A few weeks ago, I had one of those “OMG! I’m in love moments”.  Through a random facebook invite, I heard about a local Asia Society event that was going to feature a new South Asian American author named Nina Godiwalla. Her book was called Suits and by reading a quick paragraph summary, I decided why not? She sounded sort of interesting.

What an understatement. If Nina Godiwalla ever were to come across this post, she might get a little creeped out by my gushing. Through my love goggles, I’ve determined Nina and I were fated to meet (she signed my book!). It’s uncanny how much I have in common with her and how much I want her life. Let’s start at the beginning.

One, she grew up in a suburb of Houston, TX. So did I.

Nina was one of four daughters born to Parsi (Persian-Indian) parents who had immigrated to a small suburb outside of Houston from India to find opportunity for their children. One of the only minorities in school, Nina tried her hardest to blend in and be popular. There was constant tension to balance her traditional parents with the wild and free life of an American kid. She grew up in the tight knit Parsi community which Nina describes as very focused on success. Aunties and Uncles were always trading stories on how successful their engineer-son or doctor-daughter was. This pressure for success carried Nina steadfast into the world of investment banking and is the premise of her debut novel, Suits.

She’s a Longhorn and attended McCombs School of Business. So did I.

At the University of Texas, Nina, like me, was thrown into the world of business where finance ruled and getting that job in New York was a dream come true. Of course, I decided to stick with marketing and ended up staying in Texas, while she made her dream come true and landed a prestigious finance internship at JP Morgan as their only freshman.

The novel opens with her walking down the concrete jungle of New York City to her first day of the internship. There she was immediately met with Juniors and Seniors of Ivy League schools all boasting of their credentials and shocked at Nina’s state school background. Most of them had never met anyone from “south of Pennsylvania”.  Even then, she quickly learned the ropes of the financial world and earned a glowing recommendation to come back.

In the working world, she battled long hours, a sexist corporate culture, and general unhappiness. So did I.

Again, I didn’t end up in the crazy world of Wall Street. Nina’s hours were insane compared to my first job in consulting. However, while listening to Nina speak and then reading her novel, I was blown away about how much of our experience was so similar. The premise that a company owns you, having to cancel dinner plans with friends/family because your boss gives you a last minute project, and just the sheer exhaustion after each and everyday was something I related well with.

Nina also described really well the sexist corporate culture that is so pervasive in much of the industry but is very rarely talked about. Nina had to play with the boys and listen to her bosses and associates talk about strip clubs, female conquests, and double standards. As a woman, she worked 50 times harder than her male colleagues just to prove herself worthy of the position. On top of that, she had to hide that she was a minority and never even mentioned that she was Indian for she quickly learned that being different was a considered a weakness. Nina could see herself changing and conforming to the world of bankers.

Nina at the Houston Asia Society book signing

After two years, she realized it wasn’t worth it. So did I.

Like Nina, after two plus years of my first full time job, I realized I was way too unhappy and took the biggest risk of my life. I quit my job. Similarly, Nina took a huge risk and opted to leave her group at Morgan Stanley. She feared her parents disappointment, the risk of leaving such a prestigious firm, and even letting herself down. At the end of the Suits, Nina comes to realize what really matters to her – family, friends, and sanity – and opts for a new opportunity at an investment firm that invested in woman- and minority-owned businesses.

In real life Nina took this opportunity to peruse her true interests and accomplish some pretty neat stuff. This is where my gushing and envy comes in. Instead of going to get her MBA right away, like her fellow investment bankers, Nina decided to get her Masters in Creative Writing at Dartmouth. Of course, she did later go to business school – at Wharton. After 10 plus years in the corporate world, Nina founded MindWorks, a consulting firm that teaches companies and business leaders how to incorporate concepts of meditation and self-awareness to become better leaders and handle the demands of the business world. Sigh, she’s everything I want to be in life.

