Upgrade yourself at Sapient!

DISCLAIMER : The following article was printed in a series called "Sapient Story" at Sapient Corporation. I wrote this article way back in July 2013 and was penned with an intention to get it approved and printed for the Sapient wide audience. These are my personal views.

July - August is an exciting period for fresh graduates in India. It's the time when most colleges end their courses & students begin their careers at their very first work place. It is also a time for anniversary celebrations for erstwhile students at their current jobs. One often sees posts on FB or LI like “completed 2 years at so-and-so company”. I enjoy seeing people celebrating their milestone with gusto & getting a good number of likes and comments.

I began my career with Sapient on 01 August 2011 and as I complete 2+ years here, I have a completely different perspective about these 2 years. Rather than just completing years and earning my salary, I feel happier about the people I met, the knowledge that I acquired here and the attitude and aptitude that I developed towards my work and my life. And all of it continues to this day. Sapient has indeed proven to be a great source of learning for me. To everyone who asks for my views about Sapient, my exact words are “Boss! This is the place to be!!”.

I firmly believe that every day I have spent here has taught me something fruitful. I am sure I would reap its benefits in the long run too, in my professional career. Being a fresh college graduate, Sapient has helped me mould myself in a way that would guarantee me professionalism and the right attitude. It has imbibed in me the confidence that helps me succeed. It gears me for the next challenge. Growth just happens here. Personally experienced! In short, I have upgraded myself.

I feel that there are a couple of things which make Sapient extraordinary; first is the people and second their attitude. People here are very learned and skilled, with right level of experience and expertise at the right position. But would their mere presence be enough? No, not at all. It is their willingness to impart knowledge and enable others that makes Sapient what it is. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to work with some of the best minds in industry.

I ask you young beginners. Just try to memorize the draft of your first resume and its 'Career Objective/Aim' section. Mine read “To work in an innovative, challenging and global environment so as to contribute effectively towards the overall growth of self and the organization”. At that time, I could not think of this by myself and hence had to "google" it up before putting down that fancy line on my resume. I today realize that what was once a dream has actually become my reality and I feel so good about it. Have you too realized you dream?

I perceive Sapient as an Institute, an institute with a plethora of opportunities for everyone. It has a perfect blend that suits everyone’s taste. Sapient is definitely unique and that too in a lot of ways. In other companies, you won’t find the leadership team looking for a Phunshuk Wangdu among you or planning a trip for you to Bermuda. If you are outside Sapient and reading this, believe me, a lot of us sit beside the people you would aspire to be. Or if you want to resume your interest in basketball, cricket, football or whatever it is, Sapient is the right place to be. All of this results in the holistic improvement of an individual. I hereby thank Sapient and its people for the fantastic kick start to my career. I am not sure about how long I will continue to work here but yes, for now, I feel satisfied and I take pride in working here and express the same around.

Unfortunate saga : Indian Politics

India is my country.

All Indians are my brothers and sisters.

I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.

I shall strive to be worthy of it.

I shall respect my parents, teachers and all elders and treat everyone with courtesy.

To my country and all my people, I pledge my devotion.

In their well-being and prosperity alone lies my happiness.

Jai Hind.

Remember this? One of starting pages of our school diary. Whenever my father would boast that my son can speak English and wanted me to give a demo, I would immediately without a breath blabber this pledge out with my hand straightened out. Whatever be my speed, I actually meant every word of the pledge that I took every morning in my school’s assembly premises. Truly speaking, as a kid I used to take pride in being a part of this country and its rich and varied heritage. But lately, as I have become more aware of the society and the way it functions, sad to say but my love for India has a bit deteriorated. I remember, once my conversation with a friend got so intense that I hit him just because he was speaking bad about India. Today, when I recline and think about the same, I realize that he was probably right and I wrong.

Today, I am not feeling very great about this whole politics thing. I am not very strong at Political Science, but I am not very ignorant too. Let us talk about some of the great politicians that our country has produced. Mayawati ji, the Mahamaya who likes getting her statues erected in public parks. Who on earth does that? Madam, are you trying to imitate Saddam Hussain? He is not the right person to be followed. Choose some other idol. Please don’t do this with the public money, we will erect your statues and garland them every year in case you do enough to the state to command that sort of respect. The ground rule remains the same, “Respect is not demanded. Respect is commanded”. Another similar example is Jayalalitha, who got her photo printed on the laptop her party workers distributed to the students. They could not get the party logo on the laptop because Jayalalitha herself covered the whole space and left none for the logo. Do you really think such people who are so obsessed with being CM can actually do justice to their position and power? Anyways, I like Mayawati, the only thing I like about her is that she did not marry to produce another of her breed. Then there is Master Akhilesh ji, trying to imitate Rahul, both of them striving to be youth icon. I consider Raghu from Roadies to be a better youth icon than these two. These people are actually incapable of doing anything that pertains to ruling a state. I unfortunately, being a native of Etawah, UP has to bear their governance.

So, Akhilesh is now talking of a third front, bhaisahab! your dad is too old now. I know you are doing all this for your respected dad, but the truth is that he has -0% chances of being PM. Please concentrate on your career and hoarding money because next time it’s Mayawati’s turn to be the CM. You’ll need some money then to continue with the same lifestyle for the next 5 years. Just see Mayawati, does she give you the slightest hint that she is not in power? No, right?? Because she was intelligent and has a lot in reserves to survive till death. You suspended an honest IAS officer with the explanation that she was demolishing something that could spark communal violence. Sir, it will take you another life to even mug up the index of the books that she has read. She is far more learned and wise than you and your sand mafia’s whole generation combined together. Please bring some sense to your actions. We expect a lot of you. And a good news for you, Mayawati’s demand for 4 partitions of UP!!! This ways, all 4 major parties in UP (SP, BSP, BJP and Congress) get to rule and every supremo gets to become the CM. This is actual “Divide and Rule”.

