A Consultancy, and their Client in a Country

A popular Consultancy name in country, and specifically in Dubai. They are into the business of staffing (supply staff to different clients) for more than 75 years, and to my surprise they own the title of best place to work for last 3 years. But I actually went to their office only after resigning. Staff has to work on client side. When enquired about the offer, friends suggested that it is good to start. As the person from the consultancy who was constantly in touch belongs from my home town, I believed him. I was given no time to think and flight tickets were booked by them the very day when they received the visa. I started the next day.

After landing here, I came to know that I trusted wrong person. They did not give me initial accommodation, and was left on my own. They brought me here on clerk visa and assured me that once I provide them my attested degree certificate, they will change the visa, which was never done. Even the medical insurance was not what they informed me over the call. No medical card. The medical insurance was treatment at their clinic located far from where I lived, next to their accommodation facility (which was again for non IT staff). Apart from all this, they also took my passport (which is usual with many companies here), and did not process the payroll when I went for approved vacation. They also deducted half of the flight ticket price which was huge, as they booked it on very short notice. All this I experienced in first few weeks. After first three months when I asked to change the client, they kept it pushing till I submitted the resignation last month. After my last working day, I had to wait for more than 20+ days without any allowance to get the final settlement and get my visa cancelled.

Only good point with consultancy was they paid me salary on time, which is again not usual with many consultancies here.

 

Now Client was again very popular in the country. They are known across the globe for building the tallest tower, because of which I did not think much for accepting the offer. After joining, I was excited for my project work as the team was very cooperative. All my excitement turned into pain in few days. Manager threatened to terminate the contract if the pace of delivery remain unchanged. I was shocked. I never heard anything like that before. It was not even few weeks (within a month) so that I could digest something like that. One has to understand the business, existing setup, their processes, tools and technologies are similar not the same, so it takes some time for one to get accustomed. After knowing that manager is not happy with the work, I stretched till late in evenings and worked on weekend to complete first assignment. And after that few more unrealistic deadlines, without any word of encouragement/ motivation. I noticed that managers threaten in public to contractors about their termination if they don't perform. This atmosphere was completely disgusting and I informed my consultancy that I would not like to work here. I was informed that no projects were available with other clients at that moment (they never found any other opportunity). They kept rotating the contracts of consultants by every 3 months, and usually the consultant would not know till the last moment whether the contract would be extended. Consultants who worked even for more than 2 years were kept on 3 or 6 months rolling contracts. They thought this is the way they could get the work done, by threatening and humiliating. I don't know to which management schools these guys went. There will be no planning. All the projects will be running parallel and eventually they end up with never ending scope and new deadlines every now and then. Ultimately no project is complete and successful in the defined timeframe.

I decided that it is not the place for me, and I can't waste my time here. When I was looking for the opportunity, I got the invitation to join one of the old mentor/ manager with whom I worked in my previous organization. That's time to call it an end!

 

In last few months, I got opportunity to work on mobile and back end ETL. Also developed applications integrating BI with Microsoft office. That's a learning and I take it back with me.

 

That's unfortunate for me to have such an experience, but I did not find the rules in the country very friendly for employee. Stuff such as holding the passports of employees so that one cannot escape from company or country, submitting the passport to employer for visa cancellation, etc. I find against ones freedom and liberty being from a democratic country. Thought we save decent margin of money by working here, but at the cost of ones freedom and liberty, I think I am better back home.

 

Good bye, dear consultancy, company and country. Thanks for this experience that made me know the value of freedom and liberty in my very democratic country.

In search of happiness

I was searching for happiness. Then I realized, it's in front of me. To catch that I have to move ahead, and to move ahead I have to leave from where I was standing.

What was that which was not letting me move ahead. Was it emotions, attachment, guilt, impressions, what was that? I have to find that out, because unless I find an answer to it, I will not be moving ahead. You know which is the biggest fight? It's the fight within.

I read once, unless we make the peace with our past, the future won't be peaceful, and I want to see a beautiful life ahead.

Change is law of nature. I always wanted to stand strong against the every storm on my way. But every HUDHUD will leave you destroyed. But you have to stand again, build yourself and move ahead. This journey from here to move ahead will be tough. The devastation around you will be highly demotivating.

In such tough time, listen to you. The you, which is unique, by the values or principles which guides your actions. It defines your personality. It is you who can allow any changes, additions, or deletions to your defined values or principles.

I always want to stand for what is right, irrespective of how strong the opponent is. But mostly one would be defeated by the strong opponent. Does this mean one who takes the stand for right against a strong opponent should always have defeat in his hand?

