Few days back, I completed my 2 years as a Consultant in IBM. Just thought of sharing my experiences from this world. While joining I had two choices - one being working at client's site always & other one offshore. I am happy that I preferred the first one as it helped in many ways, in terms of developing myself professionally as well as personally. Every 6 months I get a chance to work on new project at new site, meet new people, get to know the different businesses.
During initial few days as a consultant, I was struggling to get adjusted to this new world. The approach or method of working was like earlier as of a developer, where somebody gives you a work and you are not allowed to think why it has to be done like this. You just do it. I was also behaving like that, that if client is asking for something we are supposed to deliver it. Also there was no team lead or senior to help. Project manager used to ask me for status updates frequently and I was not able to deliver up to his expectations. One day I had thought of running away from the project also, but luckily I didn't and survived through that project. Finally Project Manager also appreciated the work and highlighted my shortcomings telling me about how a consultant should work in such situations!! There I understood the basic difference between a regular programmer or developer and a Consultant. Most importantly the situations taught me a lot. Since then I started enjoying the work as a Consultant. Basically here you should be ready to face any kind of questions (including stupid as well) from client? But at the end of the day you need to answer these questions to his satisfaction, ultimately because of him only the Service business runs. It’s true what industry experts say - "You can either convince him or confuse him". But finally the questions should no more existing.
Ohhh!! Enough of Gyanbaaji about Consulting. I am here to share my experiences and not for giving Gyan. There was this project where everyone of us enjoyed like anything, although having been fully loaded with work. During work hours we used to have scheduled tea breaks because tea was served specific times only. So "We as a team" always were together for these sessions there to discuss about things around the work and not the actual work ;). These sessions are favorite for cribbers like us, where you can crib about the Project, client, Project Manager, team people etc. Most of us were outstation consultants and used to get a chance to visit (flyback) our hometowns once a month or so. There were 2-3 from team were married and had kids at home. We had this famous session about these guys, that their kids would have written on their hands "Mera Baap Consultant hain!!!" :). Because after long time when they go back to home and meet their kids, the kid may not be able recognize them, and tell mom that "Mummy koi uncle aaye hain aur bol rahe hain ki main tera Papa hun !!!" :). Two of them when next time went back to home, actually called us up and told very happily that "yes!! mere beta/beti ne muze pehchan liya ".Hahahah.
But on a serious note - actually I have seen a case where one of the consultants had to leave the project and company as well, just because his kid stopped talking to him as he was not spending (not able to actually) time with the kid. (There is a very good poem in Marathi written by famous poet Sandip Khare on the same subject which makes anyone cry, if interested you can read/listen to it here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaH5-4Lp1qw
http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=1716565&tid=5350830670107038302 ).
Then there are different incidents also. There was this colleague of mine staying in the same guest house. He was staying with his wife and a kid. He is actually a 35+ in age and always maintained that kind of seriousness on his face where rest of us were all bachelors in their late twenties. During one of his flybacks, he left wife and kid back at home for some function and came back alone. After that he was a different person altogether. He became a kid. Started enjoying with all of us and then giving complex to all. Similar thing happened on next project also. These guys become the funniest when their family is not around ;).
Then there is a transition period, where we are supposed to complete one project and join the next one. One of my friends has suffered a lot during these transitions for most of the times. During this time there is pressure from both the sides. Current project manager can’t help as long as client is not ready to leave the consultant, and next Project Manager will show that it’s burning situation there because of his unavailability. But the consultant gets pissed of in between this as nothing is in his hands to do. Till now I am lucky enough about not getting into this situation, as almost all the times I actually got at least a week’s break in between projects. But this turned out in negative sense for me differently. It was always the case that I got these breaks at odd times, and not when I actually needed. Because of these breaks I was not able to take breaks when it was actually needed. In last few months only, I could not attend functions of my closed one's, and everyone thinks that I am not showing any interest in it. Because they think that if I can get week long breaks then why can’t I take a break for a day or two to attend these special occasions. Last year it was the height, that on Diwali day also we were supposed to work. Its different thing that we were only physically present there doing nothing. But it’s even more painful when nobody understands this situation :( . I know because of these things only, there has been a distance in good old relations. If anyone of them is reading this blog, I take this opportunity to say sorry to all of you guys. It was never intentional.
But then that’s Life!!. Life gives you different challenges in different forms every time. Hopefully this time will also pass, and I will survive through. Right now trying to learn, enjoy this phase of life being Consultant professionally, but at the end of the day its same me to the core.
Cheers :)....!!!
