Just Like Bunko: Following Guidance

Meet Johnny Bunko. He’s probably a lot like you. He did what everybody – parents, teachers, counselors — told him to do. But now, stuck at a dead-end job, he’s begun to suspect that what he thought he knew is just plain wrong. One bizarre night, Johnny meets Diana, the unlikeliest career advisor he’s ever seen. Part Cameron Diaz, part Barbara Eden, she reveals to Johnny the six essential lessons for thriving in the world of work”

When I was younger, I did what everybody – parents, teachers, counsellors – told me to do. Like Johnny Bunko, I was trapped into doing something I didn’t want to do. I focused on the wrong courses and exerted my energy on things that did not inspire or motivate me.

Growing up, I followed the guidance of my parents. My mom wanted me to become a dentist because it pays well and the job is globally respected. On the flip side, my dad wanted me to be involved in business because it opens new opportunities. By providing expertise on studies like accounting, I’ll always have a job. Obediently, I followed their direction and went about taking courses in high school that reflected admission to the Faculty of Sciences and/or Business. Despite graduating high school with Honours, I wasn’t fully satisfied with my studies. Not that I didn’t do well, but like Bunko, I didn’t enjoy it. Admitting to Simon Fraser University (SFU), I entered the Faculty of Arts.

I scrambled tirelessly during my first year at SFU. I didn’t have a definite direction and I became increasingly confused on which courses to take. The pressure to enroll in courses with limited spaces also bestowed fear of taking courses I had zero interest in. After three semesters, it became clear that I was having a tough time adapting and adjusting to university life. I struggled mightily trying to keep up with my studies. I was stuck in a vortex with no escape. In addition, several Business pre-requisite courses I took had an adverse effect towards my GPA. It seemed like Business was not my forte. But what other options did I have? Music was not an option because I am a musical idiot. Kinesiology wasn’t my interest either. Economics seemed like the most viable option because it seemed like the most relevant study next to Business. Nonetheless, I was hopeless and my parents would flip once they found out I was struggling to meet expectations. There was no plan! Just like Bunko.

Bunko quote of the day:

You might think that X will lead to Y, and Y will lead to Z…but life isn’t an algebra problem. X might lead to W and W might lead to the color blue. Then the color blue might lead to a chicken quesadilla.”

* The Adventures of Johnny Bunko by Daniel Pink is America’s first business book in the Japanese comic format known as manga – and the last career guide you’ll ever need.

Yat is a co-op Multimedia Assistant at SFU Career Services, and can be found on twitter at @yatli.