The many write-ups we are exposed to tell us how we need to manage our risks and play safe. Sometimes my close friends tell me, now is the time to do the unthinkable, to leave the known and venture out to the unknown.

Now is the time to take risks. It's not always about landing the biggest internship or job, but it's about obtaining the experience and skills that you'll need for the future.

I have always mentioned the importance of cutting your milk teeth so that you can acquire vital skills. Right now I know you are young, brilliant and enthusiastic, and we have everything in front of us. Most of us don't have worries or stresses of family life; we don't have dependents relying on us to bring home the food. We are allowed to take risks, to try something completely new, at random.

And let's face it what do we have to lose? We can set out to learn and try new experiences that our parents didn't have the chance to do. The experiences we have will give us a unique opportunity to increase our value as employees.

I had the awesome opportunity to work in Matale/Alawathugoda and live in a different culture for two years. I was able to learn how things did happen there and make tons of friends.

I stayed in Hantana with the locals associated with from different parts of the country and learned how different places require a difference in attitude and approach. I ate with families who taught me about the culture, and even thought the food was different from my Colombo diet, it was delicious. I was able to participate in events and see how another part of the country celebrated their festivals, New Year's Eve, birthdays and national holidays.

This journey could be called a risk, to stop my job as a Brand Manager at Smith Kline Beecham and move to Kandy. Yet for me, it was an experience I wouldn't trade on. I learned more in those two years out of Colombo than I did in my first 20 years at home.

Not only did I learn a valuable skill set, but I have stories that no one else has, stories and experiences that set me apart from the competition.

It's not always about where you go, but also about what you do while you are there. Never be idle; always look for opportunities, experiences and adventures. In the current economic struggle, this is the perfect time to take a chance and do something new and creative. I've learned that everything we do can be for our benefit. We can always use our past experiences to land an internship or job. When I was looking for my first I got to apply to Pfizer, I had literally zero experience in Bio Science , which was a prerequisite.

So I put on my resume anything I could think of--my school career as Deputy Head Prefect, Peterite Gold ( award given for balance between sports and studies), Vice Captain of the Champion Athletic Team, Sri Lanka Schools Colours in Athletics . And the best part is that I actually got the job , although I had no clue of the human body or anything to do with pharmacology . I went on to win the best Professional Service Rep in the very first year. The employer could see that I was eager to learn and I had a good work ethic from the past.

If I did ask for advice from someone, he obviously would have told me not to take the job due to my core study area of commerce and accounts.

It is at this time that I also started to do CIM, my first six months was very difficult since I had to travel from Batticaloa and Trincomalee ( my designated area) for classes. I need to thank my close friend who introduced me to CIM. I've heard before that you should live life in your 20s, learn all you can in your 30s, make all the money you can in your 40s and retire in your 50s. Even though there is no set formula, I do love the principle of learning all we can to profit in our later years.

Life's experiences and on-the-job experiences will be able to help us reach our professional goals. We shouldn't cheapen our lives by always working. If we take the time to try something new, we will see rewards later in life.