if you’re a student you should be doing this
The most important lesson that I’ve learned in the past few years is not to make decisions based off of what I think I ‘should’ be doing, as opposed to what I genuinely want to do.
That was the error I consistently made during my second and third years of college. At the time, it seemed that everyone around me was applying to internships in investment banks in London. I conformed to the view that a job in IB was the ultimate goal, the optimal route for achieving success and making money. I based my career plan off of this idea, despite never previously regarding banking as a profession I could even see myself in. I soon achieved an internship in one of the bulge-bracket investment banks in London, made a good impression, and was offered a full-time role beginning the following year.
During the next few months, I got really good at lying to myself and others. Those who knew me well wondered how this job aligned with my strong values on climate justice and sustainability. My response was convincing, “change from the inside”. I may have fooled others but I couldn’t fool myself. A couple of months before I was due to begin the job, I withdrew from the contract. That was the day I realised no one was going to ride in on a white horse, sweep me off my feet and tell me; “you don’t want this, don’t worry, I’ve sorted it out for you”.
You can do something because you think you ‘should’ and be successful and earn a lot, but at the end of the day your choices create your life and determine your level of fulfilment and joy. The most important decisions cannot and should not be made for you. My personal experience might be very different to yours. However, I think we can all be misled by (or in the very least be exposed to) this notion that you need to immediately join the ‘race to the top’. I will admit, that race exists, but it’s not the only option.
I planned to travel for a year instead, but the pandemic disrupted this plan, so I decided to just start my own business. I began sewing and creating clothing from repurposed fabrics. I thought the world needed some more sustainably made corsets and so I started Dear Gaia. This really wasn’t in my plan but I am taking every day as it comes. No one knows what the next year will look like, and finding a job or forming a career plan right now is hard at best. With the slower pace of life, it’s a great time to start something new. Whether it be a food account, blog or start-up. Begin small, take your time, there is no racing here. Think about how your idea relates to current issues, such as the climate crisis.
The way I see it, there are no tricks or hacks to starting a business or a brand. The best advice I can give is to get the ball rolling and leave the pressure and expectations behind. Do it for the right reasons, because it brings you joy or because you’re contributing to something that you care about. Don’t start a business for the sake of having something to write on your CV or because you think you should. Basing your actions off ‘shoulds’ alone is the only bad choice you can make when it comes to entrepreneurship. Actions that are solely influenced by the expectations or views of others will rarely make you feel happy. At the end of the day, nobody truly cares whether you do what is expected or not, so you might as well choose the route that actually makes you happy.
