I know what I do this summer...

I will be working with the Corporate and Investment Banking Division of Citibank this summer... Whew! It is a real relief when the summer placements process got over...The tension inside the faccha pool (that is where all the first year students are asked to assemble) hits you like something solid! Seeing the anxiety on the faces of some of the best and brightest in the country really makes me wonder about the system. What is it about Day Zero jobs that makes people go ballistic, trying to rush headlong into areas they (often) know very little about? Is it the money? Is it the prestige? Is it the glamour? I think it might be a mix of all the above three. But anyway, is this process not just another step in a long career and more importantly, a longer life?
I know many of my batchmates will not agree if I say that the summers/final placements process does not really matter in the long run. On a personal note, I would like to be in a job that at least keeps my sense of self worth intact and helps me lead a balanced life with work and fun mixed in ample measure. I myself got placed in Day One and many feel that those who do not get Day Zero placements will try to console themselves saying it does not matter really... but believe me, I have heard reports from some of my seniors about the nightmarish work hours they had in I-Banks and the immense pressure trading jobs put on them. Pressure is good till a limit, because it brings out the best in you, but an overdose is not really healthy. Then again, it is just my view (which by the way, matches with the lazy outlook I have on life in general :-))
Life is long and is to be enjoyed well...Why waste it trying to think about competing with others. I compete with myself and try to my job better every time. That is more than enough for me.

Logging off
Sitan