10 years of Work Life...

Today I have completed 10 years of my working life. I started my first job exactly 10 years ago. So far, I have worked for five different companies in four different cities. Every job brought with it a learning experience for me. It’s been a mixed experience so far. Today I will share how my time was spent in all those companies. 

My very first job was at ESP Global IT Systems. It used to be a top-notch software house and was previously part of ABN AMRO bank. Before I joined that company, ABN AMRO bank sold it to a Dutch company headed by a Pakistani. I consider myself lucky enough that I was able to grab a job immediately after the end of my exams for the final semester. I really liked my first job as it was located in the best building in Lahore. I was happy with the salary I was getting, and the whole ambiance of the company had a very international feel. I would have continued working for that company, but unfortunately it was going through a financial crisis and we were not paid for 3 months. All employees decided to resign from that company. I worked at that company for roughly 9 months. It was very distressing. I had rejected an admission offer at LUMS for Masters, as I thought I would be getting back to the same job after Masters, so it’s better to continue with this job. The very thought that I would again have to hunt for a job was very difficult. 

I started applying to other companies and gave a few interviews. After a month, I got an offer from my previous company's manager, who had established his own company. I accepted the offer. I knew almost everyone in that company as they were all colleagues from my previous company also. So I got the feeling of working for the same company. The salary and benefits I had were great. I was satisfied with the work also, and I was learning a lot. Meanwhile, I have made some good friends too. However, in between, sometimes I wanted to change jobs, as I used to get the feeling that I was getting stagnant and I should work in other environments as well. This was the only issue I had. Other than that, I was really happy in that job. I worked in that company for 5 years and 3 months. I would have been working for the same company if I hadn’t gotten my third job. Before leaving that company, I asked my CEO for assurance that if things didn't work out, I could come back. 

I came to know about a job at Telenor in Islamabad. I applied for it and got interviewed. I wasn't offered the position I applied for; instead I was offered one level below. I rejected the offer. But later, I realised I should consider it. It could be a good step in my career as I would be working for a multinational company. I called them back and accepted the offer. I was getting paid less than I was getting. But I knew the additional benefits I was getting from that company would make it up for me. On a personal level, it was a very challenging move as I had to relocate to Islamabad with my wife and have to settle down there... and I didn't know anyone there who could have helped me. I couldn't adjust well to that company and the city. I had zero work satisfaction and had the worst manager of my professional life. The people whom I considered friends weren't actually friends. All the while, I used to get the feeling that I had made a wrong move. I shouldn't have contacted them back; instead I should have waited for them to contact me again and offer me the same position that I applied for initially. I worked at that company for 1.5 years. Then I got a job offer in Brisbane, where I was moving after getting immigration. I was happy when I left that company, and I didn't have any intention of going back to that job again. 

My fourth job was at Intelligent Pathways, a small software company in Brisbane. The managers and people there at work were very nice and knew their work. The money I was getting was good too. I learned quite a few new things at that job as well. I worked at that company for a whole year. Time went too fast there. I might have been working there if I hadn't gotten the offer for my next job in Sydney. 

The reasons why I joined my current job were:

• First, the salary I was getting was the same as what I demanded... I was quite frank in rejecting their first offer and waited for them to offer me again in a better position (this is what I learnt from my third job).
• Second, the job was in Sydney. Personally, I wanted to leave Brisbane and wanted to live in Sydney for personal reasons.
• Third, the company was Capgemini, one of the world’s largest consulting companies.

My current job has been the most exciting job so far. I have encountered and experienced so many diverse situations here that I haven’t seen before in my career. How people manipulate things to their advantage—what and how things go wrong. I would regard it as definitely one of the most insightful job experiences I have had so far. 

Rating: 

1. Redmath

Pros: 

• The best people I have worked with so far.
• Really good salary and benefits. 
• Well-organized and well-managed work environment. 

Cons:

• The environment was a bit strict. 

2. Capgemini

Pros: 

• Having an Interesting Situation So I got the salary and position I desired with a global brand name. 

Cons: 

• Ineffective management 

3. Intelligent Pathways 

Pros: 

• Very nice people
• Excellent technical learning environment 

Cons:

•  I was working on small projects for a short duration. 

4. ESP Global IT

Pros: 

• First Job
• Good Work Environment 

Cons:

•  Didn't get paid 

5. Telenor

Pros:

• It was a financially rewarding brand name
• Got to Work on New Technologies 

Cons:

•  Incompetent people
• poor management
•  didn't have a good personal experience

Every job has been a learning experience for me. I have worked on a wide variety of tasks with diverse people.