A Short Story about Mr. JH (Job Hopper)

I think its good piece of read in today's scenario... read on!!!

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Some, rather most organizations reject his CV today because he has changed jobs frequently (10 in 14 years). My friend, the 'job hopper' (referred here as Mr. JH), does not mind it.... well he does not need to mind it at all. Having worked full-time with 10 employer companies in just 14 years gives Mr. JH the relaxing edge that most of the 'company loyal' employees are struggling for today. Today, Mr. JH too is laid off like some other 14-15 year experienced guys - the difference being the latter have just worked in 2-3 organizations in the same number of years.

Here are the excerpts of an interview with Mr. JH:

Q: Why have you changed 10 jobs in 14 years?

A: To get financially sound and stable before getting laid off the second time.

Q: So you knew you would be laid off in the year 2009?

A: Well I was laid off first in the year 2002 due to the first global economic slowdown. I had not got a full-time job before January 2003 when the economy started looking up; so I had struggled for almost a year without job and with compromises.

Q: Which number of job was that? A: That was my third job.

Q: So from Jan 2003 to Jan 2009, in 6 years, you have changed 8 jobs to make the count as 10 jobs in 14 years?

A: I had no other option. In my first 8 years of professional life, I had worked only for 2 organizations thinking that jobs are deserved after lot of hard work and one should stay with an employer company to justify the saying 'employer loyalty'. But I was an idiot.

Q: Why do you say so?

A: My salary in the first 8 years went up only marginally. I could not save enough and also, I had thought that I had a 'permanent' job, so I need not worry about 'what will I do if I lose my job'. I could never imagine losing a job because of economic slowdown and not because of my performance. That was January 2002.

Q: Can you brief on what happened between January 2003 and 2009.

A: Well, I had learnt my lessons of being 'company loyal' and not 'money earning and saving loyal'. But then you can save enough only when you earn enough. So I shifted my loyalty towards money making and saving - I changed 8 jobs in 6 years assuring all my interviewers about my stability.

Q: So you lied to your interviewers; you had already planned to change the job for which you were being interviewed on a particular day?

A: Yes, you can change jobs only when the market is up and companies are hiring. You tell me - can I get a job now because of the slowdown? No. So one should change jobs for higher salaries only when the market is up because that is the only time when companies hire and can afford the expected salaries.

Q: What have you gained by doing such things?

A: That's the question I was waiting for. In Jan 2003, I had a fixed salary (without variables) of say Rs. X p.a. In January 2009, my salary was 8X. So assuming my salary was Rs.3 lakh p.a. in Jan 2003, my last drawn salary in Jan 2009 was Rs.24 lakh p.a. (without variable). I never bothered about variable as I had no intention to stay for 1 year and go through the appraisal process to wait for the company to give me a hike.

Q: So you decided on your own hike?

A: Yes, in 2003, I could see the slowdown coming again in future like it had happened in 2001-02. Though I was not sure by when the next slowdown would come, I was pretty sure I wanted a 'debt-free' life before being laid off again. So I planned my hike targets on a yearly basis without waiting for the year to complete.

Q: So are you debt-free now?

A: Yes, I earned so much by virtue of job changes for money and spent so little that today I have a loan free 2 BR flat (1200 sq. feet) plus a loan free big car without bothering about any EMIs. I am laid off too but I do not complain at all. If I have laid off companies for money, it is OK if a company lays me off because of lack of money.

Q: Who is complaining?

A: All those guys who are not getting a job to pay their EMIs off are complaining. They had made fun of me saying I am a job hopper and do not have any company loyalty. Now I ask them what they gained by their company loyalty; they too are laid off like me and pass comments to me - why will you bother about us, you are already debt-free. They were still in the bracket of 12-14 lakh p.a. when they were laid off.

Q: What is your advice to professionals?

A: Like Narayan Murthy had said - love your job and not your company because you never know when your company will stop loving you. In the same lines, love yourself and your family needs more than the company's needs. Companies can keep coming and going; family will always remain the same. Make money for yourself first and simultaneously make money for the company, not the other way around.

Q: What is your biggest pain point with companies?