Suits, is a wonderful novel for any young woman (or man!) who wants to learn about some of the hardships of the business world. When we’re in college, many of us are naive and are not prepared for what we might face when we enter a board room. Nina does an amazing job portraying what it’s like not only to be a South Asian, but also to be a woman in a world not designed for either group.

“Nina Godiwalla has given us a fascinating account of her rollercoaster ride as a young woman of color on Wall Street. At once hilarious and heartbreaking, this book about choices and their consequences is a gripping read.” — Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of Mistress of Spices

Doctor, lawyer, engineer, businesswoman; take your pick.  These are some of the occupations that are commonly brought up in the typical South Asian household.  We have the freedom to choose one or the other, but if we decide to pursue anything that strays from these options too drastically, we may find ourselves caught in the middle of what seems like a losing battle.

I have experienced this firsthand while attending Stony Brook University, a school that is known for both its overwhelming South Asian population as well as the number of people who initially declare themselves to be pre-med.  Every semester I see individuals who rip their hair out trying to figure out a way to break the news to their parents that they cannot be pre-med anymore and every year there are some who accept they have no other choice but to fight through it because their parents will accept nothing less.

When I was younger, I decided I wanted to be a doctor.  Throughout my education, I pursued this desire and was fine until I reached college and had to battle through the deadly mechanisms and syntheses of organic chemistry.  This was the only time where I doubted my initial desire to become a doctor and tried to come up with other possible career options.

I am very open with my parents so I assumed they would understand my concerns; however when I approached them and suggested I try nursing or physical therapy instead, their reaction threw me off.  They would not hear me out and consistently reiterated the fact that becoming a doctor was MY choice and it was what I wanted to do and should do.  Nothing else would suffice because I had already declared that I wanted to do medicine and there was no turning back.  My father even threw out the good old “your family in India will be very disappointed if you don’t become a doctor” and my mother the “we will give you everything you want as long as you give us this one thing.”  After this conversation, sound sleep was something that I rarely got.

Since the talk about a possible career change with my parents, I reevaluated what I was really interested in.  I want to be able to interact with children ideally in the medical field, whether that be as a doctor, a healthcare professional, or even as a dance or music therapist.  I tried to tackle my parents one at a time since handling them both at the same time seemed to be a failure before.

I had a heartfelt talk with my mother about how strongly I feel about wanting to help children in whatever way I can.  I broke down the situation realistically and made it clear that becoming a doctor will not be easy and it may not even happen but that my education and major thus far will not let me down.  I explained to her that even if I do not become a doctor in life, I will not be a failure and most importantly I will not disappoint her because at the end of the day, my own happiness is important and it would be unfair for my mom to be dissatisfied with that.  It’s a small step but I have successfully been able to convince my mother. I have left my father for another day.

How are they doing it? What obstacles are they facing? Can American women ever reach those heights?

Read the article here.

by Foram Mehta

Jewel-sized droplets of rain begin to pitter-patter on Brice Johnson’s head. A pesky bumblebee zooming around briefly interrupts his thoughts, but the disturbances are only external. His unwavering calm exudes from a place deep within, and he continues to recall memories of the long journey he’s made to his peaceful haven. He didn’t need his feet to help him get here because the journey was one of the heart and soul. This foggy trek was one to Jesus Christ.

The aspiring ministry worker is at a good point in his life. One may be surprised at this 22-year-old Indian American’s peace of mind considering what he’s been through. In the last year his parents ceased to support him financially, and somewhat emotionally, because he did something to disappoint them. No, Johnson didn’t get arrested, impregnate a girl, or even fail a class. His folly was a decision to pursue ministry work full-time. The once pre-med student found his calling doing God’s work full-time, much to his family’s disapproval. Though he regrets the estrangement from his family, he outwardly gives off no signal of sadness. Why? Because he says he has Jesus at his side.

Born into a Pentecostal Christian family, Johnson says Jesus always had a place in his life. He grew up attending church Queens, New York and in Dallas, where his family lives now. The people mostly around him were all Christian, and he loved it. Going to church, reading his Bible, saying his prayers everyday – this was a way of life.

