Blogging my experience on request of my very good friend:
Being an Indian, It is very difficult for any kid to have desires. For example, when I was in my school, I aspired to become a cricketer one day. But I was forced to drop that desire, due to the break neck competition in sports field and my family's financial status.
Cut to 2018, where I am working as a freelancer in my client's place. When I started my career in 2005 in this never forgiving IT industry, I always had to come the second best. The break neck competition in the field has not dampened me a bit. I always say with pride, that I always had a good work-life balance by running my own race (or competing with myself). Yes, there were company standards, yes there were client demands, but that doesn't mean I will have to lose my sleep over a job which only occupies 8 hours of my daily life.
Being Different:
I still remember sometime in 2007 (almost 2 years after started working in IT), I asked my team mate as to where should I go to catch the night shuttle at midnight and the entire team burst out laughing, as they knew I will never lose my personal life come whatever may.
While all others were busy jumping from one project to another, to get on-site, I believed in persisting in the same project. Many of my friends and well wishers were not impressed with these decisions including my IT mentors who thought it was going to backfire as I neither wont get promoted not get any on-site assignments.
Attitude:
I see lot of people with 'can do' attitude when it comes to work. The same should be followed for 'outside work' as well. For instance, the 'can do' attitude can be shown to finish the work on time or searching a new opportunity or making your own path.
PS: In 2009, my best friend had asked me what eligibility I have to do a Manager role.
In 2015, when I was without a contract, my co-worker asked me if I need a salary without a job.
My answer to them was plain simple. 'I know what I need, so I will ask you when I need something'. A king always remains a king, remember when Alexander defeated Porus in the war and asked him how he wanted to be treated, Porus boldly said 'treat me like a King'. The same goes to all of us. Each of us is a King/Queen in our own right.
We don't need others to lift us up in morale. We only need our own hero worship(self worship). And more importantly, we don't need to belittle others to project our achievements or to motivate ourselves.
Coping with NegativeYearly feedback:
This is the most trickiest thing for any employee. A negative feedback or an average feedback would mean the next promotion and a good salary increase is already postponed for an year minimum with all conditions apply. This is where our attitude helps in tackling this tricky thing. Through out my career, at least 1 year in every 2 years I got this type of feedback. While I don't see much decline in my performance, I personally feel it is clearly a stunt by management to keep employees working for 15-16 hours instead of 8 for increasing their revenues.
So in hindsight, promotion in IT industry has kept on evading me for the entire 9 years I worked.
Decision Making:
As an aspiring free bird employee, I needed to take really bold and tough decisions and be prepared to sit at home when there is no work. This could be possible due to the moral and financial support that I received from my entire family members including my in laws. My dad went to the extent of giving his retirement benefit money to me to support my financial needs.
Tasting Success:
As they say 'success is a journey and not a destination'. My journey of so called success started since 2015 Feb, when I started my career as a freelancer, one who decides where to work and how many hours to work etc. Many people call it sheer luck that I am here, while my best friends tell me how happy they were and how much hard work and stress that I had underwent to be myself all these years. Last year, I had lost my contract due to health and budget issues. Some of my colleagues told that I cannot make a come back anymore. But here I am live and kicking and still going strong after all the hiccups that I had faced.
Facing Challenges:
A person can oppose his manager, not the management to be on his own. That is the very success of corporates in keeping people as their slaves. Breaking the shackles needs lot of guts and an ultra positive mindset and attitude which luckily I had.
Road Ahead:
I know the road ahead is not that easy, but I will make sure I listen to only constructive feedback from people around me (no more negativity).
Running our own race and competing with our own self is the key to success in any field.
Even now, I leave it to the readers here to decide whether my career is a success or failure, but to me as I already wrote, I will always be a Lion, roaring positively.
Jai Hind!
Being an Indian, It is very difficult for any kid to have desires. For example, when I was in my school, I aspired to become a cricketer one day. But I was forced to drop that desire, due to the break neck competition in sports field and my family's financial status.
Cut to 2018, where I am working as a freelancer in my client's place. When I started my career in 2005 in this never forgiving IT industry, I always had to come the second best. The break neck competition in the field has not dampened me a bit. I always say with pride, that I always had a good work-life balance by running my own race (or competing with myself). Yes, there were company standards, yes there were client demands, but that doesn't mean I will have to lose my sleep over a job which only occupies 8 hours of my daily life.
Being Different:
I still remember sometime in 2007 (almost 2 years after started working in IT), I asked my team mate as to where should I go to catch the night shuttle at midnight and the entire team burst out laughing, as they knew I will never lose my personal life come whatever may.
While all others were busy jumping from one project to another, to get on-site, I believed in persisting in the same project. Many of my friends and well wishers were not impressed with these decisions including my IT mentors who thought it was going to backfire as I neither wont get promoted not get any on-site assignments.
Attitude:
I see lot of people with 'can do' attitude when it comes to work. The same should be followed for 'outside work' as well. For instance, the 'can do' attitude can be shown to finish the work on time or searching a new opportunity or making your own path.
PS: In 2009, my best friend had asked me what eligibility I have to do a Manager role.
In 2015, when I was without a contract, my co-worker asked me if I need a salary without a job.
My answer to them was plain simple. 'I know what I need, so I will ask you when I need something'. A king always remains a king, remember when Alexander defeated Porus in the war and asked him how he wanted to be treated, Porus boldly said 'treat me like a King'. The same goes to all of us. Each of us is a King/Queen in our own right.
We don't need others to lift us up in morale. We only need our own hero worship(self worship). And more importantly, we don't need to belittle others to project our achievements or to motivate ourselves.
Coping with Negative
This is the most trickiest thing for any employee. A negative feedback or an average feedback would mean the next promotion and a good salary increase is already postponed for an year minimum with all conditions apply. This is where our attitude helps in tackling this tricky thing. Through out my career, at least 1 year in every 2 years I got this type of feedback. While I don't see much decline in my performance, I personally feel it is clearly a stunt by management to keep employees working for 15-16 hours instead of 8 for increasing their revenues.
So in hindsight, promotion in IT industry has kept on evading me for the entire 9 years I worked.
Decision Making:
As an aspiring free bird employee, I needed to take really bold and tough decisions and be prepared to sit at home when there is no work. This could be possible due to the moral and financial support that I received from my entire family members including my in laws. My dad went to the extent of giving his retirement benefit money to me to support my financial needs.
Tasting Success:
As they say 'success is a journey and not a destination'. My journey of so called success started since 2015 Feb, when I started my career as a freelancer, one who decides where to work and how many hours to work etc. Many people call it sheer luck that I am here, while my best friends tell me how happy they were and how much hard work and stress that I had underwent to be myself all these years. Last year, I had lost my contract due to health and budget issues. Some of my colleagues told that I cannot make a come back anymore. But here I am live and kicking and still going strong after all the hiccups that I had faced.
Facing Challenges:
A person can oppose his manager, not the management to be on his own. That is the very success of corporates in keeping people as their slaves. Breaking the shackles needs lot of guts and an ultra positive mindset and attitude which luckily I had.
Road Ahead:
I know the road ahead is not that easy, but I will make sure I listen to only constructive feedback from people around me (no more negativity).
Running our own race and competing with our own self is the key to success in any field.
Even now, I leave it to the readers here to decide whether my career is a success or failure, but to me as I already wrote, I will always be a Lion, roaring positively.
Jai Hind!
