Do you enjoy what you do? Not in that existential kind of way whether you’ve chosen the right career path but the day-to-day workings. The making of slides for clients, writing the brief note for the next project, drinking water every 30 minutes... Do these small, day-to-day parts bring you any joy?
It’s a simple, yet tough, question to answer. The past two years have given us enough time to reflect on why we are doing what we are doing. Surveys show many no longer feel as engaged in work as they did earlier. But then there are those who continue to love what they have been doing so far.
Also read: Is your workplace truly inclusive?
We asked some of these professionals what keeps them excited about their work, just like it did on their first day. Here’s what they had to say:
MASOOM MINAWALA MEHTA
Content creator, Antwerp
I stumbled upon the concept of fashion blogging at the age of 18 while interning for a research project. I didn’t know what the term meant; I had to Google it and then ask other people around me to fully understand how it worked. The best thing about what I do is that I get to connect with people who have a passion for fashion across the world. It gives me the space to create a global community, relationships. And I get to represent Indian designs and handloom on a global stage. It’s more than I could ever dream of. All of this makes me want to be a better version of myself, to give back to the fashion community.
NATASHA SENGUPTA
Recruiter, Mumbai
I have been working in the human resource field for 13 years and can’t imagine doing anything else in corporate. It’s so much fun trying to find the right candidate for a job, whether it’s for an entry-level position or a high level. I feel recruitment is a strong function across the industry. It gives you visibility externally, with candidates, business heads. Initially, the (hiring) numbers give you a high; with time, you start doing different things. What excites me is the opportunity we offer to a variety of people and how we create careers.
PRANIT SHILIMKAR
Health and fitness entrepreneur, Pune
My work allows me to explore my leadership and entrepreneurial sides, which I believe has been my biggest achievement so far. I started my journey alone and now I’m leading a team of 80 people. I have always been passionate about fitness, and teaching others about it was something I always interested in doing. Watching people become fitter, healthier and to be able to help them achieve that is so rewarding. Just seeing people happy, turning their frowns into smiles—it’s so fulfilling. When people transform their lives, I win. That motivates me to come to work daily, all charged up to build more teams that can transform more individuals across the country. When you work hard to make your dreams come true, work is more play than work.
DARSHAN YEWALEKAR
Hair designer, Mumbai
I have been doing hair for 19 years and I still wake up every single day looking forward to creating a look for someone. There’s an aspirational value attached to what I do, in the sense that you craft a look for someone that gives them that little bit of extra confidence. That feeling of making someone happy keeps me going. The thing about loving your job is that you’ve to keep evolving. I didn’t particularly enjoy but I had to read business books to set up my barbershop. In the end, I learnt a lot. I continue to read materials to create looks for actors when I’m working on a film, especially a period drama. It’s all a never-ending process of learning and evolving.
SWATI BHARGAVA
Co-founder, CashKaro & EarnKaro, Gurugram
The most rewarding feeling as the co-founder of these companies is the culture we’ve managed to build. Just watching my team learn new things, beat targets and grow as professionals excites me. It’s inspiring to see your colleagues grow every day. It pushes you to do better, not just as a leader or as a mentor, but also as a human being. Of course, the biggest joy, as an entrepreneur, is to be able to create things that you once only dreamt of. The fact that I’m able to find a way to help people get value for money while shopping, and build a steady business around it—there’s a lot of joy in that. And this hunger for more growth, whether personally or among colleagues, keeps me invested in my job.
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