As a child, he dreamed of becoming a paleontologist or an archaeologist – maybe even a forensic scientist. His traditional Indian family encouraged a career in medicine. He reconsidered and settled on his family’s suggestion. It was safe, and he would have a stable career. He had always wanted to help people with whatever he did, and becoming a doctor would fulfill his dream to heal the sick and help the less fortunate. Still, he wanted to go a step further; he wanted to do God’s work. Then in high school, he had an epiphany.

“It dawned on me to be a medical missionary, since it would satisfy that desire in me to do ministry work, [while satisfying] what everyone thought I should be doing in life – mainly [something in] medicine.”

Johnson says his religious family supported his decision – as long as he still pursued medicine. For years he fulfilled their wishes and continued steadfastly on the road to becoming Dr. Johnson.  After all, the Bible commands Christians to “Honor thy mother and thy father…” and Johnson was no one to disobey God’s word.

Fast forward to his college years. Johnson relished in freedom like any normal 18-year-old. He studied and partied, and had some fun. Old ways die hard, though, and Johnson always remembered to check off reading his Bible and saying his prayers the daily to-do list. Being a good Christian was still important to him as ever.

God came knocking halfway through Johnson’s college career while he was at an Urbana conference, a national meeting of intervarsity students to learn about local and international missionary work. Unprepared for the heavenly calling he was about to receive, Johnson said his world was thrown off its axis.

“At that point, I kind of felt God tugging at my heart to do full-time ministry,” Johnson remembers.

Confused about whether God was really speaking to him, or it was a manifestation of his self-doubt to work in medicine, Johnson continued on the path he had originally set out for himself. Johnson says God paid him another visit a year and half later. This time doubt had no home in his heart, and he knew what he had to do.

“I was at this retreat, and I had to kind of ask God, ‘What are some areas of my life I’m not giving up to?’ I’m sitting there thinking and I heard [something] just short of the audible voice of God say, ‘Your future is Me,’ and that just floored me. [I was] brought to my knees in tears.”

Johnson recalls experiencing spiritual enlightenment juxtaposed with a surge of sheer panic. He was in disbelief that God was speaking to him but couldn’t help wondering about the uncertainty of his new future.

“I thought – oh my gosh, I’m going to have to give up this career and this future that I was banking on to pay off my college loans. I didn’t know how to tell my parents.”

Johnson changed his major from biology to religious studies soon thereafter, much to his parents’ disapproval. They told him they would no longer support him financially if he didn’t get back on his original track to medical school. Johnson, torn between honoring his parents’ wishes and following his heart, chose the rockier path. Although he felt like he was, in a way, going against God’s word to honor his parents’ wishes, he was sure God was leading him down another path.

The chasm led to great heartache for Johnson, which was soon made worse by his financial problems. He eventually dropped out of UT-Austin and began working full-time as a salesman to support his living expenses. The economic distress and estrangement from his parents has unsurprisingly taken a toll on Johnson, but his strong spirit and faith in God keep him treading on.

A close friend and mentor, John Sleeba of Austin, has been a source of comfort for Johnson through the process because his circumstances were very similar. Sleeba said his own calling from God and subsequent rift from his family years ago have helped him guide Johnson through his rough patch.

“I’ve had the opportunity to help Brice understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus and really make his own decision to follow Jesus in his life,” said Sleeba, a in an e-mail interview. “Brice’s faith should be giving him confidence to work through this hard time. Nowhere is it promised in the Bible by God that just because you follow Him, it will be like living in paradise…It’s the next part of our life where we are in God’s presence in Heaven that life will be carefree without problems…I’m sure Jesus is comforting him through this situation and will teach him valuable lessons that will help him as his life continues.”

