The Careers Thread

[Shantz]

^^ apun free me kaam karta isliye 20% of 0 is 0..hence, "hike" creates a paradox, so it's impossible to get a 20% hike on my salary.

[avkash]

je baat !!!!

[HarishProGamer]

"In the most idealistic situation, you will not "EARN" more than 30-35k out of business. You will only get a cool tag of GAMING LOUNGE owner that's it.

The business is worth doing only if you have your own private property and deep pockets to make through initial 6-7 months after setting up the business.

Nnever seen a gaming parlor make money ever.

Use your existing skills or upgrade them and try starting a business that is more in line with your current skills, like software development as a freelancer.

you come from a lower middle class background then forever in life you should have stocked 3 L in your account for any spending or emergency

You say you don't have a business mind. That's the wrong attitude. Please learn how to make a business plan, and formulate a plan of how you will be profitable in x months/years. Do your research about how you will market, what will be your costs. Don't just set up shop, and expect people to come. You may be a gaming enthusiast, but managing a business is a totally different game. I don't want to discourage you but I'd say a person who has more experience in cafe business is more likely to succeed than a gaming enthusiast in a gaming parlor business. Just want to get the idea across that you need to really do your research and study this stuff."

 

Couldn't have said it better. My opinion on eggman's Gaming Lounge Idea is also the same. Won't add anything, Just follow what this guy said. Also if you still want to chase your dream, then continue doing your job for atleast 2 years, get the money and then think of proceeding with Gaming Parlor.

 

Just sharing my experience as a Gaming Parlor:-

 

By Gods Grace, It was my luck or rather a smart move of starting a Gaming parlor in my home some 6 years back when i was just a college engineering student.! In my entire town my house was so popular due to this. Students/School boys/ even small girls and a crazy old guy some 60+ years used to come and play at my House (A Big Bungalow where I had a separate Balcony as my father works in Railways in Kharagpur).

 

Smakdown/Tekken and God of War was so famous in those days, Kids get lined everyday near my house. Sometimes people wonder that even a these many cycles won't be there in any of tution teachers house. We used to earn roughly 500 per day.

 

We used to have a diary where my mom maintains time/name and amount. She used to have nice time pass with the Kids as both of her sons (Me & my Bro) study outside home. Every weekend i used to visit my home from Bhubaneswar just to enjoy with Kids. We used to organise competitions among kids(No betting was allowed, we used to give genuine PC Games to the winners). My Dad knew Gaming was a passion for me and he supported the idea of having a small gaming parlor which he helped by financing it. Initially very few kids used to come, Then me my friends, my bro and his friends .. we all circulated our Gaming Centre in a print out forms and distributed to everyone who knew. Within a month or two... Kids started coming and sometimes their parents used to leave their kids in the house and take them back.

However this thing continued for say atleast 3 -4 years. And yeah.. we have faced several issues like Students/kids bunking tutions/classes and coming to play. Their tution masters and parents chasing them and complaining my parents. Somehow we felt (Mostly my dad) what we were doing is not good but still we continued.

Then came a career defining moment, as I got placed in campus and my bro got good college, Then we slowly started loosing focus and by the time PS2s became so cheap people used to buy it. We had x360 and ps3 too by that time but nobody is willing to pay heavy prices for gaming in next gen consoles. Eventually we decided to stop it after I finished my college and was about to join the company. This was one of the difficult phases... as we had to stop the regular visitors/ nice kids from coming home for playing.. and they requested like anything just to allow them. Even their parents also wanted their kids to play video games in my house.. Even though my mom felt very sad... but we had to give up everything.

Slowly ..slowly we stopped the business and this gave rise to so many parlors in my town and everybody getting x360s and PS3s in their parlors. Many parlor owners used to come to me for advise when this Gaming business is in boon that time.

 

That was my experience and I still remember those awesome days of business and gaming with Kids whenever i see any discussions of Gaming Parlors in any forums.

 

So here are the quick points i would like to focus if anybody wants to start a Gaming business (IMHO):-

 

1) If this is your dream, Never loose faith as I have seen so many Gaming parlors being closed due to lack of support and upgrade to New Gen and Multiplayer.

2) Always start with a limited budget, If it clicks you can always improvise else it will be very clear about the fate of your business if you don't do changes.

3) Always keep friends and their friends informed and spread your business. Parents won't be of much help apart financial as its totally you who know how these things work.

4) You need to have good repo with the other shopkeepers nearby and police.

5) Always keep a standard price and if possible keep a bit low compared to market for the initial days and then you can slowly increase the price once you get regular customers enough.

6) Please make sure of Betting Safe environment. It can break your Parlor career.

7) You need to have atleast 15-20L for this if you are planning to open in any of the metros. And a backup money for initial period.

8) Opening few PCs for Cafe and running multiplayer PC Games like DOTA/CS will be of great help to boon your business. As this will attract few net surfers.

