2016: A year in review – Crossroads and then a Straight line

It’s May 2017 and I had the impression that I had already put down my reminiscences of 2016... which I hadn’t... so I am writing them now.

As mentioned in my review of 2015, at the end of 2015 I got a contract job offer in Canberra for a federal government department. However, I wasn’t sure if I should take it or not, as I was anxiously waiting for the final outcome of my job application at PWC. I knew I had made it through there; it’s just that I was waiting for final formalities to begin. The first few weeks of January passed and there was no reply from PWC. Meanwhile, the Canberra job agent was waiting for me to join as I had passed through all the formal checks. Finally, after some anxious days, I got a reply from PWC that they wanted to offer me a job, and they asked me for my expected salary. I replied to them with the figure that I knew some of my former colleagues were already getting there. At the same time, I got feedback on my annual review from my Capgemini manager, and it was not good. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be that bad, but he put up a very bad picture of me in front of me. I really didn’t like that guy. But that’s another story. On the very next day or the same day, I got a reply from PWC that they were sorry, due to some issues, they couldn’t hire me. I knew it was money, and the money that they were looking for for that job was well below my current salary. Ah dammit... PWC wasted 2 months of my time, and now they have put me at a crossroads. I should have kept looking for new jobs and shouldn’t be dependent on PWC. Anyways, I knew if I continued with my current job, then after a few months I would be in hot water. My company was downsizing and I could be a victim of it because of my poor performance review. So, I made an instant decision to join that contractual job in Canberra. My wife wasn’t happy with this decision either. She doesn’t want us to move out of Sydney. My son also started school in Sydney. But what could I do? I didn’t have any other way in front of me. I have been looking to switch jobs for the past 6 months, and I can’t let this opportunity slip from my hands just like the Wyong council job one. Anyway, I resigned from Capgemini and took up that Canberra job offer. The plan was that I would stay there on my own for some weeks, and then I would move with my family. One of my friends was already working for the same department, and he said that I was coming in at a lower rate than other contractors. This demotivated me. Anyways, on the very first day, I realised I made a blunder. I shouldn’t have taken up this job. I should have waited or negotiated. I started looking for other jobs and gave one or two interviews in Sydney. Luckily (as I thought at that time), I got a job offer on a fixed term for 1 year on a similar package to what I was getting at Capgemini.

I resigned from my Canberra job after two weeks. I stayed a week at home, and then on the last day of February, I joined my new job at Qantas Credit Union, which was later renamed to Qudos Bank. The workplace was a bit far from home, but I was still in Sydney and my family didn’t have to relocate. Again, within a few weeks, I realised this was not a good idea. I shouldn’t have resigned from that contractual role. There was a lot of South Asian work culture at that job. Besides, there was no support from managers, and there were unrealistic timelines to meet. I worked very hard there. I also made good friends there. I started looking again for new jobs, both in Sydney and Canberra. Finally, after giving many interviews at different places, I got another contractual job offer from Canberra. This time the money was really good. However, on the other hand, I gave multiple interviews at Westpac. The chances were 50-50 in Westpac. In one of my interviews, I told them that I have a job offer in Canberra which I am considering, so if you want me to be hired, then make a quick decision and please no more interviews. So, on the very last day at Qudos Bank, I got a job offer from Westpac. I had to take that Canberra job starting next Monday, but I declined it at the last moment, which was a very bad thing to do. I know. I stayed at home for one week, and in July I started my third job of 2016.

For the rest of the year, I had a smooth sail at work. I didn’t face any issues. Thank God, I was finally at peace at work. My parents visited me in August for 2 months. The rest of the year was a bit more relaxed for me. However, my wife had a miscarriage in the second half of the year. It was very unfortunate, but we are still thankful to Allah for all His gifts.

So, in the end, if I sum up this year, I will say that the first of this year was one of the toughest times of my career life and I had never been at multiple crossroads like this before. But all will end well if Allah stays with you.

5 Stages of Life

Yesterday, there was a technology session at my workplace. There was a very interesting concept of tribal leadership that was shared during that session. In its true sense, the topic will be too bland for me to express here. So I am putting it down here with my own variation.

There are five different stages of life culture.

Stage 1: Life sucks—when you think, overall, life is cruel and unjust for everyone and there is nothing in it to cherish. The only thing that matters to you is your survival, either by hook or by crook. 

Stage 2: My Life Sucks—when you think it’s only your life that sucks, whereas for others, life is still great. It is only you who are the victim of all the injustice and unfairness happening around you. Nothing can happen right in your life. There are no passions and excitement left in your life. 

