Wanna be a billionaire? Try a mid-career switch
BANGALORE: For years Madhukar and Chitra lived the techie-couple dream in Bangalore. They formed the quintessential high-income duo, who had all the money to globe trot and buy all the stuff they ever dreamt of. Till, mid-career blues paid a visit. They began to feel they had no time to enjoy the fruits of hard labour and that they were re-inventing the wheel. It was time for a mid-career switch. They moved on to become realtors and today they have built and sold three premium properties and have bought 300 acres of coffee estate in Chikmagalur! There are many around town who think on similar lines. Quality time with family has become a luxury with hours lengthening in offices.
Many couples do not get time to catch up except on weekends. Plus, there is the pressure of meeting corporate targets and keeping up with the Joneses. Techie-turned-wildlife enthusiast Tiger Ramesh, strongly advocates a shift in career when stagnation sets in. "Shift careers guys," he says. The excitement of doing something completely different from what he has been doing all his life is evident. After working for nearly 20 plus years with brands like Nortel, iGate and even starting firms, Ramesh has now taken to his true passion - wildlife. "My wife and I spend a lot of time with our daughter Namrata. I have no regrets in leaving IT industry. I am not attending any midnight conference calls anymore," says Ramesh.
Pratik Kumar, executive VP-HR, Wipro, says only few attempt to make those daring switches. "It is a move made by only a certain section of people who have been there and done that. Also, these are guys who are willing to experiment after they become financially sound and secure. From a stress and a financial standpoint, they have been exposed to it at an early age. This makes one look at newer things to pursue," says Kumar. But a career shift is not easy at all. Madhu Menon who chucked his techie job to start a pan-Asian restaurant Shiok Far Eastern says: "You have to take that chance and believe you can do it.
The end result can be enormously satisfying. Today I have a restaurant where I get to cook a lot, be my own boss and forget about all those irritating corporate policies." Not many people quit their jobs in search of a fat pay cheque. Says Madhukar and Chitra: "It's all about the spirit of entrepreneurship. It sets you free."
BANGALORE: For years Madhukar and Chitra lived the techie-couple dream in Bangalore. They formed the quintessential high-income duo, who had all the money to globe trot and buy all the stuff they ever dreamt of. Till, mid-career blues paid a visit. They began to feel they had no time to enjoy the fruits of hard labour and that they were re-inventing the wheel. It was time for a mid-career switch. They moved on to become realtors and today they have built and sold three premium properties and have bought 300 acres of coffee estate in Chikmagalur! There are many around town who think on similar lines. Quality time with family has become a luxury with hours lengthening in offices.
Many couples do not get time to catch up except on weekends. Plus, there is the pressure of meeting corporate targets and keeping up with the Joneses. Techie-turned-wildlife enthusiast Tiger Ramesh, strongly advocates a shift in career when stagnation sets in. "Shift careers guys," he says. The excitement of doing something completely different from what he has been doing all his life is evident. After working for nearly 20 plus years with brands like Nortel, iGate and even starting firms, Ramesh has now taken to his true passion - wildlife. "My wife and I spend a lot of time with our daughter Namrata. I have no regrets in leaving IT industry. I am not attending any midnight conference calls anymore," says Ramesh.
Pratik Kumar, executive VP-HR, Wipro, says only few attempt to make those daring switches. "It is a move made by only a certain section of people who have been there and done that. Also, these are guys who are willing to experiment after they become financially sound and secure. From a stress and a financial standpoint, they have been exposed to it at an early age. This makes one look at newer things to pursue," says Kumar. But a career shift is not easy at all. Madhu Menon who chucked his techie job to start a pan-Asian restaurant Shiok Far Eastern says: "You have to take that chance and believe you can do it.
The end result can be enormously satisfying. Today I have a restaurant where I get to cook a lot, be my own boss and forget about all those irritating corporate policies." Not many people quit their jobs in search of a fat pay cheque. Says Madhukar and Chitra: "It's all about the spirit of entrepreneurship. It sets you free."
posted by Shailesh at 12:12 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home