 

Finally my honest suggestion, Don't Do This if you are getting 8L per annum from IT, Its a career suicide. Also Consoles are not as popular with Kids in India as PCs and handhelds. You should keep in mind they don't earn! And those who earn will have enough to buy the consoles of their own.

 

Guess, I was late to the party but couldn't stop myself in contributing to the suggestions which are indeed helpful to many.

Cheers

 

EDIT:- WTF! This is my lengthiest post in IVG!

Edited August 7, 2013 by GamerOfTheYear

[The Wolfy among us]

Peggy, try to switch to another team within the company bro... wait it out for six months and then decide again.

[egg man]

Peggy, try to switch to another team within the company bro... wait it out for six months and then decide again.

I have a job offer in IBM . But in Kolkata

I'm thinking if I should switch or now.

Don't want to leave Bangalore.

[The Wolfy among us]

I have a job offer in IBM . But in Kolkata

I'm thinking if I should switch or now.

Don't want to leave Bangalore.

 

Don't. IBM gives meager hikes. Only advantage of IBM is work from home anytime anyday.

Trust me, switch internally if not now, next March. Forward me your resume. Once openings in CD come through I'll get you a position here.

[The Wolfy among us]

I know what you are going through .The feeling of "What am I doing here"?

Happens to everyone. Change positions, get a fresh start and see where it takes you.

[HarishProGamer]

 

Don't. IBM gives meager hikes. Only advantage of IBM is work from home anytime anyday.

Trust me, switch internally if not now, next March. Forward me your resume. Once openings in CD come through I'll get you a position here.

 

I am not sure about this. You need to have atleast a certain grade to avail this facility as far as I know from my friends in IBM.

[avkash]

oh no, not at all, IBM is a VERY flexible company in that regards, many many friends there, almost all left though

 

the hike is though well, meagre

[egg man]

 

Don't. IBM gives meager hikes. Only advantage of IBM is work from home anytime anyday.

Trust me, switch internally if not now, next March. Forward me your resume. Once openings in CD come through I'll get you a position here.

Yeah. 8-9 % .

But the package they are offering is what I expect to get in our company in next 3 years.

Even with that hike, I'm 4 years ahead.

And of course I will switch as soon as I can from IBM .

 

I've heard CD has very hectic work.

I'll PM you my resume soon.

Thanks.

Edited August 7, 2013 by egg man

[avkash]

But the package they are offering is what I expect to get in our company in next 3 years.

 

60% hike

 

PS: do remember that you almost never get the full performance incentive in IBM, then one that they so casually include in your CTC that they tell you

Edited August 7, 2013 by avkash

[The Wolfy among us]

Yeah. 8-9 % .

But the package they are offering is what I expect to get in our company in next 3 years.

Even with that hike, I'm 4 years ahead.

And of course I will switch as soon as I can from IBM .

 

I've heard CD has very hectic work.

I'll PM you my resume soon.

Thanks.

 

No problem .CD isn't hectic. That's the general assumption, mostly by people from STC, but it's not so.

[The Wolfy among us]

IBM is gradually losing it's image in India. No good projects are coming in imo.

Right now, i feel ti's better to get on the CTS bandwagon while it's flying high.

[avkash]

CTS is (at least was) an exceptional company to work for, my first company, still have friends there

[The Wolfy among us]

They posted a very good quarter this time, and their hikes also are decent.

[avkash]

yeah, and the good thing is that most onsite are long term, but it is best to work from them if you are OK to live in Chennai, that is where the best projects are

[The Wolfy among us]

True. And they've best capitalized on the downturn that Wipro and Infy are facing.

And they have the best SAP projects among all Indian service companies, barring Capgemini.

[The Wolfy among us]

Peggy, do you know HANA?

[egg man]

Bhai why are people calling me Peggy ?

On a different now, I got the offer letter for IBM .

 

They are offering 10 + but the problem is location.

It's Kolkata.

 

I've been living in Bangalore from the last 7 years and I am settled here nicely.

Is it worth leaving my friends and starting a long distance relationship for this offer.

 

The reason I'm tempted for the offer is not Money at all. Here is why I am tempted for the offer :

I work on a relatively new SAP product , Called TM (Transportaion Management ). Unlike the SAP greats like ERP, CRM etc .. This is a very new product and it uses technical frameworks which are not used outside. Because of this, there is only one 3rd party company to which it is outsourced for customer in that is IBM and that's the only company where I ever got a call in past 6 months.

 

My fears: Once I go to IBM , there would be no more company to go to with the TM experience . If I had to get stuck , I would be stuck with SAP and not IBM.

But on the other hand, IBM will give me a chance to work on something different, that is, there would be more customer interactions and the experience I would gain would not .
Would that open more doors for me ?

[The Wolfy among us]

Awesome! I can ask you doubts on BOPF now My current project also is with TM.

IBM is a good role, but look at moving into a more of a func. consultant role. At the customer's end, not much of customization can be done in TM afaik. The BOB transaction sucks big time.

Look to become a consultant. Then it's a good move. But if you going there as a developer, then it doesn't make sense since TM enhancements are limited.