Letter writing

A recent incident tugged at my heart. We received a post card from our daughter who is studying in kindergarten. Her teacher made the kids write a postcard on the occasion of valentine day to their parents expressing their love. The teacher also made them post those cards. It was a lovely surprise to receive the card.

It made me go back and dig out my old correspondence from the attic. There are scores of letters and greeting cards which I saved over the years. I also found an old address book which contained (now outdated) contact details of various people ranging from my school teachers to celebrities.

I spent innumerable Sundays writing pages and pages of letters. Somehow I could never fit in my letters on a postcard or in the blue inland envelope. The replies that I got back are equally lengthy. Nothing significant was discussed in the letters expect mundane life happenings which we simply wanted to share.

There are greeting cards for all occasions. For my birthday – every year and during the New Year. (now e-cards are a click away). What I treasure most are the cards that I received on special occasions – the one sent by my school teacher after I won one of the prestigious competitions, inspirational cards by some when I was going through tough phases,  the one that my Dad gave when I joined my first job, the one sent by my sister expressing the importance of our relationship, some cards given by my husband on various occasions. Then there are cards that friends sent for no specific reason other than the fact that they remembered me.

I felt a surge of emotions as I went through each one. All those memories came back as I fondly remembered the people who touched my life over the years.

I really am sorry that letter writing is no longer there and I felt bad that my daughter would miss out on all the fun.

So what did I do? I spent the Sunday making a greeting card along with my daughter. We used up all her crayons and gum, but we managed to put together a ‘thank-you’ card for her teacher.

Friendship !

It has been quite some time since I posted something. I have been catching up with old friends after a long time. Thanks to technology I am able to catch up both online and offline. 

Most common question: 'Have you been in touch with others?'

Most dreaded question: 'How's your work?'

We have changed as individuals but we share common memories. It was an amazing experience to relive those moments. We used to write letters to each other. It was good fun going through some of those. With the advent of email there isn’t any more emotional attachment to the communication. Either you archive them or you delete emails. In any case the content is mostly so short that no one sees any value add in saving a mail except for the address.

Technology is helpful in bridging gaps, but it also creates new ones. I have been able to locate my school friends through various networking sites. But mass communication has made keeping in touch very impersonal. Many of the mails that I get are forwards. Even if someone has to write a personal note it is a short email. 

The re-unions make you realize how much time has passed and you regret not having spent more time with your friends when you could.

Job Matching

People look at compatibility while entering into matrimonial bond. But do not give it a thought while choosing one's jobs. After umpteen conversations with people who job-hop, I realized that just like the never ending search for 'perfect partner', the search for a 'perfect job' is also a never ending one. Only after they accept an offer do they realize that there is a mismatch between one's aspirations and the environment offered at work (sounds same for marriage?). It makes me question whether there is anything called as 'perfect job'.

First of all, what do people look for in a job? I am listing a few qualities in random order:
- Salary (of course, money is honey)
- Job profile (designation and role is the first thing people look for )
- Brand name of the organization (looks good on one's resume)
- Job Satisfaction (it is like nirvana. Everyone aspires for this but mostly no one ever achieves it)
- Growth (whether the career path in the organization leads one to the final goal and how fast)
- Location (foreign assignments or native place)
- Work-life balance (increasingly becoming important)
- Fun (haven't heard too many people say this, but still)
- Work environment (which includes tasty lunch, gym, etc)
- Good boss/ team (people quit jobs because of bad boss/ team, but rarely does one get to know before joining)
- Employee friendly policies (wide range of things are covered in this including sabbaticals)

Most of the things listed are material (baring one or two). There is no emotional aspect mentioned. People do not list down the 'qualities' aspired for in an organization and they rarely list down their own qualities which they think would fit in the organization. Most of us tend to think that this is the job of HR people. Most job matching happens keeping your profile and the job requirement in mind. Career profiling for high schoolers is catching up these days. But not before taking up a job. Anyone ever thought of attitude matching between potential employee and organization for every job that one applies for?

Matching qualities are important for compatibility. Hardly anyone looks at the history, conduct and image of the organization in the eyes of various stakeholders (The same details become important while choosing a life partner !). Would any person with self integrity join an organization which is known to play dangerously with rules? If you are a plain hardworking person but the organization rewards 'smart work' then you wont fit into the long term plans of the company. If the organization is filled with coterie of people and you are a loner, then be assured you won't be moving up the ladder in a hurry until you associate yourself with one of the camps. If power in the organization is concentrated in a select few, then there would be glass ceiling somewhere in the hierarchy. If you are a flamboyant/ outgoing person stuck in a desk job I am sure you will be looking out soon.

I suggest get to know the organization well before you think of joining (kind of dating..). Not only the future but also the past since it gives you an idea whether the conduct of the organization is in line with your own personality. Those who are more risk taking and have an entrepreneurial streak in them will find their own calling sometime in life. Freedom/ independence in work has its boundaries and those who aspire to move beyond can never do so in any organization unless it is their own.

But then why bother with all this if you don't intend to retire in the organization that you are joining? If it is a short 'affair' then enjoy your stint and have fun! If its marriage for life, then be very careful as the relationship might be disappointing if not heartbreaking.