Johnson hopes one day he will be able to attend seminary and become a missionary. For the time being, he finds solace in singing and playing music. Some days he writes poetry or writes in his journal. Mostly though, he keeps faith – endless, unwavering faith that eventually the broken pieces of his life will fall into place, and he will walk hand in hand with his savior. His journey ahead may seem formidable to some, but for Johnson, the difficult path is long behind him. His life’s purpose is crystal clear, and that’s enough for now.

by Sunita Dharani

photographs by Thuy Ly

The bonds of family-especially a South Asian family-are as tightly woven as the beads on the fabric of a designer sari. It comes as no surprise that our immediate and extended family members are bound to contribute (perhaps interfere is a better term) in every aspect of our lives. If you need help in deciding on where to go for school, your mother’s best friend’s sister’s nephew will not only happen to know why one university is far superior to another on your list, but they’ll end up incorporating you into their social circle as well. The “arranged” component of arranged marriages work no differently than a game of Telephone from your childhood, as mothers and in-laws whisper about as to who is of marriageable age and who is looking. For better or worse, this same network of relatives and who-knows-who-from-where comes into play even as some of us face the dreaded transition from full-time students to full-time employees.

With the presently tattered state of the economy and a steady decline of job availability, people are willing to take all the help available to ensure that unemployment is avoided. The old adage “it’s not what you know, but who you know” may have even originated from South Asian culture, as it appropriately fits our behavior of utilizing connections within the community for our own professional advancement. Although I have chosen a career in a field where I am perhaps the sole Indian person, this did not prevent my father from marching to his best friend’s office and asking if he was aware of anyone willing to hire a college graduate. The next morning, word had obviously spread within a circle of uncles and business owners that I was seeking a full-time position, and my phone began to ring with requests to fill openings immediately.

Granted my father’s intentions were out of the kindness of his heart, with a dash of naïveté in there, I was concerned about the implications. Even with a college education in my arsenal, what would getting a job through familial connections indicate? While it was not quite old-fashioned nepotism, I couldn’t help but feel simultaneously desperate and unskilled-my first job out of college would be one my father got me.

Would disregarding the network inherently available through family connections be a smart thing to do, or would it be considered defeat in the face of the independence sought out by young job-seekers everywhere? Counselors at university career centers and job search articles all emphasize the same point: network, network, network. However, including those within family and friend connections seems to be almost the easy way of doing so. You avoid the awkward used-car salesman conversations, don’t necessarily have to pass out stacks of Kinko’s printed business cards, and you already have a long list of “references” willing to boast on your behalf regarding your skills. One of the most intimidating aspects of networking is forcing yourself to openly advertise your skills and persuade complete strangers that you are the piece missing from their staff. In the “family network,” such anxiety of meeting a complete stranger is eased with the knowledge that it’s just the aunty and uncle from your parents’ carom circle. They are not prospective employers and you are not an assistant with the potential to destroy their company. Rather, the emphasis of have an intermediary relation between yourself and these people makes both parties simply human. It is here that some type of relationship already exists in precedent to a possible professional one, and it is that same relationship which may be heavily affected if the situation turns out unfavorably. For example, you may walk into the person’s office, intending to simply inform them that you appreciate their offer for a position at the company, but when the well of leads for jobs elsewhere goes dry, you humbly end up accepting to work for that person. Three months later and a much better professional opportunity strolls along, putting you in the uncomfortable position of having to tell your father’s friend’s sister that you have found a better suited work environment than the one she has graciously given to you. This position was not earned in the first place, so how does one go about, essentially, ‘breaking up’ with a familial connection?

The best, and most beneficial, manner of approaching this relationship is no different than any other: start with clarifying your honest intentions. If you are solely exploring your career options, let the person know you are only available to work for the summer and will be starting another separate opportunity in the fall. Rather than negatively impacting any previous relations you may have had with the person before working for them, remember to keep your personal ties separate from your newly formed professional ties with the person-allowing one area to seep into the other can only result in a mess when you do end up leaving.

The purpose of networking at its most basic level is to spread your name and skills in the professional world. If your first step in doing so begins in the office of someone your parents happen to know and have chai with, remember the silver lining: it is a step in a direction after all.

