Dear freshers of corporate..

Thanks for all the earlier reads..to one and all ...

No one teaches you everything, its just time and yourself one learns many things out of experiences.But Satya will definitely teach you, though you never thought of this aspect of your life.

This excerpt of my life, I pen down here, for you !

Today’s post is about assignments you choose. This is more applicable to corporate jobs and more relevant to IT sector.

Wonderful are the moments, when you see your name against the “Final list of selected candidates”, but we never know how the future is going to be. In fact people on the other side think they are unlucky but who knows,few years down the line they may be in the best assignment!

Gone are the days, when people assume you are a lucky because you got a job. But I should re-frame that saying. Its not lucky if you just get a job, unless you are in to a useful assignment. And I would add, he is lucky, who is working in a technology which rules near future. (shall elaborate..)

Let me take the contrast from the typical way how Indian software companies, play !

They rush to the campuses and select fresh and young minds, and give them joining dates after an year of selection. Because most of the students are selected during their Final yr first semester. After a long wait to join the organization, though they might have never dreamt of the same Org but, for which they have been waiting for, they would be given a training which is for a very short duration, which is to the surprise of new joiners that Engineering doesn't need 4years if courses(C, C++, java, Main frames, SAP FICO and SD for MBA freshers etc) are completed at this pace :P 

Following all these there is another brief wait for assignment and this is where your talent lies. Of course I should not blame students because not every body go forward to take/give the advice.

A person who waits for long time to join the work company, hardly knows the differences in work. Its then when he starts working and comparing with his friends, he gets to know that you have various kinds of work. Lemme explain you..

Scene 1:

Organizations like TCS, Infosys, IBM Global Services (not IDC), CTS, HCL and blah blah all companies, depend on the work provided by others. So, we either do 3kinds of things to survive. Development, Maintenance and Support. Not all but mostly projects are from one area of this cycle. 

A fresher, especially UG fresher is often put in to an assignment where he can immediately use his physical strength than application of brain. Which means working a lot, preparation of documents, test-cases, executing database scripts, monitoring daily jobs, observing the code work with sr.developer etc etc.

So a fresher would be given an opportunity of attending an interview wrt already chosen account/client. The Higher authorities already decide what kind of work we have and where we put these guys,, yet you have a formal interview. You will be selected easily in to that. And you feel victorious. But lemme say, 95% of the freshers do not know that they can say NO.Only 5% of the freshers dare (which is not really impossible task) to ask back few questions:

• Whats the job profile & Where am I heading to?
• Where will I be put up? 
• What are the expectations of TL from me? 
• Where can I see myself, after working for 1 year, in this role? 
• What kind of transition will you provide me after this assignment?

These are simple and straight questions, which the TL/PL could assess that you are a worthy guy and not to be ignored.If not they just might assume/treat you as another resource. Trust me, do this and let them know you're not just another chap !  -- Remember dude,"if you don't have Voice, you don't have Choice"

Scene 2:

We very well know the companies step in campus and take away the above average and best cream of the university, and surprisingly every one work hard or at least from now..Because only thing elders at home say is,"work hard and get GOODDD impression from TL. They give good ratings thus good salary", which is not quiet true.. hehe.. Trust me !

So the point is, you start working hard.. No.. sorry, you will definitely do that. Ok. Lemme put it this way..

While you are working hard, see your selves every 3 months, where you are. You might be in prestigious account and working with best client, but see that you have your CV prepared. Not for a switch to another company, but to keep yourself measured. You can always see your physical appearance in mirror, but not knowledge. So CV helps you so. Start making a CV. And revise it, add to it every 2 months. Mention every small thing you learnt. I mean every new tool and technology, every certification you have prepared for, every journal you write to and every useful thing !

Many freshers have approached me asking about job profile as Tester. Lemme say you.., there’s nothing wrong if you work in a in testing team, but its unwise if you do not build our resume properly, while staying there. The catch point here is, maintain a good relationship with…not team mates…but the technology you are working with. Yes. 50% of the people doesn't do this. They imagine they are 'purely working for testing team and why should I bother which technology I work with!'  That’s quiet fine as long as you see yourself as a tester till retirement. But what if you feel you have to grow in life and wanna become a Business Analyst or some other crap!?! Or what if you one day feel, I have tested enough, why can’t I start working as developer or for some new application myself !?! This happens in .NET and SAP. A quiet few interesting technologies, user friendly applications, would impress you to learn and work more, just if you pay attention for a week.

We are living in a world where to buy a mobile we see 100's of websites and go for new technology, then don’t you think employer who pays us for our food, wont he !?! So take away here is, correlate what you are working. And whatever you are working.  Because industry no more needs a standalone player, forget multi-tasking, but needs a mixed fruit bowl ! And make sure its you. And YOU !!

Scene 3:

Some more freshers also asked a similar doubt. I would say, there’s no harm in working for a support project but make sure what you are working for. Any job is interesting for the first 8-10 weeks, and if you start feeling monotonous it’s the time you need to rethink. If you think this can be done by a robot, then:

• go speak to your lead. Tell them you need a better work. 
• Learn or understand the business functionality, or technical details of what you are working on. 
• Or the every work flow. 

But for God sake, don’t just do the work though you don’t like. If you feel, ‘I know what I am doing, and How I am doing but I don't know Why I am doing’, then it’s the high time that your sickness reached its peaks. Stop working and get to know the details.

The only enemies in our life are Fear & Hesitation, for nothing. When it comes to work, you should speak.  Just speak out. Else, you will land up in trouble.
You continue to get your salary,and hanging out with friends on weekends, movies, parties, marriage, kids. But that pinch of pain in your mind and heart, always dodge you..‘I wish you dared to speak for improvement of work rather than feeling contended at this job’ Please don’t let this happen to you. 
Ask your self. Speak to your self. Question yourself. Show the guts to stand infront of mirror to ask this bloody important question !
Spend an hour, just one hour in an entire month in a lonely place, switch off the mobile, stand by the nature's side..like hills, river,sea, or one fine early morning, to understand what you're.  You decide what you want for your self. Industry is no more a school and doesn't spoon feed you ! So speak out and make a proper way.  

Once again I tell you.. “If you don’t have voice, you don’t have a choice” – (by myself)

This is just a gist and drop of what can CHANGE your LIFE. If you don’t believe this, just try being so and read the same blog after 3 years of IT life.. ! 

I bet, you would come in search of me …!

Thanks to you for the time..

Satya Prakash