Woah! Did I just start this one with a swear word?
In my last post I talked about how ‘being someone’ was a crucial goal when I was 20. The definition of someone was quite simple – an individual with a good job and a career progression ahead. Once I started working, I was on track with respect to the goals I had defined for myself. Just like my quarterly evaluation at work, I started doing a quarterly evaluation of my personal wellbeing. It started with just simply writing down things that I wanted to own in the next three months. For example, this one time I had written that I wanted to own a branded wallet. In the next three months I had to save up enough money to be able to buy a wallet that cost almost 20% of my monthly salary. In addition to chasing my targets at work, I was doing quite well in terms of achieving my personal material targets.
The thing with targets is that they lead to bigger targets. For instance, one quarter you are able to nail everything that your manager expected you to, the next quarter he/she will increase the targets. It is how organisations work too. One quarter the sales team hits target, next quarter the target is bumped up. To think of it simply, happiness is a point from where you want more happiness. Happiness can be buying that wallet, it can be hitting your sales targets, it can be scoring A1 in your weakest subject and the list just goes on. While I was setting these bigger targets for myself every quarter, I was getting away from the real essence of my early 20s. I was focussing more on what I want next and forgetting who I want to be next. Career was progressing in the same way too. Quarter after quarter, it was just a check list.
One fine day, after I got my first promotion in the first cycle I was eligible for, I begun to think if there is more to life and career than what I am able to see. It started as a thought and soon spread like fire. This was all I could think of. I immediately realised that I am not someone who can wait for years in the same place, expecting life to be a ladder. I could not wait for promotion after promotion to do more. There was this tremendous urge to make a difference – both professionally and personally. I wanted to be somewhere more real, where it would not feel like a machine. I was happy but not satisfied with doing things within boundaries.
I am not saying that the first job wasn’t rewarding enough, it was really great, it just wasn’t for me. I knew I am not the 8am – 5pm person and I certainly did not have a great social life off work to feel content and balanced. I was a workaholic and slightly unaware of options. At this point something magical happened, one of the best startups in the country decided to offer me a job in marketing. I had applied on their career site for a sales role in a European market thinking they will never call me back and if they did, I would move to a fancy location and my foreign dreams will come true. All the incorrect reasons to apply and yet the correct outcome.
They called me for a meeting (note: startup’s don’t ever call you for an interview, it’s usually a meeting or interaction) and even after me insisting that I don’t want to do a marketing role, they just wanted to meet. I rushed back home that day and told my best friend about it. She is quite full of life and loves taking risks (unlike me!). She suggested I give it a shot, just go for the interview and so I did. That one interview changed my entire life. What followed was something spectacular, way more challenging and certainly gave me a whole new outlook. I probably haven’t ever thanked my friend for it. I think it’s time I do..
Marketeer by Chance 