Millennials: A Gen Recessed by Recession

By the time the early 1980s born millennials completed graduation, it was sometime between 2002 to 2005 depending the course/program one had opted for. If a post graduate, then sometime between 2004 to 2008, probably the university life concluded.

2008, a time when post graduates were to apply for jobs and the graduates were to switch their first job or get appraised in their existing jobs.

2008, a very unfortunate era began post 2008 from an economic point of view. A major recession started and it seems not to end. With various pockets of recesses, it is like a recession forever in a VUCA world (VUCA: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity).

I completed my Medical Graduation and Internship in 2005 and decided to go ahead with Masters in Clinical Research which got completed in 2008. However, campus placement began in the year 2007. I never got lucky during the campus placement session despite being one of the toppers of the batch. Reason: I wanted something and what was offered was something else. Hence, it was me and job application through various channels; from classified section in the newspaper to various job portals. Thanks to the Internet—it did help us Millennials in more than one way –> from finding jobs, to houses, to friends, to classmates, and in some cases, even soulmates. 

I started working in the year 2007. One year before the recession debacle. However, one thing I did right, which if I look back on, has helped me in my professional life, is continuous learning. It helped me adapt and evolve with agility. Besides many other things in life, I am grateful for this aspect in life. However, the process of continuous learning comes at a cost. It is investing in yourself. Sometime after 2015 when there was a little economic stability experienced and there was some hope for better fulfilling job prospects with better packages, but once again the economy was affected, rather infected, this time by a virus. COVID-19 that took another two years of life, and there still are repercussions to be dealt with—some known, some unknown.

Have I earned as much as I invested? Yes, because I am still single with limited responsibilities.

Have I made profits as expected after any investment? Not so much.
Reputation-wise, Yes. Monetary, No. Post recession, it does not matter whether the economy is in a good state or not, the jobs now just do not offer as much as was the case earlier plus the rising inflation does not help much.

From my observation on the millennial lives, the impact of recession…

Pros:

• Adapt to the constant changes from telecommunications to consumer behaviour.
• Evolve to survive.
• Learn to be a success story.
• Grow to be a better version of yourself.
• Expand to have parallel career options. You did not like a job or the way things went at a job or some other reason and you left the job; ok. But there are still bills to be paid. And debt, mortgage and credit card are not permanent solutions. Hence expanding your presence in more than one profession helps in constant flow of income – it cushions the not-so-good-phase in a person’s career graph.

Cons:

• Instability; some days rich, some days not-so-rich. Some days affordable, some days credit cards dependency. Some days fighting, some days depressed. Some days with a job, some days struggling to find one. 
• Insecurity or dealing with insecure people. It is obvious and expected in a constantly changing environment where everyone is struggling to survive.
• Failure; dealing with disappointments with a smile. Every job lost or opportunity vanished or client lost is a setback. Overcoming any of these is no joke.
• Competition; healthy competition helps you grow. However, unhealthy, which usually is the case, is absolutely depressing especially if you are a person who is not meant for politicking but stuck in a toxic environment.
• Aging; you grow old not young with every passing day. Retirement seems too far ahead, but is very close considering the time lost to the ongoing sessions of recessions.

Way Ahead…to each his/her own.

Because the way ahead depends on the choices you have made in every decade of your life. Did you take care of your health – Physical and Financial, or did you ignore health? Did you choose to grow or did you choose to stay static? Did you learn from your mistakes or do you still continue to do so? Many did you and do you questions to be asked and answered.

Professionally, I think I got the chance to grow because I did not rest in the recesses and not let the recession takeover my journey in life.

Sixteen years of experience and counting has resulted in acing various roles, that of a Brand Head, a Corporate Communication Professional, Creative Content Lead, a Journalist and an IT-Project Team Lead.

Presently a Consultant in Marketing Communication, projects majorly revolve around conducting Market Research, understanding Business Intelligence acquired from Data Analytics, setting Business Strategies, drafting Business Models, managing Brand Image, constructing Creative Strategies, crafting Promotional and PR Campaigns—to sum up, Design Thinking with a holistic approach towards Integrated Marketing for Brand Management.

• A Medical Graduate from Mumbai and A Qualified Expert in Clinical Research…
• A Trained Management Professional from IIM Indore…
• An English Literature Postgrad and A Mass Communication Faculty…

…All together adds immense value to the organizations associated with. And with a belief that knowledge, the source of wealth, when shared grows exponentially–the journey in my life to gain and share knowledge continues…

That’s my journey so far. It was not easy at all as I chose horizontal instead of vertical career ascension. I got to learn a lot, but earn, not so much as I was considered a beginner at every job I took, irrespective of the series of qualifications that occupy a significant space on my resume.

Where there is a will, there is a way.  Am I successful? Am I rich? Am I doing it right? Am I…???
I am working on the answers to these questions and more.
Maybe in the future, I may have answers to a few.

And I don’t have a credit card. Nor do I plan to get one. Nothing against credit cards, but a lot against debts and dependency.

Until next, Just A Thought: Recess is still your time. Life is time and the vice versa. Make the most of it.

