Jakarta Tales Vol 4 (contd)

WORK... FINALLY!

Work is going as good as ever. We are always pitching for one client or another, considering the small size of our agency. We aren't winning a lot of them but we are growing, slowly but steadily. What I love is the role I need to play at Exigo. I don't think an AIESEC "traineeship" can always provide you such a challenging job role and a chance to be part of senior management. I guess I'm lucky to have got such a brilliant professional experience at this age. The money ain't good. In fact, it's basic. I would easily get 3 times more if I was playing the same role in a big agency. But the haplessness, fear of risks and self-constructed rigidity of big corporate structures is such that I wouldn't get to play such a role in a big agency until I had at least 7 years of work experience. I had to choose. The bread or the meat. I don't have to feed a family yet, so I chose the meat. And the experience has 5 stars written all over it. I go beyond "brand" and deeper into "business" issues and it really is equipping me with the knowledge of how small units can be started, run and slowly built... one day at a time.

However, I must tell you, at this stage, that everything isn't so rosy though. It's challenging in a way, but it's also scary. The fact is our agency is running short of cash. And really short. If we don't get 2 new clients this month worth 20,000 US$, we don't get our salaries. Not because we want to work for free but because we would have no money to pay with. And the responsibility of getting these new clients rests entirely on my and my boss's shoulders. So it's time for some guerilla marketing, aggressive fire fighting and also a little bit of luck :) The good news is we already have one new client and they will stick with us for a long time, hopefully. The bad news is, the chances of getting the second one are dim. I have the assurance from my boss that I get paid, come what may but I don't wanna be the prince when everyone else around me is turning pauper.
So let's see how things shape up.

About other facts-worth-mentioning, my Bahasa is getting better day by day so communication problems at work are getting lesser and lesser. The funny thing is I think I'm forgetting my Hindi and Gujarati a little bit coz I haven't met a lot of Indians and my tongue isn't rolling the way it should. A simple sentence like "Ghat ghat ka paani peena chahiye" made me think if I was pronouncing it the right way. The issue isn't so bad but it did worry me. Alien at home? Eeks! I wouldn't wanna feel that way! :)


Long live languages
Yousuf