EI or TCS - help!

[Kat-Kit]

Originally Posted by kittykhanna

Hello,
I m a maths grad frm du,passing out this yr. took cat this yr n messed it up , will, be taking it this yr agn. now i have 2 jobs one is TCS n the other is n Ahmedabad based company Educational Initiatives,which has its mission to work towards qualitative improvement in india's education system n provides products n services to implement effective learning. the pay package for tcs is arnd 1.8 lcks n for EI is 3 lcks. now if i take up EI n crack cat, i wud definitely have a unique profile n i know tht i will be able to justify myself better. But if i fail cat, Tcs would be a safer bet. also join dates for tcs wud be late (though i m not sure)n my EI offer has no bond. I reaally need sum advice as to which one to choose. Pleeease Help!!!!

Originally Posted by rpradeephere

You have actually not specified what you will be doing at EI. You have specified what EI is into. When trying to get into a new firm this is how I would look at it.

1. Who are the people behind it?

Educational Initiatives People

The list is definitely impressive. Started by IIMA Alumni etc. Hence thumbs up on this.

2. What kind of job profile would I get.

Educational Initiatives Careers

There are plethora of career options mentioned here. So, whats important is whether I would do work which would help me learn a lot more than what I know now and whether the experience would be good. You should also understand whether you can get into a core team, new projects soon. Whether the team size is small enough to gain many responsibilities etc. More importantly, what kind of impact would I have at work.

3. The definite way to have a bad career is to join a company as a stop gap arrangement before CAT and do nothing much at work. I know people who have done this for 3 years and have nothing much to show in their resume. When people come around asking the stupid qn whether work experience is better for MBA, they forget to ask the more important qn, what type of work experience and what you learnt. If you have learnt nothing much in 3 years of work, the opportunity cost has been very high!

4. Understand Where do you stand in terms of CAT. Are you someone who is of the 99%ile+ level, 95%ile+ level or 75%ile level on an average day.

5. Just looking from a resume perspective, if you do managerial work soon at EI and targeting to join IIMs/Tope B Schools, EI is a better shot. If you are unsure about MBA, may join a average school, TCS would be a good shot. Am talking just in terms of resume. If all you do in EI is enter some data or create maths syllabi, the impact is lesser unless you do that at a very good scale. Hence it wont look attractive in your resume.

6. If you don't do an MBA, EI may not be a good option since career path is undefined. However, You can have the confidence to do well there. But risk free option would be TCS then.

If I were you, I would join EI. But I have my reasons straight. Think in a structured manner by asking yourself a lot of questions and doing What If's.

Hi
As already suggested by pradeep and many others...EI seems to be a better bet , if you are dead sure of doing MBA from a leading B-skool.
TCS has a brand value , but thats a brand which everyone else has considering the no. of IT guys who write CAT .
Besides you will learn more at EI since there will be less people so more responsibility....and it is always good to be involved with a start-up.
It may get on nerves also , if it starts getting more challenging where u are unable to concentrate on CAT.
So see what the work profile is and what it is that is expected of you , and if it suits your expectation..i.e good moolah, good exp and ample time to prepare for CAT .
Then u know what to do

[kittykhanna]

hi,
joined ei 3 days back in navi mumbai( i m frm delhi). the office here is really small..just a single room with hardly 8 people here- none of my age group..no space to walk inside n sitting in front of the computer the entire day- from 9-6..n i donno if i m learning anything, just sitting n making ques for kids the entire day! m just not liking the work.. maybe because i find it just too tiring. n i cant find n accomodation nearby.. so will have to travel a lot.. i doubt if i would have time for cat. also its the first time i would be staying alone.. i m actually scared here!
i still have my tcs offer.. but still no signs of ol or join date..but people in delhi hv started getting thm..
could u give me ur suggessions on what should i be doing now?? i m terribly confused n upset!

[spirit11]

Hi There,

First of all cheer up...

