Do you get work satisfaction working abroad?

This question is especially for Indians working/living in Australia. Do you feel satisfied with the work you are doing? And do you think you are improving your leadership skills and getting chances to show your leadership skills? Or do you feel that you are stuck in a routine kind of job and your personality has become more like a submissive and polite follower rather than like an enthusiastic leader?


And do you think you could ever get a similar salary package working in India?


What has been your experience and what are your views about these issues? If possible, please give detailed answers. Thanks

Do you get work satisfaction working abroad?
The place is not a concern. Wherever we are, as long as the work is ethical and also, we are proving our excellence for the benefit of the organization that is paying us, should be giving a rewarding satisfaction. Sometimes, in the current working atmosphere, there may be parasites that attempt to jeopardize our mental tranquility by involving in dirty politics. I would say, we just need to ignore them.





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Reply:Since you have mentioned Australia I reckon you need some views on how Indians relate themselves when they work for a White. No No, do not jump to conculsions. I am not a racist. This view is shared by many Indians who have returned to India for good after one or two decades of stay abroad. Well I live and work in the Middle East. My place is not relevant. In my work I either report to or work with people of other nationality, predominantly people who cannot be labelled as "Coloured". First I will answer your questions.





Satisfaction in Job: Well it depends on whether your work is related to your specific qualification and training which you have had in India before coming abroad. As against the work atmosphere in India, if you like your work, working abroad should be enjoyable. You would hardly find petty poiltics in the office. People will not think twice before saying sorry, or thanks. Your contribution to the org. will be recognized and rewarded. But the demerit is despite your hard work, Indians are not rated highly by foreigners and if you intend to occupy the CEO's seat in the org. ,one day, forget it.





Leadership skills: This related to the above issue. Well within your work-framework you will be considered as a team leader. In fact the word team leader came to India from abroad. The usual designation is "manager". If you lead your assistants well and do your job and meet the deadlines your leadership skills should get fine tuned.





Routine - submissiveness - and politeness: Well being polite does not mean you are sub-servient. You will find CEOs of MNCs very polite. Routine work; yes. You cannot diversify so much. Unless you complete your daily agenda you will have problems with your boss. Most Indians have a feeling that they are in some way inferior to their counterparts in the West. Being meek and submissive probably emanates from the strict household discipline which is followed in most Indian homes. Indians address strangers with "Sir" when there is no need. In certain societies in India, a wife cannot mention the name of her husband even in his absence. Grown up sons do not see their father eye to eye and talk. When we go abroad we carry this feeling that to whoever you are reporting in your work is a Guru and should be held in awe. Actually we cannot blame Aussies or for that matter any white for this issue. Your white boss does not mind if you address him as Mr. so and so. Can you do it in India? Imagine going into the Chairman's room of any Indian nationalised bank and calling him as Mr. Gupta or Mr Sharma and start the conversation. For the sake of few dollars more, if Indians cringe and crawl before a foreign employer, they are not to be blamed.





Pay package: After 2000 the salary of an average Indian in whatever field he is in, has shot up. This cannot be denied. I have found an exodus of Indian executives from ME heading directly to Bombay. People who have had a long tenure abroad, are returning. Pay is good now in Bharat.





But despite all this, working abroad has its own fun. You will not find a govt., servant expecting tip for everything he does for you; you have single window system when you deal with govt. agencies which comfort is not there, or only limitedly, in India; you will not find people jumping the line in airport to check-in; you will find stranger holding the door open for you when you are holding your child; places are neat and clean (Singapore for instance); Driving is a pleasure and you will not get the feeling that all other drivers are set to exterminate you; letters sent by ordinary post reach the next day whereas in our country you get the appointment order from the Employment exchange for a post you applied when you graduated delivered to you when your son is about to join Engg., college, and the like. Yes life is good. Unless you are so homesick. In that case, even if you get a well paid job in Denmark, which is rated as the best country to live in, you will not be happy.





To close, whenever I think of returning to India, I am really scared. No not as long as parliamentarins and legislators change. Australians may not be the best bosses to work for, but in a ten point scale where one end is occupied by an Indian caste-ridden prejudiced underqualified and foul mouthed MD, and the other end by an Aussie, nothing wrong in voting in his favour.





Love all, Krish.