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Firewalk: I walk on fire

As a child, I was fascinated whenever I saw firewalk scenes in the movies.  Some old Bollywood movies did have coal walk scenes. However, as an adult I never thought I would participate in one until yesterday.

On a paper, I wrote my goal that I aim to achieve yet I am struggling to achieve, as the rest of the participating members, under the guidance of the coach, which was followed by the firewalk. You may wonder what’s the connect between my goal and me walking on a fire (burnt wood, coal bed)…well I have tried to answer that in the 6Ws as below.

What and How of Firewalk?

Build the bed.

Light the bed.

Rake the bed.

A bed made of wooden bars (recycled wood from discarded packaging materials); mentioned on one of the bars was that one thing stopping me from reaching my goal, my full potential. 

Every bar with inhibitions written on it by every participating member comprised of the bed on a grass layout on ground; the bed was then burnt using camphor and fire.

A silent prayer with sandalwood powder…

A round around the fire bed to get familiar with it…

And once the wood is burnt, it was spread across the grass to set the coal to walk on, with the rhythmic drumbeats and chants said out loud as an encouragement, a reminder and a final push. In the direction North East…North to reach Heights and East for New Beginnings…this firewalk is to fight and rise…to reach new heights.

Why the firewalk?

To get past, the past.

To overcome the self limiting beliefs.

To do away with the inhibitions.

Who-Where-When?

Performed by a trained professional, Dr RM Rai at Anandism – an ashram situated at Itharna, a yoga/spiritual retreat near Dehradun, Uttarakhand, yesterday in the early evening hours, in the mountains, in the chilling December winters.

It was some experience. I wasn’t sure if I would participate, but post the guidance, I was like let’s do it, and I did it. The first step for me was to inhibit the inhibition of participating, and the rest just followed. 

I walk on fire everyday.

Everyday there is one or more obstacles to overcome.

Knowingly unknowingly, we overcome these barriers.

But some remain with us, within us.

A little coaching, a little guidance has always helped me.

Over the years one thing I have learnt, and learnt the hard way, is that there is no harm in asking for a little help, a little guidance. I may know most, but I yet don’t know all, and maybe I never will. That’s where help, helps…and when it comes from a professional or an expert it turns out to be very useful.

Self acquired wisdom versus wisdom of others…I think a combination of both help us sail through the ocean called life. However, the collective wisdom should help you leverage your strengths and not be your weakness. If it is the latter then that wisdom becomes the tip of a very dangerous iceberg and you become the unfortunate Titanic. That’s when firewalk or the likes help.

More on Dehradun and Anandism in the upcoming posts…

Until then, wishing Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate and Happy Holidays…

…Ashu Bolar

Unlearn

So far in my life I have been learning, and very recently in a discussion with a very senior person in the industry, I realized unlearning is equally essential.

The discussion was over a job profile in an institute which is used to and has to work as per rules and guidelines. Till date my work experience is Healthcare focused, Finance segment was new to me. During our 20-minute discussion, after looking at my profile which has umpteen academic qualifications, something which I have stopped counting now, he said, “So Asma, basically you are jack of all trades?” To which my quick reply was, “Even Master of a few.” And he gave me a mile and thumbs up.

But it was what he said after this that made me think – think hard.

I consider every interview as a learning experience. Whether you accept the job or not, that is different, as your decision could be based on various reasons, but the learning you get from every interview, I feel is immense. With a smile on his face, he said, “Even I come from varied academic and career background, with about 27 years of experience. But Asma, I am yet learning, so maybe I cannot call myself a Master yet. And sometimes unlearning, so that I do justice to the profile I am appointed for.”

Yes, unlearning is essential—essential to adjust to your surroundings, essential to get along with your new colleagues, essential to become a part of the new system. Technical learning is essential, but non-technical learning can lead to prejudice. Unlearning helps us get rid of the invisible bias baggage which we carry where ever we go, without even realizing that the bag is so heavy and we are hunched under its weight.

I believe, one can be master at a young age or may be after years, depending on your focus and how fast a learner you are. But to ‘Master All’ is not easy. After the conversation, I realized that I have mastered a few sections of academics and life, and currently, in the process of mastering more subjects, however, there are still many areas of my life that need a focused attention.

In today’s corporate circus, it is not enough to be a juggler, if that is your specialty; you also need to be an acrobat, a musician, a cyclist, a gymnast, an animal trainer, a magician, and sometimes, even a clown to ensure smooth flow of the show everyday. You may not Master all of it, but you still will be Jack of All Trades – the so called multitasker – and a Master of more than one because ‘none’ today ‘is not an option’. So yes, you learn and keep learning, but what is redundant and a heavy burden to carry along, you unlearn those, unpack those, so that you move fast, light and quick.

I am still thinking it over. If you have some thoughts, please feel free to share.

…Ashu Bolar

A Good Job Fit or A Good Organization Fit?

What will be your choice?

Hmmm…interesting question…was one of the questions in Organizational Behaviour (OB-I Paper), IIMI first semester exam.

There is no book or any article which answers this question. I doubt if any professor can.

The answer keeps changing from person to person, and from time to time.

