Pursuer and the pursued

It all started by the latter half of 1999 when the Airlines started worrying about the safe passage of their flight and the bankers world over were concerned about the smooth changeover of date on that feared night of Dec 31st , heralding the new millennium. As the heat and panic peaked, the training institutes started making money out of a new entity -'fear'. Anyone with some knowledge of Java and more importantly a certificate started getting their passports stamped. There were also pieces of program codes floating around as an instant fix for Y2K and what was until then a distant dream achievable only by the select few became a buzzword in many household - working in U.S!

When the year rolled over, with little glitch belying all fears, the west started shedding the 'no more' wanted Y2K 'specialists' and there were few benches that were not warmed by these as they hovered around, little realizing that you cannot even spend a day there when you and your skills are no longer required.

With the return of the valiant, the importance of computer knowledge continued to gain popularity and the mushrooming Engineering colleges made the best advantage of the craze and need. After a 15 year ride of high and low, the circle seems to have come full, with the reported laying off of thousands from some of the industry's heavyweights, once considered as safe havens!

Such were the opportunities in this sector that anyone serious of making an impact was given a chance and the focused ones made the grade. Those with better perseverance and attitude climbed further and hopped across to vantage positions making ultimate use of the desperation of the emerging sector.

With opportunities came the misuses by people jumping for meager increases without any ethical care and those skillfully placed on contract reversed their gun to demand their pound of flesh and threatened otherwise to look for the better and buttered side of the bread.

When the industry hit the feared low, some wily organizations used them to weed the chaff along with the cats on the wall and this cat and mouse game went on for quite some time, despite the industry picking up.

The industry was more at the receiving end of this 'unforced attrition' born more out of avariciousness than career progress measures but they were able to survive with the ever flowing resources from the uncontrolled emergence of engineering colleges. While the smaller ones were playing with the 'hire and fire' policies there were some industry majors who stood like a rock silently absorbing the mass and strategically waiting for the turnaround. When one such 'majordomo' of the industry, considered as safe and secure, started taking a different route from its traditional and expected path, the panic set in. Thus when the cats stopped and turned back to look at the pursuing mob, the rats got into a huddle, and the pursuers became the pursued.

In my opinion, both were using and misusing the rules of 'notice and performance' to their own ends and faulting either in this race is uncharitable. Being in a matured industry that calls for the highest skills requiring constant skill updates and making one's presence felt, one is also expected to be prepared for the axe while looking for greener pastures.

 To compare the IT industry and its working conditions to other organized and settled sectors like Banks and Insurance is immature and the debate could at best serve the purpose of hogging the headlines for few days with improved TRP for some prime time channels. One is security oriented and the other rests on skill, performance and need. Banking like industries are also burdened with looking for business to keep the 'securely placed workforce' occupied whereas the IT is more on the need based side.

I feel in course of time,  the trade unionism too will creep in, with the support of pressure groups, just to make their presence felt, . But to expect them to have the same stranglehold as in other industries, one must be dreaming, given the expectations and performance levels at the former!


The need of the hour is planning- preserve the grain for the rainy days and await the sun to peep out. The organizations normally plan better, factor-in some attrition and manage to keep their head above the tide. It is the individuals who are unprepared and caught unawares that are likely to cry louder and hoarse!

'You are not matured until you expect the unexpected' - the adage seem to fit this dream industry more than any other. It is for the potential and perceived 'victims' at the industry to be more prepared, expect the unexpected and rise above the mundane to ward off such periodical threats to their career and lifestyle.

The young ones could be faulted to go overboard with a dream pay packet right out of the college. But such rude but timely wake-up call will sure spur the colts to be better equipped.

The experienced lot will need to plan better mentally and keep reminding themselves that there are no comfort zones in this field. I am sure the lessons are already felt, taken and will be handled. I believe and feel that this too shall pass.

After some initial rhetoric and stage managed shows to suit the required ends, the industry and its actors will soon settle down better-prepared to handle mutual pressures. In my opinion, this mid-course correction is the need of the hour and will remind  the Malthusian theory of demography of - 'survival of the fittest' again to the fore, even into this unrelated area .