Retirement - When do you Retire? How do you Retire? Where do you Retire?

 Super Annuation - Retirement. 

Retirement - When do you Retire? How do you Retire? Where do you Retire?

I had about 35 Years of IT Experience - From 1990 June Onwards to 4th May 2025. Additional work of 9 months as a Technical Consultant in the Same Company (Last Retired Company).

Life Throws you Curve Ball - How do you Dodge - Hit - Miss ???!!!!****

Expectations

With this experience 'PEOPLE' expectation are simply mind blowing - 'Heading a company - i don't know what level',  Senior Management Level, Middle Management (That's what as i retired) - Lakhs of Money on the Bank (PF Account (No Withdrawals), all luxurious items  Own House(s), Foreign Travels, Bank Deposits etc., etc., etc.,

Last few weeks i was reminiscing all the above 'Expectations' with the Reality

Reality

Reality in the Personal Domain - not General. What was the mistake i did? Why i couldn't rise to the 'TOP' level or atleast 'SENIOR' Level, Why there is no 'FINANCIAL' support i didn't make for myself? Where did i go wrong? Is it any Mind Blocking? or is there no 'AMBITION' within myself? What blocked my 'STEP UP LADDER'? Is there any lack in 'THINKING' - What is the GOAL - was there any GOAL at all with me? What is the Future - there is another 2 decades of life is there - hopefully - how i am going to manage. This is my Life Lesson. 

I will go - let me start from my Student Days - After completion of 10th Board with First Class (We will keep it like that) - two choices - Science Stream or Commerce Stream. Selected Science Stream - went o a new school - passed out in First Class - what / where should i study. Did i wanted to study computer science (no regrets selected that subject) - went to PSG CAS CBE for studying computer science (Recommendation of course!!!!) - Completed Post Graduation (M,Sc computer Science) - 1990. 

From here starts the 'Life Steps' - Reality - Life Blocks or Road Blocks - i don't know

Curve Ball 1 - 1990

- Got a First Job in CBE - you can say 'Campus Interview' - Sal - INR 1800 /month - To continue in CBE or looking for a Job in Chennai. Opted for Chennai

Curve Ball 2 - 1990 

- Through a Family Friend got an interview in TCS - went to meet 'a person - who rose to high position in TCS - went through a few rounds of interview - as it was initial times in Computer science our college course was not 'Academically Recognised - B.Sc and M.sc - corporates preferred 'MCA'  and other factors - TCS offered me a Job 'Operations Team' - INR 1800/Month. I was sitting in the reception - one senior came and told me that 'Operations Team Job' is not a coding job - in night you would need to take printouts - that time all the statements used to be printed in the large printers --> DMP - Dot Matrix Printer - so advised not to take the job - First Road Block.

Curve Ball 3 - 1990

- Next i got an offer in SANMAR in SEPZ tambaram - Pure Coding Job - 6 months worked there - wrote few hundred lines of codes -nothing extraordinary - due to 'Corporate Reasons' that export unit was closed and i was transferred to another office within the group in Payroll Department. I couldn't shine to the expectations of my manager - so one fine day they 'PINK SLIPPED' me. By end of 1990 it ended - i was at cross roads what should i do now - Family scolded me for not choosing TCS - i used to think whenever i feel 'DOWN' did i missed the TCS Offer - whether my life would have changed the course ' From what it were' at that 'TIMES'...

1991

- After the above incidents - i went for a small stint ' sort of Internship at a small firm - didn't work out well it was for 2-3 months - then my 2nd sister wedding happened and a sort of setback - my first sister son got admitted in hospital - was in coma for 33 days - he couldn't make it - then my 3rd sister wedding happened - so got into the life cortex situations - both scenarios happiness and sadness - 1 year passed by itself - then by 1991 through 'FAMILY' recommendation - went for an interview in 'TII' - got an offer - INR 800/Month. 

1991 - 1999

- Initial period worked in Corporate Payroll - Time Went By (1 Year Stint) - Transferred to Factory at Ambattur - Tough Initiation - It was a big learning curve - Where i understood what is the 'OFFICE - FACTORY - Environment - Learnt to mingle with the People - Made Friends - Understood Office Politics - Understood that Coding Job is a learning everyday - different from what i studied and what the 'OFFICE' needs - But one thing i learned the DOMAIN (Production Management and Control - Material Management - Attendance - Payroll - the whole gamut) - Curve Ball - HIT - My Boss (Mentor 1) understood me and advised that rather be in Chennai factory - transferred me to Hyderabad Factory - gave me an opportunity to put all the 'SYSTEMS' in place - in the factory - Very good Experience - Curve Ball - HIT - MISS - DODGE' - after the stint - came back to chennai - Crossroads - at the time internet was booming (1999) - ERP or INTERNET - i Chose INTERNET - CURVE BALL 4

- Got an Offer for a stint in Australia - 2 days before boarding the flight - Aussie Trip cancelled (Corporate Internal Challenge) - Joined the same company - Internet Shopping  all Project - Went to Mumbai - Life Curve Ball 5 - HIT -  Learnt about internet shopping - Payment Gateway etc., - Opportunity to travel to Bahrain-Qatar - after 3 years - due to internal conflicts - head has to roll - Curve Ball 5  MISS - 'PINK SLIIPED

- Friend Offered me job where he was a senior management role (i worked with him in the previous company) - 2 years rolled by (Testing - Quality - Configuration) - when things are settling - due to corporate cost control - they wanted to move to hyderabad - i couldn't as my father was 'SEROUSLY ILL - PASSED AWAY" - Resigned - had to start once again Year 2004) - Once again a CURVE BALL - 6 .

