Turned Passion Into Profession: Know How This Boy From Bihar Landed Job In US After Years Of Hard Work

The story of Praful Raj sets an example for many people who wants to achieve a milestone in their career. He comes from the remote village of Kesath in the Buxar district of Bihar. In a LinkedIn post shared by Vatsal Nahata, he mentioned Praful's journey to the United States (US) from Bihar, filled with sheer perseverance, immense conviction, and dealing with one's insecurities.

When Vatsal met him in April 2022, he struggled to get a job after completing his Master's in Economics. Vatsal, in his LinkedIn post, stated, "He reached out to me for guidance on his resume, his LinkedIn networking strategy, and general interview preparation. Over the next few months, Praful and I got on many calls and became good friends."

Initial Struggles Of Choosing A Right Career Path

As people say that early decision-making in life helps in achieving long-term goals, but that was not the scenario with Praful. He realised after a while in his life that his interest lies in the subject of Economics. In his undergraduate degree, he pursued Commerce which had a different subject set. After graduation, he underwent several trainings to understand the concept of economics.

Praful worked extensively to clear his basics and worked on economic research with PhD students. Later, he launched his website, which was about economic policy issues. After consistent efforts, he got admission to the University of New York to pursue a Master's in Economics. After completing his degree, he got a job that wasn't related to economics. It was another shocker for him, but he did the same, wanting to stay in the US for better employment opportunities.

Phase That Developed Self-Doubt

Praful got impostor syndrome, a feeling of self-doubt and incompetence. He felt that even after leaving his current job, he wouldn't get a job in Economics as candidates with prior economic-related job experience would pass him. His self-doubts came with a set of insecurities- spoken English, a job crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and fear of rejection.

After facing so many challenges, he came out stronger. He never left knocking on doors that would give him a job in an Economics-related field. Vatsal, while recalling the conversation with Praful, said, "Our calls would often stretch well past midnight; I recall one Zoom call right after Praful faced a job rejection - he started cursing his passion for Economics and questioned his life choices to deep dive into Economics. Everything felt impossible."

A day came when one of his cold emails received a reply from a C-Suite executive at JP Morgan Chase USA. He took this opportunity and underwent the interview process for the job. He came out with an associate job where he could now apply his knowledge. He turned his passion for Economics into the profession through consistent dedication and determination. Seeing Praful's journey closely, Vatsal said, "I have witnessed it first hand."

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