Quitting

Have you ever quit your current job without having another? Or rather have you ever quit your first most celebrated campus job within a month of joining? This is what happened to me.

I was one of the top student of our MBA institute with two offers from two top notch companies of the country, let’s name them CN & CD. I got placed in CD first and accepted the offer with all my heart. I was super elated and had a feeling I would love the profile. Then unfortunately I sat on CN’s recruitment process as well, you won’t believe when I would say I only went in to support my best friend. The company, profile, and field everything was different to my specialization. It was an investment bank, I was 200% sure I will not clear the interview process. But I did, they somehow selected me.

Despite my heart saying otherwise I gave in to the pressure and joined CN which was giving almost double the package of CD. Also, it has close connectivity to my hometown. Only later I realized these should not be the criterion to decide the place where you would like to work. I was always the person who considered money as the last factor when I came to learning, I knew I should have stuck to that theory only.

We were given a 5 star stay for a fortnight and a five star treatment in the one month of training program. The whole group was highly impressed with the infrastructure, the facilities, and the food. Only important point they forgot to mention in that one month is we will be put into various shifts supporting different international time zones. When they did mention it they also mentioned as a policy females will not be given the night shifts at the beginning. That was a relief only to realize that their policies change within few hours.

They put me and my roommate in US hours, evening 5 to midnight 2. I was highly against it and very disappointed. I was new in the city, first time out of home, new to the workplace I wanted a decent timing to get accustomed. Same for my roommate, we asked them that they can change it later (very 6 months the shift changes). Put me in another shift than this. If they would have tried to convince us, probably we would have given in. But the way they treated us once we approached the HR, the higher authorities was unbelievable; the kind of words spoken to us was unacceptable. I can handle the work pressure but not ill-treatment of employees. Our supposed to be mangers stopped talking to us, we were literally out casted. On more inquiry we realized the employees weren’t empowered, they had no say, the work environment was horrible. More than often people had to overlap two shifts. Holidays were nonexistent. I never wanted a work life without having a personal life. And just like that, without planning, without having another offer, we QUIT.

The months that followed were the worst three months of our lives. We were these super bright students of our alma mater, thinking we can own the world. But not, once you are out of campus. But they say everything happens for a reason, I started respecting my parents like never before, their support changed me completely. I understood the importance of family in all new way and that change is the only constant in life. I approached CD and they offered me the job again after a couple of more interviews. My friend also got a well deserving job which aligned completely with her work interest with ample growth opportunities. Probably the first experience taught us to be super sincere in our second first jobs. We both were top performers there as well. We were happy that we did not waste more time in a job where our heart dint aligned.

And as far as our escalation is concerned, the company made it a point to convey about shifts and other details in the pre placement talk itself, so that the students can make an informed decision then and there.

Below our few lines I wrote after I Resigned.

I RESIGNED

– not just from a job.
– i resigned from the artificiality – superficiality it bought with it.
– i resigned from the deceitful environment.
– i resigned from work where my heart wasn’t lying.
– i resigned from a brainless job
– i resigned before i became a part of the sick corporate culture.
– i resigned from the comfortable – easy but unsatisfying life.
– i resigned on my conditions.
– i resigned without compromising on my values.

– and a lot more…

it’s a difficult time.. feels strange struggling for jobs…going for interviews… that uncertainty.. confusions.. and everything that comes with this phase. But I have deliberately chosen it on my will; with just a wish that things would be fine soon.

 

Jobs and more

It’s funny how I am not working in an official setup now. I could have been the near perfect employee, in fact I was one in the brief period of time I worked in a corporate setup. My team lead and manager trusted me to no bounds, gave me opportunities which were not given even to colleagues senior to me. I have always been good with jobs and tasks when delegated with a proper deadline rather than building something from scratch or taking complete initiatives on my one. I need that extra push or external pressure to do deliver my best.

Since college I have always worked, not for money though, but mostly to learn. I have always believed that working makes you learn a great deal, makes you confident and you learn how to handle timelines and different kind of people. It gives you practical learning which books and formal education cannot.

Before the other aspects of life get hold of me and I completely forgot all my odd jobs period, I would like to pen it down here and reread at some later stage.

I was a media student and from my first year itself I started assisting my seniors in shoots and other projects. I used to leave home at 8.30 and come back only by 7-8 in the evening. I learned no job is a small job.

By the end of first year I wrote and produced couple of features program for all India Radio, and got my first official pay. In that 2000 Rs. I planned my whole life ahead :). That’s the magic of getting your first pay.

By third year I and my group started producing small videos for private setups in our city and for personal portfolios . We learnt to negotiate, to network, to ask for money (which was the toughest part and I was pretty bad at it).