- Financial Burdens (Bills started Piling Up) - Loans - Credit Card Bills - Other Bills etc., One thing is one door shut - another door opens - it leads to the ground floor (basement) - not to the Upper Floors (It was maintaining the LIFE STATUS QUOS) - went to 'DIGITAL MAPPING - LOGISTICS - Good Stint - Another Curve Ball in the form of 'US H1B Visa' - after 7 times finally got the H1B Visa - the day the Visa Confirmation come - i was PINK SLIPPED' once again - so back to Square One - to start the life once again - two steps and 1 step back - that is how my life goes on and on and on...CURVE BALL 7 

- So i was preparing to go to USofA - finalising the date and the tickets - how to go - which transit city etc., - Message came that trip would be postponed - for 3-4 months - so i have to look after a interim jon for 34 months - once again Personal Loan - Credit card bills etc., A friend of mine suggested that there is a temporary job - existing players in the company Visa not approved for Saudi Arabia - so are you interested so that i will refer your name to his friend who asked him whether he will go to Saudi Arabia - but he wasn't interested so he suggested my name - interviewed-applied for visa and i got the visa.

- I continued working in that company - travelled to Gulf Countries - Saudi Arabia - Bahrain - Qatar - UAE - Turkmenistan - my US travel was getting delayed - at that time i was into a spiritual path with a Siddar Swamigal - time has come to make a call whether to try to go to US or continue working in India - Swamigal Suggested not to pursue US Job - it was a call taken correctly - i would have faced great difficulty as the event unfolded to my Sponsor in US - this period was a 'HOME RUN' - 5 years - after a home run - it was once again OUT - due to various decisions taken by the parent company - it went bankrupt and no pay for six months and finally it came to an End - CURVE BALL - 8

The thing is whatever happens - if one door shuts - it opens another door -- life goes on - there was always a hand guided me to carry on with the life - no regrets - but life didn't went into a higher scale - it was always maintaining a status quo - it didn't went to lower degree - for that i credit to my FAMILY (Wife (to a very great extent - she held onto the family values in every way) , Children, Brother and Sisters, blessings from Parents etc.,) - this was due to the blessings and my salutations to SIDDAR SWAMIGAL.

- Next six months some how i managed to do some little freelance work and my Friend offered me a job - but couldn't continue due to various reasons - PINK SLIPPED on a fine day -thback to basics - CURVE BALL 9.

- Finally joined SIFY Technologies - new job - new domain - everything is NEW - it was back to basics so to say - see how Life throws you say incidents - i got two offers - one with a MNC and another with Sify - MNC offered me a great offer - there was two brackets one - less than 10 Lakhs PA ( it was in 2012) local approval - as per my experience the company has to pay me more that 12 Lakhs PA but it has to go to HO for Approval - with my consent it was decided to keep my salary less than 10 Lakhs PA (it was take home) - i accepted the offer and i was supposed to join at a particular date - but what i got the message was my offer got cancelled because somebody in HR decided that i have to be paid more than 12 Lakhs PA and it has to be approved by HO - HO rejected that as they said his experience has to be ONSITE not an OFFSITE position so we will take a call later.--- Back to square One

- So i have to take the Sify Offer which was half to what the MNC Offered - fate is as i couldn't produce a 'PRINTED PAY SLIP - previous company gave me Handwritten Pay Slip ' so my last drawn salary was taken into consideration which was given to me in 2008-2012 - it was nearly 5 steps behind - i have to start really from the scratch .. THAT IS HOW MY LIFE WAS ALWAYS - 2 Steps Forward - 3/4/5 steps backward - Fall - get up and goes on with the Life.

13 years in SIFY - had a great time - great support from every body - missteps - fall - gotup - really good work done - lots of accolades and brickbats in Iequal measures - but i was able to end the stint in a GOOD NOTE - thanks to my friends.

Now after retirement it was once again - start from Zero - what is the future holds for me - who am i - what is my strength - what did i miss in last 34 years of my professional life - eventhough 34 years in the IT Field - i am unable to find out what is my Strength - is it Project Management - Is it Delivery / Implementation Management - What is my Domain Strength - More i think - More is the Confusion - what and where did i missed the Bus - what did i do wrong - there are really good things i have done in the Professional one - at the same i missed lots of opportunities some decisions - What would have happened if i had joined TCS as an operations engineer ( if i hadn't met my senior from college while was waiting to join the TCS - accept the offer and inform the date which i am going to join) - what would have happened if i accepted ERP in TII rather than the Australian Job Offer (Australian offer did not materialise is a different one) - what would have happened if i had accepted the Hyderabad (i couldn't accept at that time due to personal emergencies) - what would have happened if i had went against my spiritual guru's advice and gone to USofA- what would have happened if fate has not intervened in the form of an overenthusiastic HR person who decided that this offer to me is not a good and he will confirm with the HO so that i will be offered according to the policies of the Company - there are so many IF's and BUT's - but at the end of the day it is all DESTINY - this is what destined to me.

What i am going to do tomorrow - what would happen after 3 -6 - 9 - 12 months - will i be working if so where will work - what should i do - once again i have to start my LIFE from ZERO - from SCRATCH - more i think what / where / when / why / how - i am unable to take a CALL - so what is the best one - Leave it to GOD - my Spiritual Guru - Siddar Swamigal -- for his guidance - life continues - Sleep - wakeup - do your karma and see - enjoy - what life throws you.

-----*****-------Everything is for GOOD - ELLAM NANMAIKKE - do your duty - results will be seen - whatever is destined that will happen - but you have to do your WORK - Your PLAN - Your OPTIONS - you need to try and push yourselves - results give it to GOD - Higher Authority or Power.