“And we’ve come so far,
And we’ve reached so high
And we’ve looked each day and every night in the eye.
And we’re still so young….”

This song’s in my head and I cannot remember for nuts the rest of the song, or the name of the artist whose sung it… For the last few days, I've been caught in a dilemma, to put it as simply as possible- career choices. Two words that can make me brood for endless hours, and at the end of such reverie, I still find myself exactly where I started. I read in GK’s blog a quote where Alice asks the Cheshire cat which of the two roads she ought to take. The Cat asked her if she knew where she was going, and well Alice was clueless of where she wanted to go. Therefore, pat came the reply of the cat, in that case it really doesn’t matter which road you take! I can so sympathise with little Alice, I feel as confused and lost as she does. My question for everyone reading this, how did you decide which career to pursue?

I have two options staring at me right now. One is marketing. I applied for the post of a Management Trainee, in a company offering integrated marketing solutions. Got through the Group Discussion, gave the interview yesterday, as of now waiting for the list of the shortlisted candidates who will appear in the next round. Point here is even if I don’t get through to the next round, just the fact that I got through to this point means I have a pretty good shot at making it in other companies as well. Until here, it sounds good.

Now for some more good news- my Professor working in a consultancy also run by my college’s management has offered me a job. The job requires me to do a lot of research and come up with articles for the Lifestyle segment of the magazines published by the company. Growth within the company would include rising to editorial positions, and would require me to put my little nose into a number of other avenues as well, for example teaching in the institute. I've at times thought of doing a course in Mass Communications and Journalism, except I don’t have much faith in my writing abilities. The line that I choose is going to earn me my bread and butter for the next forty years. Suppose I later realize that I am just not good enough, what do I fall back upon? There are doubts gnawing at my head, and well I'm tired of thinking!

The work my professor is offering is something I know I enjoy, I’m just doubtful of whether I will be able to sufficiently improve myself in this avenue. Marketing may require me to move to any part of India. It's work I know which is going to be very taxing and demanding, but I also know that it's nothing I cannot handle (got a taste of it during my internship).

Told ya…no matter how long I think about it, I always find myself right where I started! I have to make up my mind, and make it up real soon!