This is a lesson that rang true in my head the first time I watched this video. It was at an opportune time, a time when I was 4 months into my very first job.
My first career objective: Be useful! let your job be effective enough to help people around you gain tangible results.
I was raw, ambitious and cocky (being the first and only person to receive a pre placement offer made me believe that I can do anything well!) Yeah! notice the difference between the objective and the attitude!
However, due to the pre placement offer I never got to sit for placements and had to be satisfied with a salary which was considered below industry standards. Who does an MBA without having an ulterior motive to make money..Not me!
The nature of my role was something I never expected. Freedom, unlimited exposure to tools and training aids and a free canvas. However, i didn't know how to paint. This role was dynamic and not clearly defined. Such a role did not even exist as a norm in the industry. MindTree was ambitious and wanted to create efficiencies and tools that would clearly become a benchmark. I wasn't sure if I could handle the responsibility of being the first member of the analytics team.
I was big on ideas, but not yet there on implementation. The inherent dichotomy that exists where there is a continuous and free flow of ideas but not enough resources, time and energy for implementation was always a bother..
Who came to the rescue!
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture!
This is the video I kept going back to.
I found strength to have clarity and structure to my responsibilities.
Being in MindTree was not merely a professional choice. It was an acceptance of a unique lifestyle which made people become better humans.
It is an organisation that believes that a fresher can be nurtured into a leader under the right environment. The leadership had complete faith in me. They probably saw in me what I didn't realise about myself. They gave me training and exposure that many organisations may not expose their middle management to. They were always positive, patient and willing to go the extra mile to make me comfortable and enjoy the work I did.
Wouldn't it be a shallow dream to associate the importance of my role to the amount of money I made?
The more I went back to the video, the more I learnt. The bonds of friendship and loyalty in MindTree extended beyond office hours. People had a smile on their face and a rhythm in their step when they came to work. If I didn't grow in an environment like this, where would be a better place.
Today I can claim some knowledge of TRIZ, minitab, project management, data warehousing tools. I went and met Engineering and MBA students as part of a workshop through MindTree. I co authored a paper presented at the world TRIZ conference. I got to reconnect with Janaagraha(my first internship was with their communication team) All of this happened as a result of that one opportunity with MindTree and the inspiration of the video.
I watch this video again, everything has changed.
I am married now. Very proud that Kumar went to CMU(although it would be a fitting tribute to Randy if I tried to go myself)
I live in a different country teaching math to 7th graders.
I no longer belong to MindTree.
I want to teach, write, read and be involved in a continuous flow of knowledge.
There are lessons learnt and dreams dreamt and people who became a part of my life - who continue to inspire and influence me.
And it's important that I share this inspiration with them..Watch the video -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
Live your dream! in dreams begin reality!
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