The Company that was - TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES

Tata Consultancy Services a.k.a TCS has played a vital role in my life. Ever since I joined college, TCS has been a "Maximum Recruiting Company". What does that mean?? Maximum junta in my college ends up there. To make it even worse, they are the first company that visits the campus.

TCS was never in my good books. Probably because my sis works there. Any company where my sis works is surely not a good enough company for me. Why? Well, thats defined by the law of opposites. My sis and I don’t have a single common interest. Therefore, if she likes the company, I am bound to hate it.

The college did nothing to improve my impression about it. In fact, it made it even worse. There is something called "Placement Training". It has two phases. One organised by my seniors and the other by people outside. No offence, but I had NO BELIEF on the training given to us by our seniors. I decided to chuck it and head back home for a well deserved vacation. It was “Salaam Hyderabad" after 6 months. Little did I know that something else awaited back home other than food. After 2 days of travel, I come home fully energetic ( Don’t know where all that tiredness vanished) just to hear my dad say that I got a call from college and the placement training is mandatory else I will not be allowed to sit for TCS. He asked me leave the NEXT day. And guess what... I get to fly to Chennai so that I can spend MAXIMUM time in Hyderabad. It didn’t hit me hard then, but right after breakfast; a small mathematical calculation changed the entire perspective. I travel 1400km to enjoy a vacation and all I get is 36 hrs??? Before I could say anything the tickets were booked. Completely destroyed… would be an understatement.

I leave hyd, reach mdu cribbing and attend the "PT". Saying TOTAL CRAPPY SHIT WORTH NOT EVEN A BULL CRAP would still be praising the training.

Fast-forward... I get placed in TCS, did not feel a thing. It was just another day in my book. I have felt happier eating an ice cream or a chocolate. That night I have a nightmare about wasting my life in TCS staring at a monitor for the rest of my life.

I think this was the moment that changed the course of action. I start hunting for another job. Start off by putting my resume in every job portal I could. I don’t know why but I shared this though with my friends. Damn... one more depressing session... all you do is talk and no action... thats what he says all the time but never does anything. Well just this time... i decided not to tell anyone and work on my own.

One more idea that got the same reaction... try for a foreign job. Which foreign company would give you a job... Now you want to doom foreign companies??... My favourite comment was the one from a well know... intelligent senior of mine... it is impossible to get it... stop having high hopes.... any dont even think of a management job.. They don’t give it to engineers.

9 months later, I have a job offer from an American based Shipping firm, a post of Marketing and Sales Executive, Asia Operation working out of Singapore. Hmm... Isn’t it supposed to stop here... NAAAAA.

I have a MAJOR Gyan session about how TCS is the best company in the UNIVERSE, and I must have done a million punyams in my previous life to have got this job. Even a salary that is DOUBLE than the one offered by TCS could not convince my parents. No idea what they saw in TCS. Well... it did not stop with my parents. My dad made me meet a dozen people to advice me about how important this decision was and the impact on my future. I did get some people who supported me.

After a BIG MAHA MAHA MAHABHARATH at home, I finally leave for Singapore on June 25th(which also happens to be the same day I left for Madurai 4 years back for my engineering) while most of my friends are waiting for their call letters. I have an amazing 3 months before I come back to India for my first assignment. Hows the job? Do you like it? Are you enjoying it? Well... these might be the questions one might expect my parents would ask. But, then... all i get... its still not late... you can join TCS even now. I will help you out.

What more can I say? Just keep my mouth shut as usual and carry on with my work.

After working for 8 months as of today, when I look back, I have learnt really a LOT of stuffs and some good... some bad experience.

having fun with ppl, interact with ppl of various countries and cultures, talking to clients, travel, new places, have a cab waiting for you at the airport when you get down, have your expense taken care off, having a field job, more of brain work, absolutely not monotonous, look at every day as a new day, demanding boss who will not think twice to push you to your limit, morning shift.. Afternoon shift... night shift on the same day... every day, get blasted by clients, BLAST the upper management of FedEX and DHL, satisfaction of getting contracts, and lot more...

The most important thing I learn... Don’t take bull shit. You need to DELIVER and no matter how many motions you make. 10 completed projects are worth much more and 100 projects completed 99%.

I am sure these are experience I would have not been able to learn if I were in TCS.

When I look back... i hold not regrets. I am proud that I ditched TCS.

I AM PROUD I DITCHED MY FIRST COMPANY TO FOLLOW MY DREAM!!