This past Thursday I attended a great event hosted by the Indian Alumni Society, with their guest speaker Jasmeet Sidhu. Jasmeet Sidhu is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer (to name a few of her occupations) as well as a PCJ alumnus. She is also the recipient of Canada’s top 20 under 20 award (as well as many others) and has written for the Toronto Star and the Huffington Post. To add to her resume, most recently she has also worked on music videos for Taylor Swift and Jay Z (bet you didn’t see that coming).
You might be thinking that you’ve heard it all before but as an undergraduate I welcome all career advice that comes my way and Jasmeet’s was just as welcome. During the event she was very open and honest about the struggles and successes of her professional life so far. It’s important to note that everyone’s definition of success is different and so are the methods to getting there. But here are few things that Jasmeet so kindly highlighted in her talk that lead to her success. I think it is safe to say these tips will resonate with all of us.
How to gain success in the things you do:
- Own your story
Be yourself and if you don’t know who that is yet that’s okay, you have plenty of time (save that existential crisis for your 40s). Just be honest with yourself and be honest with those who you surround yourself with. No one has experienced life exactly the way you have, so make sure you let that be known when you look for jobs, internships and other opportunities.
- Harness the power of being different
Do not be afraid to use your uniqueness to your advantage. You are the only you there will ever be, so learn to translate the things that set you apart into your work, school and life. What makes YOU the original candidate, why would you pick you over all others?
- Kill them with kindness
This may seem like something that doesn’t really work in the real world but Jasmeet pointed out, kindness always matters. The little things like thank you cards, hand written notes and a good attitude will get you so much further than a move out of my way approach to your dreams. As Jasmeet pointed out, people want to connect with people, not resumes.
My favourite part of Jasmeet’s story is that it’s clear her career path hasn’t gone in the direction most PCJ students see themselves going in. However, her degree has definitely helped her succeed in all her different ventures. Jasmeet explained that what set her apart when she entered the L.A. music video industry filled with people with the right kind of degrees was her ability to critically think. This critical thinking came from her PCJ background and that’s exactly what she used to set herself apart from the crowd of film majors. So as we put our all into our PCJ courses we must realize that we are gaining skills that can be transferred beyond just essays and term tests. You might even be just a critical essay away from a T-Swift hangout session (I jest... but do I really?).
Work hard, use Jasmeet’s tips for success but also remind yourself that success and happiness do not always go hand in hand. The future is a frightening notion, not knowing exactly where you are going or how to get where you want to be. But if there is one thing I have learned from listening to Jasmeet talk about her life and career, it is that never be satisfied with less than happy. You must be passionate, genuine and most importantly, you must be excited about your future endeavours, and ultimately, these things will lead to your success no matter what you choose to do.