My name is Imtiyaz Khan and I am a software professional by profession. I have around 17 years of experience in the software development industry. We are three brothers and a sister in my family. My parents were not educated so I don’t know my actual date of birth. 5th of July was randomly chosen when my name was written in school. My parents were not educated but they were keen to send us to school. I remember the words of my father as
“Study is a hard nut to crack to become a good person in life.”
I study hard. I completed my 1st to 4th standard in my village school. After that I have to go to the nearby village daily 6 KMs by my own foot because there was no cycle. In the rainy season I put my books and uniform in a polythene bag and used to go to school. I completed my 10th standard from there.
After completing my 10th standard I was not aware what to do in life. Then one of my teachers suggested to me a course of BCA and I joined that course and I shifted from village to a small city. The first time I came to a city where I had to do all my daily tasks like cooking, washing and all daily work because I was alone there. During my BCA I used to write poems and my diary on a daily basis. I was not aware that writing is my passion. After completing my BCA again I was blank. I was not aware of the scope of BCA.
What to do in life?
Where and how will I get a job?
I gave an entrance exam for MCA as I was thinking of doing MCA from any good college.
But life gives us opportunities in life and I get connected with one of my friends. He was already learning a PHP course. We both were from middle class families. We middle class families often think alot about our family background and situations of our families. We discussed why we should do regular MCA?
We have already spent so much money then why we should give an extra burden on our families. It seems good to me.
I shifted with my friend and started searching for a part time job as there was no computer with me at that time. I joined a Dot Net course but due to absence of computer I didn’t practice of it. I joined a part time job to purchase a computer. I joined a part time job and purchased a computer from my own earnings. I started learning PHP with my friend. He got a job in PHP. I started working hard. I remember I worked 18–20 hours daily. I didn’t know when sun is rising and when it setting up.
I can’t explain how much I was happy when first time I did a CURD operation. After two months learning of PHP I started giving interviews.
There was no phone I remember how I used to call from a STD booth for vacancies. Every Wednesday there was a column for job vacancies in a newspaper. I write down every vacancy details on a paper and call them one by one from a STD booth for a job. My English was not good. Sometimes I couldn’t understand the conversation. Then I used to go for interviews by bus transportation. Many times I didn’t find the address of interview venues and sadly return back to my room. For the first time in my life I came to a metro city. Here life was totally different from where I came.
Finally I got a job offer from a small company. My friend was also approaching his company for me but his boss did not agree as I was a fresher. When I got a job offer from another company he also offered me. I thought instead of joining another company I think my friends company would be better for me. At least I will get some support to start my career. I joined that company for 2.5k per month only.
They didn’t give me any training and just gave me a big project of inventory management. How can a beginner handle such a big project without any support. But I tried my best and completed its two modules of herbs management but they were expecting something else from me. They were treating me like a senior developer. After 3 months they fired me.
But I was happy and started searching for another job. I joined a company where they couldn’t give me my second month salary.
I joined another company where I worked 6–7 months. I felt bad when I got to know that a junior to whom I was giving training but he is getting more salary than me. I got upset and started searching again. I switched back to back 3 companies but the worst part was that I was not aware about the market and switched my job for a little hike only. It was due to lack of awareness. I was not updated what’s going on in the market. I switched my 3rd company during recession as I was not aware about the market and after 21 days I got fired again in 2009. Many people were fired at the same time. Again I was on the road. The interesting part was that I was just engaged. I daily talked with my wife but how can I tell her because we recently got engaged. She asked me daily how was your day in the office. I used to tell her it was fantastic but from inside I was not feeling good. She sent a gift on my birthday to my office address but i was no longer with the company. I requested the HR please call me when my gift arrived. Later I told her everything when I got a new job.
I worked around 5 years with service based companies. This time I decided to work with product based companies. I joined a startup. I worked there for 3.5 years but I found there a lot of politics. I worked hard the whole year but at the end of the year I got a little hike and all the credit goes to the senior persons of my team. Again I felt bad and switched to another startup.
I joined the second startup as a senior software engineer. Again I was cheated by HR and I was convinced to join as a senior software engineer and on 1 lac less package what was asked by me. I worked hard and after 3 months I was awarded and got promoted by the CEO. I felt good and thought now you are in the right place. I developed many products single handed. I appreciated and was awarded multiple times. From time to time I got promoted as lead, senior lead, engineering manager, senior engineering manager and the senior director of engineering. I started participating and contributing in all company strategies, new processes and policies. I was heading a team of 15–20 people. Everything was good and a new VP of engineering joined. After 7–8 months the CEO’s perception changed for me. He started ignoring me and started blaming me for my work. Then suddenly one day I got a call from the HR that this is your last day. I was on leave that day. I was shocked. What was wrong with me. I went to the office on Monday and discussed with HR. He explained me it’s a decision of the CEO. Do your formalities and submit your laptop. This happened to me recently just 3 months back. I worked with that company 7.5 years. The only pain I have is I was not expecting my ending this way with that company where I spent my 7.5 years of my life.
Now this was my third time when I fired from my job while I was one of the founding members of the core team. Again I was on the road.
Why should I not hate this corporate life?
I hate this corporate life. I started finding my passion and now I got my passion. I love writing, mentoring and coaching people and I started it. Now I have my vision, mission and goals. I am writing my book next month I am going to launch that and I have to monetize my passion now. I don’t want to be depend on this corporate job life.
If you are touched by my story and want to help me please clap and mention it in the comment box. How you felt for me and why should I not monetize my passion?