cruel, and in fact enjoyable, is to choose a profession that makes you hate Mondays a tad less. Here are five offbeat career prospects that have the power to make you rich, content, or both:

1. Cartoon making: So Many of the world’s artists spend their entire lives with their heads stuck in a math problem, when they would much rather use the last page for a sketch of Mr. Bean. It is time to make money from your “hobby”. Every acclaimed newspaper and magazine has a dedicated space for cartoons nowadays, while television and movies provide more possibilities to your love and skill for doodling. Asian Academy of Film and Television, National Institute of Design, and National Institute of Fashion Technology are only some of the excellent institutes to hone the skills needed to cut it in this profession.

2. Pet Grooming: As a student of the University of Delhi, you must have become accustomed to having dogs and cats enter your vicinity at any time. If you enjoy petting them more than you love engaging with humans then, there is a future in it for you. It requires patience, and an understanding of the needs of those who cannot express themselves in words. There are no essential qualifications for this profession, but it requires immense skill and hard work. To grow further over the years, you can start a pet salon or a pet cafe, and work with organisations like PETA as well.

3. Rural Studies: If you are one of those people who find the lack of attention given to the 70% of the population of the country, residing in the rural areas, appalling, then there is an excellent opportunity in the field of rural studies for you. You can work with NGOs, the government, or open a business of your own, focussing on the area that interests you the most. There are Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees offered in this course at colleges in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

4. Museology: The main reason to pursue this is, of course, the “I dig you” memes. The other important reason is your passion for something considered atrociously boring by the science-inclined population of the nation, i.e. history. Study museums, their significance, and the stories of the past with this career. University of Calcutta and National Museum Institute of History of Arts, offer the best programmes for this opportunity.

5. Bartending: There are careers that are fun, and then there are jobs which make everybody envious. Bartending is a profession that has been around for a long time, but it is only in the recent past that its mainstream value in making money has been realised. If you enjoy listening to people’s drunk break-up stories, and have a love for alcoholic drinks, then this job is for you. You should be a graduate in any subject, if you want to be hired by high-end bars. A knowledge of alcohol, and preferably a diploma is appreciated for this career. Indian Institute of Bartending (Chennai), B’Mann School of Bartending (Chennai), Liquid Art Bartending School (Hyderabad), and Institute of Bar Operations and Management (New Delhi) are the best institutes to acquire a degree for the profession.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Monster 

Anushree Joshi

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The most threatening sword of Damocles that hangs above all of our heads today is a two lettered, innocent sounding word ‘CV’. It appears as if one step in the wrong direction will jeopardise one’s future forever. It’s a weighty word though, inspite of the ease with which it can be spelt and said. Say it aloud among a group of college-goers and the atmosphere will be mixed- a pall of gloom on the side of those who feel like their all-important two page document is filled with exaggerated achievements in a painting competition at school, and jubilation and smugness on the side of those who have done eight internships, presented six research papers and published ten. The future is quite secure now, isn’t it? After all, isn’t that what they said? A good, long CV will get me a good job, and a good job means good money and a good life.

We spend our college lives, putting together that document-line by precious line. Don’t get me wrong- I am not saying your CV is not important or advocating rebellion against the established order of things. It definitely is a significant document, both in terms of higher education and employment.

But it’s time we watched what really goes into it. Doing an internship merely because it may add another fancy line to your CV is both redundant and a waste of your time. That piece of paper is meant to be a record of your dedication towards your goals and the ability to work towards them. Therefore, the number of internships you have done and research papers you have published will matter very little if you cannot identify your goals and justify your choices. Saying I interned with XYZ organisation because I wanted another line on my CV is certainly not an option.

Thus, building a CV should not be the only motivation to do anything in college- be it an internship, volunteering with an NGO, or publishing articles and research papers. College, after all, is the perfect opportunity to discover yourself, identify your interests and then pursue them as a career option or course for further education.

Image credits: www.global-workplace.com

Abhinaya Harigovind

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I still remember my teachers in school detailing some horrifying instances of happens when you step out into the “real-world” where you’re no longer sheltered and where you’d need to fend for yourself. Despite our worries, our lives in college turned out just fine. While there was freedom to pursue our interests there also existed a security net for us if we failed.

However, as graduation approaches, the thought of stepping out into the ‘actual real-world’ seems daunting. There will be no teachers looking out for our interests or professors grading us on our answer sheets. We’d all have to, eventually, wear our adult pants and begin the terrifying process of becoming a self-sufficient adult. No matter how efficient you are at procrastinating, life post-graduation is nearing.

Yes, it’s time to become a real-life employed adult. Here our tips to help you ease into this frightening process!