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2009/05/working-your-family-network/feed/ 0 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2009/05/summer-internship-success/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2009/05/summer-internship-success/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 02:02:01 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=997 by Ismath Mohideen

This summer is the perfect time to practice what you’ve learned in school into a real-world working experience, especially if you’re close to graduation.  An internship helps develop professional skills, while making sense of all those classes and exams which certainly took up countless hours and sleepless nights.  It’s also a great way to start making connections in a tough economic environment.

Your internship should be at a location which helps you understand the activities in an industry of your preference, and it should also feature a variety of people who can teach you about their career paths.  It’s a great way to observe and participate in the tasks that people in your industry do every day!

In order to be successful in an internship, the first step is preparing a list of at least 3 measurable goals. The goals should indicate a specific task you want to achieve, how the goal helps your career development, what steps you will take to accomplish the goal, and the timeframe for completing it.  Your goal might look something like this: “My goal is to develop better public presentation skills.  Public presentation skills will help me communicate projects and ideas effectively in a business environment.  I will ask my manager for her suggestions and her experience with public speaking and power-points, and I have three weeks to accomplish this goal.”

The people working at the company where you intern are professionals and experts in their field. Ask them tons of questions!  When you begin the internship, schedule 15-minute meetings to talk to everyone on your team, and to learn about their job duties.  You can find out interesting details about their career backgrounds when you get a conversation started, and you may even discover career pathways you haven’t considered yet. If you’re thinking about a certain career, or re-thinking your chosen career path, you may end up talking to someone who inspires you.  Keep your mind and your options open.

Are you sitting around surfing the web at your internship? Ask your co-workers for opportunities to help out!  You could end up with a small project, or you could help someone on an important, time sensitive task. Whatever the task may be, remember that you’re in a learning environment. During down time, you may surf the web for articles pertaining to your industry, and ask co-workers about their opinions regarding current events. They’ll certainly be excited to talk about it, and they’ll love to see your interest!

Work hard!  Although it’s an internship, this is your opportunity to show employers your stuff!  Make sure to be punctual, notify your manager of any emergencies, and treat the internship as if it were a full-time job. The people you meet can be professional contacts, references, and they may also help you network with other experts.  Enjoy your internship, and good luck this summer!

by Sunita Dharani

photographs by Thuy Ly

The end of the school year can bring about high levels of anxiety for college seniors-professors stacking exams and projects back-to-back, decisions arrive for graduate programs and job interviews, and the ever imminent graduation itself. It is within the past year, especially after the real-estate bubble burst, that college graduates have found a new item of worry to tack onto their list: finding their way back home. More specifically, a dim future of job leads and rising costs of standard of living have forced numerous graduates to rethink striking out on their own after their walk across the stage. As the New York Post stated in June of 2008, approximately 48% of the class of 2008 planned to return living with their parents after graduation, a continuing trend from the classes of previous years, only to increase further this spring as well. Many students are unable to simultaneously saddle college debt in addition to finding a job and place to live. Instead, after four years of living on their own, young adults are packing their bags to return back to their childhood homes and to their parents’ open arms.

The American cultural norm places the expectation upon parents and children to become independent-financially, socially, and psychologically-at a young age. In fact, this concept is implanted into the psyche from an age when children can barely walk. Such a virtue is not entirely encouraged within South Asian culture. On the contrary, Indian parents prefer to keep their children at home for as long as possible, until of course, the inevitable day their child leaves due to marriage. However, for those college students who have managed to somehow escape from home at least for the duration of their undergraduate years, the news of having to possibly move home comes as a shock. A seemingly impossible situation arises: how do you continue an independent lifestyle with the constant glances of your parents in the background? It does become slightly inconvenient when you have one foot out the door on your way to a job interview, and your mother stops you in order to play her worry-filled version of “Twenty Questions.” Not only does she want to know where you are going, but also the why, when you plan on returning, and if you can stop by the Indian grocery store to pick up some nihari spices. While you are busy explaining to her from beginning to end the story of what the next three hours will consist of, one look at your wrist indicates you are already fifteen minutes late for the interview. Such situations extend out from the professional life you pursue to even your personal. Club-hopping and your usual Friday night activities may quickly change to a certain extent, at least to become more accommodating to the wishes of your parents. Stumbling in at 3 a.m. with a stranger on your arm into the front hallway, your father hiding behind the kitchen door with a broom handle is not the most appealing image to come home to.

