A world within the world!

7th January 2004 - 21:30 - JAM Tea Stall - Model Town Lahore…I was enjoying routine gup shup with my friends. It was drizzling. Abid Butt, a really old and good friend of mine (now National MS Manager in Ericsson, PAK), was there with me and we were discussing UET

I was hiding a lot of feelings there. He had got job in ZTE and I was still jobless. I was happy for him, but didnt wanna tell him that I am extremely worried and depressed. It was 3rd Week when most of my friends had got jobs (ALL IN TELECOM), while I was still looking for one. It was kind of becoming a big load on me. I was also a bit depressed as I had this impression that SAFARISH, RELATIONSHIPS always occupy all the vacancies, and I had no such thing with me.

All of a sudden, my mobile rang. It was Ahmed Younis - my senior since school - and then a Mobilink RF Planning Engineer. He called me to tell me that there is going to be a test in two day’s time for hiring in his department - so I should get ready and appear in that exam. I shared the info with Butt, and we both decided to prepare and sit in the test.

Well - 3 months from that time onwards were like a ROLLER COASTER RIDE for me. Butt was dropped after 2nd Interview, I carried on till the last one and got through. One of my best friends, Fahad Munawar (now Consultant with LCC Pak) was also walking by my side in all these times.

Interestingly, both of us were at opposite poles with the THEETAAs of UET Lahore. Both of us had got 1 to 2 “Supplees” in University as well. But both of us were strongly of the point that University Exam System means NOTHING…! It never tests your actual abilities. We believed in this, and Alhamdolillah, we proved it very soon.

Finally, we got into Mobilink RF Planning Department - Lahore. Room # 306, 4th Floor, Eden Center, Jail Rd Lahore was the launching pad of our careers. We were welcomed by the GURUS like Nasir Mahmood, Ahmer Arsalan Zahid, Usama Munir Gill, Ahmad Younis and above all - ASIF HUSSAIN and SYED AHMED KAMRAN.

I now had a very clear way ahead. I had to make VERTICAL progress. I had to make my self be HEARD. I wanted to make a difference. As expected, there was certain favourism as well, but I had to accept it and face it with courage. Only after 3 months of my job, I was selected by National RF Planning Manager (Ernest Isaac) as the sole representative of RF Planning Department (Mobilink) during the special project of NPI from Motorola (NPI: New Product Introduction, this included Half Rate Deployment, DCS Implementation & GPRS).

First 3 weeks after I got this assignment were very difficult, as expected. I had no prior experience, I was afraid of making certain decisions, I was hesitant to talk to seniors about different things, I was taking too much pressure from Asif Bhai (Asif Hussain). It was there when Ahmer Bhai sit with me, and told me some really useful tips regarding the management of one’s tasks. I count those tips as among the most useful ones that I learnt in last 4 years.

After that, there was no stopping. I developed really good and sincere relationships with MOTOROLA Teams (specially with GURUs like Ahmad Maklad, Osama Tawfik, Mudassir Malik & Adeel Ahmed). I started learning stuff that was OUTSIDE my domain of RF PLANNING. I went out for BSC Commissioning, Site Commissioning, MW Link Commissioning - all for the sake of learning. First project was HR Deployment, and was completed successfully within the timelines. I mark my success with the appreciation given to me in written and verbal as well in front of the whole team, by Sir Jafar Khalid, then Director, Access Network, Mobilink.

Why am I mentioning all this…? My objective is to highlight the fact that MOST OF THE SUCCESSES ARE LYING AROUND US - ITS ONLY THAT WE NEED TO OPEN EYES AND LOOK FOR THEM…! Believe me, THINGS in life are much EASIER, we make them difficult and then impossible merely by our THINKING. So, think straight, think GENUINE, think deeper - and you will see things moving as you wish them to move…!

Finally, I want to drop here this note that in TELECOM Industry, the one I belong to, its a CONSTANT drive. You can never STOP. Even if you are on the right track, you cant keep standing there…you have to move on quickly as otherwise, someone driving faster from behind will run you over…!

I will end with one of my own quotes:

“Since my childhood, I have always loved to Challenge myself, then Defeat myself and finally IMPRESS myself…!” (erry)