Apparently, your career as a software professional is considered relatively unsuccessful, if you haven’t traveled aboard on work assignments. And rightly so. Almost each of my friends and relatives has their Instagram’s brimming with Eifel Tower or the Niagara. The sun-kissed beaches and pristine mountains contribute towards an eventful life. These folks have stories to tell and memories to share.
I haven’t been to any foreign countries yet. Not that I was incapable or less smart. Things just didn’t work out. Probably a classic mix of shit luck and bad timings.
For example, I switched my job a couple of years back. Two immediate work assignments popped up at France, a month after I left the organization. The client categorically wanted me at their Paris office. Well, I wasn’t around and someone else traveled as a replacement. Unfortunate…isn’t it? No complaints though. I have a moderately well-paying job here. A great team. A comfortable house and a car.
But yes, when you stay right at the epicenter of a well-connected social setup…parents, family, extended family, friends, neighbors, ex-colleagues, a certain comparison becomes inevitable. All most of your peers are “settled abroad” and here you are….apparently stuck at your stupid hometown. You tend to question yourself – “Am I a failure?”. That’s uncomfortable.
“Staying abroad” is a seal of success that the society acknowledges. Irrespective of how great or dull your life. How much you earn? How much you pay for rent and insurances? How many dependents do you have? And how much you save? You get the benefit of the doubt. Because people look at your Instagram pictures. And they look amazing.
I remember being a good student. Passionate and focused. Yet, my professional life hasn’t been particularly eventful. I, therefore, don’t fit into the conventional definition of success.
Yet I feel happy and a little proud. I might have impacted some lives. A little maybe. Continue reading. #2. Did I Impact Lives? A Little Maybe.