When it is your first job, well – you need a job, in short you are desperate, so only job matters, fit is never a concern. But post five-year work experience, you may not think the same. You would then desire a good job and a good organization. Now this is again a hypothetical situation, which can only be assumed.

An organization may be small, but a good leader makes a lot of difference. With a clear vision and mission, and employee friendly policies, what a leader thinks is percolated throughout the hierarchy. There will always be a weakling in a team, an overtly ambitious worker, an extremely competitive employee, a gossip monger, a procrastinator – but to ensure all work together and share equal responsibilities, is a leader’s job. Being leader is not enough, one has to be a mentor and a learner. There are times when you as a team lead may be wrong, and that’s when you should have the patience to listen what your team has to say. Their opinions may turn you into a better employee, a better person.

In my opinion a ship sails safely only when it has a good captain, an orchestra is melodious when they have an expert music director, a surgery is a success when the lead surgeon guides the entire team in saving a life.

What is the point of working in a reputed so called largest firm, which makes you wake up with foul mood and end your day cursing your boss?

Any corporate success is indeed a team effort. But the Manager/Boss/Team Lead plays a crucial role. He/she can break it or make it. The attitude, the knowledge, the experience…all counts in making you, modifying you into a good ‘MANager.’

Work, to those who are skilled, is never a difficulty. But people are and can be very difficult, and you cannot work alone in a team. A team lead is that glue which binds each team member and guides them as a whole towards the vision. And this attitude is what can make a job good fit, and such team leads and cooperating team members make an organization, an excellent fit.

I do not know if you have come across a leader and a mentor, but I was lucky that I did meet some seniors, who taught me, and when required, guided me to ensure that I traverse the rough sails smoothly.

Yes, I did have my share of ‘Monsternager’ as well (in plural). But those too were learning experiences. Nature introduces such characters in your life so that you master the art of patience and letting go what is of least significance. Remember, for a monsternager, the current job is his/her world. But for a talented person, there is a world full of opportunities. And, I love exploring! 🙂

Learn till you can, tolerate till you can, do not compromise on your self-worth, self-respect and dignity. Be prepared to move on; there is always something big and something better waiting! When you can fly, then why walk?

So yes, A Good Job Fit or A Good Organization Fit?

What is your choice?

Be wise, make an efficient choice; you know what suits you the best.

Be prepared to fly, as high as possible; just try to be in the flock as far as possible or create your own flock. 🙂

…Ashu Bolar

What The Crab!!!

Yes crab.

Today, I just happened to watch ‘Kahani Sanjay Sinha Ke Saath’ on Tez Channel and he narrated a beautiful story…

A crab is another crab’s enemy. Any fisherman after catching crabs need not worry to cover the basket – just place one crab over the other. That’s it. That’s the solution. Each crab will try to get off the basket, but as one reaches the top, the crab below pulls it down again and the cycle continues.

Sounds familiar?

Very true in the corporate world. Instead of leveraging a person, people pull you down, and further down.

A few learnings from Sinha’s narration today:

A. In distress a fish will try best to free itself from the traps of the fishing net, and may make it back to the sea, but a crab won’t.
B. Staying for long amidst crabs, you too can acquire that behaviour.
C. One can give only what one has. If you have good qualities, then you spread goodness. If you have bad qualities, then ugliness surrounds.
D. If someone you know has wings, help him/her fly.

Ladder of success is never crowded at the top. So reads my book cover. But will you reach that high?

I believe what goes around, comes around. Let someone fly and enjoy the view – some day you too will enjoy the flight against gravity…karma for sure has domino effect!

…Ashu Bolar

Post Appraisal Dysfunctionality

New organisation…new work…new hopes….all are amazing until the time of performance appraisal. 😦

Yes, one year of hard work, more & more assignments, numerous late nights, and of course, working on weekends goes with out saying. (Weekend in most of the organisations in India starts with Sunday and ends on the very same Sunday.)

You don’t get paid for working extra hours and on weekends, however there is a hope that things will be better next year with some appreciation, some recognition, and of course, some increment.

But in the new financial year, you realise that a pat on your shoulder is a dream come true. And all you land up with is a kick in your backside.

Yes, that happens in the form of your appraisal. There is this huge form that your expected to fill, which you sincerely complete with great enthusiasm that dies the very minute you get the new letter with revised insulting salary structure in your hand.

Along with enthusiasm, dies your motivation, dies your self confidence, dies the belief in your seniors with fixed plastic smiles, who are sweet talkers, excel in using and misusing you to pump up their images at the cost of your efforts and energy. Unfortunately this realisation comes a little late. 😥

In such a decaying state, either you continue to die everyday or choose to survive either by raising voice or by selecting yet another new place. In the corporate world, to expect a change equals expecting a revolution. With fewer friends and more frenemies, such a revolution is plainly hypothetical. However, a change in yourself or your surroundings is for sure a possibility. After all life, be it world or corporate world, is nothing but survival of the fittest.

I am struggling to overcome this dysfunctionality as I choose to survive. Now how, is something that we will discuss later! 🙂

…Ashu Bolar