I can really understand what you are going through with u with u being a fresher to the IT industry and i have not read all the previous posts in this thread but will say this,it will always take time for you to adjust to a new place and that too mumbai...but from your writin it seems like you really not liking the place,work,people...but there is a advtg at ur disposal and that is tcs..whch will prbly give u a better infrastructure and brand name to be with...and may be if you are lucky a working location of your choice....i am really in a no position to judge wat made u join EI in the first place or what are your career aspirations but my advice is plain and simple do what your heart tels u to do...no body else can help you,its only you who has to face your life...so buddy relax measure all the choices you have and make a choice...

Hope it helps..

Thanks

[man_on_mission]

Originally Posted by kittykhanna

hi,
joined ei 3 days back in navi mumbai( i m frm delhi). the office here is really small..just a single room with hardly 8 people here- none of my age group..no space to walk inside n sitting in front of the computer the entire day- from 9-6..n i donno if i m learning anything, just sitting n making ques for kids the entire day! m just not liking the work.. maybe because i find it just too tiring. n i cant find n accomodation nearby.. so will have to travel a lot.. i doubt if i would have time for cat. also its the first time i would be staying alone.. i m actually scared here!
i still have my tcs offer.. but still no signs of ol or join date..but people in delhi hv started getting thm..
could u give me ur suggessions on what should i be doing now?? i m terribly confused n upset!

first of all chill...this is ur first xperience so it will take a lil time to adjust...we can only give u advise but the final decision has to be urs...

Now as far s i understand ur priotity is CAT so u have to take the decision accordingly....keeping that in mind ask urself a few questions suchs as:

1. Are u happy working at the cyrrent position?
2. are u enjoyin ur job?
3. are u learning somehting which will add to ur profile..also r u liking the work...
4. Will u get atleast 2 hrs a day to study for CAT?

If the answer to all the above question is NO then u may think abt ur TCS offer...i remember u said last time that EI job is tailor made for u ...then wat happened ...did dey not offered u the profile they had promised or u mis understood something?

Abt living alone for first time...i wud say der is always a first time in our lives and that is wer we learn a lot...we cant depend on somebody thruout our life...so that isnt a much prob infcat that will give u a gud learning nd it will b a wonderful xperience...though it may take some time to adjust ...

Abt infra it hardly matters s far s u r enjoying ur job....also is der any surety u will get time @TCS....u will enjoy wrkin der jus coz of gud infra....Also u alredy knew wat kinna wrk u will get @ EI still u r not likin it and @TCS u dont eeven know wat kinna wrk u wd get...so how can u b 100% sure that u r goin to enjoy wrk @ TCS...

But onething is for sure u will enjoy the infra der...big ofc lot of space to walk...lavish wrking environment

Finally its ur take...now the hard desicin has to be made by u..u still have time in hand..s u have not got ur joinin date @ TCS...so still have time to think....take ur decision keeping CAT in mind....wish u all the best for future..

[kittykhanna]

Originally Posted by man_on_mission

first of all chill...this is ur first xperience so it will take a lil time to adjust...we can only give u advise but the final decision has to be urs...

Now as far s i understand ur priotity is CAT so u have to take the decision accordingly....keeping that in mind ask urself a few questions suchs as:

1. Are u happy working at the cyrrent position?
2. are u enjoyin ur job?
3. are u learning somehting which will add to ur profile..also r u liking the work...
4. Will u get atleast 2 hrs a day to study for CAT?

If the answer to all the above question is NO then u may think abt ur TCS offer...i remember u said last time that EI job is tailor made for u ...then wat happened ...did dey not offered u the profile they had promised or u mis understood something?

Abt living alone for first time...i wud say der is always a first time in our lives and that is wer we learn a lot...we cant depend on somebody thruout our life...so that isnt a much prob infcat that will give u a gud learning nd it will b a wonderful xperience...though it may take some time to adjust ...

Abt infra it hardly matters s far s u r enjoying ur job....also is der any surety u will get time @TCS....u will enjoy wrkin der jus coz of gud infra....Also u alredy knew wat kinna wrk u will get @ EI still u r not likin it and @TCS u dont eeven know wat kinna wrk u wd get...so how can u b 100% sure that u r goin to enjoy wrk @ TCS...

