Beyond India, east or west?

NRI, non-required Indian or non-resident Indian, the word is not foreign. Be it media cacophony or hype surrounding, our hearts rock for USA.

There are no brakes if you want to embrace NRI tag. The easiest way is GRE and TOEFL, both I feel hard to crack and managed GATE to make into IIT, neither my finances would have allowed then. For whatever reasons if you are looking beyond India, note 2 important things, cost of living and purchasing power parity (P3). Well, I can tell you what the impact would be, few months back I was in London, so costly that my purse was set off by 40K Rs in a week time, ofcourse it is the 2^nd costliest place in the world.

Well, my equation is simple, I look forward for a savings of 10 lakhs INR p.a post tax with a decent life style. (why 10 lakhs? read MiM). Once again don't scratch the backs of consultants, it works well if you swim on own.

USA hogs the limelight without doubt and should remain first choice. As a saying goes, (pretty)wives of (dumb)engineers in USA make better than (pity) engineers in India. And especially when H1-b are scarce and employers are not coming forward, look for other avenues. A salary of 95K USD in CA is very much equal to 75K USD in NY. You may use Salary calculator.

UK certainly stands second to USA when it comes to salary potential. You can have better life style, much beautiful and lively than USA.

Any other? Huh, Greenland to Newzealand, where in the world a country is spared by Indians!

Why I chose Singapore?
Can you believe there is a place in world where you pay less than 5% of gross towards income tax?? The better, being close to home and my equation holds here, it's another Bangalore. Though I miss weekly visit to Madanapalle that I used to when I was in Bangalore. In the long run, say 10-20 years horizon, economically speaking Asia outperforms Americas, good reason for true economics lover to side with dark horses rather than champion.

And for girls.. ideally close to mom and dad, unfortunately the same mom and dad bind you to an nri, insurmountable pressure, who'll bell them that they can't see their sweet heart once an year at least.

Changing Company?

At one or other time in your career, you decide to change company. What would lead you to do so? Is your move justified? And other considerations coupled with my experience as both interviewer and interviewee. (To my credit, I've interviewed tens of candidates and got interviewed 5-6 times).

This has been a trend, a recent survey showed that on average Indian IT pros are switching companies every 2.3 years. There could be enough reasons like money, arrogant manager, power politics, marriage etc that prompts you to take the drastic step.

It's time, you have decided to change company. You need an appealing resume. Contrary to our belief, the simpler the better. I had restricted to 1.5 page, no need to write your address or DOB or all the way to B.Tech project or your hobbies. Nobody scans beyond skill set and education.

Boost your confidence before you apply. It takes a week or two, read resume carefully, get familiar with finer details, don't spare a line in resume, interviewers won't go beyond resume. Also discuss with close friends about few projects you had done, learning and reading keeps your confidence levels going up every day.

Don't piggy back on consultants, try on your own. It helps in negotiating a better deal directly and company may be willing to pass the money to you which would otherwise go to consultant. Ask carefully what you are supposed to do in new job, no dreaming, you have to rise again from scratch at new place. Don't settle for anything less than 50% hike, unless for money should you be moving? I managed 85% hike when I first moved in Feb 2005. It involved 6 rounds of interview and 2 rounds of negotiation, I'm firm on my stand, once a company decides to hire you, don't settle for less. (I called something, yeah, I wanted premium, a good word to use). If company is genuinely interested in you, they must be willing to pay premium. For a taste of how much I asked and finally managed, see Smoke signals.

Once you put on papers, don't give into submission. It doesn't go down well in future with management. Unfortuantely many people bring in emotion or relationships they enjoyed before, mind that it is business, even if old employer is willing to match new salary, be sniffy, they would not have done if you had not tendered resignation. For good or bad, pack up and march ahead!

Don't make changing companies a habit, see that you stay at least 1.5 -4 years at every company, otherwise when you apply next time, as an interviewer I look over your shoulders. Remember for a performer, any company keeps it's door wide open.

Don't give into rejection loss if you fail to make it in first attempt. Reassess strengths and ascertain if switching company is right. All in all, if you can't manage in 3 month duration, better stay back and relook after 6-12 months.

Smoke signals

Inflation is hovering below 5%, at this stage can we expect 15-20% rise in IT salaries every year? If so, for how long does this partying last? A case study involving myself and what prompted me to change country.

Period	Salary	Percentage Hike	Remarks
Apr 2002 - Mar 2003	4.5 lakhs p.a	--	1st year, start of career
Apr 2003 - Mar 2004	5.2 lakhs p.a	15.5%	2nd year
Apr 2004 - Jan 2005	6.6 lakhs p.a	26.9%	3rd year
Feb 2005 - Jun 2005	12.13 lakhs p.a	83.79%	3rd year, changed company
Jul 2005 - Present	xxxxx $	--	4th year, changed country

From the table, it is understood that I got exponential salary hikes. Realistically I would expect industry average hike, say 15% which would have taken my salary to 14 lakhs p.a in FY07, 16 lakhs p.a in FY08 and 18.5 lakhs p.a in FY09. Will this extrapolation holds?

