Being someone from the IT industry of India, I am sometimes seriously puzzled to know what to do and what is going on. Here I try to look for some options which can make an alternate choice for IT engineers like us :)
The IT industry in India has really boomed. It has provided millions of jobs to Young Indians, giving them fat pay packages compared to other sectors. However, as nothing in this world comes for free, so have been the tensions that these high end high paying IT jobs for the young generation.
We had earlier captured the essence of Indian IT industry and their dilemma through a picture in this article: Truth of the Indian IT industry?
Most of the young IT engineers come from their native middle and small towns of India. However, the IT jobs are not available in the same middle and small towns. They are forced to move to bigger metro cities, where cost of living is high. Despite that high cost of living, the fat pay packages allow these engineers to meet up their needs. But when it comes to settling down, there is a big problem. High cost of real estate, high cost of recurring expenses even after buying a property.
Typically, let's take the case a fresher from a middle size town. He has worked hard to get admission into an engineering college. Majority of these colleges are private, which take "high payments" and offer "Payment seats". Elderly parents dont understand the whole scenario - all they know is that an engineering degree of their son will open the gates of properity for them. So they make big payments (by self accumulated funds or taking loans) and get their kid admitted to an engineering college/MAC college. The kid is responsible, knows the hard earned money spent by his parents, works hard during his course to get good results and then finds a job for himself as a fresher.
Typically, the fresher salary starts in the range 10K per month to 25K per month (leave aside the real outliers).
For this salary, he works all day and night for the whole year, then comes the so called appraisal process.
How do I define the appraisal process?
It's basically multi-staged "fooling process" where the following stages go on:
Stage 1: Victim is forced to work all round the year
Stage 2: Then he is asked to "prove that he has actually worked" by filling in the self appraisal sheet
Stage 3: The appraisal discussion, where he has to display his fighting and convincing skills to prove that he really should get "5 on 5" for point appraisal points 1 and 3 and he can settle for "4 on 5" for point 2 and 5, while point no. 3 is forced onto him as "2 out of 5". This is the most lively stage.
Stage 4: The Decision Stage - where the new increments and bonuses are distributed. Irrespective of what you worked for, what you fought for, what you justified, you always get something around an "average"
End Result - More and more dissatifaction comes in.
So what to do? Haven't you ever heard some of the IT engineers saying that they want to leave this stream? At some point in time, everyone vents that anger.
More problem comes when these IT engineers have to face the public and the markets.
If you are an IT engineer, the auto-wallahs will charge you a premium.
If you are an IT engineer, be prepared to shell out more money for simple tasks like getting an affidavit, stamp paper, rent agreement, etc.
If you are an IT engineer, you will be expected to pay more to your maids, to the gas delivery boys, at the vehicle service stations, etc.
If you are an IT engineer, you cannot travel anything less than AC class in the train.
And if you happen to buy a property or apartment, then the builder will quote a "wallah".... IT guys have the money, let's take it.
So whatever one earns, goes off.
But what are the other options which are better paid then the high paid IT jobs? Consider these:
Being an IT engineer myself, I really envy these professios:)
1) Become a porter at a metro city railway station (Bangalore/Pune/Hyderabad/Delhi) :
Irrespective of the government fixed rates, a porter (and his union members) can demand whatever they wish. 2 suitcases carrying will cost as follows:
2nd AC: 250 Rs
3rd AC: 150 Rs.
Sleeper: 100 Rs.
Even at minimum 100 Rs. per ferry, just ferry 5 rounds per day, and hey you make a cool 500 Rs. per day or 15,000 Rs. per month (same as an average freshers salary)
2) Puncture Repairer in any metro city:
Some bikes/cars will come to you naturally. For increasing profits, you can throw 2-3 nails everyday on the streets and force increase your customers.
Develop "puncture increasing skills" - pull out the tube from the tyre so that it gets torn, or use hidden wires and nails to create more holes in the tube while checking for puncture.
Keep an assitant. When the vehicle owner is looking at the tube, the assitant can rupture the tyre.
Now, you replace the tube, stick some "high end rubber patches" to fix the tyres and charge heavily. Tube cost will be 200-250 Rs., the patch however small and cheap can be charged 100-300 Rs. per patch.
Daily turnover - atleast 2000 Rs. (Can IT engineers match this?)
3) Vehicle Service Station Mechanics/Supervisors:
Whether its an authorized service center of an automobile brand, or a local garage, these guys really know how to make money.
All you need to do is find faults and problems by talking highly automobile-intensive technical terminology and prove to the customer his vehicle really has many problems. Even if the problem can be fixed by tightening a screw instantly, never do that. Always say that "You will have to leave the vehicle for a day" - that increases the complexity and customers get the confidence that there is really something wrong.
Never go for repairing, always go for replacements. Repair cost is less. Replacement gives you the profit for selling new parts plus the labour charges.
You get a share of what you sell and repair. Another high paying job.
4) Plumber/ Electrician in metro city:
Another high paying job. WIth high end electric systems with conceled electric wiring/ conceled pipe systems in high end apartments, you are the king. Any fault that comes up, you have the command, both on repairs, replacements as well as the price.
5) Auto Rickshaw Driver:
How can this be left out? There are two options:
1) Charge as per government fixed rates - earnings will be low, and lot of hardwork
2) Charge as per your wish - work/ferry less, earn more
Pickup some unique spots in the city. Say from Railway Station to an IT park outside the city limits. Other rickshaw walas will not ferry there. You take the charge, ferry the needy passengers at your own rates. No options for the passengers forces them to pay you as you demand. Make 3-4 trips per day, and tease the educated IT guys
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