Skip to main content

Careers and hobbies

I was one of those kids who didn’t think too much about career while studying. Things just happened. I completed my 12th and for a majority of Indians, there are two popular choices - medicine or engineering. Hospitals and diseases give me the fright and it was a no-brainer for me to opt for engineering. I graduated at a time when software industry was booming and happened to get picked up by a well known software company. So, like most of the city dwelling Indians, I started my software career and continue to work in the IT industry.

If things just happen to you and you like what is happening, you are lucky. I am not one of those lucky people. My job is just that – a job. And, now that I am a lot more mature, I think about what profession I would have possibly enjoyed. A couple of careers that I envy – writers, hosts of travel shows, restaurateurs, food critics, movie critics, book reviewers.

But, grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I happened to read an article recently by a movie critic about his work. He writes that he has stopped watching movies for the pure fun of it. When he watches a movie, it is to look at the screenplay, editing, acting and the many aspects that go into a movie that will help him give a meaningful critique. Put like that, it looked to me like any other job. Another writer whose newspaper articles I enjoy wrote recently in her articles about the infamous “writers block” and how this has seriously affected her career. All this makes me wonder – when a hobby turns into a profession, does it stop being fun?

Comments

Manoj R said…
Hobby is something that you pursue without others influence. You are not bothered about the business achievements of your hobbies. Once the hobby turns in to a profession, your thoughts and actions are restricted to different business parameters. Chances are rare that an individual enjoy his/her hobby as a career while he/she works for others.

On the other side, you can enjoy any career if you set goals that are not contradictory or competitive with others goals. Example, if you set your career goal to be helping your colleagues in their career path, there are maximum chances that you will enjoy your career. Ever tried?
3 June 2010 at 11:17
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What you see is what you get

Back in my childhood days in the eighties, Television was a luxury only the rich could afford. Good quality TVs were generally imported from Singapore which was the electronics haven in those days. Singapore flight passengers could be seen, surrounded by a minimum of 4-5 huge boxes, standing in long queues to clear customs at the airport. There were also the Desi brands – the Dyanoras and the Solidaires that were owned by people who couldn’t afford a trip to Singapore to get a international brand TV. In my small hometown, there were only two TVs for the entire neighborhood and the Indian government controlled Doordarshan was the emperor of the TV world. TV antennas would literally reach the sky. We would be especially friendly with the kids from these houses in order to wheedle an invitation to watch some TV. Returning home from school, I would dump my school bag on the bed, quickly change out of the school uniform, drink the dreaded milk and gathering all other friends, run to meet my...
6 comments
Read more

Harassed by the Traffic Inspector

Around a week back, my friend and I had a strange encounter with the traffic police. It would have been almost funny had it not been for the Policeman’s serious disregard for the welfare of the commuters. It was around 8 pm in the evening, a busy day, as is the case on all weekdays, with lots of traffic. I was driving back home from work. A friend was with me and we had just passed Krumbigal Road when we were asked to pull over by the Traffic police at the junction of Krumbigal Road and RV Road. This junction – Siddaiah Circle/Lalbagh West Gate circle does not have traffic lights and there is a traffic police regulating traffic. When I was asked to pull over, I thought it was for a routine check of my driver’s license, car insurance and other documents. The traffic inspector’s assistant asked to look at my license and when I gave it to him, he asked me to get down and talk to the traffic inspector. When I walked over to talk to him, he asked me, without any preamble, if I would pay...
4 comments
Read more

Are we as unswayed by advertisements as we think……

I am as annoying in complaining about the advertisements in the middle of interesting programs on TV as the ads are in annoying me. Have you ever said to yourself “There is nothing more annoying than a soft drink ad in the middle of my favorite game of cricket or a gripping movie or TV series”. Whenever I see these ads, I swear I will never buy that product. But, when I think about it, ultimately, I think Marketers do manage to “pull a fast one” on me and achieve their purpose by exerting exactly the kind of influence that I think I am wise to. I think I understand why these ads work on most of us. The market is now flooded with numerous brands. When you go shopping for a product, you will most likely see a whole range of brands that would leave anyone baffled. You know a couple of these brands from TV. Human nature being the way it is, you would like to appear informed. You would want to feel happy about your purchase. You would like to feel that you know yourself best and that you ...
3 comments
Read more