Michelle Singletary, from the Boston Globe, recommends sustaining that same level of independence between all adults in the household. For example, having the children pay for a portion of rent, discussing their options in regards to rules of the household, as well as determining how long the stay is intended to be. While the last thing a new graduate wants is to be living at home till she’s 25 years old, parents will take it to be beneficial for all parties.

“I think it’s great if my son returns home,” Sana Virani. speaks of her son’s plans to live at home temporarily until he lands a steady job. According to her, and many other South Asian parents, living at home as adults will allow for an improved relationship and also help forge a new bond . Sana’s husband, Atif, agrees that he will now be able to spend time with his son that was previously unavailable while he was in school. They agree-including their son-that boundaries will be set up so that neither one of the parents infringe upon their son’s privacy. After all, he is an adult, they say.

Perhaps in these sluggish economic times, for those young adults who are tempted to simply live with the bare essentials and 14 roommates rather than move-in with mom and dad, a peaceful arrangement can be reached. Approach your parents with the mindset that you will be expected to behave as you would be on anyone else’s property. Treat the transaction as that-a business deal between two parties, so that in the long run, you are able to live in peace and independence without griping about the conditions. If things don’t happen to work out, there is always the possibility of obtaining 14 other roommates to share a place with.

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2009/05/enter-parents-exit-adulthood/feed/ 1 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2009/02/career-path-to-happiness/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2009/02/career-path-to-happiness/#comments Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:01:23 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=745

Ismath at her graduation.

by Ismath Mohideen

Ladies, ever get that nagging feeling that your career has no direction? Like that college degree isn’t valuable in the real world? That you foresee religiously searching Monster.com for something that pays when you graduate, while simultaneously trying to impress your family? You’re not alone. I experienced the same thing when I graduated from college. And this economy isn’t making it any easier. You are not alone when stressing about your career. Just take a look at my career path.

As someone who was influenced by her parents in high school (just like a lot of us), I chose a comfortable major with applicable potential – computer science. Great choice, right? Well, if it worked for Dad’s 25 year career, it must work for me too! I never took a single CS course in college. The thought of learning programming languages and hanging around left-brained nerdy boys just didn’t appeal to me at that time (Sorry all you CS guys out there! Disclaimer: I LIKE nerdy boys!!).

So, I thought about my major some more. I knew I was interested in healthcare and helping people, but I didn’t want to spend 10 years and $150K to become a doctor, so I chose nursing as a major. The competition among those die-hard nursing students got the best of me (and my grades), and ultimately I didn’t make it as a nurse. Big whammy there! I thought life was over! What am I going to do with all these nursing and biology classes? Should I transfer schools? Move back home? Not graduate from college altogether? What a shame! I thought I was going to be a failure in my parents’ eyes.

Luckily, my classes transferred neatly into a very interesting major: Human Development and Family Sciences. It’s all about human relationships and interactions, everything from child development, to family dynamics, to public policy related to family issues. It was fantastic. I enjoyed my classes, my peers and my grades skyrocketed. I even wrote an essay about South Asian Americans managing the delicate balance of our two unique cultures! But the looming question still stung, what happens after graduation? I didn’t want to be a preschool teacher, or a Child Protective Services agent or a social worker, so I poured through the job listings in the Dallas Morning News.

The first lesson: I like working with people.

I ended up in sales. I worked for a mortgage company for nearly two years after graduation. I learned all about the business, the customers, the loan products and most importantly, how to interact with people in a business environment. The economy made things even more challenging, but I learned to educate people on good credit maintenance. Suze Orman became my go-to girl for financial advice!