Stage 3: I’m great, you‘re not—when it’s all about you. You think you were born to be great, and you undermine others. You alone have all the rights, whereas the others don’t have any. A sense of pride, along with arrogance, creeps into your mind. 

Stage 4: We’re great; they’re not—when you are part of a certain group that collaborates together and has trust among its members. As a team, they look for their own best first before others. 

Stage 5: Life’s great—that’s when you work for the greater good. You strive to make the lives of people around you better regardless of any association. Your aim and passion are selfless.

2015: A year in review - Challenges and Regrets

I have become very lazy about writing; perhaps I have been too busy at work. It is already August 2016 and I haven’t put any reminiscences of 2015 on my blog. Let me start. 

2015 started with a slow routine. I was working for a client whose office was near my home. For the first time in my Australian life, I started commuting to work by car. Because of my previous work locations, I used to catch a train daily for work, and in Australia, it’s more convenient to use public transport as compared to using a car. Anyhow, I have developed a few friendships at work, something that always helps me to get accustomed to a new environment. One of my colleagues had issues with my manager, and he resigned. Even though that incident happened in December 2015, its effects were still felt in the early days of 2016. For the rest of the first quarter, there was nothing worthwhile that happened which I can share. Let me jump to the second quarter. 

In May, I was contacted by a recruiter and offered a job at the Wyong shire council. This place was more than an hour away from Sydney. The salary was very good, and the timing was flexible, and, besides, it was a government job, so it was expected that there would be little work pressure. But because of my overthinking, I decided not to take that job as I thought it would break my routine as I had to relocate and blah blah... Anyhow, I decided to stick with my current job; a decision which I regretted for the rest of the year. 

After a month, my manager resigned. Later, some more colleagues resigned. My company was not doing very well in the market. They also started firing employees. The project on which I was working also had a road block. There were commercial issues between my company and the client. There was not much for me to do at work. I was mostly sitting idle in the office. Somehow, this made me lose interest in my current company, and I started to lose motivation to work. 

During that time, my parents visited me in Sydney. It was June 2015. Before their arrival, I changed my car and replaced my Toyota Camry with a Mitsubishi Outlander. That was a very impulsive decision. In fact, an hour ago, I was not even thinking of replacing my Camry with an Outlander. But somehow the sales guy was very good and I fell for it. Later, I regretted this decision a lot. My parents stayed with me for 2 months, and that was the longest time I had spent with them in the last 5 years. It was time well spent. During that time, my father planted an idea in my head that I should buy a house in Sydney, something I had never given serious thought to. Houses in Sydney are very expensive. Melbourne was somehow less expensive to buy a house in and, besides, we had already lived there last year, so I decided to relocate to Melbourne. For that purpose, I started looking for a job in Melbourne.

In July, my sister was visiting Pakistan from the UK. I hadn’t met her in the past 3 years, so I decided to visit Pakistan in August. I got a week to spend time with her and her family. I stayed in Pakistan for 4 weeks. I didn’t have a very good time there on that trip. I had an issue with my father about some petty things. He felt I was rude to him in front of everyone. Also, while remaining there, I was contacted for job interviews in Australia, which didn’t go anywhere. However, I was glad I was able to close a chapter of my life on that trip. But it did mess up my personal life for many years to come. I seriously regret it. Anyway, I returned to Sydney in September. At that time, I was still looking to switch jobs, so I resumed my job hunt more actively. I started applying for jobs in Sydney and Melbourne. I gave almost a dozen interviews, but I was not able to get through even a single one. I started feeling helpless. I also started losing the confidence and zeal required to perform in job interviews. In parallel, I also started having issues with my manager. In December, I was interviewed at PWC for a job, and I got affirmation from them that they were keen to hire me. They asked me to wait till January of next year to receive formal acceptance. In parallel, I also got a contract opportunity in Canberra. I don’t know why I didn’t refuse that contract job, but I decided to keep that option open too. I just wanted to make sure that I had at least one offer in hand. I decided that once I receive formal acceptance from PWC, I will decline this contract offer. But for this, I have to wait till January. What happened next? Read that in my reminiscences of 2016 :P

Overall, it was a very challenging year for me. I felt demotivated and depressed, mostly because of my work life.

Do you remember that Pain ?

Do you remember that pain? How does it feel when someone breaks your heart? No??? Let me remind you how it feels. Every word spoken or unspoken feels like someone digging a dagger in your heart... each part of your body burns with each of those words... you suffocate and can’t breathe... you want to cry but you find out that you have already run out of tears... you want to scream but you can’t open up your mouth... you walk down the road aimlessly... your head feels heavy... your heart feels low... you can’t sleep for nights and when you do, you find yourself crying in dreams... you feel hungry but you can’t eat... your heart curses that person even if you don’t want to.. Do you remember that pain now?

