VIJAYAWADA : If success is the ultimate aim of career, happiness is what is generally aimed at in life. But often the thin line that exists between career and life gets blurred when a youngster begins a hectic life after education. Nevertheless, it is important to keep career and life separate.

These were some of the vignettes of life that deputy general manager of the State Bank of India K.S. Subramanian gave to the students of Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) at P.B. Siddhartha College of Arts and Science on Tuesday.

Mr. Subramanian spoke about various career options that were available to the students of business management, as part of a guest lecture organised by The Hindu-Business Line Club.

Interaction

Engaging the students in a lively interaction by asking them simple questions and using anecdotes, Mr. Subramanian delivered a pep talk that explained to the students the need to have a delicate balance between life and career.

Illustrating with the example of Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs, the senior banker told the students that while they could hope to meet their social and ego needs through a successful career, their self-actualisation need could be realised only in life. "Have a clear aim in mind. From now on, your career and life will overlap but try to keep them separate," he cautioned them.

Commitment

Mr. Subramanian also explained the fine difference between employment and profession by pointing out that while the former assumed contractual engagement between an employer and an employee, profession meant a more long-term commitment on the part of the one pursuing it.

He said opportunities in financial sector, consultancy and entrepreneurship were plenty, but having good soft skills was important. The banker wanted students to develop the required `emotional quotient' and `spiritual quotient'.

College vice-principal R. Sambi Reddy thanked The Hindu-Business Line for organising the talk, while regional general manager of The Hindu, Vijayawada, M. Krishna Kiran called upon the students to make good use of the advice given.

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