Even though I was successful in my first post-collegiate job, I decided to shift gears and attend graduate school to figure out how to turn all these experiences into a lifelong career. Something told me that there was much more in store for me than mortgages!

The second lesson: I like working with money.

Although it was exhausting to be in school again, it was exciting to be around driven, thought provoking people. I chose Marketing Management as my concentration because I wanted to work closely with customers, while creatively devising ways to make money for my organization. I enjoy learning about business cases, working with my peers and exchanging our own career stories. It was all finally starting to make sense! I even landed an internship at an airline where I can learn more about applying marketing skills in an evolving business environment.

The third lesson: I like creativity.

So ladies, your college degree is, in fact, priceless. No matter how many times you change your major, you’ll get it right. Think about the big picture: what skills are you good at, and what do you like to do? Eventually, you’ll find out where you fit in. If you don’t see yourself being a doctor, lawyer, engineer or some other career according to your parents’ wishes, remember there’s so much more out there!

Keep an open mind and look out for those jobs that will give you the experience you need to advance yourself, even if it takes baby steps to get there.

by Asma Hassan

A professor once told me that the only difference between being a student/intern and a professional was that you get paid for your homework… And not until I got there did I believe her!

After graduation, life is definitely different. Both lives, as a student and professional, have their pros and cons. The perks that come after graduation as a professional, however, are definitely worth the endless hours of studying and stress that come with college.

Here is some basic advice to follow on your road to becoming a professional:

1. Work is work. You can’t skip a day just because you feel like it or because you have something more interesting or important to do. Your employer expects you to be present every day (for the most part).
2. Being professional takes patience and experience. Internships help in molding a young professional, but it takes asking a lot of questions and a lot of practice to write that perfect report or email.
3. Every job is different. We don’t learn to adapt to different industries and positions in school. A lot of true learning occurs after graduation, when you will have to learn your industry’s jargon, culture and practices through experience.
4. Even though you have more time to yourself (not studying, working on projects), working a full time job requires stricter time management both at work with your tasks and projects and after work with your personal time
5. Openness, honesty and networking are the keys to success at work. They prove your reliability as well as improve your skills as a team player. Don’t be shy to ask questions. Ask as many as you can until you understand what you need to. Don’t be ashamed to admit you don’t know something or how to do something (after you research it completely, of course!).
6. Constantly update your resume or CV according to each experience you gain at work. It helps to get specific examples of projects you’ve worked on for your portfolio.

Besides these tips, be sure to be upfront with your employer in regards to what they expect from you, as well as what you expect from them. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Salary (hourly? Weekly? Base salary? Overtime?).
2. Benefits options – if your employer does offer health insurance benefits, research your out of pocket costs, deductibles and what is covered (and not covered!).
3. Time-off – obtain a list of all national holidays, paid time-off and sick days you are eligible for each quarter or year.
4. Open disclosure – each company and employer’s culture is different, but it’s always safe to be upfront about any possible personal issue that may come up (you’re pregnant, you’re moving, you’re interested in growing to a higher position within the company). This is at your own discretion, but it really does create a healthy relationship between you and your employer if you are honest. If you help them, chances are they will help you too.
5. Reimbursements – research whether your company can help you with additional schooling, tuition repayment, car notes, gas allowance, cellular services and anything else that may be related to your job.

The best part of being a professional, of course, is the paycheck that comes along with it. Here are some tips that have helped me out:

1. Save! Whether it’s for something specific or just in general, be sure to save as much as you can. A day will come when you will be glad you did!
2. Prioritize your budget – this will prevent excessive spending for unnecessary things.
3. Start paying off your loans as much as possible. You will actually end up paying more in accumulated interest for your tuition or car loans at the end of it all.
4. Keep track of your expenses – this will help you monitor your spending and savings.
5. We are young and working hard – be sure to spend some of your hard-earned money on yourself as well!

