First jobs and first jobs

 First jobs and first jobs...

30 years ago, in March, I started my first job as a software professional at Trilogix Systems Pvt. Ltd.

As I reflect on those days, I realise how lucky I was to have such colleagues, such an open and supportive work environment, and, most importantly, to have Vibhas Joshi as our CEO.

To quote my husband Sumedh Karandikar, who was also my colleague at Trilogix,
"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘹. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.
𝘝𝘪𝘣𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘏𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺."

Many of us, who were still wet behind the ears, learnt so many things from him, right from the importance of putting headers, footers, and page numbers on a document, to even checking in for an international flight.

These four years in this first job shaped me as a professional, taught me the right values that have stayed with me.

On 29 January this year, I completed eight years at Gamut Business Solutions. This is my first job in my second professional innings after a long break. Though the nature of my work has changed, I continue to adhere to the same values and principles that I learnt in those formative years of my professional life.

I got lucky the second time too, and in Sonal Dixit, I found another mentor and friend as my boss who upholds the same values. He has also nudged me into assuming responsibilities I was hesitant to accept and, at the same time, provided solid support whenever I faltered. He showed confidence in my abilities where I lacked it, and this has again proved to be the job that shaped me as a professional in a different domain.

I am forever grateful to both.