I am writing to you
from the future.
You are an ambitious
young man, full of life and passion, and as you contemplate what will come,
allow me to share with you what roads to take as well as what not to do.
Through your own
effort you have got yourself into a good university and are surrounded by new
friends. Yes, you still miss the friends you made in junior college and even
some of the ones in high school. But you are never one for dwelling in the
past. However good that was, we have to live in the present and move on to the
future.
My first advice to you
is to continue to enjoy your days on
campus. You have already taken the opportunity to do things you dreamed
about: play in a rock band, play rugby
and various other sports you enjoyed in the Varsity Games. The university is
like a microcosm of the world. Everything that is out there in the “real world”
is available (in safe mode) on campus. So, the learning you acquire in
University is not just about your course of study but also about life,
including how to be responsible for yourself and others. Be curious and try as
many of these activities esp. those you are passionate about. For instance, you
may not know this yet but the musical you wrote and produced will be performed
to a sold out crowd! I will tell you now that these activities will play a big
role in job interviews to come as prospective employers find these
accomplishments different and exciting.
Speaking of jobs, your
hunt for one will not be easy. You will apply to many. Some will reject you
outright. Quite a few good companies
will call you up for interviews but the only job offer you will get is with
S. The learning here is that beyond your CV which is what the
companies base their call-up on, in
these interviews they are looking for real examples that you are interested in
them and the world, that you can apply your knowledge, that you can get things
done (either as an individual and more importantly as a team player). In other
words, go to these interviews and express
yourself fully, with purpose, honour and courage. The people you will meet
do not know you and unless you express yourself, they will not know you enough
to give you a job.
When on your job, take a longer term perspective. Market
conditions, political circumstances and the global environment are in a flux.
Nothing will ever go exactly as planned. So, there will be ups and downs. But
so long as you understand what you are aiming to accomplish (for yourself and
for the company) in the long run, say 5 years out, even a failure in near term
will be acceptable. Especially if you turn it into a learning and adapt the
journey forward. No experience is ever wasted. In the words of Winston
Churchill, “failure is never fatal; success is never final.” Indeed, if given a
choice to choose amongst recruits in the future, I would always pick the one
who has failed and rise and rise again each time. Indeed, your lessons from the
successes and failures in S and then in A will be the key reasons why you got into B and rose quickly
therafter.
Fourthly, a whole
range of disappointments will befall you. It is inevitable because there are
too many variables outside our control. Consequently, how you progress in the
organization may seem underwhelming. Let me forewarn you that you will be first
assigned to Bangkok, and then Ho Chi Minh City, while your colleagues get Hong
Kong, London postings. The miracle of this is being posted to these Southeast
Asian stations will serve you far better in the future. When in the running to
be the Head of Southeast Asia for B, your knowledge of these markets will be
of obvious importance. In other words, all
the dots in your life will and do connect. You will however not see it as
such, in the moment, when you are looking forward. We can only see it
connecting looking backwards. So, have faith, my young friend that divine
intervention is always at work. This doesn’t mean you can sit back and do
nothing. My tips above need to be acted upon and you can then be assured God
will take care of the rest.
Which brings me to my
final point of advice in this letter. Around this time, you will meet the love of
your life. Of all the divine interventions, this is the most uplifting one. She
will catch your eye with her bohemian style: short hair, wooden ear rings and earth
tone clothes. You will see her in the canteen. You will see her in the computer
lab. You will write to her (with inspirations from the heart) and leave these
poems on her bulletin board anonymously. You will pluck up the courage to
reveal yourself. You will discover a shared interest in photography. You go on
a “date” cum photography field trip with her. You will prepare a mix tape for
her. The two of you will fall in love. She will embrace the faith and indeed be
the rock at home in years to come. By the way, I should add that this is not
your first love. I know you have already been disappointed romantically before.
This one, however, is forever. God will make sure of it. Have faith.
