Oh please guide me, fair sir! But please do it for FREE.
So I told the father, “…Given your son’s lack of interest in academics, but passion for sports; and the fact that his aptitude shows strong hand-eye coordination; with the fact that he has a personality to do things (action) rather than plan or study for them; I highly recommend that he study Physical Education in his Bachelors. Also, getting into a BA program in Physical Education in Delhi University would be easier as compared to the flagship courses like Economics. This way he gets the DU brand and exposure.
“As he indicated that he loves sports, no matter which. He should start golf. If he starts now, he should be able to enter the pro circles in 7–8 years. I am not saying he will be in the league of Jeev Milkha Singh or Jyoti Randhawa but he might come close.
“Once he completes his bachelors, he should either go for Masters in Physical Education or an MBA in sports management. Of course he has to continue his golf.
“He is an above average soccer player at the school level. The future for soccer in India is not laced with a lot of monetary success. Also the fact that all sports in India will always be overshadowed by cricket, does not make things easier. Golf however is a different story! The golf infrastructure and players in India have been growing at a tremendous pace. Not to mention the fact that even amateur players make quite a comfortable amount in winnings. It is not necessary for you to always end up in the top 10 in a tournament.
“This way he might be able to create a name for himself in golf or he would have plenty of opportunities available to him later. You see, golf is what my father calls an “Executive and Exclusive” game, along with squash to a certain extent. What he means by that is that big powerful decision makers play golf. It is not a hidden fact that so many deals happen on the golf course.
“Your son shall have access to this exclusive network. He might be able to cash in on opportunities which others do not even know about. With his MBA he might be able to open even more doors. he could enter into managing a golf course where he could conduct golfing events. He could become a GM of a golf course by his early 40s; earning a handsome salary, having a network of powerful friends, a luxurious and glamorous work environment, good investment opportunities and all this while doing something he loves…
Birgitte Faber, the principal of Niels Brock International School, Copenhagen, Denmark, looked at me, amazed, and asked “How did you come up with this?”
I replied, “By putting years of research into the Indian education and career space! By the way, do you know how much I charged for this counselling session?”
“How much?” She asked.
“100 kroner which is equivalent to Rs 1000 in India.”
“You are joking, right?! So how did the father respond?”
“He agreed with most of what I recommended. Being a businessman himself, he understood the value of deals and networks. But he just could not digest the fact that his son will be playing golf and not studying engineering or law.”
“You know, here in Denmark, this kind of researched career path study would fetch anywhere between 10000 to 15000 Kroner (Rs 1–1.5 lac).”
The crisp, cold, January wind; the walk around a frigid lake; and this wonderful conversation with Birgitte just reconfirmed a fact that I always knew sub-consciously, ‘We Indians, still do not respect services and do not understand their importance!’
…
If it comes to conventional services like law, accounts and medicine, we do not mind even paying through our nose for them. And since the last fifteen years, we are happy to pay or over pay for the coaching or test prep services.
As a services guy I understand the fact that till the time, we Indians, find a ‘tangible’ return, we do not wish to pay for services. A doctor cures our ailment, the lawyer keeps us protected and the accountant helps us increase our wealth. But when it comes to what one should do in life, we rely on our Family!
India is probably the most diverse country in the world because of our population. It is very different to trust people who do not look like us or talk like us or eat like us. So we rely on our huge extended families for everything. For education and future planning, we rely on our very ‘experienced’ and ‘all-knowledgeable’ teachers and achievers who ultimately push us towards becoming an Engineer or a Doctor.
Last week, I was counselling someone from Habra, a small town in West Bengal. Even though this girl was trusting someone on the internet for her guidance, the first question she asked me was,
“Do you charge for your services? I have found others on the internet, who were asking for money if I needed detailed counselling. I never thought people would charge for something so basic such as telling me which college I should go for.”
I replied, “Ma’am, I do charge for my services but I will charge from the next call onwards. So I would recommend you ask all your questions in this call. In return, I would request you to write a review for me, if you are pleased with my advice.”
Now I did not do this out of the goodness of my heart but because I was curious to understand why she would not pay. She found my advice extremely helpful but did not write the review. This customer behaviour is rude but not because the people are rude but because they are ignorant to services.
Career counsellors are professionals who have studied for their craft. They have experience based on research. They are not here to impart ‘free advice’. They are here to fill a crucial gap in our Education Systems.
We, Indians, need guidance desperately. Not everyone is fit for or needs to become an engineer. We are scouring the internet and calling very distant relatives for help. We are willing to risk our time, efforts and money on an education program or career path which is not at all fit for us. But we would not invest a few thousands in a service which is scientific.
Good guidance can be the difference between happiness or its lack in life. Invest in career guidance, invest in your life.