A: When a company does well, its CEO etc will address the entire company saying, 'well done guys, it is YOUR company, keep up the hard work, I am with you." But when the slowdown happens and the company does not do so well, the same CEO etc will say, "It is MY company and to save the company, I have to take tough decisions including asking people to go." So think about your financial stability first; when you get laid off, your kids will complain to you and not your boss.

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P.S.: This is NOT my work but some fwd email which I liked a lot. You can imagine that I am also probably in his shoes and now realised that you should never be loyal to the company but the job and your family... As quoted above, Narayan Murthy...(Or APJ Kalam??) has rightly said about loving a company...isn't it???

Independence Day Celebration in Holland

Yes, every true proud Indian always like to cherish this day...the Independence Day. No matter wherever he or she is, Independence Day is always a special for all Indians. How can I be an exception? This year, thanks it was Saturday, we celebrated 63rd Independence Day at Embassy in Den Haag. It was even special because it was Madhura's 1st Independence Day to experience.

When we entered the Embassy, all cheerful familiar Indian faces were everywhere, and we just felt we were in India... just a home away from home. Many people were wearing 'Mangal Vesh' and mood was just patriotic. Exactly at 9.00 AM, H.E. Ambassador Mr. Singh arrived and he unfurled the tri-color. This has always been an exciting moment for me to experience the flag hoisting. And then everyone started saying 'Jan Gan Man.... ' . One strange thing about this song is that I always became emotional when I sing our national anthem... A miraculous wave of air fills my heart and I feel proud. ' Bharat Mata ki Jay'


Madhura was looking at the tri-color with her always-smiling face and heard national anthem for the first time... and I saw a contentment on her face. She was happy. She must be proud. Every year when I go for the Independence Day function, my mind goes back in past when I was in NCC Airwing and was selected for Parade. I was excited and marched past the flag, with a sharp salute. The Airforce band, the sound of the march, footsteps is still heard in my ears. I still remember polishing my shoes, belt and the flying eagle on my airforce cap and wearing that great sky blue colour NCC uniform... wearing all my earned medals on left side of my shirt and staring it for a long time to see my achievements... Damn...why didnt I go the Airforce, I still wonder!!!


Then there was one Independence Day when I was in Nepal... I remember how I struggled to cross the border just to attend the function and see the tri-color. The memories are still fresh in my mind. For the first time in my life, I realised how much I missed my country, how much I wanted to be there, how much I longed to smell the 'mitti' of my motherland... I have the same feeling even today when I step out in Mumbai airport and smell the air...


And here... when I heard people saying that they attend the function to eat a free Samosa and Gulabjamun, it hurts! When people living near Embassy dont show up for the function, saying that they wanted to sleep on Saturday morning...it hurts! When I see corruption, poverty, instability in my country, it hurts! I have to do something for the country, more than what I do now. I am determined.

... And that day when Jan Gan Man... was playing at the end of a movie, I suddenly saw that Mukta was standing with Madhura to respect the national anthem, I learnt a lesson and my respect for her doubbled.

... I am out of words and infinite unexpressable feelings for 'Akhanda Bharata' are just unstoppable... I am a proud 'Bharatiya'

Aha...Raksha Bandhan

Great! One of my favorite festivals. Dedicated to all sisters, I love it even more than Bhau-Beej which comes in Diwali. Hello sisters. How can I forget you all... Nice, flashy Rakhis, sweets, gifts, music... and still, some fight with one of these loving sisters no matter its a Rakhi. I remember all.

One of the advantages of having a big family is ... you have so many cousins...great... I remember I used to tie rakhi from all the cousins and my hand used to be full with rakhi. I liked it...and I still like it. Pradnya, Shilpa used to put a BIG kumkum on my forehead that used to touch my hairs...and I liked it. Pradnya still does that... and then tie a rakhi on my hand. Morning of Rakhi has always been amazing... We used to get up with all our cousins waking us up ... and if not...then sometimes throwing water on our face and although I used to get annoyed with that, I liked it. Rather I waited for that. Then after bath, when I used to come in the hall, I used to see the Baithak decorated with Rangoli around it... and I used to enter as King. All sisters ( I hate to say them 'cousins') were anxiously awaiting to tie rakhi... and get a gift from us. Shilpa, Chetana, used to be the first ones to get the 'Honor'....and the gift... then came Yuga, Janhavi, Sharvari, Siddhi... I can still see the enlighten faces of all of them in the aarti. I was always jealous with my Dada's rakhi...becuase his Rakhi always used to be better than mine... I always have admired what he does and what he wears....I still try to kinda copy him. His choice is just amazing. Afterall I am his little brother grown under his shadow... Why isn't there any festival for brothers... I wonder!!! And now we laugh at this... so many good memories...