During this time we also became a part of core branding team of two investors who were planning to bring a totally new concept college/education in our city. And made our first official trip to Delhi to take part in an education fair to get first hand response from visitors. It’s unfortunate that it never materialized after that. We learnt how lack of initial planning and research hampers your plans.

For official internship me and my two college buddies became a part of a creative team of a software company, me basically handling the content.  I wrote few pieces in Hindi for a hospital website especially for its maternity wing and some of those still hangs on the hospital wall that makes me so proud.

We kept on having discussions on opening up our own setup but college ended and all of us took different paths and got busy. I took a break for higher studies and even that time I used to handle the front desk of my coaching center for few hours/day. Counselling students and sharing first had experience why I chose my center.

Meanwhile I got admission and there were few months before my MBA started, I got an opportunity to join the first lifestyle magazine from our area and started working there. I loved my work, and the editor was highly impressed by it, he continued paying me full salary even when I reduced my work hours after college. He planned to promote me within 4 months of joining and I planned to leave to concentrate on my college.

I wanted to get some experience which would help me in my MBA, that’s when I joined yet another firm as a Marketing lead in a very niche service category.  And got a chance to meet a lot of industry big shots during this period. Also my first stint of handling a team. That improved my presentation and communication skills tremendously.

Once that ended I also kept on taking few freelancing market research projects for private firms and for my seniors. Making questionnaires is something I love and got quite good at it.

And I was the only one who had two very impressive job offers from two biggest firms of the country. I still can’t forget that golden period :). I ended up joining both in due course of time because of certain unforeseen situations that will be covered later covering what I learnt from a company where I dint work.

Wow, it feels so good recalling all those moments of jobs/working when money/promotion/proving was not the only thing. It was for sheer fun of learning. And all those small stints have made me a better professional in many ways.

Things I miss about my full time job

For giving a background TBH and I work for our own setup, okay basically his setup and that too from home. He has an office in another town of the city where we keep travelling every other month but basically we both work out of home. I was mentioning this to an acquaintance and he simply asked me how it’s like to be working from home; I was like great– specially saving those long hours commuting to and fro from work. Basically in many other aspects as well but I am preparing a post on being married to an entrepreneur and those things will be divulged there.

The point of this post is more about the things I miss about my previous work place and practically my first full time job experience. I had a privilege to have worked for one of the most sought after firms in the country and in the role that I loved. It has spoiled me so much that when we moved cities post marriage, I decided against joining any other company despite getting offers and started working for TBH’s startup.

But every now and then I would miss my work place. Some of the reasons I am jotting down here so when I look back and read this in future I know I had this wonderful time in my first official job.

For all the first time experiences: For getting a desk of my own and a machine. For getting a personal VoIP number to my first printed visiting card. For giving me my first promotion. For making me feel truly a professional first time in life. For meeting the big shots and representing my team. For the first beautiful corporate experience ever. For giving me the power of initiating and getting heard. For inculcating the culture of sharing and caring.

For the work I did: It wasn’t a high fundoo job but it was the one I truly loved and felt belonged. For finding my calling. For knowing that those seemingly simple jobs make a difference. For finding people who shared the passion. That brings me down to my team lead.

For getting to know my team lead: He was a guy who was an eye sore for most of the people because he was exceptionally good at this job despite being under qualified compared to almost everybody in the team. This guy made me fall in love with the work we did. This guy taught me how writing good mails make a big difference. This guy taught me how passion makes all the difference and there is nothing that can hold you back. He taught me that if you have a point and a plan, you will be heard. He gave me confidence to perform exceptionally well, defended me when needed and I know for him I was his biggest asset. He taught me how to cross your boundaries and chalk out your own career path. I miss him most and the endless talks on movies, books and food we shared during log out hours.

For the numerous outings, team lunches, office celebrations, festivals, team day offs and various other excuses to celebrate.

For dressing up each morning and being up to date with fashion.

For the cribbing and fun gossip sessions among the four of my lunch mates.

And the funny pings on the outlook messenger among team mates.

For the funnier elevator sessions.

For the urgent meet to have a pastry at the office bakery shop.

For going to the office library and spending some quality time with me.

For the amazing bus mates.

For being involved in multiple causes through a proper channel and actually contributing.

For all the weekend stories.

For the chocolates and other souvenirs shared by the expats while visiting us.

For the coffee breaks.

For using my collection of laptop bags.

For all the hook up stories.

For all the people I met during the journey.

For finding half of my workplace at the airport during long weekends.

For witnessing the morning rush – make up sessions in the washroom.

For being someone and earning a name very early in my career and being approached by people for queries.

And endless other big – small things. You have guessed it right I was in love with my workplace.