Indeed, its a very difficult state to be in. The other types of bankruptcies are as hard-hitting as the cash. The other banks we have are: technical, moral, spiritual, etc.
The technical bank has more to do with the work we do, the day-to-day chores that keep our life going. Generally, a fresher at work starts with the best enthusiasm that gets her to do whatever it takes to make ends meet. She's very excited to go out of the way and trying out new things at job. Then the so-called professionalism hits her that expects her to do most things in only pre-defined ways at work. That pulls down the efficiency. Next, the intrusion at work, irresponsible management, workplace politics, etc turn the person into run-of-the-mill... and bingo, she's company!
In a moral bank, things vary from person-to-person. Whats proper for one need not be so for the other. (Its more like one man's food is another's poison). Factually, whats morally right for one at one point may be quite wrong on another occasion. Its a balance of ethics! But these days, there are more moral bankrupts than earlier generations saw.
There's another bank. Well, its one's faith in some thing... a blind faith, that is. Its that inherent thing that exists for you since time unknown. You feel those values at thanksgiving, when in dire straits, its the fear while you do something wrong, after you've done it... or at other times, but they've really been with you at all times. If you doubt that to be a spiritual bank, then perhaps, you're spiritually bankrupt!
Consultants
Its a familiar word for software job seekers: consultants. They come in all varieties, from down to earth goodies to real jerks, who would have probably ended up nowhere without such jobs. I'm not going to mention the nice ones, but have some incidents to talk of about the wise guys.
My very first interaction was with one from the latter type. This guy sent me to an interview and asked me to carry a resume with his name superscribed. I wasn't too sure if the company was going to entertain me with my background and a mere six months of s/w experience for a job abroad. But there I went, on this consultant's assurance. It was held in some 5 star hotel and it so turned that they showed me the way out as soon as I stepped out of the lift! I was told that they were looking for candidates from only premier institutes: IITs/IISCs. Well, this earlier jerk who sent me should have known. That left a lasting impression on me about consultants.
There are a whole bunch of these who do various things, the most common being to search for the keyword in your resume and not knowing whether the keyword belongs to the project, or your skills, or for that matter, your geographical address! Expecting them to know what it *actually* means would be quite demanding then. Other things these gems do are to call on your office phone, email on your office id, ask you everything thats in the resume even if they have your resume, mailing the same things time and again, asking the same questions in loops, not knowing that they've called the same person a day or two back, send you a posting of something you don't have experience on, or try to send you some place that you don't want to go to. But the laziest I have known are the ones who forward the entire set of requirements and ask *you* where you fit in... of course, they expect to get paid for that!
My very first interaction was with one from the latter type. This guy sent me to an interview and asked me to carry a resume with his name superscribed. I wasn't too sure if the company was going to entertain me with my background and a mere six months of s/w experience for a job abroad. But there I went, on this consultant's assurance. It was held in some 5 star hotel and it so turned that they showed me the way out as soon as I stepped out of the lift! I was told that they were looking for candidates from only premier institutes: IITs/IISCs. Well, this earlier jerk who sent me should have known. That left a lasting impression on me about consultants.
There are a whole bunch of these who do various things, the most common being to search for the keyword in your resume and not knowing whether the keyword belongs to the project, or your skills, or for that matter, your geographical address! Expecting them to know what it *actually* means would be quite demanding then. Other things these gems do are to call on your office phone, email on your office id, ask you everything thats in the resume even if they have your resume, mailing the same things time and again, asking the same questions in loops, not knowing that they've called the same person a day or two back, send you a posting of something you don't have experience on, or try to send you some place that you don't want to go to. But the laziest I have known are the ones who forward the entire set of requirements and ask *you* where you fit in... of course, they expect to get paid for that!
Elementary, Watson!
We all remember this, don't we? I wasn't a voracious reader (I'm not now, either!) but as a child, I used to watch Sherlock Holmes' serials on the idiot box. In later years, we put the good dialogue to insulting use... er, ummm, I mean: to good use, for insults :)
There was a time when we used to troubleshoot problems with medical equipment (that was my job then, as a part of technical support work). Having noticed/solved the problem, my colleague and I were addicted to using the quote *against* each other to say: "Grow up... don't you still understand this?" or more soberly, "I got it... I got it first". It seems very childish, but it was fun.
