I am in a business where the action takes place in the very remote locations around the globe. It’s the huge refineries, rigs, drills etc which carry the charm of this business. Sitting here in Bangalore doing technical consultancy is only a support to this business and hence comes the natural urge to go to fields, see the work I am doing in real action.
Anyway that was just a background for what I want to say. I have been in the past 6-7 months asked the question w.r.t. my mobility towards travel. I have always expressed myself as mobile without constraints. And then comes the next question as to what are my marriage plans because definitely that in their opinion will restrict me.

I don’t have any definite answer to the last one. But I do have a dilemma!!
Is it being a female engineer that post marriage life is taken as an obstacle to frequent or long travel?
Or is it being a female engineer in India?
Or does the same questions goes to my male colleagues too?

Yesterday I came across something which made me felt a lot bad about a part of my personality of which I was very proud earlier.
And that feeling didn’t went away the other day and ruined my day at work and sleep at night.

Is it right to feel so bad due to just one such bad instance and forget all good which you feel about yourself and the praises that other people offered so often.
Or is it that you are just behaving as a HUMAN.

Is Technical Career the right thing to do in India?

I remember giving a mock interview for a consulting job to a friend of mine. She at the end bluntly said that every line of yours speaks for a technical or core job and not a consulting one. Yes she was right. My first choice was always a technical job. I was lucky that I got one and probably the highest paid technical job in India. Anyway money was that big an issue but work definitely was. I was glad that I will have a starting career in Oil and Gas Industry and who knows I might stick to it. I gave up going for further studies because I had heard a lot about Shell and wanted to give it a shot.

So what are the points against a technical career in India. First opportunities are few. NOCs don’t pay much and the work culture is not satisfying. You don’t get to exploit your skills to the maximum possible. That’s what I heard from my seniors. When I gave an interview for one of the NOCs they dug too much into technical details and I failed miserably. When I sat for interview with Shell, they just interviewed a project of mine in technical round, something on which I had actually worked rather than just listened to in a lecture. On that project they asked question related to technical, responsibilities, interactions with site, behaviours etc. I was more than impressed and glad to join Shell.

And next, Technical jobs are not always that lucrative as a job in finance, consult or marketing. How many will understand that I work as a Utilities Technologist. I have to struggle to make my parents understand my work. It would have been much easier to relate if I was working for a luxury brand or involved in some work directly related to them.

Next I know many colleagues of mine who joined Shell after graduating from US or Europe. They earn nearly 2-3 times as me or probably even more. Anyway this fact runs round the market in India. We are a talented pool companies can get at lower rates so nothing restricted to technical jobs.

All I know despite all negativities about tech job in India is that I love this. I am comfortable doing it and can take challenges in it. The company I have joined opened its technology centre only 3.5 years ago in India. I feel it has many problems and a lot of unsatisfied graduates. But on the other hand there are vast opportunities to learn and work on, a lot to explore and a great culture. I want to be patient at the moment and see how this new year fulfils those goals of mine and to what extent.

You can be what you deserve, only one has to be proactive in finding the right path leading to it. A senior of mine from X consult. told once that he/she is glad or proud that she/he was part of some great project. I don’t want to say that. I want to be proud if being part of a great project, I made a significant impact or speed up my learning curve.

I recently attended a friend's marriage and did underwent through some realizations. We had three marriages in our group at work during 2-3 months. I felt an inner wave of nicety when these people gave their wedding invites. The first thing in mind was that how nice my parents would feel when they will go to invite their friends and relatives. At the marriage ceremony also, I didnt felt awkward at all this time. I could see myself there in future.
During my parents' 25th anniversary also I couldn’t stop getting senti on many things be it the ring ceremony we had for them which they never had at their wedding or the varmala once again. I could see the 25 years of their togetherness in their eyes.
So finally my mind has settled now to a large extent. It is not a lifelong commitment or marriage that I dread now. I want it someday for myself also at a time I will fully feel ready for doing it. I don’t want to do it for the sake of doing it but I want to do it in the best possible way at the best time with my complete willingness.
I always remember a phrase from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. that being in love means growing old together and I know now that it is worth every challenge and every fear.