Just now I am realizing the peril of being in a IT services company. 3 months ago I quit my previous company, which is a product based one. Though the product I was working is innovative, it wasn't competitive with the giants in the field. But my job was really cool, with an opportunity to see the product from the design phase to the release phase. I think many would not have the opportunity to see the complete life cycle of a complex telecom product from a close proximity. Due to various reasons I had to quit. That was actually one of the toughest decision that I took in my life.
I had a number of offers at that time and I chose a small, start up company to join. I know that I am taking risk there, but I thought it would be quite interesting to see a startup company from inside. I knew from my other friends that in a service based company an employees interest would never be in the radar of the manager who is assigning the task. The only aim there is complete "whatever" task/module given by the client. But I still wanted to try it as the work environment would be pretty relaxed.
At the time of joining I was dreaming to work in something like, Linux Kernel, device driver, some complex application, etc. I did some interesting stuff too after joining, which I could be proud of. But I was dump struck when I was given the latest module. It was a module that a test engineer would do happily. The task was not a simple one, but it did not have the excitement that I, as a developer need to motivate me to work. When the task was being explained to me, I felt like banging my head on the computer. Only then I realised the peril of working in a service based company. I have risen my voice some times in my previous company when I was asked to do something that is not development like leading a testing team and other things, which had landed me in trouble. But here I held myself back . After all my manager is the holding the whip and I had no choice except to dance.
Also, I guess in India 75-80% of the software engineers are working in the services industry, which in turn depends on the american software industry. What will happen to these company's if the american economy falls? The next day these company's will not have any project, which in turn will affect the 80% of the software engineers. It is such a sad feeling when so much talent is actually work trying to improve the technology for US. Yes, it improves the indian economy, but it has created a strong dependency with the american economy.
I could simply quit this difficult existence, what the hell is stopping me to live the life the way I want to live? Fear of being jobless, surviving, answering questions??? It is a pity after a 3 years of being in the field has done nothing to those fear. As of now, I have nothing but a prayer for the american economy to be good for us to survive. What a terrible existence :(
I had a number of offers at that time and I chose a small, start up company to join. I know that I am taking risk there, but I thought it would be quite interesting to see a startup company from inside. I knew from my other friends that in a service based company an employees interest would never be in the radar of the manager who is assigning the task. The only aim there is complete "whatever" task/module given by the client. But I still wanted to try it as the work environment would be pretty relaxed.
At the time of joining I was dreaming to work in something like, Linux Kernel, device driver, some complex application, etc. I did some interesting stuff too after joining, which I could be proud of. But I was dump struck when I was given the latest module. It was a module that a test engineer would do happily. The task was not a simple one, but it did not have the excitement that I, as a developer need to motivate me to work. When the task was being explained to me, I felt like banging my head on the computer. Only then I realised the peril of working in a service based company. I have risen my voice some times in my previous company when I was asked to do something that is not development like leading a testing team and other things, which had landed me in trouble. But here I held myself back . After all my manager is the holding the whip and I had no choice except to dance.
Also, I guess in India 75-80% of the software engineers are working in the services industry, which in turn depends on the american software industry. What will happen to these company's if the american economy falls? The next day these company's will not have any project, which in turn will affect the 80% of the software engineers. It is such a sad feeling when so much talent is actually work trying to improve the technology for US. Yes, it improves the indian economy, but it has created a strong dependency with the american economy.
I could simply quit this difficult existence, what the hell is stopping me to live the life the way I want to live? Fear of being jobless, surviving, answering questions??? It is a pity after a 3 years of being in the field has done nothing to those fear. As of now, I have nothing but a prayer for the american economy to be good for us to survive. What a terrible existence :(
4 comments:
Interesting Blog . Super ..
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Mohanasundaram
ummm ...I am not a career counsellor or a IT person..but Ive recently left a job where i wasnt happy...if you arent happy here,move on .If you cant, find out ways that will keep you going..after all,we get this life once
I am in the same boat Siva. Maybe worse since I don't even have the strength to get up and go to work. My work is mindless and totally de-motivating.
So I can understand what you are saying and appreciate the fact that you could write it down.
I can empathize with your thoughts. Its almost the same everywhere in most companies in India today, but we have to just live with it and the political structure is such in the name of free economy there will be no control on these kind of atrocities by companies!
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