1. Craft a Resume

 

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The first step to the long and tiresome process of securing a job is to build a resume of your accomplishments, talents and internships you might have pursued in college You can start by skimming through some formats, and then continue listing your most recent achievements.You can refer to our guide to slaying your resume, here.

  1. Stalk your college’s Placement cell

stalk placement cell

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always stay updated with information about the upcoming placement sessions in your college. Don’t be afraid to ask your advisors to skim through your resume. They might not be experts in finding jobs for you, but they might just guide you towards your path to a successful employment.

  1. Look for job postings online

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Don’t just rely on your placement cells for availing job opportunities. You can also look for job postings online on portals like monsterindia.com and Naukri.com. Go to the websites of companies you’re interested in and search for anything that says “hiring,” “jobs” or “careers” (or it might just be surrounded by a mystical glow and flashing money signs). If you do come across something you’re interested in, all you would have to do is fill an online form and attach a resume and submit it.

  1. Create a LinkedIn profile

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When you’re looking for jobs online, LinkedIn is a good place to start. The platform helps you connect with people who have the same interests as you and it enables you in growing your network. Once you have an actual profile, you can highlight your key achievements and start branching out to build connections with people. You can read more about navigating LinkedIn to jumpstart your career, here.

  1. Call and follow up

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Whether it’s your career guidance cell or a mentor from LinkedIn, always make sure to follow up with them. If you asked someone on LinkedIn to go through your resume and they reverted with their recommendations, compile them and get back to them with a revised version of your resume. Connect with hiring managers and keep in touch with them for future job postings. Try to make an unforgettable impression so you can be remembered and you could be one step closer to employment.

To avoid being known as “that annoying kid that keeps calling,” it’s important to know when you should call. When everything fails use your own judgement.

 

While following these tips might prepare you for the roller-coaster ride mentally, nothing can truly prepare us for what lies ahead. Inevitably, for better or for worse, we will prioritize our lives differently. But no matter what happens or what we end up doing, may we always remember that it will be totally legit to still hate Mondays!

Image Credits: giphy.com

Feature Image Credits: quotesgram.com

 

Surbhi Arora

[email protected]

 

Be it financial constraints back home or the want to fulfil material dreams, dearth of money can play a significant part. In a scenario where many organisations commit to irregular stipend, it is tedious to find an organisation or for that matter an area that promises decent and regular payment and an environment that is exploitation free. Here are areas where you can easily come across such organisations:

  1. Content Writing

If one does enough research in finding an ideal organisation, there can’t be anything better, but if not, there can’t be anything worse. The best thing about this area is that it entertains every discipline and is diverse. While looking for an organisation that offers content writing, make sure that the organisation:

  1. Offers contract letter stating all the terms and conditions at the time of appointment.
  2. Puts the appointees on probation in the beginning.
  3. Pays you per article but not per word.
  4. Matches your area of interest.
  5. Has flexible members.

 

  1. Tour Guide

There are many tour agencies active online that allow for one to be a freelance tour guide. These organisations don’t have professional tour guides but individuals who have passion for the areas that they take tours in. Individuals also get the opportunity to meet new people including foreigners. People who are interested in art, photography, culture, music and history can try this avenue.

 

  1. Restaurants

Working at corporations like Mcdonald’s , KFC or Domino’s is the safest in terms of job security. These organisations pay hourly and also offer a free meal to its employees every day. Employees are also given insurance and health coverage. Most of the restaurants entertain part timers as well.

 

  1. Giving subtitles to movies

This online based job allows one to use his/her lingual capacities to the best. The need for people who can give English or Hindi subtitles to English, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali or Tamil movies is immense. One gets paid per movie. However, one needs to be careful of the unorganised nature of this sector.

 

  1. Internships

While one looks for a paid internship, she needs to also look at the scope of personal development. If, in the name of marketing, an organisation asks you to share an application with ten of your friends, then that accounts to exploitation and deterioration of the self. One needs to look for internships that are free of exploitative elements, isn’t pressurising and pays well.

 

For every third year student, the next few months are bound to be hard. Most of them are stuck in a dilemma about whether to pursue their Master’s degree or take up a job. This decision is critical as well as highly difficult. Adding to that, this decision is extremely subjective as well. Here are a few points that’ll help you decide:

 

  • Corporate Firms and MBA

It is common for commerce students to look for a job right after their graduation. There are certain reasons behind it. Some do it for work experience before doing an MBA, some enjoy working and they never do an MBA and some start their own businesses. For people working so that they can get some significant experience on their resume, their choice is stable (provided their resume is strong) and it will help their employability after their studies. Some IIMs demand work experience during interviews. For people who end up never doing a Master’s degree, things can be dodgy, unless they have the ability to reach to the top positions in a firm. But there is quick money if this is the choice.

