Career in one’s life is an important milestone and specially in Bhutanese context, we hardly choose a career that we love or are passionate about. That’s because even after choosing a subject and course that we like and are interested, we often end up doing another work completely off the course. That’s why I often say that in Bhutan often an opportunity dictates what kind of career one chooses. But that’s just one sided story. What is more relevant and important is how we choose to be contented with the grabbed opportunity as your career, how we adjust, how we find ways to like and love for it’s gonna stay with us for sometime, until at least some thirty years down the line.
In Bhutan most of our young people choose career based on what kind of opportunity and scope a course has in store, not necessarily based on what interests them and perhaps that’s why we have business students taking administration works while engineers end up taking human resource works. There is huge mismatch of knowledge and skills with the actual job. I did B- Tech electronics and communication engineering and ended up pursuing an aviation engineering. As young class XII graduate deciding what course to take was the hardest. And I have had no one who would give me some tips about what course is better at least in Bhutanese context. I actually liked some course in hotel management but that had hardly a place in government job which is everybody’s top priority. So After vigorous thinking I decided to take Electronics and Communication engineering with the hope that I would land up in the government job. Also to me the course was new in Bhutan (no course was started at CST) which means less competition. But you know what after four years, it was devastating when the Royal Civil Service announced just one slot. Frankly speaking I almost ended up getting depression. Being from humble and hand-to-mouth family and being the eldest sibling, I really needed to get job so that I have something in return after about seventeen years of study. My parents have suffered and sacrificed so much for the sake of my education although the royal government of Bhutan is gracious enough to provide free education. . So that’s when I decided to apply which ever the company floated vacancy announcements that fulfilled my qualification. It didn’t matter if I was interested or not. And that’s how Drukair Corporation Ltd came into rescue. People discouraged me saying like Drukair corporation is full of corruption and commoners have little or no chance. Fortunately of unfortunately, I got selected five years ago and here I am. Thank you Drukair corporation.
Having to learn all new, almost a complete deviation from what you learnt is an interesting and challenging one. But knowing the basics is all that is required. Aviation is a vast but beautiful and interesting subject. Every time a plane takes off and lands, see different people admiring our beautiful landscapes, you have that special feeling of pride and satisfaction for you are part of it as well. You feel motivated to work even harder.
However just like all that glitters aren’t gold, not all of your choices are satisfying. Despite being part of an organization that values safety, security and service the top notch priority, there are also circumstances where you are being drag down, moments that often pose questions to yourself like if the choice you made isn’t wrong? When the path you have taken suddenly gets obstructed and become stagnant, you have no other option but to tread back and ask yourself if the decision you made was wise enough? How do you mend? How do you revive all that zeal and urges you had on the very first day? It’s hard when the source of motivation becomes instead a hurdle, when the clear judgment of yours suddenly gets clouded by doubt and suspicions; when destination once you saw near suddenly gets distanced and much further to reach; when the persons you have had so much respect suddenly changes and you have little or no faith; when the conducive environment suddenly changes to one with chaos and disruptions. Right it’s hard!
While life may not be about how fast you reach the destination but how you journey in between, but then we just have one aim right? To get to that destination and it ought to be reasonable enough, otherwise the very purpose of race and competition is defeated I guess. So please don’t ever tell me about the journey. Life is both about the journey and destination.
So guys make wise choices when it comes to your career. A monthly credit to your account is important, but more than this how you live this life- a happy and satisfying one full of zeal, a contended one is all you gotta consider and your career plays almost 90% of the part I tell you.
