Why not chew gum and think
The weekend GMAT classes has given me an opportunity to mingle with folks eight to ten years younger than me. And not surprisingly, most of them are BE grads, working in companies like TCS, and with about two years of work experience. They all share two things in common. First, they claim they are terribly bored of their present job and hence want to run away from the IT industry at the first given opportunity. One guy from Wipro said he wanted to get into investment banking (ahaaa), another guy spoke about supply chain management. Second, they are just waiting to complete two years in the present job so that they can quit to prepare for their GMAT full-time. And that is precisely what made me write this post.
Had I met these guys in their final undergrad years and asked them where they wanted to work, any guesses what might’ve been the answer? ‘Software engineer in an IT company’ would’ve come through before I had blinked. In essence what they felt about IT companies in the recent past is very different from what they feel now. That’s how it is – we think we know what we want in future only to find our mind kick us in the ass later on.
From my observation, very few people occupied in any top tier Indian IT services company like their job in the first two years. This is as fundamental as ‘the sun rises in the east’, or ‘night is followed by day’ phenomenon. So these guys are not alone. Now, I am not alone is a big consolation and I wish these guys realize that. A good portion of the lot who palambufy learn the tricks of the trade and move ahead in their careers to become damagers.
Second, even if they want to give GMAT, or even want to start their own business, or write a novel – there’s as much point in starting out full time as in printing an invitation card before fixing the marriage. For one, they may have lot of explaining to do with the B school admission folks to begin with. Moreover, this kind of ‘focus’ reasoning is merely an extension of that famous line, “I cannot chew gum and think at the same time”. There are some things which if you can’t find time to do for some hours a day, chances are you do not have it in you to do it full time anyway. Have we mediocre students ever studied during our ‘study holidays’? I’ve never come across anyone who has bunked classes all along, turned studious during study holidays and came out on top. I’d say the same logic applies here.
I hope they give their GMAT test and essays, get their admissions, and visas, and then quit their job. Ennamo wanted to rant on this one.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:28 am
we (and our next gen) don’t have an environment to think independently and try a different route than the most (herds). When in college they all fall into ‘IT pool’ only to find it is a rotten pool. Then they want to jump into another (herd) pool and so on and on. What if we had the options to try things on our own - if our society is not so militaristic in forcing us to do what they think as the best?
BTW: I also think there are ways to amend & adjust your path as you go along.
October 9th, 2009 at 8:50 am
job is a job. Ambiguity is human spirit. Recently i heard that one s/w professional is the dialog writer of unnaipoloruvan. May these guys succeed, turn a new leaf.
October 9th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I think there are plenty of opportunities to become entrepreneurs these days. Either in the high tech world, or in the social service world. At this age, I am sure, they may not have lots of responsibilities (like family etc), should have enough money on hand. So they should be encouraged to try do something back to the country.
We can create a platform, to create opportunities. Contact me if you would like to explore some.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
The sad part of the thing is that they may feel the same way after a year or two towards investment banking or whatever they plan to do now.
Partly to be blamed is the society for growing us to walk in routes that have been tread and assured to be safe. Cant blame the guys, for there are very less options known, over here that offer comfortable sustenance and interesting career options at the same time.
One more thing to be noted is that the reason they might have wanted to join a s/w company in their final years would have been more for the lucrative reasons than for their real interests. I reckon that at least 50 % of folks who end up in software now, do so bcoz they dont have any other options.
October 13th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
The last three jobs - found them after quitting. There’s no hard and fast rule here. Circumstances overrule general rules including this one.
October 15th, 2009 at 5:29 am
Study-holiday analogy very much valid.
//Recently i heard that one s/w professional is the dialog writer of unnaipoloruvan. //
இரா.முருகன். He has been writing for over 20 years actually. His debut novel மூன்று விரல் is about the s/w industry. Not sure if there are many Tamil novels about this world. All this while he was very much working in India and aborad. Sujatha worked till retirement and he is as prolific as it is possible to get.
