Layoff Wednesday

Its been quite a week in the tech world. And I am writing this one on a Wednesday night, because "I no longer have enough in the tank" (thankyou Jacinda) , to wait for it to end. Layoffs continued through the weekend, and it gave me a reality check on life, and a check on my privilege. As I didn't have any home loan EMIs, medical bills or school fee to pay just yet. 

However, I was surprised to see myself stuck in that rabbit hole of worrying about whats next, once the layoff season kicked off. Because on most days, I am too proud and full of artistic arrogance to bury myself in the day to day pursuits of adulthood - like taxes and insurances. And on the other, I know that I am not new to these uncertainties, thanks to my prior experience in the startup world. Where oscillating between the opposite ends of likelihood, from "we are very close to getting funded" to "Sorry we are bankrupt, and cant pay your bonuses." is very much prevalent.

However it was this incident, back from my college days, that had shown me the true meaning of resilience. And it is a little story that I would like to share with you today...

It was the middle of my eighth semester, when I was this Canada return, fresh out of a scholarship research intern, who was still very much brushing the dust off her resume. Only to find that everyone around had if not one, two job offers at hand. And it was at this moment, reinstated by multiple on-the-face-rejections, that the younger, naiver, version of me felt the utmost desperation to land a job. 

 near the University


Amidst several moments of "can't do" and "can do" I bagged an internship at a "Dream" company, which in those days was any company offering greater than a 7 LPA. However, there was little security on whether or not the internship would convert to a full time position, since it hadn't historically. And the placement rules restrained me from applying to another opening, given that I already had an offer.

This I felt was unfair, since mine was not a full time role, and rightly so, I decided to voice my concern directly to the placement head. Now there are lots of things multiple rejections can do to you, but the most important one of them all,  is that it oils your vocal chords well. So when asked by the placement head 'why should we give you another chance to apply? ' I brazenly replied back - "Because I think I can get a better offer.". The placement head argued that everyone could say that, implying that rules are rules and sent me off. But very soon I got to hear that the rule now made an exception for people with only internship offers.

The real reply though came through, when my persistence paid off in the form of a 'SuperDream' offer, with one of the best CTCs of the batch. This was not a moment to gloat, but a moment to breathe, a moment to believe, that if you put your mind to something, sooner or later it will bear fruits.  And sometimes all you have to do, is to keep going.


    first holi at office


Coffee runs and cookie breaks,
XOXO

-T

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 28, 2023 at 9:45 AM

    Continue writing Kanika I saw beautifully decorated words

    ReplyDelete

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