Generation Talks: Young yet professional!

You’re not creative! You’re not what we are looking for! You’re not artistic! You’re not a crowd pleaser! You’re not realistic! You have absolutely no experience! You’re too indecisive! You’re too shy! You’re too lazy! and most importantly You are too YOUNG !- do any of these lines strike a chord with you ? We have in countless occasions encountered such opinions from many people who directly or indirectly question our competence, skills and creativity; these remarks often create a vacuum inside our mind where we spontaneously question our competence and wonder if being young means we do not poses the competitive hormones of proving ourselves to the outer world.

Work related stereotyping in behest of one's age is a dilemma shared by many youngsters. But still, Is it true that only professionals make titanic and young people are only capable of dreaming about arks ? We ask these very questions to the knock-outs of Nepal, who are young but still stand tall in their own professional field. So, let's hear from them the secret ingredients that help young people materialize the perfect professional tick.

Introduction of the participants
Tenzin Tseten Bhutia: Creative head/fashion designer for an Export House Himalayan Couture                   Rukamanee Maharjan: Advocate, LLM-Nepal Law Campus, free lancing research
Bibek Bhandari: Correspondent at Republica,Kathmandu, Nepal
Malvika Subba: Editor, Navayataa magazine
Abhishek Shrestha: Nepalese Youth for Climate Action co-founder, Himalayan Climate Initiative

At what age did you start working and what pushed you towards entering the work force?
Tenzin: I started working when I was around 20. After completing my designing courses in NFT Bangalore, I applied for an internship with a famous designer, and I got in!

Malvika: I started working as an intern at the age of 21 while studying in my 3rd year of college. During my internship as a TV presenter for a local TV, there I was approached by a famous TV anchor and he offered me the job on a well-known TV show!

Bibek: I started working when I was 25. I went to India to intern with the Rolling Stone Magazine. Although before that I worked for my school newspaper in the US for about 2 and half years. I started working because I had finished school and it was high time to start working and make my dreams come true.

Rukamanee: I’ve started practicing law since 2066; as soon as I got my license in law, but before that I used to volunteer in a lot of organizations to brush up my PR and communication skills since I was around 17.

Abhishek: I started working at the age of 21, as soon as I completed my undergrad in environmental science. The emerging environmental issues of 2006 motivated my colleagues and me; hence we decided to start a youth group called NYCA (Nepalese youth for climate action).

How was your first interview experience?
Malvika: I had to do my auditions around 3 times. I was pretty nervous, in fact, I think I was terrible. I used to hate my voice, I used to hate the way I presented and I used to hate myself on screen. Even though I wasn’t really happy going through all that, in the long run it helped me make myself a little better.

Bibek: I’m not really sure if it’s good or bad but I’ve never had to face a job interview. It was more of professional networking that got me the job and I think that’s what young people should really do- network. At school I was building a portfolio for myself, proving myself and writing stories. The job market in India and Nepal was growing so I thought of venturing there. I remember I emailed the editor of the Rolling Stone magazine about 5 times and he finally got back to me saying “come on over!”

Tenzin: I was really nervous during my first interview since the competition was extremely high but I didn’t give up and I got it. The export house that I’m working at right now is owned by my friend’s father so I might as well say networking brought me here.

What’s your say on the “no experience-no job” notion?
Malvika: Coming from my personal experience I believe that a person is really talented, street smart, intelligent enough and the interviewer feels that he has the capacity to deal with the organization’s requirements he or she will surely get hired. I believe that right qualification, right frame of mind, working capacity and working ability is necessary but experience is not.

Bibek: My question is, why are you even looking at those vacancies that require experience in the first place? Volunteer and join organizations for internships, prove yourself first. Start from the right place, there are tons of opportunities out there! Instead of sleeping and wasting your time involve yourself in something that you are passionate about and want to make a career out of.

Have you ever felt exploited at work?
Malvika: I’ve worked for television for five years and while working there my salary was very low but my name was so big that it was really hard for me to live up to my lifestyle. I used to think that I’m so poor but I never borrowed money from my parents, instead I took a lone for five years to pay for my scooter and paid for my masters on my own. I felt I was being exploited at work, and that is how I decided to quit my job there.

Bibek: According to Nepal’s standards the media industry is very low paid but you have to find your own way of balancing it out. I think we shouldn’t neglect our current job but there are so many opportunities out there, you can contribute and free lance to other local news houses while working at your current job. You need to think out of the box!

*words & photos - Lisa Singh

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