Going back to Private industry/Technology

There is a big decision-making event. I decided to step down from NSDC. It involves prolonged effort, lot of failures, intense frustration that had led to cry out loud at office out of anguish, lot of large & small decisions, continuation of previous career trend, management of expectation at multiple levels, aligning goals as per career aspiration (in fact, redefining career goal, again), sleeping ambition to become rich and more techie and so on. Although it was easier than marriage decision, it is highly complex and impactful.

[I am sitting at the airport (4-50 AM, 4 Dec’21) thinking how to structure this post as I have many things to write. Let me start with some big highlights of this decision from the perspective of life]

Highlights:

1) Serious job search usually takes 9-12 months for me. As time progresses, this period gets intense, super frustrating causing reduction of confidence and negatively impacting mental wellbeing. Even if I consider UNDP interview post marriage as the starting point, you can see that I have wasted almost a year in this effort.

2) I am back to private for-profit sector again after exactly a decade. The fantasy and romanticization of changing the world ‘only through government’ is gone. The emotion ‘I could have tried’ will not pop-up, and I am happy spending a decade here.

3) The B-Tech Computer Science has returned to play the prominent role once again. This is enhanced by latest cutting-edge technology. Internally also, I am falling in love again with technology.

4) Designation and salary are reaching a level which I only dreamt a few years back.

How this all happened: 

It was 30 Oct, 2021, Saturday. NSDC had completely become toxic. The unwilling attempt fueled by energetic Amit Jain to join back Digital India Corporation was not heading anywhere and calling up Nayak ji was left the only option. The hesitance to pay salary, the inside culture of NeGD were making me cry in anguish to take any steps of return; but I had to deal with equally bad, if not worst, choice of continuing with NSDC. I called up Nayak ji, he cut the call. Somehow that was the wake up call for me to look within my network and see how connections maybe leveraged for job hunt. Among 6 emails and LinkedIN messages I sent on that day, one was sent to Mr. Arjun Khanna, the Senior Head at NSDC who hired me 3.5 years back. He is now in a company named EdCast (never heard of this) and putting several posts to hire resources.

He called up, read my resume and informed I am the good fit. He forwarded my 'cover email' to HR recommending for Head- MKP position. This all happened on the same day.

Then I received a call from HR (Prakriti Gupta) asking basic details on 1 Nov. Then there is silence of another week. I pinged Arjun on 9 Nov and HR scheduled the first round interview with Arjun on 10 Nov, which I attended from office itself over Google talk. It went well and Arjun asked me to earn a badge at Future Skill Prime before facing the next rounds. I did earn a badge, which, unfortunately, took almost a month to reflect in my profile. 

The next round was scheduled on 16 Nov at 10-30 PM IST with Sameer Andrews (India) and Bhaven Shah (US). The waiting period of the six days was intense as I was alone at home and I had to make a decision of sudden home visit to witness the first ever stage performance of Nina post marriage. The interview went well. After 4 hours of the interview, I took a flight home telling some emergency at office. The result was confirmed to me when I called up Prakriti in front of City Centre mall three days later. The news prompted me buy another piece of Blackberry suit for Moina's marriage.

The next round was with Nishchae Suri, president of Edcast- Asia on 24 Nov 1-00 PM. From different posts and videos of Nishchae, I was able to get most of his thought process for lifelong learning and for EdCast. I was also trying to judge his relationship with Arjun as both of them studied in the same Doon School and worked in HR domain. From the middle of the interview, he started giving positive signal where he started discussing the issues he is facing in current market. I was positive at the end of the interview. 

For the next round with Karl Mehta, the CEO who is based out of California, HR asked me to submit a convenient time window for sudden telephonic call. I gave timing between 7 AM IST and 10 PM IST. For next 4-5 days, I am on constant alert mode for a possible conversation with the famous man. Like in other round, I took Arjun's feedback as part of preparation. But the call never came.

On 29 Nov, HR sent me an email asking compensation details. There was still confusion whether Karl has already called or will call in future; but Arjun told offline that Karl is impressed with my resume and gave confirmation without interview. In the expected compensation, I wrote 36 lakh as my expected salary just because it was matching a round figure hike of 40%. Although I submitted three point arguments for quoting that expectation, I was mentally praying for crossing/touching 33 Lakh, the magical number which I remembered for long as Akash's Indian equivalent starting salary while moving to US as Microsoft employee.

Then silence of 2 days. Prakriti did give a call asking whether I am fixed on the expected salary. I can't remember what I said. I did remember mentioning about the designation thing where I politely asked whether Head can be replaced by VP. However, prolonged silence from their side made me think I should have signaled more flexible approach on salary. What if they simply think rejecting this over ambitious lad? My 2-week long chutti was supposed to be started since 4 Dec. I wanted to put resignation before leaving for Moina's marriage. 

The expected email came on 2nd evening and I saw just after reaching home (I kept checking emails every hour in mobile). To my utter surprise, they provided the designation- "Vice President - Marketplace" and salary is 36 lakh with no variable component. I could not have asked anything more. I thanked God for making the 'end' better, again. I called up Nina, Maa, Dada, Moina, maa-deuta of Nichinta, and texted Arjun.

Things followed smoothly after that. The resignation email was fired on the morning hours after having a brief telephonic call with MSP as he was on leave. Then I organized a team meeting to announce the same. All were awe stuck as nobody had any clue of the year long mental fight I was going through. My vacation started from the next day. I requested for 31 December to be the last date. MSP recommended my notice period (which is usually 2 months) waiver and COO also approved. As I am publishing this post today (29 Dec), I have only 2 days left at NSDC. I am excited !!

The unsuccessful attempts in between:

1. Amazon - Applied 3 times for Senior Manager (Public Policy) role, directly, through Tantrik and lastly through Ankush. They didn't bother to respond a single email, leave alone inviting for interview. 

2. Facebook - Applied twice for Public Policy manager role; for the one applied through Nicolas got a rejection via email

3. Google - Applied through Akash's reference for public policy role; but he could not make the Bhattacharjya lady respond to his email. I emailed the public policy head- no response.

4. HSBC - Applied for public policy role; no response.

5. PWC - Applied for Govt advisory through Moina via her partner; no response.

6. Spotify - Applied for public policy role with Blavatnik sentiment; no response.

7. Save The Children - Applied for Deputy Director- Programme Managment, Delhi through Swati via employee reference option; no response.

8. NITI Aayog - Applied for Consultant Gr-II (Skill Development); no response.

9. UNICEF - Applied for the role - Consultant Education (YuWaah). Interviewed, but no response post interview even after multiple follow-ups.

10. Tata Sons - Applied for the role- DGM -Volunteering. Interviewed, built empires of dreams, then rejected.

11. Digital India Corporation - Applied on the insistence of Amit. Interviewed. Amit informed my offer letter is ready, but it seems my salary is an issue; no letter is received until today though

12. EdCast - The story is above.