Every guy graduating from a tier 1 engineering college , dreams of a plush job. So was the case with me. In 2003 , I had given CAT in november. Don't knw how much I scored but it was no where near the target score that the IIMs wanted. Now, there had to b a twist n we all know now that November 03 paper was cancelled. So again we were supposed to go thru the grind in feb04. The period from nov to dec...i wasted like a CH$$$$TH.....
Feb came...n i SHATTTTTTT ( shockers lingo for goofing up.... ) big time. No calls. Fortunately(or unfortunately as I later realised ) I had a job in hand. So wasnt worried...but before moving to workplace it was drilled into me that this is temporary arrangement,may b a couple of years, NOT more than that...."AFTER THAT YOU HAVE TO GO FOR MBA....." was the cry even my cousin studying in 6th grade kept reminding me of. Parental pressure and Peer Pressure rocks!!!!!
I dunno how the scene has changed from 2004 to 2008 ( life flips 180 in matter of days...4 years is such a long time ) but I still feel that on graduation day every engineering grad feels that this degree equips him to go out there and create something , design something, invent /rengineer miracles. Sadly 80 to 90% of engineering grads realise, within first few months into their work , that the kinda jobs they have been dreaming are far beyond their reach unless they stick onto their firm for 5 or 6 years or join the firm with an additional qualification. The day a MT ( short for management trainee) or a GET ( Graduate engineering trainee) realises this, it's the end of his desire to give 100 % to his first job outta campus and beginning of the never say "give up" attitude to crack CAT, XAT , SNAP ....n plethora of other exams. Countless sundays are spent writing tests , analyzing papers, contemplating n strategising for the next test which is generally scheduled on the following sunday...n this cycle repeats till that fateful day in Novemeber ( It was 19th for me ...god knws wat it is this year) when 3 lakh aspirants slog it out for that elusive freedom from their current jobs or wrongly selected engineering/arts / science /commerce profiles.
My experiences from 2004 to 2008 in this journey from an engineering job to MBA applications and finally some admits in 2008 will b dealt in detail in this multi part series. Part 2 would b on first year of the job...generally known across firms as the "honeymoon period". So keep watching this space for more info on this.....
ciao
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Friday, May 02, 2008
Life on the fast lane
....This is my first post in 2 mnths. Life has been on a fast lane in these 2 months. First of all, I am through with my b-school appin n t-bird admit is in my hands. Always wanted to b there. But now once I have got the admit, it feels as if the slog hasnt stopped. It has just taken a break which will start again once the b-school journey starts.
Professionally,This period has been the most turbulent yet interesting one. First of all , I have realised by now that I need to take a plunge into wat I really wanna do ( joining a start up) & not wat people expect me to do(sit in a stable job) . Some how all this while I thought I could do more than wat I am doin rite now, but hierarchy n pseudo-bureaucracy always kept me in check. So much so that the more I tried to better myself, the elites wud see it as an act of rebellion. I am almost on the brink of quitting. Today ( Sat 03/05/08) I have had my toughest day in my professional life. Work started at 9am and its 11.30 pm now by the time wind up. All this cos of silly ego hassels of a particular person. Many ppl bore the brunt of his ego n now it was my turn. Just a week ago , his most trusted lieutenant resigned and now the canons were being directed towards me. I feelllll sooooooooooooooooooooo miserable right now. Had US economy been more stable and had US visa procedures been fairly simple ( read that as a guaranteed visa on application) I would have put my papers 2 months back.
Sadly this is just wishful thinking....... Dunno wats gonna happen next n just have to get out of this mess @ workplace soon .
Sadly this is just wishful thinking....... Dunno wats gonna happen next n just have to get out of this mess @ workplace soon .
Thursday, February 28, 2008
ONE BEDROOM FLAT
Here is a nice article that was mailed to me today. Felt like putting it on the log . Cos I may be very well at the threshold of such an event.
ONE BEDROOM FLAT... WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER- A Bitter Reality
As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software Engineering
And joined a company based in USA, the land of braves and opportunity.
When I arrived in the USA, it was as if a dream had come true.
Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be
Staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have
Earned enough money to settle down in India.
My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only
asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.
I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and
lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents
every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two
years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching
the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.
Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days
of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my
ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually
enjoying shopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone
then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going
through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I
was forced to select one candidate.
In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3
days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time
to return to USA, after giving some money to my parents and telling the
neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA.
My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started
feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week
sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two more
years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were
gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked
me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children.
Every year I decide to go to India. But part work part monetary conditions
prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream. Then
suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I
tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India. The
next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one
to do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I
was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand
children.
After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my
wife's joy we returned to India to settle down. I started to look for a
suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property
prices had gone up during all these years.I could not afford to buy even a One bedroom flat
in a decent locality.(The price quoted in Vakola for 1BHK flat was a whooping 72 lac rupees)
I had to return to the USA.
My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in
India. My 2 children and I returned to USA after promising my wife
I would be back for good after two years.
Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my
son was happy living in USA. I decided that had enough and wound-up every
thing and returned to India. I had just enough money to buy a decent 2
bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.
Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the
routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and
gone to the holy abode.
Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying
in India, had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more.
I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM.
Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This damned
cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their
values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children
asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me.
Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be
performing my last rights, God Bless them. But the question still remains
'Was All This Worth It?'
I am still searching for an answer................!!!!
Think Of it ………there is nothing big than making our parents happier…………
ONE BEDROOM FLAT... WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER- A Bitter Reality
As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software Engineering
And joined a company based in USA, the land of braves and opportunity.
When I arrived in the USA, it was as if a dream had come true.
Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be
Staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have
Earned enough money to settle down in India.
My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only
asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.
I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and
lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents
every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two
years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching
the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.
Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days
of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my
ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually
enjoying shopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone
then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going
through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I
was forced to select one candidate.
In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3
days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time
to return to USA, after giving some money to my parents and telling the
neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA.
My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started
feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week
sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two more
years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were
gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked
me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children.
Every year I decide to go to India. But part work part monetary conditions
prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream. Then
suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I
tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India. The
next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one
to do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I
was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand
children.
After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my
wife's joy we returned to India to settle down. I started to look for a
suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property
prices had gone up during all these years.I could not afford to buy even a One bedroom flat
in a decent locality.(The price quoted in Vakola for 1BHK flat was a whooping 72 lac rupees)
I had to return to the USA.
My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in
India. My 2 children and I returned to USA after promising my wife
I would be back for good after two years.
Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my
son was happy living in USA. I decided that had enough and wound-up every
thing and returned to India. I had just enough money to buy a decent 2
bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.
Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the
routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and
gone to the holy abode.
Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying
in India, had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more.
I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM.
Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This damned
cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their
values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children
asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me.
Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be
performing my last rights, God Bless them. But the question still remains
'Was All This Worth It?'
I am still searching for an answer................!!!!
Think Of it ………there is nothing big than making our parents happier…………
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Dings dongs dings....
The title line is a bit goofed up....but from where i see it, these words convey misery on two of my applications. Yesterday Fisher sent me a nice letter which had familiar content " This decision in any way is not a true reflection of your managerial potential. But due to highly competitive admission criteria we cannot offer u place on our program". As I started putting the hand written letter away , I switched on my laptop to check, if any other schools that I had applied to, had given out dings......... n there it was...a mail from penn state. Before I cud open it and read its content I knew, the writing was on the wall. A ding for sure............ n a reject it was.
So in this app game the score stands rite now at 2 rejects.
Lets c where the game goes from here.....as far as iam concerned..... the title track of film Race- "Race is on my mind" is apt to describe the MBA game. Further reports will be put up as soon as the decisions arrive.
So in this app game the score stands rite now at 2 rejects.
Lets c where the game goes from here.....as far as iam concerned..... the title track of film Race- "Race is on my mind" is apt to describe the MBA game. Further reports will be put up as soon as the decisions arrive.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
My first post for 08
hmmmm..... I was barely able to post in the second half of last year.Thats primarily because of 3
reasons :-
a) Professional growth had plateaued. N before u jump to conclusions it wasn't about the salary but more about the amount of time I was losing to switch to something which i love doing.
b) More stress on the personal front. I had made tonnes of new friends but lost touch on plenty of old ones.......on relationship- i think i am out of the shackles now
c) Admission Essays--- This was one of the biggest reasons i havent been able to think about anything else. All my weekends are invariable left to thrash out this aspect of the process.
Good news is that me n some of my pals ( Ajax---this guy got some amazing calls n iam sure he will convert those ) will be starting off this fall at one of our cherished b-schools. At this point I am not sure where I am headed...by march I can be more specific but this time I aint waiting for anything. Got to begin my second innings with acads as early as possible....n it will be surely not in India....contrary to some of my friends who may have thought i havent figured out wat I want......n still think iam wasting my time pursuing my quest for an MBA overseas.
Enough of bull crap from some quarters, just waiting for time to be on my side .........just watch this space n the saga will unfold slowly.... will keep u posted from now on.
reasons :-
a) Professional growth had plateaued. N before u jump to conclusions it wasn't about the salary but more about the amount of time I was losing to switch to something which i love doing.
b) More stress on the personal front. I had made tonnes of new friends but lost touch on plenty of old ones.......on relationship- i think i am out of the shackles now
c) Admission Essays--- This was one of the biggest reasons i havent been able to think about anything else. All my weekends are invariable left to thrash out this aspect of the process.
Good news is that me n some of my pals ( Ajax---this guy got some amazing calls n iam sure he will convert those ) will be starting off this fall at one of our cherished b-schools. At this point I am not sure where I am headed...by march I can be more specific but this time I aint waiting for anything. Got to begin my second innings with acads as early as possible....n it will be surely not in India....contrary to some of my friends who may have thought i havent figured out wat I want......n still think iam wasting my time pursuing my quest for an MBA overseas.
Enough of bull crap from some quarters, just waiting for time to be on my side .........just watch this space n the saga will unfold slowly.... will keep u posted from now on.
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