Taking a diversion...

Like how one cannot forget his first love, first kiss – I too will never forget my first company “TATA Consultancy Services Limited”. I have always been proud to work under the TATAs and will be for having served them for three and a half years. What I am now and what I will be – TCS is always a part of it.

Though it is tuff for me to think of moving out of such a great organization I had to console my self that I have responsibilities to fulfill and that requires a change. In fact, when I was drafting my resignation letter – tears blocked my vision. Some thing beyond getting emotion.

I just see this phase in my life as, I am traveling in a bus so far and its time for me to switch to another bus to reach a different destination where I am intended for…. There have been many co-passengers (my crazy team mates) I had nice time working, learning, sharing, caring, playing, outing, fighting, and what not… I adore them for ever and I doubt if get similar team again. Should not forget those excellent drivers who have been very important during many curtail turns when I traveled. In fact, should have to call them as the ones who carved me as a good team player.

Just trying to look back the road that I traveled……….

When I heard the news that I was also short-listed in the final round - I thought it was a night-mare. It was on November 17, 2006, a winter afternoon, napping on my sofa. One of my friend whom I met during the selection process had called me and said that he got selected in the final round and he say my name and few of others whom we got to know during the selection process – I just said ‘okay’ and dropped the call. Its 10 – 15 minutes after I woke-up (it was around 4 in the evening) this incident flashed. Until then I was just wondering around at home. It didn’t strike me to look at the received calls – I had to log in to the system to look at the mail - - - found a pdf file with at least 950 names listed. Still couldn’t believe that my name was there then.

So the seed sowed on November 17, 2006 is expected to be harvested on November 18, 2010. 18^th is expected to be my last day with my first company.

Though the final results were announced on 11/17/06, I had to wait till March 19, 2007 to join office. But before that, we formed a gang and started roaming out in Chennai.

March 19, 2007. Started my first day at TCS, Trivandrum, with few known faces and many unknown faces. We were referred as “T-123”, which became the famous batch during those two months. Yes, we won the best team award for that period. I was gifted with a very lovely, supporting, co-operative team. People from all over India were in our team. We (guys) stayed in a hotel which is 20 kms from the training center. We start our journey every morning very professionally and when we return back from training center – the tempo driver would be cursing us for the nasty dances. That was really a fun.

I think it was two weeks before the completion of our training program – few from each batch were asked to report to TCS Pune though already informed to report at TCS Chennai. I am one amongst them. Many of my friends were desperate in trying a replacement for me to go to Pune. But it was because of my stubbornness I landed up in Pune May 22, 2007.

New State, new language, new food, in fact every thing were new for me then. It took me a couple of days to get into a team. It is called STP (Straight Though Processing) a project team that serves for a leading capital market institution Morgan Stanley. Though being a fresher I had a privilege to report to clients directly. It always gave me a feel “a home, miles away from home”. It took me to heights of every thing. It’s a pride. Instead of stating it as a project team I should rather call it a mini family at work. Every one in the team though different in the work that they do, different in language, different in different things all our one when it comes to attitude. Be it an ODC event, a team outing or some get together – all are there.

When ever I was in trouble there a lot of helping hand. In fact, my manager once walked down to authorities’ cabin and solved a problem which didn’t happen when I went. They had given me stages were my works were show-cased will the top level at the client’s senior management. They didn’t stop with such techi motivations… One of my bosses made me join dance class and after that a music class – great folks. I will never my 2009 birthday. It was a surprise. Two of my managers called my all my other team mates and we celebrated my birthday.

My client managers have a big part in building me professionally. I worked for the Tokyo and Hong Kong region. They treated me as one of them. They gave me all necessary privileges and molded me the way how they work. That’s some thing which is still help full for me.

Happy Tuesdays, Thankyou Thrusdays, Anand Valley trip, Mathera trip, Bhopal-Jabalpur trip, Harishchandragath trekking, b’day celebrations, ODC events, team lunches, floor games, dance programs, funny fightings are all still green in my memories.

2008 – 2009 recession became a speed breaker. The project team had to dissolve. This shook dropped me in Bangalore.

May 20, 2009 I reported at TCS Bangalore. A few familiar faces, similar language, a sort of comfort and independent feel. A new project team that serves a financial institute Ameriprise Financials. A place where I had some thing to contribute to the extend I can. I was lucky to have a superb tech lead, a co-operative onsite counterpart and mangers who identified what I am capable of. In fact, there was fun team with in the project team – they are in fact the back bone or rather the strength of the team.

Client visit, Taj Vivanta party, Bimmeswari trip, stall decorations (PAN stalls and Effective Criminal Management), Server crashes, onsite calls – are some of them which I can never forget.

My managers gave me all that I deserve – I didn’t have to ask for any thing. The team around were more than a team member. The projects that I worked had enough challenges that I managed to implement. Now that all are good – I am in a comfort zone.

Just found a small cab which seems to have something that I was looking for for a long time. So just thought of continuing rest of my travel in that toward some where were I am intended for…!!!!!