Rahul sir, sachchi bolu, Sonia ji by now should have told you “Beta tum rehne do, tumse na ho paayega”. You are too young and immature to be the PM of this country. I think you should chill out in some foreign country, spend time on beaches and do whatever you want to. I am sure your mom can send you enough pocket money to enjoy all the luxuries in the world. Everyone actually makes fun of you. You are the Abhishek Bachchan of Indian Politics, riding on your parents’ success. You are simply not politics material; there are some basic elements other than being corrupt that are needed to be a perfect chor. Just look at Manmohan ji, he is so smart. Just because he cannot control his tongue, he does utter a single word till he is in public eye. I know you are too naughty to listen to your mom, so please get the fuck out of here and take Robert Vadra along. He too is doing us a lot of harm.

BJP, aap bhi koi bahut seedhe nahi ho. Please stop politicizing every damn topic, but then everyone does that. I know you are about to finish with your bank reserves and need to come to power once to survive another good time in case you lose to Congress again.

Coming back to India and taking pride in it, I want to feel the same as I did in my childhood. My grandfather and father both served defense services and they recite stories of the wars that they were a part of. If a common man who is just trying to make a living can be so true to his duty, why can not a person who has been nominated by public do so? I know, I do not vote and hence do have a right to comment on them. But then, if I do not cast for the correct person I also do not cast for the wrong person. I am not able to think of a solution right now as to how a common man will get off these shackles of slumber or will he die a slow death amid the so called the largest democracy in the world, India.

PS : They are my own views and I do not mean to hurt anybody's political sentiments.

Branding AIT

Hello AIT

I hope you are in the pink of your health. Me?? ahhhhh....I am doing great as always. It has been long since we last met. The last time we met was when I had to appear for two backlog exams. To be honest, while leaving college I expected that I'll be back soon to meet you, but to clear backlogs, nahhhhh, never. I always dream of our meeting being a grand one, like what it would be like when Sachin Tendulkar or Mark Zuckerberg  would visit their respective school. I truly aspire to become a successful professional in life. A person whom you can actually feel proud of and whose name can be called out in public for setting an example. But, have I made it large? No, not yet. I am far far away for being one of such kind. But, I am very sure that one day this dream would eventually come true.

To those, who do not know much about my profession, I work with Sapient as an Associate. My life's pretty smooth here and luckily I have not been through those horrifying experiences that people share on Facebook ("It's 3 am and still in office"). Yesterday evening, when I finished my work at 5:30 pm, I went back to my flat, changed my clothes, and lay down on my bed with my eyes closed, a breeze just passed by. The same breeze that used to refresh my room (315 G) and made everything look fresh and beautiful. I then asked myself that am I really making you feel proud? Am I really giving my best that people around me ask me my alma mater? Do I really give them a hint that I have been staying with some of the brightest minds of India? Because, in the end I really want people to ask me that. I feel proud in telling them your name. It might be obscure to some of them, but one day it'll shine and will shine bright. I hope that everyone reading this shares the same feeling for his/her alma mater.

By the way, I would like to compliment you that you look better than before. I got to see a picture of the grand entrance a few days back, it looks amazing. Standing tall amid Dighi Hills, you are really a grand structure. As years pass by, more and more people pass out to spread your name. Companies from various industries and sectors now visit you which is definitely helping you spread your wings wide. But, the question is, are 'we' really doing justice to brand AIT? Do we really give our actions a thought that they leave an imprint of our parents, our friends, our college? This blog comes in the awake of some recent activities that I noticed which really makes me doubt if people think that their activities might hamper your reputation.

Let me start with myself, I believe that I am doing a commendable job at my workplace. I don't know exactly but I have acquired something while I strolled in your premises which can not be put in words but it was something, something that makes me feel confident, energetic and something that has definitely helped me in my career. I never scored above 55% but still, I managed to pull off a Bachelor of Engineering degree from University of Pune. Everyone around me here knows that I am honest and committed to my work. But then there are some who are too selfish to think that what their actions might lead to or how does their actions affect your image?. I do commit mistakes but then that does not tarnish your image. To err is human and no one is perfect.

"One will never go to a restaurant again, once he/she sees a cockroach in their food."

I hope the statement made above has made it clear enough about the message that I am trying to convey here. My dear juniors, colleagues and seniors, it's not the building, the gate, the library, the red bold AIT or the cricket ground that forms the Army Institute of Technology, these materialistic stuff is just a small portion. It is us, the students who complete it.

While it is falsely assumed that only IITans can deliver the best, NITs the better and other colleges just the good degree of work, we can actually justify you (AIT) by adding brand value to your name. Dear reader, whoever you are, wherever you are, I beg of you to please reconsider you actions if that tarnishes the image of my college, because one day when I would be on the verge of becoming as famous as Sachin Tendulkar/Mark Zuckenberg and planning my grand trip to AIT, I would not want my evaluator to be someone who judges me seeing my alma mater and it turns out that he once got pissed off by some stupid's sheer stupidity. Instead, I would want you to impress him today so that I can reap the fruits tomorrow. ;) I repeat , do not be so mean that you forget that what you do is a reflection of your parents, friends and your alma mater. 

Thanks and Regards

Nitish Kumar

Computers (2007-2011)