Accepted IT salaries are at their best in India. But still we don't get equivalent salaries to our counterparts in USA. My only concern is our aspirations go up in a rising economy who expect similar hikes every year that may hurt one day. (Don't forget year 2001, when jobs were scarce and salary cuts/layoffs were order of the day).

Admit it or not, the reason why jobs are being outsourced to India is because of cost advantage. At the start of outsourcing, there is 1:10 advantage, that means with one person salary in USA, ten persons can be recruited in India with same skill sets. What a competitive proposition! At what stage USA companies feel the pinch? I don't have any exact value, but I put it at 1:3 ratio, where outsourcing means no advantage, because costs escalate rapidly as there is uneven growth in USA and India.

Surprisingly fresher salaries are south bound for last 2 years. There is significant decrease of 20% at entry levels, contrary movement in an inflationary economy. What does it say? As supply pressure increases inflation doesn't hold and salaries go down. (or stay standstill). I'm closer to 1:3 proposed ratio, my competitive edge is fast eroding. It's matter of time, supply increases with my skill set, and I won't be getting 15% predicted hike in future. So companies will try to recruit and train freshers and experienced guys should be under undue pressure.

What about Dollar fluctuations? If rupee appreciates in the years ahead, this further erodes our competitive edge. In few years down the line, say 3-5 years, we reach the breakeven (1:3) point. That is smoke signal to look west.

The table above holds for MNCs like TI, INTEL, NVIDIA etc.,

How big is life?

As a child I felt it is studying, the toughest thing in life (every parent wants his child to study, studies is the only world he knows), as I grew up to teens and mastered the art reaching new highs every class, I felt it is making money the toughest(money dominates the real world scene, everything money). And as I started doing it smart, I felt it is living the toughest, whatever it gave me a chance to peek into what life is!

Do we really have a big life?

This would have haunted you before and most probably you have given it a slip. I asked myself instantly, never thought it seriously any time. I'm quite mechanical. I'm so afraid to think that one day I'll die, ahh very tough to absolve the fact, imagine that you also die one day, your heart beats fast.

Until turning 20-23 years, you spend time in studies, movies, dresses, games (no dating!). You study like mad and fight like there is no tomorrow. Energy levels and abilities reach their peaks so much that you dream to crumble mountains on your way. No financial freedom in sight, yet you dream of Billions and Bill Gates.

A job comes your way bringing a new found fortune, pavement from rags to riches, overnight sultan. Go funky in dressing with leather shoes with eyes flashing. No more you speak subjects and research, and speak money, honey. You count every rupee, preach currency, dream big, turn to calculator and go crazy. (Intelligent brains write smart programs to see what they save!). It's pay back time, you start sending money home reluctantly (all the while you received DDs in time for years). After a while, you realize to maintain money, credit cards, filing income tax returns, rushing for infrastructure bonds, LIC. (Few like me who stay a step ahead would have started gambling in stock markets). Some or other day, you dabble stock markets, by now you would have totally forgotten your subjects at college and still speak about research, it is pure stock market analysis, go hilarious at newly learnt skills. Testosterone flows top to bottom until one bad day stock market collapses shattering all dreams like a pack of cards, everything looks messy all of a sudden. Alas you still have job.

Days run like never before, you turn 25. Time is closing in on for the knot. Heart pounds again, new dreams, new hopes, new future, walking with a pretty girl, new found mate. Honeymoon follows, sweet nothings exchanged, spend days and nights cuddling and snuggling together. Another 2 years wiped off, fresh breeze comes as a new baby calling you daddy....

Life is, certainly big and worth living, don't take it easy, the toughest too, cherish every moment to the core. (what's there in a girl's mind? must be different! beyond my imagination).

Getting away with bad habits

Too much desire or affiliation has always taught me a lesson and shown door. I was spending hours a day to track cricket world over, one fine day during my 2nd BTech I realized it was hell, by then I had lost numerous hours, immediately decided to stop the practice. Initially it was tough, but slowly I transitioned to near zero, now I hardly know who the player and where they play. It's simpler than I ever imagined, it didn't pay a rupee, except occupying a large bandwidth in mind. I certainly needed entertainment, i turned to books, I feel books have given better solace than cricket. My sincere advice goes, first sit back and write down how much time you are spending on useless stuff, be it day dreams or other. Slowly engage in another activity, you feel the difference. There are better ways to enjoy quality time! If you have benefited from my advice, remember to pass the message to another and of course I won't decline a gift.