And then I used to await for the Rakhis sent by Gayatri, Manasi, Shivani, Mayura... And when there was delay in getting the rakhis by post...I used to get sad. I remember them all now...


On this Rakhi, as usual, everyone met again at Prashant's place. I talked with all and then typical sadness captured my mind... because I am not there with them. I am missing all of them. Damn, how many more years I am going to miss these festivals... why these festivals dont come again in December when we are in India for holidays... Childish thoughts!

This was the first Rakhi for Madhura and she sends an e-Rakhi to Arjun and she is happy now.

...and now I always get e-Rakhi, e-Cards, e-Sweets and e-Gifts. Life has become so much 'e-fied' but I can feel the tender love, softness of relations and a strong bond in these 'e' things sent by these loved ones. I am still seeing the happy, bright faces of all my sisters. Memories linger in my mind of all the good-bad times, moments that I shared with them and unknowingly a small teardrop falls ... and I call them... and we laugh. Life goes on and I wait for the next Rakhi...every year...

Surya Grahan... And the New Beginning.

This week is really great in terms of Astronomy। 20th July saw the 40th anniversary of the greatest achievement of mankind... the Man landed on the Moon! And today it was the solar eclipse... the great celestial event in our galaxy. This was the longest eclipse in 21st century. So many dimensions are attached to this astonishing event. It has religious, scientific, geographic, significance and every strata of life has its own perspective of looking at this wonderful event. And I missed it... I remember in 1999, I experienced the partial solar eclipse from Nagpur and I was nothing but mesmerised and amazed to see it... Such a big giant star and its just shadowed by significantly small moon. Very philosophical!

I was reading an article about eclipse in a magezine... and I was taken to the infinity in Universe... a deep space without end and still I am trying to trace where its going, why it has no end। Everything that has a beginning...has an end; but it doesn't apply to the space...because it IS a SPACE... an unending frontier... where there is no sense of dimensions... an infinity in true sense.



Back into reality, I realised that its also the आषाढ़स्य अन्तिम दिवसे... the end of Ashadh... Its a new moon... also called as दीप अमावस्या... People used to burn the light and enlighten the dark night... and welcome the श्रावण month। A cheerful month, raining everywhere, hide and seek of sun and clouds... fragrance of wet soil ... and Bhutte ... wow. Come Shravan and nature spreads green carpet on earth. The most auspicious month of all, it just engulf us in synergy of beauty and cultural manifestations.

I am still feeling the fragrance of श्रावण...

Lazy Monday ...zzzzzz!!!!!!

Sometimes I feel why there is a Monday! Every Monday I think why its not another extended Sunday...Wishfull thinking... Especially since Mukta and Madhura are at home on Monday, its difficult to leave the house and go back to work! Hmmm... work on Monday! When I go to the office, morning is gone in drinking coffee, reading newspaper, talking with friends and suddenly its lunch time...great! But afternoon always go very slow. And where is work nowadays? In this recession time, going to office is just a paid punishment... how many times can I read newspaper? How long can I read the technical articles? Many times I decided, yesss...its Monday...lets start updating my knowledge... lets do some creative work and reading... and my resolutions just get evaporated after 2 hours. I wonder how I would have completed my PhD... had I got into the Phd?!?! Doing same work for 4 years...neee...its not my type... We all need change and something new everyday... and then the monotonous life creep in when we get into our jobs and family and things become so much the same that we keep on rotating in our own helix. David says its a 'Quarter Life Crisis' ... man I am already in thirties and now its a crisis! Damn! Do you know how to identify a Dutch man...David explains; You have a car, two kids and a dog ... and you wash your car with all, eating a sandwich with your wife, on Sunday afternoon... You are Dutch!!! We laugh! ... A quarter life scenario...isn't it?

.... And I keep thinking about it every monday...

