| It's all about balance, in my opinion. Try to keep in mind why you love learning, and why you possess the ambition that drives you to succeed. If your motivation only lies in getting that name job, then you will have an unhealthy time on the way there. The people who are genuinely happy and who, on average, genuinely succeed are those who love what they do. It makes competition seem not nearly as fierce. Who else can possibly beat you when you're so obsessed with what you do? This is, in my opinion, healthy competition -- when it comes down to a comparison of true passion and skill across applicants. Because even if you don't get your first choice, you were probably pretty damn close and will easily land second or third choice and still be successful and happy.
Unhealthy competition is however more prevalent, where people are just grinding their way through things they dislike immensely for the sake of resume-stuffing.
My point is, yes, competition is fierce. However, it's largely composed of unhealthy competition. Do what you love and that ferocity of competition will die down a lot, relative to your perspective. It's the easiest way to get around this problem without pulling a Tonya Harding and maiming your competition. |