Samvaada - part 6

He says:

Raj, I didnt use the word "risky" to denote job security. I had the following points in mind when I said "risky ". Probably my choice of the word would have been incorrect. But these are my views: 1. I was referring to the effects of such sedentary life on one's health. 80% of software employees complain of head ache, back pain, neck pain and all kinds of related problems. 2. You need to spend so much time in office. What about ur personal life? going to office early in the morning and coming back late night. working on weekends!!! would u have any time for ur wife and kids? your wife and kids would throw u out of home. I recently heard about my onsite engineer friend's father-in-law threatening him for his workaholic ways " Either u leave ur job or leave my daughter", funny is it? No, This happens to many people. Another incident in which my brother's 10 month old son fails to recognise him, because he does not get to see him often 3. I think I am going to forget my real self running in this never ending rat race. Would I get time to pursue my hobbies, my small desires?If at all a holiday comes, I am sleeping the whole day!!!! 4. In corporates, u are paid high because u work for more hours (obviously), but at the cost of ???????? Last but not the least private engineering colleges do pay high now a days, not like before!!! I have seen many uni. profs leading a happy and contented life.

Kosamerupu: Dr PGK does not own two wheeler because he does not know driving!!!

See also: Samvaada - part 5

Samvaada - Part 5

I also say:

You say that corporate life is risky. Yes, it is. They always want the bottom line – profits. They are not running a charitable organization. They are in the field for money. That is the reason they expect 100% from you for every dime they pay you. If your performance is bad then someone else will overtake you. You can’t call that a risk – You are not taking that risk for free and also they pay you and they pay you well 99 out of 100 instances. If we take up a job with lesser competition and responsibilities – say, our favorite, a lecturer – No body is going to hire you on a premium … unless until ofcourse you are a very famous orator with spellbinding skills and in depth knowledge of what you are speaking. Is it not?

See also: Samvaada - part4

Samvaada - part 4

I say:

What I stated in my earlier e-mail was not about cost of living exactly. This is about income-expenditure ratio. When you are used to a certain amount of assured income your expenditure will also rise proportionally (unless of course you live an austere life like Dr. PGK who inspite of drawing a good salary as a Prof in JNTK still does not own at least a 2 wheeler). The income expenditure ratio follows the same rule as gases follow about space available … A gas can expand occupy the entire volume available at its disposal :)

What you observed about cost of living is absolutely correct. But who would give me 40K in Kakinada (unless until of course I join some junior college as a Maths/Physics lecturer J )?. You are also true about staying with parents. So as cost of living in place goes down, the salaries in that place are also down in tune with the times.

See also: Samvaada - part 3

Samvaada - part 3

He says:

Raj, I personally feel that cost of living depends on the city in which u live. see in pune for example, everything is damn costly. a rented 2BHK flat does not come for less than 8000. While in Kakinada, Vizag it is not even half of it. same is the case for other things movie tickets for example, a multiplex ticket in pune on weekends is not less than 100. while in vizag it has just reached 40. I feel that it is easy to manage things in your home town/state. u may even have ur parent's/ancestral house to stay in. For the same salary that I am drawing here in pune, I can live like a king in vizag/kakinada. Is it not the case? Our parents were not very rich, yet they managed to educate us in the best of the institutions. Did we not come up in life? I feel this corporate life very risky and monotonous. u have to be on ur toes every minute. When it comes to teaching, it is cool. An engineering prof in JNTU for example teaches for not more than 8 class room hours and 3 lab hours per week. He can prepare for his classes in his free time in the department itself. And the pay is decent enough. My friend's mother once told us that your expenditure is proportional to your income. I didnt realise it then. But now, I feel it is absolutely true. What do you say!!!

See also: Samvaada - part 2

Samvaada- Part 2

I say:

Seen your e-mail. Probably this heavy workload will stay for the course of my project as this is my first one in this company. So I have to learn how to do the job. So I too sometimes feel that I have been working for ages and settling down as a lect in my town will actually bring me happiness and leisure to pursue my other pastimes like reading, writing etc; But do you sincerely think that after being in this job until being 35, Will you be able to quit? By that time you will be married, have kids, kids in a costly school, drawing a handsome pay, must have bought a Car (on loan of course), maintaining a bunch of credit cards and god willing might have already bought yourself an apartment (again on loan of course). To support that lifestyle you have to work aiming at higher salaries … It is a vicious circle. This lifestyle permits luxuries which in turn breed a situation where we cannot leave everything just like that. We have to keep working in this rat race until those mortgages are paid – Or just don’t do that – no house, no cards, no loans … then only you can retire early from this job and settle somewhere in a less paying but gratifying job. What do you say?

See also: Samvaada - part 1

Samvaada - Part 1

He says:

Did u finally manage to remain at home this sunday or had to go to office? Are you approaching some deadline or what?u seem to be busy nowadays. didnt call satish, raja sekhar. i am not getting time to call anyone. by the time I go home and have food, it is already 11 pm. I just read newspaper for sometime and go to sleep. and again getting up, running to office blah blah.... life has become routine. I have a plan of quitting this job and joining as faculty in some engineering college in vizag. teaching life is cool. but as long as i can work hard, i will continue here. i personally feel that after 35 years u can resort to such cool life. until then work as much as u can bye, keep mailing....

See also - Samvaada

Samvaada ...

It has been less than a year since both of us have joined our jobs in huge corporates. This series of posts is about an ongoing discussion between us about our lives in the corporate - the pay cheques, extra long work hours etc; - Aptly titled Samvaada or discussion.

Lunch with my colleagues

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