The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Hello friends, my name is Kumar and I am going to confess about my Struggling Career in I.T. (Information Technology). I had an interest in computers since I was in my high school I used to come home and start playing games with my computer, draw in paint, make some small PowerPoint presentations just for fun. As I grew up, I became more interested in learning more about the computer world, and instead of playing games, I was searching how to make a game! I used to download a lot of stuff. My mom used to scold me for high bills of my internet usage, so I used to go to cyber cafes to play games, chat, etc.
As the years passed, I entered into the 10th grade. It is considered very important because on 10th grade marks we get admission further into college. So those were my bad days and my computer was moved to my Aunt’s house. I was restricted to go to a cyber café and I really missed my computer. But I managed without it and passed my 10th grade with good marks. After the 10th grade, I chose to take science since I had an interest in computers. So that was my golden moment when I had received a new Laptop. It was awesome and I just loved it.
I managed to pass my college and then I chose to go for engineering in Computer Science. My marks on the engineering entrance exam were not good and I did not get admission anywhere. I was broken inside, cried a lot and my financial condition was not so good so I paid a donation and took admission into another school. Life moves on, an alternative was a Bachelor in Computer Science.
I happily took that field though it was not so good as engineering. Then I came across Programming Languages. I was so happy I would be learning new stuff. I wanted to become a developer one day. But frankly speaking, coding is only good when it is small in size, and only then can I understand it. But it was worse… 3-6 pages of coding just for a simple Numbers Sorting Program confused me. I knew coding was not my “Cup Of Tea.” I used to go for classes, attended extra lectures, got my doubts cleared up just to understand the basic concepts of programming. Still, I was not able to code on my own. I flunked in my First Year and I was very disappointed that I couldn’t do it.
I was a computer freak so I should be able to do it. As time passed, I came to my Second Year. This year, I was required to learn three new languages. I was fed up with computer science, blaming myself for choosing this field. Teachers also knew I was bad at this subject. I kept on studying, learning, and trying and eventually I completed my 3 year course in 4 years (flunked only once). I passed and graduated with a Computer Science degree. I was very happy that I finally did it and now I would be working a job to earn some money.
Applying for several jobs, I landed a few interviews, had to take some tests, etc., but hadn’t gotten any jobs. I noticed there was a vacancy for Bachelor Students in I.T. I was shocked when I went here and there, gave my resume to hundreds of companies, but still no interview calls. I was never getting a response because I believe I did not fit in the criteria. I figured companies don’t hire fresh Bachelors. Many companies require Engineers with Masters Qualifications for the job. I was getting jobs in Non I.T. Fields like Call Centres, Shop Office Assistant, etc. I studied for 5 years and there was no jobs in I.T. I was very disappointed.
My family asked me to go for further studies so that I might be able to get a job in the I.T. field. Again, I had to go through learning more coding languages in my Post Graduation. This time, I understood it well and really studied hard for my Masters exams. Finally, I completed my Masters within 2 years. Now I was confident I would definitely get a job. I gave interviews at many places but I still got rejected.
Now there was a new thing called “Certifications.” If someone has any certification course like CCNA/MCITP, he gets the job easily. Now it was freaking me out. First I did a Bachelors Course, then a Masters Course, and now I have go through a Certification Exam? I was really pissed off. But what could I do? Life is full of competition and we just have to face it.
I ended up taking any two courses just to get Certifications. There was my resume, shining with a Bachelors in Computer Science, a Masters in Computer Science, and now two Certified Courses in Computers. Now I was very much sure I would get an awesome job with an I.T. company. My dreams would come true and I would get a good salary, a car, a house, and maybe start a family. This the dream of my life, as it is for many others. So I went for an interview at very big I.T. company. They asked about my qualifications and other things.
They asked, “have you worked anywhere before?”
I said “No.”
They said “Well, Mr. Kumar, we don’t hire fresh students for a job. We want a minimum of two years of experience in a relevant field. I was shocked! Where would I get experience from if I haven’t worked anywhere before? Finally, I found a small office type company. They used to develop small scale applications so I joined them. After 2 years, I went for s job change again and was able to get interviews with big companies.
This time I thought all dreams would be fulfilled. I would get an awesome job, an awesome salary, a car, a house, and everything for a normal life. And once again, I heard the same thing over and over again, “Mr. Kumar, the programming languages which you have learned are not in any use. They are quite old. Kindly update yourself with technology you need to keep pace with the new languages that programmers are currently using and learn these new technologies.
I lost my temper. “Sir, I gave four years of my life for a Bachelors degree, two years for a Masters degree, and another two years for two certified courses in Computers. I was rejected for those because I had no work experience. I went to work for two years for a company in order to gain work experience and I became very good at what I did, but the pay was too low, and I wanted to move on for a better career opportunity so I could fulfill my dreams. I cannot go any further then this. If you want hire me, then hire me, else fuck off.”
Of course, I didn’t get the job.
Finally, some time had passed and I managed to find a good job abroad. Now I am settled and I have good job, a good salary, and even a car and a house. I am still working on a love life. But I think ups and downs are important in life. The ups motivate us and the downs provide lessons for us. Anyways, the show must go on. Don’t let anyone stop you from achieving your goals and making your dreams come true!
