Proposed Exit Techniques by friends & family.

Friends and family have come up with many different ways of how I should prepare my R2I program, especially on when and how I should leave US.

1) Kajal, Vikram and Parul and many others
Go to India as a vacation for a month, do the job search and also see if I can fit back there, come back resign and leave. Basically the job will be guaranteed and I know where I will be when I finally go back.


2) By Latha (May 2005):
Join a company which has an office in India. Once comfortable ask them to have a lateral shift to the Indian office.

3) Web sites (Options in India)
Apply online and through recruiters and take a 10 day trip to India solely to attend interviews.

4) Go after another 2 years once you have earned enough :D fails terribly because of x = x + 1 syndrome.


As you can see the ideas, the R2I includes the biggest factor - The Job. Where and what position I will be given? What salary range will it be? Will I be happy with the work and salary package?

To me, R2I and Job are different entities even though they are two sides of a coin - like you won't go back if you don't have a desired job and you may not find the desired job if you do not go back.
The return to India itself is a huge task that unless you have a hard dead line, you will keep procrastinating it. So, the date you want to leave has higher significance.

Well as of today (14/Aug/2007) my Exit strategy is to not to slip the dates. That means I am willing to compromise on the job portion. I once thought that I would leave even though if I do not have the job, but it is very hard to do that because not only it is scary to be in India without job but also that you would lose the advantage of negotiation as you will be desperate to get a job. So, primary goal is to find some job (be secure first), i.e. compromise on one part of the job - either desired location or desired compensation or desired position, but leave on time!
BTW it made me feel happy that I will be having Indian green card (Citizenship restored) :D i.e no more H1B issues nor visa issues to switch the job :)


So, for 1 and 3 - Return to India will gets tougher and tougher if I do not take a hard step. And I do not want to explain 300 people in India who will be planning to wash my brain with all different ideas. And, what if I do not get desired job in that time? Literally that would make the R2I just impossible.
Sep 10 - Now that I think, may be I have to bank on this idea. Lets see.

for 2, I could have tried that but VistaPrint offer was very promising and finding a specefic job you want, will always make you compromise on something. And it's not guarnateed that the company agrees on my move to India.

Inspiring blog - A successful R2I who started a startup - Tekriti

In July I read a blog from a successful R2I at www.newdelhitimes.org

I found the following two key points that he mentioned.
1) "You can have a different reason - personal or professional - but it should be compelling enough to keep you motivated and excited about being in India."

2) "I think one needs a lot more energy to survive and enjoy India. "

A better passion and goal will answer every time I get a question on "Why?"

For a while I thought of doing MBA in India but it failed badly for following reasons

a) 2-3 yrs part time in small univ is not worth.
b) IISB is like mission impossible.
c) IIM's interviews are all pain as they want you to be there for interviews.
d) Full time schooling needs to relinquish job for a year

And for some time I thought of taking some classes here in Boston. It failed as
a) Company will not pay for courses until a year from the course ends. My date of Feb 2008, will make me pay, which I felt was not worth
b) Office, R2I, courses - I thought its too much to handle (another word for being lazy :D)

Finally I have something that I can fit into my goals :)
I will be working with my friend Sandeep on www.techbytesinc.com for an offshore development site. I hope I will be able to dedicate lot of time for it once I am back and take it as a passion.

What all I considered for my R2I?

Vikram asked me this question today and it prompted me to start this blog. Not sure how much I can document and write my thoughts, but at least there will be one posting (this one) :D

Returning to India is much tougher than leaving India for first time - which I did 5 years before. The more you stay away from your home/country/friends/relatives/culture/life it doubles the gap!! Wonder why? It's because you create all of that at your new place. Leaving all that you have earned here home/country/friends/relatives/culture/life and getting back to what you have left 5 years ago takes more strength than anyone thinks.

I came up with a list of things that I thought before I made myself certain that I am heading back.

Why?
When?
Life in US Vs Life in India
How happy I will be here Vs in India
Career oppurtunities that I loose by leaving US Vs new career growth I make in India
Moving away from friends here (half of may eng class is here) Vs searching/making new friends in India (as of today - there is hardly any of my classmates whom I am in touch with)
How much of all correlates to my family's happiness Vs if I stay back here.
Finance

Of all these questions, probably WHEN was the easiest to answer in broader terms. I was certain since the inception of my thought of R2I that I want to return after 2 years of my last India visit and before I get married, which rounded upto my current R2I date Mar 18 (give or take 20 days - Feb 28 to Apr 8). I know its a long range spanning on 3 calendar months, but I am still not able to zero it down.


Mar 18 is 217 days Or 7 months, 4 days from today