So you’ve got yourself a job in the BPO around the corner. You have mon-ey in your pocket and time on your hands. The world is suddenly your oyster. But have you ever asked yourself: What comes next? Is this what you want to do for life? “In India, jobs have traditionally been hard to come by,” says Mumbai-based HR consultant Shashi Rao. “You just took what you got. It’s the same with education. You ran after medicine or engineering, because doctors and engineers made money. There wasn’t the slightest thought about whether it suited you.”

Rao says today’s youth are rather different from their parent’s generation. There are jobs available in abundance. Even if you join a BPO to earn some pocket money, you start thinking about a career sooner or later.

What’s the difference? “A job is defined as a paid occupation, while a career is defined as progressive achievement in professional or business life usually involving a series of jobs during a lifetime,” says M.B. Owens, who heads a career consulting company.

Koon Mei Ching, who writes on career issues, explains, “According to the dictionary, a job is defined as a paid position of employment and something one has to do, a responsibility.” She then goes on to say, “Interestingly enough, the root word for job is an Old English word that means a lump. The reference is to a quantity, a lump of work, so to speak.

“A career, on the other hand, comes from Middle French and stems from an earlier word for car ? and, then, street. So, a career is a path. It is a journey.”

“Career consulting should begin at school,” says Rao. “In our education system, you get straitjacketed into different disciplines while at school itself. That’s at a time when you still don’t know yourself. How can you be expected to make informed choices?” She dismisses the career consulting available today as a sham.

“For most people, the first job is very often an accident,” says HR expert D. Singh. “You apply, apply, apply and join up wherever you get a reply from. That’s fine. But most people are too lazy to rethink whether they have ended up in the right place. The ambitious try for the IIMs. The rest get suckered into believing in the values of loyalty to an organisation.”

When it comes to deciding what career suits you best, there is really nobody to help you but yourself. “The first question you must ask is: Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?” says Rao. “Am I happy, or am I merely satisfied?” Having answered that question, consider your options. If you have worked in a certain sector for any length of time, it is difficult to switch. But one advantage in India today is that new areas are opening up. Take retail or aviation. They are ready to take people from anywhere.

An easier way may be to take a study break. But that’s not for everybody. Most people have financial responsibilities, even from the beginning of their “careers”. Try evening courses instead. But that involves a lot of sacrifice in terms of your social life.

The other problem is that most people find it difficult to decide whether a career would suit them unless they experience it themselves. But there are the obvious dangers in trying out too many career options: you get branded a jobhopper. “There are no easy answers,” says Rao. “Spend some time asking yourself what you really enjoy doing. That’s your career. Then find out if you can get a job in your chosen field. You could be lucky.”

THE WAY OUT OF THE WOODS.

Changing your career is not easy. However, the following steps can help smooth the transition

Research your opportunities: How many positions are available? Is the career you want to pursue within your current geographical area? Would you need to move in order to accomplish your goals?

Determine your requirements: Will your new career afford you the same opportunities that you have now? How will the change affect you and your family on a personal level?

Garner support: Changing from one career to another can be a daunting venture, but it is often easier if you have some support. Take the help of friends and family.

Source: Adapted from A Job vs a Career: Deciding what you really need, by Cynthia A. McMahon, Employment Times.