mera baap ek banker hai

I am a Jain and Jain by default are assumed to be baniya. Luck or no-luck, I have been an exception here too. My dad chose to break the tradition of family business and started work as a banker. Whenever I revisit my childhood, I remember him coming from his work on his cycle. If I recall correctly he started as a cashier in SBIndore. Mom tells me that when I was born Dad's monthly take-home was in three digits. Still I do not recall anything that I missed in my childhood. It was as happy as any other kid's I have known. I really owe my parents for whatever I am today.

When I got my first job offer, incidentally it was to pay me pretty much equal to what my dad earned at that time. The job I ended up joining paid me more than what SBIndore pays me dad after almost 25+ years of service. Yet, I know that I do not come nowhere close to him in satisfaction with job. In SPJain group interview they had thrown open a question for all the candidates. "Tell us who is your role model?" The answers that came up ranged from Mahtma Gandhi to Ratan Tata. I was the last one to answer, and my answer was, "It has to be my father. The satisfaction he gets from serving rural people is inspiring. The fact that he has taken most of his postings in rural area shows his dedication. And I really look upto him when it comes to dedication and commitment."
[The panel then told me that they do not want any relative's name in the answer. And that I could change my answer, so. I did not change it.]

Last 3 years I have been on my own. Earning and then spending it on my freewill. Somewhere I read that in Indian parents teach everything except accounting skills to their kids. I feel bad when I see how bad an account manager I am. Baniya learns every skill from his father. I did not learn anything. If he was a farmer, I would have learnt a trick or two may be. In the end I am the one losing.

Last few days I have been talking to my dad every hour. College admissions and fee is something very big for me to handle. And I know he is the rightful owner of all these decisions. Yesterday I spent the full day in ICICI trying to sort out a Demand Draft issue. The officer there tried his best to help and explain me the procedures. Really helpful indeed. Still it was my dad over phone who guided me through it. I feel there is a golden rule of success. Experience is the key to satisfaction.

In SPJain interview only the panel asked me why do I prefer Sales to Marketing? And my answer was something of this sort "I would like to be in sales in my early years. For the simple reason of knowing the customer. The learning I will do in the field is the best and I do not want to miss on that by sitting and making plans in AC office" I still believe in it. [The panel did not like it much though, I guess. SPJain is my only failure this year so far.]

Anyways, I dedicate this post to my dad. He really is a super dad. I have to learn so much from him. I wish they had provision for allowing banker's son to accompany their dad for work. :)