Choices

Having started in February 2005, it's been almost half a year since I started working at ICICI Web Trade Limited, Mumbai, as a Zonal Trainer, handling the western zone. I started the training sessions by using the standard presentations prepared by someone at IWTL, but later prepared my own presentations on Capital Markets, Equity Trading, and Derivative Trading. I also moved on to prepare comprehensive presentations on Fundamental Analysis of stocks, Technical Analysis of stocks, and the relation of the Fibonacci series, the Golden Ratio and Technical Analysis, among others. I was enjoying whatever I was doing – developing the content, and delivering the training to a sitting audience. Being based at the corporate office gave me an advantage of getting to handle the national level training sessions as well. And for the zonal training sessions, I had to travel down to the pre-decided city, and deliver the training. But through all this, I was having the feeling that this is not what I really wanted to do as a career. Here I was - an outdoor person, who enjoys traveling, photography, music, and adventure sports - training people on the Financial Markets! Of course, having done my MBA, it seemed an obvious thing to do; getting into a good company with a decent profile and good pay package. But even MBA was not planned with any goal ahead of it. It just happened, and the experience was enjoyable (not with regards to the academics, but more with regards to the good time I had with my friends).So working with ICICI, and with a profile of a trainer, seemed to be a good opportunity. It was. I'm still learning new things constantly. Even if I don't remain in the financial sector, this learning would undoubtedly help in whatever I do. I learnt a lot about the stock markets, as well as about people, and about corporate culture (the last two, maybe I already knew, but just realized during the course of my work). I was delivering presentations to large audiences, and eliciting positive response from them. That is the most satisfying part of my work – the increased level of confidence of the people in the subject that I had trained them in, after the training program. But then again, I was always thinking about outings, photography, movies, trekking, and not much about stocks or capital markets. Not during my work hours of course, when I was usually immersed in whatever I was doing, but during my free time in the morning and evening, I usually kept thinking about them. I've heard of people being travelers as a profession, usually in Australia/USA/Canada, but haven't heard much about such opportunities in India. I would like to be frank and state that I would also like to make good money. I intend to have a very good standard of living, and would like to be in a position where thinking about how much anything would cost, would be secondary. Especially when I decide to go on an excursion, or when I decide to buy the latest camcorder, or the latest MUV, or when I just decide to go out and have a candlelight dinner at an expensive restaurant, though I also thoroughly enjoy eating at roadside joints also. But eating anywhere, or doing anything, should be by choice, and not due to circumstances. And I believe we all have the choice to do whatever we want, if we decide that we will not be driven by circumstances, but learn from them. That decision is ours.

Considering this, I have thought of a few careers. Like being a photographer on NatGeo. Or making my own documentary films and selling them to these channels. Or even making a full fledged feature. The thought itself excites me...

New addiction...

There's never a shortage of things that one can get addicted to. There are certain things that you've been doing since a long time, and are still addicted (like eating!), and some things that you've never tried before, and like it so much the first time, that you end up getting addicted to it. I tried something new today, which I'd never done before, and it had me addicted to it in no time. I'm referring to online shopping. The ease with which one can shop online, and pay instantly through online payments (credit card not required!) is amazing. I was just searching for a book (Good Omens), and a VCD (Sliding Doors), and although I didn't buy either of them - as they weren't available on Indiatimes - I ended up buying a DVD player! The sheer convenience makes it so good to buy things online. Even though the concept hasn't picked up much in India - due to various factors like you cannot see the actual product, you wary of online payments, etc. - it's sure to boom in times to come.

Early hours

It's 7:30 AM and I'm in office! Well, actually got up early, and didn't feel like going for a jog. And plus, there was a power failure! Yeah...in South Mumbai! So had a bath, and came to office (at least we have airconditioning here!). Couldn't even iron my clothes because of the same.
Feels really peaceful, working alone. Although I'm not exactly alone, there are hardly any people in office, as compared to the number of people during the regular office hours. In just an hour, the office will be crowded with people, and being a corporate office, there are around a couple of hundred people working here (although I've never really counted).