BUT, Madhura let me forget it when I see her smiling face. How can I get bored when she is around. Good thing about this long gone (?) weekend was that we had a FREE weekend after a looong time... no appointments, no guests, no-one was coming over and we all were together, spending time together... watched a movie, had a nice shopping and day out in centrum and had a very nice dinner together...at home :)

Then there will be yet another Tuesday, Madhura will go to créche, I will drop Mukta to her office and go to work... getting yet another cup of black coffee...and the newspaper is waiting for me ...

I am in the helix...

My Birth Day and the Milestone... achieved

2nd July 2009... 19:50:48 PM ... Delft... my Birthday eve and first milestone was to be achieved... She was trying hard for almost a week...but there was some obstacle... to achieve it... the obstacle was none other than her own hand... it was coming in between... what can she do about it...nature has its own way that nobody can change...

But I think she had determined to do that... give this special gift to me on my first BDay being a father... and just as we were observing her, she DID IT!! Her hand came out from below her little tummy and she fianally turned herself completely ... !!!! What a gift for a Birth Day for a Father and what an achievement at the age of 3 months and 5 days... Madhura achieved her first milestone in a good time to completely turn over and be on her tummy with her head above the ground and dwelling like a cobra... Congrats dear little daughter...for your first success!

It's such an amazing thing to watch our kids growing step by step and I think we experience our own childhood again... Of course, responsibilities are big but I am happy when I see contentment in Mukta's eyes and happy smile on Madhura's face...

By the way, in this frolik, I forgot for the time being that it was my BDay too... 32 years have been passed and every Birthday had been unique is some way... few I remember, few I dont! Every year I think that this Bday has been uniqe and nice...but year after year, I realised that the look out and the situations are changin and I am evolving ... every time with a new realisation. ... And I still have to live a lot of life further... few people say life is short... I think otherwise... but when it comes to achieve something, I agree... At the same time I want to become an airforce pilot, A singer, A journalist, A director of a drama... a guitarist ... a millionnaire.... A social worker... and I have already spent 32 years of my age... and still exploring... Its amazing... its a different persona every time and still I want to become a new one every new time... But great... this year this was the biggest gift that my little Madhura presented me and both of us are happy.

At late hours tonight, she is sleeping peacefully after and I am still thinking about the special gift... The moon is coming out of black clouds that just appeared from no where... and I remember the Ashadhi Ekadashi back in India. The pilgrimage is over and the 'Warkari's' are heading back to their villages... 'Panduranga' must be resting now. The whole year the Warkari's are working hard in their farms and villages and when its Wari time, you see the overwhelming faith and determination to meet the Vitthal and complete the wari... Just amazing!

... And I then simply wonder the nature of 'mind' that dwells from so many things in few minutes... and its just unstoppable!!!

'......Sad it's end of the weekend....

My First Father's Day

How can I forget it!!! 21st June...3rd Sunday of June is Father's Day! And this time it is a special event for me. Madhura made her first painting and presented that to me on a special neck-tie she made in her Créche. What a special gift it is...most fabulous and wonderful than anything.

I know how it feels to be a father only after I 'became' a father. Father of my little angel. Father also has a heart...that he never shows, to be stern, to carry out responsibilities, to make decisions ... he always put on a mask of a rigid man...but inside there is a tender heart that weeps if he sees his child has even a small scratch... I dont know why man does not show his emotions... because it shows his weakness?? Or people think that this is feminine? Or may be a genetic default? God Knows! I got a first gift on the Father's day and I am emotional. Thanks my sweet little child. I cherish this moment and gift forever. I am a proud FATHER!!!

I wish my Dad is here with me now. A cool, compassionate and smiling person!!! He always supported me and treated me as his friend. I love it when he sings, he has a good voice. He loves driving, he loves cars, he still has curious mind that explores new things, he can watch cartoon movies, he loves kids... I never saw him getting angry at me... He is a good writer... He knows everything... He is a great person.

Someone very rightly said,

"A father is someone that holds your hand at the fair, makes sure you do what your mother says, holds back your hair when you are sick, brushes that hair when it is tangled because mother is too busy, lets you eat ice cream for breakfast, but only when mother is away, he walks you down the aisle and tells you everythings gonna be ok!!! "

I wish you were here dad!!!