By the time I am writing this piece, the electronic media are reporting the results of matriculation exams.
There were days when matriculation, intermediate and BA results used to be the lead story of the day. The usual headline would grab the space: “Girl students grab the top three positions”. The news of position holders would follow their interviews. Every position holder wanted to serve ailing humanity by becoming a qualified doctor. Those good at math were full of passion to become an engineer so as to serve the country. The humanities group students only wanted to be CSP officers. Things started heading in better directions with the advent of information technology and the influx of schools offering ‘O’ level and ‘A’ level exams. Now, a student has better education and career choices at home and abroad.
Once a student passes the intermediate/A level exam, they suddenly find themselves in the midst of lots of educational and career planning choices. The expectations of parents, siblings, relatives, friends and teachers confuse them about what to do, what not to do and how to move on.
When I am invited to different universities and conferences, students come to me asking for career planning. My only advice to them is that no one has all the answers and one can only offer tired tips, so anything coming from a random search on the internet for career guidance or from the mouth of the boss of a company may not work wonders. They all give the same tired and tried suggestions.
So, with all of this “career noise” at every turn, how do you know what to believe and follow? My sane suggestion to the students and early birds in a career is: whatever the degree you are pursuing, or get a chance to get admission to, do it with a passion. When you complete your degree, you must know everything the course outline had. You must know something that the course outline is related to.
You should NOT always do what you love. Sometimes, you have to force the career upon you. Market forces, and not your passion, dictate careers. While it can be a good idea to pursue a vision, it can be risky to chase it without end.
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, says that PTI only knows how to do propaganda. She said while responding to a video about Maryam Nawaz’s visit to Dera Ghazi Khan. The video is going viral on social media and shows flood-affected women expressing their anger toward Maryam Nawaz Sharif. In response to the viral video, Maryam Nawaz tweeted another video, in which the same woman is seen thanking Maryam Nawaz who was angry.
This is just another side of social media flipping reality. Earlier, it was reported that the woman who became the “DP” of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz’s Twitter, complained that it was a mere photo opportunity for Maryam Nawaz to hug her, shake hands and later leave her and other flood-hit people during her rally in Taunsa on Monday. PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz visited south Punjab’s flood-hit areas on the instructions of her father and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to express solidarity with the people of flooded areas.
The woman, Nazeeran Mai of Kala village, became the poster icon for the PML-N when Maryam Nawaz hugged her and later posted the picture as her Twitter handle. The picture was later widely circulated on social media, where netizens compared it to a picture of famous Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who visited Pakistan in 2010 to meet the flood survivors and later, her picture of hugging a woman became a worldwide sensation. Nazeeran Mai, however, is not elated for being Maryam Nawaz’s DP; instead, she said her visit to the rally venue was an utter disappointment. She said it was being announced for a couple of days that Maryam Nawaz is coming to the area, and she would distribute food and announce cash packages for the residents. She and her other family members and children reached the rally venue on their own at 10 am in the humid and stuffy atmosphere, hoping they would get some relief items from the representative of the federal unity government. She said that when Maryam came hours later, she only hugged her, and later addressed the rally and left the venue.
On Wednesday, when Maryam Nawaz again went to the Rajanpur areas, she made sure she had relief goods with her to distribute them among the people.
