2008 – The year gone by……

This will be my last blog for the year 2008…so thought of jotting down what I have learnt during the past year….

Lesson 1:- Don’t run behind money….develop a skill set and money will come running after you.

I had left my job at ICICI Bank tow years back(2006) looking for a job which would pay me well…I ended up taking up a job in a KPO which gave me a rocking pay but also gave me irregular working hours and a unstable mind…Work was routine and monotonous which required no use of my knowledge and skills….positive part of this work was that my excel and system skills improved…finally frustrated and irritated I started looking out for a job which was very difficult as all jobs I was offered were KPO jobs while I wanted a front end job….most of the places I was rejected or not considered as my pay scale was high….finally I managed to get a job in a leading brokerage at a 30% pay cut…

After working in the brokerage for a year I switched jobs this year and ended up working for a leading insurance company as a part of the fund management team…

This job would not have come to me if had not realized that what is important for me is not money but utilizing my knowledge and skill set…money will flow with time…..

I sometimes think I am behind the curve with respect to my peer group cuz of the 1 year I lost in the KPO but I know that experience will stand me in good stead in whatever job I take…..This year strengthened my resolve in this belief….

Lesson 2:- Office politics is present wherever you go…its how you handle it will determine how far you go….

The earlier brokerage I was working for was steeped in office politics and I had the bad luck of working with a colleague as a team who was the bosses pet. This senior of mine took all advantage of my work…he never worked hard enough to fulfill his potential nor did he ever give me due for my work…at the end of the year when the appraisal was on….I was given a paltry bonus and this guy got a promotion and a huge raise….this made me realize that you need for the credit of the work you do…never ever let someone take advantage of you just because he is your senior or anyone at work…fight for what is your due…..

Lesson 3:- The most difficult and complex thing ever made by god….girls

Right from my mom, sister to my friends…I have never been able to understand how a girl thinks…I have been able to crack and solve the most difficult of situations but have never ever lost…understanding a girl is one task at which I have failed number of times and continue to do so….I earlier used to spend a lot of time thinking about it but this year a few instances(too personal to mention) made me realize its no use wasting time on it….the end result is that I have decided “I am going to go with the flow and stop thinking too much about this”…in short…be myself.

Lesson 4:- The only cornerstone of your life is your family

Till a few years back, the only thing important for me was my friends…I never ever used to listen to my mom who used to say that “Have friends but family first”…the only people who will bail you out in the time of need is your family….

I made substantial losses in the stock market crash leading me to a situation where I had to pay my broker a substantial sum. I tried borrowing money from friends but the only person who stood by me at that point of time, it was my mom and dad who lent me the amount. Though I repaid the money to them later, they were my “Rock of Gibraltar” during my time of need…..As they say “In your life, people come and people go but the only thing constant is your family”.

Though the learning’s were a lot more…but these were the major learning’s…I hope I can imbibe something from them and be a good human being….

See you guys in the New Year……Have a rocking New Year…..