It depends what is defeat. Again, the You, tells me if I have to leave a war which I am sure that I cannot win, I win the war by leaving it. That's my perspective of seeing it. If I have declared a war, then any action towards making me feel better in the war is justified by myself. Everything in war is after me. I should not care what the enemy says about my retract or what the partners suggest about the move. Everyone has their own opinions.

I am right, I don't want to mess with strong opponent and destroy myself, and in the process if I have to leave the battle field mid-way without causing any harm to myself, the You, tells me I made a right move irrespective of consequences. I won the war.

I shall wake up to a new beautiful morning, full of hope, become more strong from where I left, and stay positive. From here it is the way to happiness.

Last few days in Dubai, The City of Gold

Moving to Dubai was a difficult decision which I took sometime early this year (in April). It was difficult, because I had to leave the newly wedded sister and brother in law, with whom I hardly spent any time. Still I did.

 

I was always lucky enough to go to school, junior college, my first job right from home. My parents always wanted to settle down in Hyderabad, which was difficult for me, but eventually I also moved. I was at home with parents, my sister was just few minutes from my house, I had job with India's number 1 company, developed great friends circle in very small time, everything was perfect. I thought this is it, now I am just going to live in the city of Nawabs forever.

Then an opportunity from City of Gold invited me. Because I will never compromise with my comfort or what I am entitled to, I decided to switch. The saving that I would be able to make by going to middle east also pushed me to take the hard decision. I thought I would live there for at least 2 years.

Plans always look good, because first they are plans and second we make them. With heavy heart, packed the stuff and started for the new journey. I have a rule for myself, which is, whatever the place, situation, people I would have, I will not judge them at least for 3 months. That's the minimum time I have always set for myself before arriving at a decision. 3 months passed, and I could not convince myself that it’s the place for me for next few months or years. It was then, every month was last month for me in this gold city.

 

Memories from the day when I started are still crystal clear. Even the day before I was not aware that I would be flying, such was the planning and management. I should have guessed from the situation, but we are not perfect, and I failed to  notice. I started and landed in a completely unknown place. I was having severe migraine when I landed, and wanted to just go to room and take a nap. But I waited for about 1 hour for roommate to come down. That was horrible start.

We went out in the evening, and he was so kind to make me aware of things around. The very next day I had to report at work, that too at 8. I started at 7.15 and took the cab as I was not having the NOL card (this is the card that is required for travelling in bus/ metro/ tram). I reached office at 7.30. That was the first and last time when I took coffee and cookies from the Starbucks downstairs. First day at work. I noticed mostly Indians around in office, and my team completely was from India, and 2 of them from my own place. Tammudu's. I told myself, it cannot be any better than this.

Work started, expectations kept rising. I used to start my day at 5.30 in morning, and would end with checking the facebook feed at 11 in night. It was more than a month, and I was feeling exhausted. Sometimes during weekend when I wanted to come to office I would not get public transport. So I decided I would move near to office, to save travel time and make some personal space for myself. It was then I met wonderful roommate with common interests. Now with the travel time I saved, I was making frequent phone calls back to home and sometime to friends. I started going to movies, and weekends were fun. This made me feel better and I was settling down. I would go to office after dinner sometimes to make my next day better. Things were moving with few untoward incidents. I was confused, whether I should let this continue. It was wonderful company of team mates, and many consultants in office who would just say hello, exchange smiles, share talks and make you feel like a small beautiful family; that kept me moving. One more friendship happened to me, and we started going for evening walks, movies, chats, breakfasts, and dinners in the lawns. Everything looked perfect and still everything was uncertain. Personally I hate uncertainty. I wasn't seeing it getting changed. One evening I got a call, it was another opportunity, back in my home country. It looked better in one aspect, it was certain/long term. For me that’s the only thing what mattered. I was confused between everything here which was uncertain versus promising new opportunity. Followed were few more disturbing stuff, and then I said I deserve better. This called an end to this journey.

 

We miss only good things, and there's a nice list, that I will be missing.

Ordering the breakfast early morning, and enjoying it with colleagues (the whatsapp group and Jumeriah view)

The morning and afternoon coffee breaks and chats around pantry

Vasant bhavan lunch, and walk followed under the shades of those trees and cool breeze

Dinners in the lawns under open sky, evening and morning walks in Greens

The Paragon dinner, and weekend movies/ chats with roommates

And all the wonderful friends..

 

Life has to move on. And these wonderful memories give you strength to face the next unknown!!!

Om Namah Shivay!!! Hum chale Swadesh…