We'd lost touch of each other since a few years now. Very recently, I used the trick on this friend's birthday by sending an SMS and not signing my name. Instead, I ended by saying "The kind self that I am, I'll leave you with a hint: Elementary, Watson!"
There was a time when we used to troubleshoot problems with medical equipment (that was my job then, as a part of technical support work). Having noticed/solved the problem, my colleague and I were addicted to using the quote *against* each other to say: "Grow up... don't you still understand this?" or more soberly, "I got it... I got it first". It seems very childish, but it was fun.
We'd lost touch of each other since a few years now. Very recently, I used the trick on this friend's birthday by sending an SMS and not signing my name. Instead, I ended by saying "The kind self that I am, I'll leave you with a hint: Elementary, Watson!"
Heart versus mind: a perspective
More often than not, we are stuck with decisions between the heart and mind. My heart tells me a way that my mind is against. Why does it happen? Because the heart is selfless, whilst the mind's selfish! There are various ways to deal with such times; the best ones get you to thinking back in loops and leading you nowhere!
What could be done then? Here's what: Take a break and do what you like best, that is, focus elsewhere for a few days. Pray, read, go for a trek, watch M*A*S*H or a few movies, listen to music, whatever. By the time you've finished all this, the problem under consideration earlier would be:
(i) solved... great!
(ii) unsolved (as is)... it doesn't really matter then, since anyway you've continued living your life.
Both cases sound good enough. Ignorance *is* bliss.
If there's a case (ii) that matters, then you're back in *circles of thought* scenario, leaving one very good solution that always works: Toss a coin. You didn't have a choice anyway.
caveat: The title reads *a* perspective, not *the* perspective :)
What could be done then? Here's what: Take a break and do what you like best, that is, focus elsewhere for a few days. Pray, read, go for a trek, watch M*A*S*H or a few movies, listen to music, whatever. By the time you've finished all this, the problem under consideration earlier would be:
(i) solved... great!
(ii) unsolved (as is)... it doesn't really matter then, since anyway you've continued living your life.
Both cases sound good enough. Ignorance *is* bliss.
If there's a case (ii) that matters, then you're back in *circles of thought* scenario, leaving one very good solution that always works: Toss a coin. You didn't have a choice anyway.
caveat: The title reads *a* perspective, not *the* perspective :)
Passion of life!
What do you think is the aim of life? We love, hate, eat, drink, sleep, etc and as we look back each day on our achievements, where do we stand?
To what extent will one go to live her own life? Or as the case may be, to live someone else's? What is fair, whats not? Whats good, how bad is one? Who is to decide that? We vote for a govt. We don't. Either case, we crib later! What do we want? What do we all want? What qualifies as a successfully lived life?
These are some of the questions that run around in circles for me as I look back. The moody self that I am, I turn momentarily happy at small things in life... like the fresh breeze of air while on a bike, a kid's smile, sunrise/sunset, birds chirping. Then there are times that make me upset. Be it a lonely afternoon or for that matter, no reason at all. These ups and downs take me through each moment of the day and will be so till I die. But all experiences teach me that no matter how happy or sad I am, I live on. This, I do blissfully.
So isn't life meant to brush the day to day things aside and look within for the eternal bliss? As I write this, I age and take one step closer to my death that awaits me to ask: what have you learnt this life?
To what extent will one go to live her own life? Or as the case may be, to live someone else's? What is fair, whats not? Whats good, how bad is one? Who is to decide that? We vote for a govt. We don't. Either case, we crib later! What do we want? What do we all want? What qualifies as a successfully lived life?
These are some of the questions that run around in circles for me as I look back. The moody self that I am, I turn momentarily happy at small things in life... like the fresh breeze of air while on a bike, a kid's smile, sunrise/sunset, birds chirping. Then there are times that make me upset. Be it a lonely afternoon or for that matter, no reason at all. These ups and downs take me through each moment of the day and will be so till I die. But all experiences teach me that no matter how happy or sad I am, I live on. This, I do blissfully.
So isn't life meant to brush the day to day things aside and look within for the eternal bliss? As I write this, I age and take one step closer to my death that awaits me to ask: what have you learnt this life?
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