Australian Diaries - Post 2

07 May 2015 – Sometime in the afternoon, my ‘highly smart ‘phone notified me of an incoming mail. I unlocked my screen and noticed I received a mail, into an email address which I use it for professional purposes (read – job search!). As I opened and read through my email, I was delighted. By now, you might have known me as a highly optimist person. The inner traits took control over my mind and I was hoping that the opportunity this mail presented was the one I should grab. Did I grab? Yes. But then as typical Indian movies, that have been successful theatrically, there was a twist. Here is an update on this incident, which I personally encountered.

The mail originated from Australia. The company is a reputed project controls expert serving high caliber clients. Now, how did I get here? I am unfolding the background here - I used my business development skills (again!) through LinkedIn and approach a higher level manager in the UK branch, for positions in Australia. The gentleman from UK was kind enough to have replied to me - stating that my resume would be forwarded to an Australian branch if I was interested. Not the one to hold back, I immediately provided a positive response with a request to forward my resume to the Australian Branch. A couple of days later, the Regional Manager of the Australian branch sent in the subject mail I highlighted above. Joy knew no bounds when the content of the email, extract derived, read “……….I would be keen to do a telephone interview tomorrow……….”. I felt my hard work would eventually bring me happiness. I was already dreaming of leaving Qatar. But destiny said, not so fast, my son! There is more to go!!!!

Now coming back to the subject email, I responded to the email with high energy. I was hoping I would get a confirmation for the telephone interview within a reasonable time (not more than 60 min). But, alas, the response never came. I spent the so called ‘tomorrow’ looking at the phone, hoping there would be a telephone interview (again, optimist in me beats the realist). The day ended and I was reminded of the tagline – “Tomorrow never dies”. Rather, for me, the tomorrow I was looking for, never came. L

You might be wondering, why am I disappointed? Well, there are several reasons. For one, not many know in my circle know that I have published a couple of articles on project controls expertise. I am of the opinion that my skills would have been the best fit for the potential role I missed out, oops!..rather never had a shot at. Two, I could have completed writing my book on project control expertise and used it to sync with the role of training the industry personnel. I lost out on the opportunity, at this moment, to earn the name and fame J Three, the role would have given me chance to travel and use my skills at multiple locations, enabling me network better. Four, experts are paid ‘more’. And I missed out on a heavy pay cheque, for a start, in Australia.

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My wife keeps reminding me that I am unique. My wife continues to say, that, less than 1% of the people in the world are sincere like me – adhering to timelines, commitments, accepting statements made, even if it was wrong and more importantly having 100% trust on the ‘other’ person. The world is not the same, I am told always and repeatedly. I have always argued with my wife, that, as humans – ‘trust’ in its basic sense is eternal and privy to human kind, for, that’s the only element, the human kind is differentiated. I now have the unfortunate history of such scenarios repeating over time and again. But no matter what, I still yearn to be different, irrespective of the consequences. Professionally, I am a strong advocator of ‘change management’, but personally, looks like I am not ‘managing to change’ some of the elementary characteristics developed in me, throughout my life cycle till date. What are the risks and consequences? This is something I have to wait and watch.

I have always believed life teaches us more than the books. For a fact, I do not remember, much of the civil engineering subjects nor the mathematics I studied at school nor remember even the science experiments that I used to hate. All I have used in my life is the basics of English, the 26 alphabets, the jugglery of which constitutes my ability to communicate with people in life. Events in life have taught me more. Some of the events make me feel stupid, whilst the vast majority gave me the confidence in reiterating my thoughts that my intellectual capability is far higher than the successful people. It is just a matter of time, when the luck around the corner has to creep and crawl into my life. For this, all I need is the fruits of the ‘good karma’.

I guess I will have more to write as the days pass. For now, I can’t wait to unravel my experiences as and when I experience the experience :). I am just reminded that Tourism Australia has a tagline – “There is nothing like Australia”. Well, with my experiences, I can’t disagree with this tagline, right?