Beginnings

2011-07-09T23:28:00.144+08:00

SHOULD you put to work what you're already good at, or should you love what you're doing because eventually you'll be good at it?

Both ways could actually work. Do what you love--that's the common advice--so that you would always have the drive to succeed. Whatever you wanted to do for the rest of your life, choose something that's aligned to your your values, something that you are passionate about because you see its meaning to yourself and other people. When you commit to doing that over and over, you also get better and better everyday. You win. You feel good about yourself for making something happen--and the more you love what you do.

Steve Jobs, the man who has greatly influenced me in the way I look at work, spoke to the graduates of Stanford University:

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

Quite true. About two and a half years ago, I was trapped in a dilemma of whether to continue engineering or pursue a career in the call center. Applying what I learned in the classroom, I re-examined my strengths, and weaknesses while looking at the opportunities and threat. Right, the ever popular SWOT. It worked for me. Only then was I able to clarify to myself what I am good and bad at, and what I really love and hate doing! I wanted to write and speak English. I wanted to make presentations and face an audience. I wanted to teach. Right there and then, I knew what I wanted!

The decision needed a bold heart to move on. I had to leave behind the calculus and physics I learned in university, dispose of the heaps of readings I have accumulated over the years, clear my thoughts, and bravely start a new career. Day 1 at work, I promised myself that I'd be a trainer within a year. I was focused in everything I did and I was open about my plans to my supervisors. When I got the job, I came to understand that training was rather different from what I thought it was--talking in front of a class and giving exams and exercises to make sure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for their jobs. The job and the responsibility that comes with it is no piece of cake. At times, there were challenges. But my desire to learn and the resolve to succeed saw me through every step of the way.

You think you'd like to be a trainer, don't you? It's gotta start somewhere--what you're good at, and what you love doing.

Photo Credit | Hugh Macleod, http://gapingvoid.com/

The Trainer's Pad

Beginnings