S:ஏண்ணே அவசரப்பட்டு வேலைய விட்டீங்க
GM: என்னது அவசரப்பட்டா….நீதானே டா கப்பல்ல வேலை வாங்கி தரேன்னு சொன்ன
S:ஆமாம்…புத்திசாலிங்க புதுவேலை கிடைக்கிற வரைக்கின் பழைய வேலைய விட மாட்டாங்க…நீங்க அப்படி செய்ய சான்ஸு கிடையாது
October 15th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Dagalti,
Precisely.
Thanks for that senthil goundamani piece of wisdom
Seth Godin has written a kutti but too expensive book called ‘the dip’ (need not buy, landmark la sowgaryama utkarndhu padichudalaam) that book counters what i say.
Maybe if one is a Roger Federer in his area, one can afford to do only one thing and quit the other.
But naan dharma advice solradhu podhu janathuku, Seth godin solra advice Roger federers ku.. at least that’s my interpretation
October 15th, 2009 at 11:27 am
BNB
I suppose quitting a job before to find another is..I guess its a slightly different scenario.
Will I quit the job just because I think i can better apple’s user interface? Hell no is my decision now…
I am making my assumptions here. Perhaps you are able to get jobs after quitting elsewhere if you have some exceptional, sought after knowledge in a niche area. But even here, the odds of one going to a much better job than the earlier, if one is currently out of job, is small….
I for one favor taking such decisions when the odds are in my favor… vayasu aanadhuku aprom i’ve developed a respect for probability per se…
October 15th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
To continue on my previous point…Quitting a job and getting a new one is still different from quitting a job and starting a new business or writing a book or even th most conventional of the lot - quitting a job with plans for MBA…unless you join a different industry..
October 15th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
manikandan,
welcome here…
very true on your first point.
society ellam blame panni prayojanam ledhu nu thonudhu…
Money is always a factor.. though not the most important factor.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Opportunities are always there.
As one grows older - life always requires you to take on additional roles, we can’t run away from one to take the other, citing ‘i can do only one’…
October 15th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
karthikeyan,
i think dagalti answered better than i would’ve. sorry for the late response…life is hectic nowadays
October 15th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
joseph,
I used to think the same… nowadays, I think people who think independently now are probably greater than any other given point in time in India 9 i dont know about ancient times)
To clarify my point, what does a child do if she is interested in, say painting, she will just paint on whatever she feels like… Now if the child says, well i want to focus on painting, so i dont wanna go to school. then it does not make sense…
October 15th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Prabukarthik:
Thou dost err on the side of caution (look who’s talking
The UPO dialogues lacked (in many places) of authenticity and real context (that the original had) and seemed to yet another case of a Tamil writer genuflecting before some movie star.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:46 am
BNB, his writing is better.
His collection of essays raayar kaapi club is a breezy read. Sometimes noticeably sujathaish. He had the format of a short essay ending with a marabukkavidhai. Something he wrote long back.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Deep down we are dual. Hyde and Jekyll syndrome. Very rarely we are able to appease both these characters in us. Most of the time we pretend to be jekyll, happy and moving along with the things in life that gives us the chewing gum to chew, But what we really want to do is entirely different
November 12th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Hi, I got to your blog while googling for thiruvasagam meaning. And you write well man… I could relate to so many of your posts (the IRCTC one, for eg) And nice down-to-earth language… (enna maadhiri tamil-pudichum-english-pesara-ponnungalukellam padikka nalla irukku :D)
And i agree with your point about the software guys. They are into it without knowing what they want. Problem with life is that except people like Federer, most of us can’t tell how much we really want something without trying it full time. Call it the inability of the average human mind! In any case, sujatha ellam big time talented person. Nammalala appadi irukkamudiyumannu theriyadhu. Though, good example for an inspiration
Anyway, keep up your blog… Nice to read!
November 12th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Hi suchithra
Thanks for your feedback. Though I am sceptical you’d feel the same if you read my blog fully
I understand your point though I think we may still know enough about something to decide if we like it or not… at least idhu pudichirukanu theriyum nu dhaan thonudhu…
techcrunch arambichavan munnadiye plan panni full time blogging la irnagirpaan nu thonalai… I think certain things just take a course of its own…
sorry for this over serious comment