STORY TELLERS
A page for readers to share their views, thoughts and stories.
My first job was as a high school teacher in a CBSE school immediately after I completed my MA in Economics.
I reported for work at 9am and the Principal asked me to sit at the back of a Grade 9 Class for a day and observe how the teachers teach and then I could start teaching after a couple of days. I sat for two periods of 45 minutes each, by which time I was pretty certain that this profession was not suited for me. I went to the supervisor and said that I would like to leave as I did not think that I enjoyed teaching. But they said that as per the school rules, the main gates would be only opened at the end of the school day which was 3.45pm, and so I sat in the staff room until the bell rang, only to leave and never go back.
The job that lasted 7 hours and 45 minutes would have ended in 90 minutes, given a choice. Unfortunately I realized I was too restless for this noble profession, which required a lot of patience. Sarita S I was a struggler when I came to Mumbai to hunt for a job in 2005. I used to check the classifieds in newspapers and attend walk-in interviews. One advertisement raised an eyebrow. ‘INR 5,000 to 10,000 with food and travelling.’ I just got ready and reached the venue before the interview time. There were a few more candidates like me who were waiting for their luck without knowing what kind of job will be. The interview started and I cracked it so easily and got the offer letter the same day. I was introduced to my colleagues and asked to join them.
The same day I was asked to get into the business of selling books door to door. I was completely drained and was not able to sell a single book. On day one, I got only my lunch and bus fare. I resigned on the same day evening and decided to do chartered accountancy. That one-day struggle changed my life. Today I am working as senior internal auditor for one of the leading companies in Dubai.
The shortest time I ever held a job was five minutes. Hold your horses there! Before you jump to any conclusions let me say it wasn’t MY FAULT. I work as a freelancer and apparently my client was outsourcing his work because he didn’t know how to actually do the work. Somehow his boss got wind of it and fired him. He did write me a long hilarious email about how he was the victim and how mean his boss was. Infuriating at the time, but now I can laugh about it. Razia Taher The shortest time I’ve held a job is for two days at home – it was to wash the dishes and dry them. I lost my job because in a span of two days I broke three plates and two cups. Needless to say, I was never rehired. Sarah Ronad I lost a babysitting job pretty quickly. Taking care of three little boys, all under the age of five, was, on reflection, a big ask of a 16-year-old. The parents had one instruction: Don’t open the doors that lead from the living room to the garden. Got it. They leave, and I play with the adorable kids on this sunny summer afternoon. The phone rings, and I carry the youngest – a baby – into the kitchen to answer it. When I return to the living room, not only is the door open, but the two boys are outside. Playing with the garden hose, which is directly pointed at the living room TV set. Sometimes you need to make a mistake to learn a lesson forever. Nadege Saab