7 Years with Infy - Part 3

Joining Date : 18-Oct-2004,
Relieved Date : 28-Dec-2011

4th year was very special career wise. I luckily got a chance to lead a maintenance team. The current lead then was leaving the team (i guess to onsite) and did speak to me to know if i would. i agreed and started leading the team. it was a real gud experience, tried all my imaginations and knowledge. did update myself technically. Continued some of the gud ones from the earlier lead. And it also helped me that i directly reported to senior PM doing the PM role myself. team was about 10 members with one of them more experienced than myself. Not sure what the team mates thought of me, i believe it was positive as well. At the end of 4th year, got my H1 visa finally initiated. Its though very late, for me and for the vertical i was in, it wasnt bad. Personally i think it was the right time for myself. I dint get any traveling opportunity though in the same proj mainly becoz of the attitude i had shown to the managers of the team. Got out and looked out for onsite in other projects. Meanwhile completed the SCJP 6, it was then i felt that every java developer must take this certification in his first year, yeah i know I did it in my 4th :(.

Then came this lovely chicago opportunity. Had done 40k purchases on Hari's credit card. i was told that it was not a guaranteed long term and it only depends on my potential to get it extended. After some drama for a day or two on my tickets, finally i did take my flight to chicago. Tough retail client and great technology with scope. Again with very less awareness about anything needed and only with confidence i traveled by Feb 2009. First release went smooth with the help of a senior guy there, later my friend and i escaped, but it was one of the worst moments again in the first 6 months. With all possible stress, pressure, politics...etc. Again back to square 1, took my time to assess the situation, project, technology and ppl. With final help coming from the clients themselves, i slowly started gaining my hold, both on technology and environment. Sundar, this guy showed me, not taught me, but showed me what should be ones' attitude at onsite, infact no one had time to teach anything to anyone, everyone has to look for his own front, back and sides himself. Expectation on anyone on first day at onsite would be nothing less than 100% productivity and thats onsite for you.

On the other side i did get my first dollar salary and it was the first time ever i had money in my account even at the end of the month :D. Had the borewell dug as my first job for our home @ vellore. It was because of the pain we had during my college days when there was water scarcity at our locality, hand pumped liters and liters of water everyday, ofcourse everyone from family did their part, had always had this in my hit list to get the borewell done when i cud.

As work life came to my control in chicago, started enjoying in my own way, traveling around with friends, movies and indian restaurants almost all weekends, great friendships, first 4 wheeler the VW Passat, canon DSLR, Abercrombie, Netflix, Amazon, Snow ....etc. Have written many separate blog posts on my Chicago experiences already. At the end of 2 yrs, i had to make a decision first time to move out, out of Infy, for i dint see my path clearly with Infy. Tried my luck with a gud international company without success. i also decided not to extend my Visa. Commitments back home invited me along with the dryness that engulfed me. And so i returned by March 2011.

Ok, i have kept one special story away until now, yeah, the Parrot story. I dunno why and how, but i thought i got the spark, very soon after i got posted to Mcity, for a reason and went behind her literally. Bugged her for 3 yrs. Including every friend of mine, i also made many others know this intentionally/unintentionally. Wrote poems on Infy BB, texted her, mailed her, called her...did all one could dream of. Friends also scared me at times that i might get into ASHI (sexual harassment policy). I dint care much. I first approached her and took her to lobby with coffee in hand. told her in my raw language that i am looking((sighting) at her for some time and asked her if she was also interested. She replied she wasnt aware of any such thing and left me. While leaving did see a smile on her in a corner. And later i did continue, thru messenger and there was no reply and so a mail on Aug 17th and she ofcourse refused. It went on and after an year, did even speak to her on phone with the help of a best friendy (;)). She then started telling me about 'a kind of committed relationship' she already was in. Was sure she was trying to evade me with this. Another big email, chains again with nothing +ve. Meanwhile had email and chat fights with her friends as well. Usually its the lunch i loved those days. infact many a days i went to office for just to enjoy the lunch time. I would some how find her with her gang and continue to stare at her until one of us left the Food court. Since my friends knew abt my seriousness, they wouldnt disturb me. Her friends would start teasing her as soon as they find me staring at her. this went on for ever. Never approached or contacted any of her friends in person.

After 2 yrs, suddenly she texted me, on mobile. initially, thot it was by mistake from her, but it wasnt. she continued messaging. that went on to calls. and i met her during bf/lunch/dinner/whenever possible forcefully. Most delicious moments where when she came out of the ODC to check emails in a separate machine opp to her wing. will catch her there most of the times and spent my most beautiful moments admiring and chatting her so close. With some hesitation tho, she did respond me all the time. She always enjoyed my compliments abt her. Our phone conversations went for hours at times, was about everything. But never once she agreed/accepted to love me. Infact i never ever myself formally used the word 'love' until one day. After 10 days of all romances and drama, she used a small fight to get away from me. Met her at lunch when she was alone and used her the formal word 'love'. she dint show any care. And back to square one, she started ignoring me completely again. After an year, on the 30th of Jan 2009, after a small email fight, she broke me completely by revealing her engagement that just had happened on 28th of the same month. I stopped. And as my travel tickets confirmed, i flew to chicago, oh yeah, at the right time. Never had a contact with her again, though i tried to reach her once on phone from chicago which she dint pick. It was just to talk as i missed her badly, suddenly after watching a movie.

Now, I kind of know where she is and how she is but nothing more than that :) Have realised that the spark wasnt that divine (Can i think otherwise? dont have a choice :D) as i thot it initially was, attractions/crushes did continue to be there at every point of time in my life and it never stopped, starting from my school days. It still continues. But atleast am matured enough now to stop myself at the right time. Had a crush at chicago as well, but i saved myself before crossing the limits. Though there were many other incidents, parrot story was the most special and most interesting and most impacted story of mine. :) i wish i speak to her in my life time once casually atleast.

Now, back to career, i came back to chennai, continued on the retail client but on a different project, as decided, started enjoying again. Did work very less and after 6 months of fun, i became serious in searching for a job. It was after pleasant experiences in the project. Luckily got thru TCS and submitted my e-separation(resignation) immediately. Until then my experience with the last team as a lead was fun as well from my point of view :). 3 months of notice period and am out now.

All through out, there were many friendships, had mentioned only a very few names. Most of them were real fun, many of them were good ones and atleast a few had sustained all the bad and good weather by now. What more can i ask for? Had fights with most of my managers through out my career, especially after my 2nd yr, guess there would be hardly any lead whom i had not fought. I carried my attitude against all odds. I believe, that was needed then and would be needed for ever as well. No regrets for anything. As long as i am convinced, i will go for it., watever.

Internal Certifications, when they introduced, i thot myself that it was a much needed one looking at many of the greatly qualified leaders above me. But the ways and processes that were defined for making it possible had lots of loopholes which i realised later on my own experience. Was one of the very important reasons for me to get out of Infy. And other future policies added fuel to my burning desire to get out. Its possible, that i might have accepted them had these been present when i initially joined Infy, unfortunately that wasnt the case :(:).

To conclude? no i dont have anything to conclude, its just the 7 years of experience, emotions, memories, dreams and thoughts that i am gonna carry forward i believe!

Am into Tata Consultancy Services when writing this post.