It is often said that after spending a sufficient number of years in a particular career you are bound to see some level of ebb and flow in the industry you are a part of. While experience can be a hard teacher, the payoff is wisdom.
No amount of education or degrees, however stellar they may be can replace the wisdom you gain through experience and time. I have no regrets in admitting that my initial choice of career, which was in Law, was a career ‘that I had to pursue’. But, it was time that made me realise I was ready to move into a career that ‘I want to pursue’; something more fulfilling that resonated with my perception of life while adding joy and value to it.
A Feeling of Void at Work
I graduated from one of the leading and reputed colleges in India with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. Graduating from this field only added to my confusion in choosing a career, as the career outcomes of this subject were not streamlined for you at the time. The obvious career options following the degree were limited – a Journalist, Novelist or Writer. To pursue anything else, one had to build their own career pathway.
Choosing a career is never easy, especially when the path ahead is blurry. However, after many deliberations and conversations with my family over time, my father eventually encouraged me to pursue a career in Law. Intrigued by his suggestion, I was ready to delve into the subject and was genuinely excited about the way forward in this field.
I enrolled in a three-year law degree after my graduation. In my final year of studying law, I was among the fortunate few who were offered a position at a reputed Law firm. This was very motivating especially as Law is a competitive industry, and in India, the supply of qualified lawyers is more than the demand.
I spent a number of years at esteemed law firms in the city and enjoyed my days of practice. But, I still felt a void within. Even though the law practice was lucrative, it was not fulfilling, something was amiss. With time it dawned upon me that I needed to engage myself into a more fulfilling and enriching career path.
Crossing Over the Bridge
While working in law, I was introduced to the “Isha Foundation”, a volunteer-run organisation based in Coimbatore, India that aims to bring physical, mental, and spiritual well-being for everyone. I started volunteering at the Isha Foundation at various levels, some of which included storytelling to children, coordination of events and so on. Working closely with the core team and interacting with the children and adults from all over the world at the NGO truly brought a sense of inner satisfaction that I believe enhanced my life.
This nudged me toward a change in my perspective of life. It is on this journey at Isha, that I discovered I was comfortable connecting with young children. I enjoyed being around them and this made me happy. That is when I began contemplating a switch into Early Childhood Education. The decision was a daunting one – to retire from an extremely lucrative and a commercially viable profession into the unknown – something I had not planned for.
A Journey of Understanding
Having made up my mind to change my career path, I reconnected with Nahida, an old friend who happened to be working in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) at the time. I could call it a miracle or pure luck, that I discovered in her a bank of resources and support. She was one of my guides on this ‘new’ path which I was about to embark upon.
I needed insight and guidance, and Nahida in many ways was a mentor to me. The first step into this journey was to get a qualification, something I had considered for a while. Together we researched courses and programs, and eventually, I enrolled in a full-time Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Podar Jumbo Kids International in Mumbai.
My course gave me in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge into the field of ECE. I was introduced to various theories, philosophies and the pedagogy that could be practically implemented during my internship (which was a part of the course). The internship provided an opportunity to interact with children which in turn gave me an in-depth understanding of their behaviour and deepened my knowledge of the subject.
A Mother, An Educator, A New Beginning…
They say a mother knows it all – but getting qualified in ECE definitely gave me more insight into motherhood as well. The course enabled me to understand the behavioural aspects of my child and in turn, be more mindful of my interactions with him. Having recently graduated from the ECE program, I feel that getting a qualification is of utmost importance if you decide to pursue this career.
My journey only reiterated my belief that with time comes experience and wisdom. I feel the void that was created midway through my professional life is slowly getting filled, and my work life is slowly aligning with my consciousness.
For now, I continue to pursue the path of learning and creating.