 

  • Academics

In case someone is interested in an academic profile, a Master’s is a must. It is better to complete a Master’s course as early as possible. This is primarily because qualifying tests for academics such as NET and JRF are only open up to a certain age. Adding to that, one will not be eligible to teach unless they have a Masters degree.

 

  • Civil Services

This is a pretty subjective area. For people looking for State level exams and General Services, a graduation is sufficient for applying for a civil services exam. However in case someone is inclined to apply for an IES or ISS profile they require a Master’s degree in Economics or Statistics. Hence a Master’s is a better option in this case.

 

  • Civil Society

This is also a pretty subjective field. The profiles here are very vast. Every profile requires a certain qualification. For high level research openings a Master’s is definitely required. However for a data entry or survey position a graduation degree is generally sufficient but it depends on the organization.

 

  • For Scientific Research

This is quite obvious. A Master’s degree is necessary to pursue a career in scientific research, preferably followed by a PHD.

 

Ishaan Sengupta
[email protected]

The dynamics of landing your dream job have changed drastically. Earlier, to land that perfect job, you were only required to show up for an interview with a printed resume. But now, even bagging that interview has become highly competitive. In an increasingly difficult job market, any edge you have over your peers, technical or otherwise, will help you distinguish yourself from the rest. Companies are always looking for employees who are willing to take an extra step, a tad bit more initiative than their peers. And in a highly advanced job market like this, a thorough research about the company and their job profile is imperative. LinkedIn provides the perfect platform encouraging its users to strategically network.

Apart from connecting a user to potential employers, LinkedIn is the leading provider of various services. From University finder to job openings, this social media platform offers a lot of services to engage its users effectively. Plus, it helps a user establish their personal brand. With innumerable advantages as these, I am surprised LinkedIn still goes unnoticed. LinkedIn is truly your link to career growth and advancement. Here’s why:

  1. LinkedIn is your online resume

    An effective LinkedIn profile is a preferred means of shortlisting candidates over going through tons of hardcopies of resumes. You can continue updating your profile as and when you acquire a new experience/skill and a potential employer can learn about it in real time. Any interview you give, chances are the companies will surf through your social media presence before delivering the final verdict. A profile on LinkedIn, if correctly edited, can help you get past those glassdoors.

  2. LinkedIn helps you connect with people with similar career trajectories

    with a plethora of career choices to choose from, a little help from an experienced professional can go a long way. With Directors, Partners and Managers of huge companies on LinkedIn, a user has a chance to directly contact the employees of a particular company. You can also constantly update your “Interests” column and meet like-minded people and exchange your view points with them. With a similar user interface as Facebook, LinkedIn is also easy to use and understand. And you can connect and network with important people easily. LinkedIn is slowly, but surely, becoming an effective platform to build mentor relations with professionals. If that’s not incentive enough to create a profile on LinkedIn, I don’t know what is.

    In addition, you can also learn of job vacancies and volunteer opportunities before most people do if you keep in touch with your network. Interested employers also contact you regarding job offers, hence increasing the multitude of job opportunities for you.

  3. You can shortlist Universities and create personal websites for free

    There’s no denying the fact that a positive social media presence not only helps increase your visibility, but it also helps you connect with your employers directly, before and after the job experience. Many people opt for jazzy, personalised websites for themselves, but chances are these might just cost a lot. LinkedIn provides its users the platform to create user-friendly, free of cost branded.me websites by converting the user’s profile into a customised website in a span of two minutes.

    As per their database, LinkedIn also helps a user to shortlist universities and colleges for further studies based on the company they want to work for and the location the user would prefer, hence helping a them make the right career choice.

  4. LinkedIn is the ultimate platform to stay connected and network with people

    Companies are always looking for employees who are self-starters and people who are motivated and enthusiastic. Exactly the kind of skills you can list in the “Skills” section of your profile. From Microsoft excel to Financial forecasting, you can list whatever experience you have and explain how you applied an existing skill in a professional environment. A user can list ‘Projects’ that they undertook in college or in a job as well. I know it seems frivolous at times, but it is essentially important to convince a potential employer of your worth. And LinkedIn is a far simpler way in order to do just that.

LinkedIn is an effective way to advance your career not only because you can connect to thought leaders, think tanks, corporates and professionals and seek professional help whenever required but also because it gives you the freedom to build your personal brand. And it helps you leverage and capitalise on this personal brand and move towards the right career path. You can aid your peers, endorse them and ask for recommendations in real time. You never know who might stumble around your profile. If you haven’t updates it in a while, you should definitely go do it. And if you don’t have a profile yet, what’s the hold up?

Image credits: www.colby.edu

Surbhi Arora

[email protected]