10 years

On June 1, 2016, I completed 10 years of corporate working. I had joined after completing MBA from Management Development Institute. For me, it was a big achievement, because there were times, especially in the initial phase, when I doubted if I would survive in the corporate world. I agree that the question is not yet settled and my corporate stint is still a work-in-progress. Early morning, at my desk, when the thought of completing 10 years stuck me belatedly on June 2, I wrote two mails to two sets - one to the batch of 5 management joinees (all freshly minted at business schools) who joined with me at Deutsche Bank, Mumbai in June 2006; and second to my close friends who have had similar career paths as me and who has been my sounding board for most ideas - career and otherwise before 2006 and since.   

Mail to the Deutsche Bank Gang of 2006

Hi All

Don't know about you all, but for me yesterday was just another day in office. And the same seems to be the case today - a usual day.

Just that there is commonality about today for all of us. It just struck me a while back that i completed 10 years of corporate life yesterday.

And, then the fact struck that the same can be said for the entire DB group of 2006.  

I do not recall the details of June 1, 2006 except of entering a meeting room in the morning, and seeing Mr. Vishal Parmar sitting impeccably with a high-and-mighty serious expression on his face. Wrong first impression, i agree.

The number of 'Eight' DB management trainees has always been in my head. I keep counting the campuses everyone joined from, how many stayed beyond the first year, who all went to London, who all went for the Euro-trip, how many joined the ops department etc etc.  

I spent just 10 months of these 10 years in DB but they were the most fun days. Possibly because i was not doing anything. Of course, the stint at ICRA has been most satisfying professionally. Anyways, feels like completing a full circle, don't know what that means.

10 years back, I had no answer to the question - what I want to do in life? Surprisingly, nothing has changed on that front today. Going more by eliminations then selections. Not sure if that is a bad thing.

Leaving the reminiscences and ruminations aside, raising a toast (of virgin mojito to Vishal & Surya) to the class of 2006.

We set sail together.  

Mail to close friends and partners in most crimes

Hi All

Yesterday was just another day in office. And the same seems to be the case today - a usual day. But it just struck me a while back that I completed 10 years of corporate life yesterday. Neat packets of 10 months - DB, 7 months - JP Morgan and 103 months - ICRA.

Why i am sharing this with you? Because you all have been pillars of this stint of 10 years. The stint in Bombay was memorable because of Pank and Sid. And I would call Ss almost everyday for opening in ICICI Bank. I had no idea about the person i was calling, I was selfishly pestering for a job. How the tables turned. I always find it very strange that i was so desperate for ICICI then and in a short period, Ss joined ICRA.

Pank has always been a sounding board but most vigorously during the stay in Bombay. We used to talk almost daily. Mostly because of my desperation for a job change. During this period, Pank had access to my gmail id and i would call him any time during the day to send my cv to consultants. And he would always oblige. And immediately after putting my papers at DB, i was having second thoughts. I remember the call i made to him from the DB 6th floor foyer.  

To that extent, the stint at ICRA has been more peaceful. And most satisfying professionally. The initial years used to be more fun, because they were more energetic, frantic. I and Pank would meet on average once in two months, mostly in Blues. He has made me wait hours at Oxford book shop. This guy had kept many of the bills of that period and proclaimed to me one day that the tab must have run upwards to 1 lakh. Gross exaggeration i say.

Last two years in office have been about thinking of Sj. How i cherish those 10 mins we talk around lunch time, and how I want to reach home early. And the last 3 months have been about the G.  

I think a lot and I am in a particularly pensive mood today. I don’t know what to make of these 10 years. I acknowledge that one need not attach a meaning to everything, but if I do not look back now, for once, then when will I?

The way I see this world, there are two kinds of working people – (a) those who work for money and, (b) the rest. The category (b) can be broken down further into – (i) people who do something because they are exceptionally good at it which makes them stand apart, (ii) those who do something because they enjoy it and (iii) those who do something which contributes to the society/world. I would bracket all of us in the category (a). Yes, I agree there are occasions when we enjoy what we are doing, when we get satisfaction from cracking a deal, or understanding an industry etc. But the question to ask here would be that would we still do this work if we get the same money without doing it? And seriously, I would not delusion myself into thinking that I am good at what I do. More relevant is that what is there to excel in rating companies? Also, I don’t think it contributes to the society/world in any significant way. I say that as an analyst I used to make paper black and now as a team lead I make them red. I think category (a) would make up for 95% of the workforce in this world.

Another problem of our working culture is the need to explicitly separate the working time from personal time. The so-called ‘work-life’ balance. I have been guilty of attaching too much importance to my work and devoting lesser to the family. I tend to think of them as safety net – most useful in a desperate situation. In such a scenario, the time we scratch for ourselves, be it that weekend break or that once-a-year long leave, becomes that much important. To me it sounds desperate.

I agree that all this is a very critical view of things. I agree that there is a respect in labour, in doing whatever you are doing with integrity and responsibility. But at the same time, there is no harm in moving on. Doing something which I can be absolutely good at or which I can do just for the sheer joy of it or which I do to give something to the society. There is an old quote which I absolutely love and have long held on to – “If you’re not a communist at the age of 20, you haven’t got a heart. If you’re still a communist at the age of 30, you haven’t got a brain.” But this quote is contextual, written during the 19th century, period just after the industrial revolution and of social movements across the world. In today’s times, I would like to flip it – capitalist at 20 and anti-capitalist at 30. I agree that both stages can also co-exist but then one does justice to neither.

For now, I am happy I have survived this decade and not done too badly. But I would be very disappointed if am writing a similar mail after completing another decade, from my office desk. 10 years back, I had no answer to the question - what I want to do in life? Surprisingly, nothing has changed on that front today. I am still going more by eliminations then by selections. It is not necessarily a bad thing. But high time it changes.