How important is a job?

A question that has been bothering me for a long time. How important is one's job for him/her? How does one evaluate that importance? What priority in one's

life does a job holds? Is a job meant to be only a job or something more.

Have been thinking about these questions and talked to many to seek their opinions. My first question used to be "what is that you look for in a job". Got varying replies. Some saw profile. Some industry. Some package. Some brand value. Some boss. Some proximity to house.

Then asked the same question to myself. In my post qualification career of two and a half year, I have changed one job. First being CRISIL Limited. When I was selected for CRISIL, I had no reason for not accepting their offer for employment except that it was in Mumbai. And I wanted something in Delhi, being the place where my parents stay and I wanted to be with them for all reasons attributable to me. Through lot of brainstorming and discussions and fights with myself, I finally opted to join India's numero uno rating company. I remember surfing crisil's website and its career section while doing CA. It was actually a dream come true for me to be selected for CRISIL. My CA campus, which was held after my selection in Crisil, was a turn-off for me. Only a few financial companies, including banks. Was further disappointed when not selected by Goldman Sachs on the grounds that they select only those candidates that have cleared CA exams in max. two attempts.

Anyhow, on April 2 2007, CRISIL was a company that became my first introduction to job experience and financial markets, Mumbai being the hub. Job was fairly good. But getting back to Delhi for the above mentioned reason was something that kept hovering in my mind. But how? Unfortunately, the credit crisis in US started building up at that time. Confidence is something, I have noticed, which is very easily lost and when it is about one's money, then it is even more fragile. I was among many who felt how it feels when you are not tired of contacting people for a favor but they seemed to have no time. Fair enough. Cold calling is something that I learned at that time. Internal transfer to Delhi office of Crisil was a possibility which was kicked-off by the HR dept. Again fair enough since this policy was not only for me. But I suddenly realised that job was not very important for me, in fact it was losing importance everyday.

Finally I got two offers I selected the one which had a better brand name (IDFC) and better package (30% hike). Not bad at all. The company was new but in infrastructure sector. Hot one. As with all, I was exponentially excited about my job. Nothing else on my mind as I had promised myself that once I get to Delhi, I will think about nothing else but WORK. Financially modelling was what I did first thing here. Interesting stuff. But since this is an infrastructure development company, which I failed to understand completely, there were hell lot of activities other than financial stuff. You have architects, engineers, consultants, sector experts like transport planners. Major part of project is actually its technical planning and execution. Financing is an important but a small part of the entire cycle. Numbers, though how less I understand them, have always been my interest. This is what became the problem. I was trying hard in each and every department to find numbers. But it is like finding needle in grass, that too on an island where no human species has visited earlier, so no chance of exploring any needle at all. Passion for numbers is something that is increasing day by day. Warren Buffet is taking over as an idol. Movie Wall Street, seen 12 time now, is becoming the favourite time pass and dialogues of the movie, especially of Gordon Gekko, are hovering in the mind day in and day out. Reading has become oxygen. Persuading people for some leads has become destiny. The market crisis over as per UPA, has not ended, at least, in those companies where I am looking for a career.

But I also have been choosy. I have never even thought of working in audit, taxation, accounts - said to be a typical CA's provinces. Financial markets is what I want to be into. Profit side of the company is my preferred seat. Private Equity, Investment Banking, Equity Research is what I have been looking for since ages now.

So coming back to the question of the blog. What do I look for in a job? First, I see the profile. Then, I look for the profile. Finally, I scan the profile. By profile, I mean what I will be doing, what I will be required to read there. What people I will meet with? So many things, not justified for a job seeker.

Reasons for looking for the profile only. Package gets stale after two salary slips. Brands got trashed in this market.

I wish that my coming years bring more work that I am passionate to do.