But onething is for sure u will enjoy the infra der...big ofc lot of space to walk...lavish wrking environment

Finally its ur take...now the hard desicin has to be made by u..u still have time in hand..s u have not got ur joinin date @ TCS...so still have time to think....take ur decision keeping CAT in mind....wish u all the best for future..

ya i know i said the job is tailor-made.. but i dont think m learning much here.. also i hv my health problems- backaches..cant sit at one place for long n with the boss wathcing u continuously.. n i doubt i would be able to manage all things together.. cat, new city,travelling job,which i m not even liking much.. i donno.. atleast i would get some time for cat till i join tcs..
please keep giving me ur suggessions!

[man_on_mission]

Originally Posted by kittykhanna

ya i know i said the job is tailor-made.. but i dont think m learning much here.. also i hv my health problems- backaches..cant sit at one place for long n with the boss wathcing u continuously.. n i doubt i would be able to manage all things together.. cat, new city,travelling job,which i m not even liking much.. i donno.. atleast i would get some time for cat till i join tcs..
please keep giving me ur suggessions!

i can only say that dont do anything which u dont enjoy.....so try wrokin @ EI for one more ore may b two weeks if u still dont enjoy it...then i guess u shud think joinin TCS...Follow ur Heart!!!(its very imp)
ATB!!

[kittykhanna]

i want to know how would this profile at ei( making ques for kids for effective learning) earn me brownie points at the interviews for b schools.. please i need inputs..

[spirit11]

Originally Posted by kittykhanna

i want to know how would this profile at ei( making ques for kids for effective learning) earn me brownie points at the interviews for b schools.. please i need inputs..

If you think it wont than I am pretty sure that it wont...see yar the logic is simple..the work ex helps in intrvws if you have quality work ex..if its a work ex where u r being forced to work and hate ur job...than it will be of no use...so my advice will be the same as last one just evaluate ur career aspirations and take ur decision accordingl..but donn just work ovr there so that u get brownie points i mean it wont help ur cause one bit..

Thanks

[kittykhanna]

I want some suggessions on what all i could be learning here..
apparently this job does not give me much exposure right now(in terms of dealing with clients..).. i cant see any growth here.just the work is interesting maybe..
Also want to know what all would i be learning at tcs..how would it be better..
I think i would take some time to settle down..n the initial jitters might fade away..but i m not sure..i m really scared!
so what should i be doing now?

1. leave the current job within the next 2 weeks..prepare for cat till my tcs join date
2.work here till i join tcs..but i donno wether i would be able to manage cat then..considering dealing with settling down in a new place, new people..n even not much time left now!
3. continue here till i can crack the exam
or anything else if u could suggest..i am confused!

[rpradeephere]

Originally Posted by kittykhanna

I want some suggessions on what all i could be learning here..
apparently this job does not give me much exposure right now(in terms of dealing with clients..).. i cant see any growth here.just the work is interesting maybe..
Also want to know what all would i be learning at tcs..how would it be better..
I think i would take some time to settle down..n the initial jitters might fade away..but i m not sure..i m really scared!
so what should i be doing now?

1. leave the current job within the next 2 weeks..prepare for cat till my tcs join date
2.work here till i join tcs..but i donno wether i would be able to manage cat then..considering dealing with settling down in a new place, new people..n even not much time left now!
3. continue here till i can crack the exam
or anything else if u could suggest..i am confused!

I somehow felt in the initial post that you have your priorities straight and maybe are a bit confused about career paths. All of us took out our time to help you out. But then, I guess it was wrong. PG is a place where you can always head to for help, provided, you have done enough ground work and ask people here for advice. Your later posts suggested otherwise.

Lets be frank. Can anyone outside EI answer this question: "I want some suggessions on what all i could be learning here.."

Somethings which were in your control:

- Office space. You must have visited it atleast once if you knew they just had one office
- Job profile. Reading the initial description makes me feel you are doing what was mentioned in the website. It was very clear in the website that you will be preparing question papers/syllabi etc.
- Backaches etc. When you are setting question papers, you will obviously know that you have to sit in a chair the whole day. Even in TCS its the same anyway.
- New place. This was also a known input.

I can agree only you telling that you don't like the people there which you may not have known.

But I guess you have received enough advice. Please take your own call.

This post might have been harsh, but its just to drive home the message that one should do their homework before contacting people for help.