The story of Farhan Qureshi truly resonates with students all around the world who do have a passion in their life but just because they don’t believe in themselves and they don’t see anyone else doing it; they never take the first step to converting their passion into a career.
Who is Farhan Qureshi?
In case you aren’t much into Bollywood movies and you haven’t watched 3 Idiots – one of the most iconic Hindi movies of all time, then let us give you a rundown of who Farhan Qureshi really is.
One of the three main protagonists in the movie, Farhan had a passion for wildlife photography, but just like many other students in India, he chose to do engineering instead. After all, it is a way path where jobs are almost guaranteed.
He loved photographing animals, and he was really good at it, and yet, he just couldn’t get himself even to try to do something in that field. After all, there wasn’t a single reason for it – his parents, of course, wanted him to have a ‘safe’ career, his friends were all doing the same thing, and most importantly, he didn’t believe in himself.
He had his wildlife photography portfolio and a letter written up to his idol since God knows when, but he just couldn’t get himself to mail it. If it weren’t for Amir Khan’s character, Rancho, who ended up mailing that letter without telling Farhan, he wouldn’t have known if he were any good.
Here are some of the reasons why you too might be a Farhan Qureshi:
1. Too much engrossed in your parents’ expectations
You have your parents’ expectations so deeply ingrained in your mind, that you never even thought about what you really want in your life or what you could do with your life.
Take a step back, and think about your career goals – is it really something you want or your parent’s want? Is really something that will make you happy in the long-term or are you only running behind your goals because you want to make your parents proud and happy?
2. Always a sheep, never a shepherd
Many kids around the world only take up a certain career because ‘that is what everyone else is doing.’ This is the reason why every other kid wants to be a doctor or an engineer, but you will hardly come across someone who wants to be a graphic designer or a playwright.
If you too have been a sheep for far too long, then it’s time to grab your career by the horns. Ten years from now, you will have only yourself to blame if you end up being in a job you hate.
3. You don’t think you can turn your passion into a paid job
Yes, we all have passions, and we all have heard those inspiring stories about people who went from nothing to outstanding success but let’s be honest for a second – it really isn’t that easy turning your passion into a paid job.
Even the case of Farhan, we are pretty sure he would have had to intern quite a lot to be able to land his first paying gig.
But here is something you should remember – We live in a world of technology where YouTube stars are millionaires and Vine users are getting cast into movies, we live in a world where anything is possible.
4. You haven’t found the right mentor (or you are too scared to approach them)
Finding the right mentor is incredibly important – someone who can guide you and help you navigate. But do not expect them to give you a roadmap to success, all they can do is help you and advise you along your journey, the path will be your own.
5. You cannot get yourself to send the much-needed email
Sometimes we overthink things in our heads so much that we set ourselves up for failure even before trying. Typing out a 5-line email to your idol is an easy job, but hitting send on that email can be incredibly difficult. Why? Because we are too afraid to fail and we are too afraid to get a rejection from our idols.
But here is something you should carefully consider – you have got nothing to lose, quite literally. By sending that email, you are only going to gain a great opportunity or a helpful contact.
About the author:
Getting through that coveted internship programme can be a daunting task for many. While most students are unaware that they can get a paid summer internship in a foreign university, those who do know don’t apply, because they fear that the field would to be too crowded. That is where motivational speaker and coach, Aniket Singh, comes in. Armed with a treasure trove of experience and knowledge through his internships in Southampton England & Lausanne, Switzerland, Singh has made it his mission to help students take the right path during their formative years, and avoid anything that is not conducive to long-term growth.
Singh holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, and a Master’s degree in Wireless Systems and Related Technologies from Politecnico Di Torino in Torino, Italy. He has interned at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and Ecole Polytechnic Federale de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland.
For a rewarding internship and career, take the first step, explore foreignboundintern.comand get in touch with Aniket Singh.
