Right around the time I was graduating in 2024, everyone seemed to have something figured out. Conversations were filled with plans, jobs, businesses, internships, next steps. It felt like everyone was moving in a direction. I was not. There is a strange kind of pressure in not knowing what comes next, especially when everyone around you seems certain. It all felt like I was trying to convince myself more than anyone else. Then came a call from Lucky Cement. Coming from a background in Economics and Social Sciences, the opportunity in Exports made sense. It was not forced. It was natural.
The department's support gave me ample room to explore. To make mistakes (that I make to this date), to ask questions (still highly curious), to understand how things actually work beyond what is written or expected. Over time, those small interactions turned into real connections, both within and outside the organization. This gave me a sense of belonging. Not the kind that comes from just being present somewhere, but from being trusted, being heard, and being allowed to think.
And then came moments that quietly change how you see yourself. Sitting across tables with people I had only ever seen on screens. Business leaders, decision-makers, government officials. People whose names carried weight long before I ever entered a room like that. The first few times, it felt unreal. Then slowly, it became part of the process. You start to realize that exposure changes you.
The identity that comes with it goes a long way. Earlier, I would introduce myself as someone pursuing Economics. Now I say I am Maaz, working as an Assistant Manager in Exports. Of course, to some, it may sound a bit pompous, especially when it is still a very small achievement, maybe not even an achievement yet. But the point is how the journey begins. When we look back, we often realize we were far more stressed than the situation actually demanded. As Allen Saunders said, “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans”. Not because a title defines everything, but because it reflects a journey. A phase where things started becoming clearer, where uncertainty slowly turned into direction. . And I think that is what makes it meaningful.
To all of you reading this, life is all about phases and transitions. From the time we were excited to finally start using a fountain pen after graduating 5th grade, to our first internship where we tried to imitate our supervisors and mentors. The phase where wearing formals felt like a big step-up, and then slowly became a boring routine. Somewhere in between, life needs to be lived more consciously and more presently. We need to trust ourselves a little more. Because somewhere, somehow, we all make it.
So, to sum it up, in hindsight, things tend to work out. They always have, for all of us, in one way or the other. For me, that was Lucky Cement. It was my HOD, my colleagues, the friends I made along the way, the connections, the skills, both hard and soft. The emotions I felt, the highs and lows, the learnings, the friction, the bottlenecks, and figuring out how to deal with all of it. Let’s see where it lands me next. Xoxo.