There’s nothing as rewarding as walking down the stage with your diploma in hand. It’s even more rewarding to sign that contract at your first job and start your first career. Even more rewarding is the compensation and recognition you will get for working hard, both monetarily and professionally.

by Pooja Patel

Imagine immersing yourself in a country, in a culture completely opposite of your own. Imagine a language with unheard consonants and clicks, a 60% unemployment rate, an HIV epidemic ravaging the nation, and oh, not to forget the bathroom situation is really unimaginable.  For two years this would be your home. Could you handle it?

Meet, Lisa Thoyakulathu, the Peace Corps’ newest edition. She’s taken up this challenge. Nestled in eastern South Africa, the tiny, independent nation of Swaziland will be her home. Thoyakulathu has chosen to spend the next two years of her life in Swaziland working at the grassroots level to educate locals about HIV transmission.

This, Thoyakulathu says, wasn’t her original calling. She spent much of her undergraduate career focusing on activities designed to get her into medical school. During this time, she doubted whether medical school was right for her, a path strongly encouraged by her parents. Questioning her future led to a delay in turning in her applications. After learning that medical school wasn’t in her stars for the time being, she knew she had to get involved with something much bigger than herself. Something that was different, something that made a difference. There were many factors that helped her make this decision: A strong interest in International policy, development, HIV research, and travel experience, to name a few.

Lisa Thoyakulathu in Swaziland for the Peace Corps.

It’s been three months since Thoyakulathu left the States. She’s currently at her permanent homestead in Mliba, about 45 minutes north of Swaziland’s commercial center Manzini. Her short time there has already yielded a lifetime of experiences. Some simple, from her learning SiSwati, to more horrid experiences of outdoor latrines and even a near robbery experience. She has said that adjusting isn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Her laptop keeps her connected to friends, family, and everything going on back home. An avid observer of the political scene, she said updates from friends and internet research has kept her updated from everything from the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, Joe the Plumber, to the final Obama victory.

The other 11 PC volunteers in her community have become a sort of pseudo-family. Exchanging stories like hand-washing clothes, to challenges facing the area keep them bonded. There is one thing, above all others, that has saved her, Thoyakulathu recounts the phrase: “This is Africa” (from the film Blood Diamond). The acceptance of residual red clay stains on their clothing, to bathing out of a bucket, their standard of living needed to be readjusted. Accepting the way things are in Africa is a necessary tip of survival.

Thoyakulathu is currently gathering research and data from her local surroundings. Her goal while in Swaziland is to get people empowered with age-appropriate sexual education and to get people to test. Her other goals include reducing the stigma around HIV and helping those infected with the virus to cope by connecting them with services and knowledge. But, most importantly, behavior changes must happen. She hopes to implement new and innovative ways to relay the message, as previous methods have not been working.

Although she no longer has to travel 3 miles every other day to fetch water for food, bathing, and washing clothes/dishes, she realizes just how precious of a commodity water is. Swaziland is currently facing a 10 year drought, a crisis by any means. Limited resources, she says, are practically the root for most conflicts. She recommends the film Without the King to those interested in learning the hardships and conflicts the country is facing. Even with all the difficulties she’s faced, she’s determined to stay, to do her part, to make a difference.

For those interested in joining the Peace Corps, I’ll leave you with Thoyakulathu’s own words:

I first say be ready for some sacrifices, but also, be ready for an experience of a lifetime. I don’t regret this choice for a minute, but make sure YOU are willing to live without certain things. I honestly think that the hard stuff like not having electricity or indoor plumbing gets easier after you adjust and that’s not what the problem is. The problem is: can you be away from your friends and family for two years. Consider carefully before you jump into this, because a lot of people do leave early and that saddens the community that they left. Also, you have to be okay with helping on a small, grassroots level. So, I’ll leave you with this quote that I think epitomizes the people who choose to do the Peace Corps:

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something, and just because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” ~Helen Keller

Do you have any unique experiences you would like to share with other BrownGirl readers? Have any words for Lisa? I invite you all to post below!