What advice can you give your juniors who have just joined college?
Rather than 'advice', here are 10 guiding questions, and some common myths to avoid:Everybody knows "What I study is not what's important in real life". But do you know what is? Find it out. Be curious.Until then, do justice to whatever you take up. Studies, partying or otherwise. Commitment. Am I confusing 'being cool' with 'being lazy'? Lazy folks find excuses to avoid all work. Cool people do work that makes an impact on others. At 21, playing the guitar might make a bigger impact than scoring good marks. So be it! But then, work your ass off on learning the guitar. Maximize impact.Do not fall for the 'KTs are common in engineering' myth if you are in an Indian engineering college. Read Are KTs inevitable in Engineering? Learn from failure, don't justify itIt is not about "How much better my professors, college, system, university could be!" It is about "What are you doing to make the best out of them?" Care more about your life, not their's.Do not worry about 'What am I doing? Will it help my career?'. Just think 'Am I doing something productive?' This might vary from (genuinely) learning a favourite subject, or the guitar, organizing a festival, traveling to new places - take your pick. Have enriching fun.If you want to gauge your potential for "success" in the real world, don't ask "How many people like me?". Ask 'How many people reach out to me for help?" Learn to be useful. Picking up skills is easy. Building trust is not.Do not be ashamed of failing, as long as you were busy trying to succeed in something else(that mattered more to you) Fail proudly.Do stuff you have not done before. This is not about having a good experience. It is about overcoming the mind's habit to fear new experience. Friends usually do not judge you. Learn a new art, speak on stage, ask that person on a date. Practice stepping out of the comfort zone. Realize that everybody is as lost as you are. Majority is not always right. Do not take the easy way because "That's the way it works!" Think for yourself. If you still lose your way and end up doing nothing of the above, do not ask "Oh my God, how can I get back the years I wasted?". Just ask "Will I stop wasting my years now?"For career success related skills, read Vijayraj Kamat (विजयराज कामत)'s answer to What is lacking in Indian graduates in terms of skills, and what solution do you suggest?
Trying out for dance team with No experience?
So next year I'll be a freshman and I'm trying out for the dance team dancing is something I love but I never took a dance class before and tryouts are next week I'm just worried that if I tryout I might not make it. I'm stretching everyday . I'm not taking no for an answer any tips
How can I get a job with no experience?
I'm twenty years old, currently out of college for this year, and trying to get a job in retail, sales, or customer service. I have minimal experience in retail. My most recent job was being bar staff at some nightclubs for 2 years. I'd work at night and go to college during the day. This past year I started up a buy-repair-and-sell business out of my home and was able to make $8,000 out of my basement. I mostly sell appliances/electronics. This is what's really got me wanting to pursue sales as I KNOW I have some skills. However I haven't put it on my resume because I don't have a business name/registered. Almost every job I get interested in requires X amount of years experience, owned transportation, or even a degree. I cannot believe how there are entry level jobs, which pay minimum wage, require to have some kind of business degree. I'm trying to make a transition out of the nightclub/service industry so I can make use of my skills for a better and more rewarding job for a year or two before I go back to school. Then I can work part time while in school. Now that most job applications are online, I can't even get an interview to really sell myself to potential employers. What do I do?
What are some good jobs for people without college degrees?
That’s a topic that will never run dry. Let me ask you another question though. What is the best job for someone who does have a college degree?The answer is the same for both questions - there is no ‘best’ job. Actually, in most cases, you can end up doing the same job as someone with a degree. Of course, we aren’t talking about doctors, lawyers, natural sciences professionals, and other professions that require years of serious dedication in order to master that particular skill set.Everything else, including software development, design, project management, writing, photographing, business development, and like 90% of other jobs, require ONLY your willingness to continually invest in your knowledge and persistence to push forward no matter what. College degree in those cases doesn’t really mean anything if you can’t back it up with your knowledge.I helped hundreds of professionals move up on a career ladder, and there were plenty of those in executive level roles that dropped out of college simply due to opportunity cost.Reason?They were moving more quickly in building their knowledge and skill sets on their own than they were receiving from college programs.We live in a gig economy these days, and most people are having a hard time realizing that fact. Universities are still preparing their students for full-time jobs when they graduate, and since it’s only natural to trust that kind of authority, students are unknowingly becoming prepared to live in a society that is ceasing to exist. Once their college days end, so it will their comfort zone.Unlike those students, you can adapt to the situation more quickly and start working in line with latest industry trends. There’s a plethora of free courses on Coursera, edX and other similar platforms. At least in the 21th century, the knowledge is truly free and available to anyone, so there are no excuses not to learn and grow in whatever you love doing.Don’t be afraid to pursue your goals, and don’t let anyone put you down only because you chose a different road for yourself. I did it as well, and I have no regrets whatsoever.