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COVER STORY

CHOOSE THE CAREER

THAT EXCITES YOU

that artificial environment. I later found that solving real

problems and building something around opportunities
I discover is what I’m truly motivated by. Today, I’m
fortunate to say that I have, in fact, found my passion and
By Shantanu Prakash am doing what

grew up in Rourkela Odisha and then subsequently I love — building an enterprise around a set of problems
Delhi where my dad worked for SAIL He taught that I believe need solving.
I me to question everything around me and to take
nothing at face value, He is a creative and intellectual In the interim, I continued to observe people of all ages

man of principals. My mom was a dynamic individual around me struggle with finding a job they love. In
by nature, best expressed by the fact that,if she wanted looking at my own path of getting to do what I love.
something,there was no stopping her. It didn’t matter how
the system worked or what people around her thought or I observed four important lessons
did. She set her own rules.
1. Follow Your Curiosity

These two traits — questioning everything and being Even though you may not have a clear vision for your
unafraid to go after what I want — defined who I am. career, you are probably curious about things which may

or may not be obvious to you. It’s important to follow
I took admission to the Shri Ram College of Commerce, your curiosity and uncover your less obvious interests.
New Delhi when I was 18, I knew that I wasn’t going The reason it’s important is that those interests tap into

to accept an average 9-to-5 as a career. My time had to the unique motivations that separate you from others.
be spent on something big, all-encompassing and long Pursuing them sets you on the path of unlocking who you
term and, most importantly, something I would be really are and your creativity. Frequently, these will be things
passionate about and could really get behind. I set out for that do not appear pragmatic and sometimes may seem
IIM Ahmedabad determined to find my passion. downright perky.

During college days I moved quickly from one subject to A classic example is Steve Jobs’ curiosity for fonts which
the next looking for my passion, taking classes ranging led him to attend a seemingly useless class on typesetting
from Commerce to accountancy finally to Business and to develop his design sensibility. Later, this sensibility

Management. Although learning was always fun, I just became an essential part of Apple computers and Apple’s

couldn’t get sufficiently motivated by academic goals set in core differentiator in the marketplace.

10 | CAREER BEACON | Inaugural Issue | 2019
10 | CAREER BEACON | Inaugural Issue | 2019