I have forgotten this pain now. Time heals everything. I have read this after many years, and I feel so sorry for myself that I had to go through this. I am really sorry. very sorry. It wasn't worth it.

Lost and Found

For quite some time, I have been having this feeling that I have lost something. What exactly was it? I am unable to find it. However, I do remember the very first time I had this feeling. I absolutely have no clue, even if I think hard to remember what apparently made me dwell on it. But it seems like that thing that was very dear to me got lost inside me. On the flip side, I have found something which has now become dear to me. Perhaps what was lost has been compensated for by what was gained, as if a farewell for one is a welcome for the other.

I have found the above post in my drafts. I wrote this in May 2010. That feeling of loss has been subdued now and I barely remember that feeling. However, I have lost another thing from inside me. This happened sometime during the second half of 2013.

I feel that I have lost my passion in life. I have accepted the fact that people cannot remain the same forever. Everyone has their highs and lows. Everyone has some good and bad qualities. It’s better to accept the reality of people and deal with it. If you want someone to remain in your life, then accept that person in their wholesome. The idea of ideal or perfection doesn’t exist. I am also developing this habit of not needing to know everything. I don't like listening to conversations that don’t interest me. I don't feel motivated to do work about which I’m not convinced. I've realised that you can't get everything you want or wish for in life. The only people who should be with you should be those who are with you. Every person in the world is fighting a battle of their own. I should concentrate on my battle first.

2014: A year in review – Adjusting to the Routine and then breaking it...

It’s already been mid-year and I haven’t made any reminiscences of last year.

2014 was a diverse year. I was in Pakistan when 2014 started. I flew back to Sydney in mid-January. After coming back, the first few weeks left me emotionally drained. However, things got better afterwards. The first half of the year was quite slow and monotonous. I started to get used to the routine, something that had been missing from my life in the past few years. My usual work and home life kept me busy. The only thing that made the first half worthwhile was that I finally started exploring Sydney's surroundings. There is nothing significant about that part of the year to share on my blog. However, the second half of the year kept me very busy, and it broke my routine. I would share that part here. So it all started in June when I was told that by the end of next month, I would be released from the project on which I had been working for the past 1.5 years. My company didn’t have any other projects for me, so I had to sit on a bench. In consulting, it’s nearly inevitable for a consultant to find him or herself between projects. This time is traditionally referred to by the industry as being "on the bench". I was on the bench for three weeks, and then I got news that I had been allocated to a new project. and it’s based in Melbourne. I was told it would be a 3–6 month project and I would have to commute every week from Sydney to Melbourne. Since there was no other work for me in Sydney, I took up this opportunity. Every Monday morning, at 6 a.m., I used to catch a flight from Sydney to Melbourne. Once I reached Melbourne airport, I used to go directly to the workplace and, after finishing my work in the evening, I used to check-in at the hotel. On Thursdays after work, I used to catch a return flight back to Sydney, and on Friday I used to work from home (supposedly). My kids also started to become a bit cranky because of my absence from home every week. I was always fascinated with this kind of lifestyle. This is quite commonplace in consulting. But some things look better in glass windows than when held in your hands.

I am not a morning person and waking up early in the morning on Monday seemed a bit tough. Then there was the constant fear the night before of what might happen if I missed my morning flight. Also, living like this, my eating habits and my gym suffered a lot.

I followed this routine for a few weeks, and then I got fed up with all this commuting. I have decided to bring my family along with me to Melbourne, and we will all stay together till the end of my assignment. We left our apartment in Sydney and put all our stuff in storage. I booked a service apartment in Melbourne. The drive from Sydney to Melbourne is very scenic. We spent 2 months in Melbourne together. I really liked Melbourne. Melbourne has a very laid-back feel. It has a lot of European city flair in it. The only bad thing about Melbourne is its weather. Even though I didn’t like the work much, the city of Melbourne made life easy for me. I got the opportunity to meet my dear friend who was living in Melbourne. One day, I got the news that my role had ended and I had to go back to Sydney to work on a new assignment. I hurriedly looked for an apartment online in Sydney and submitted my lease application for it. It was approved, and at the end of November, we came back to Sydney and shifted to the new home.

Overall, I would say 2014 was a mixed year for me. Half of the year was a bit dull, and the other half was very different from the first. The only best part was the 3 months that I spent in Melbourne. Apart from that, there were a few challenges I faced this year, mostly related to work and because of shifting back and forth.

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.