A hard day's work

Hi darling,

I just visited Thailand, (Bangkok and Koh Samet), it is an absolutely fantastic place and you should visit it too. Maybe, I will write a post on how to plan a trip sometime later. This trip was a great break from work,  but I decided this letter should be about work life in general and also what I have learnt until now. 

My work life has been pretty good far, there have been minor ups and downs as for everyone. Here are a few of my thoughts so far. 

1. Having a great boss is of utmost importance and I am very lucky to have one. Your boss is your friend, philosopher, guider and guardian at work. There should be a lot of honesty, trust and empathy in the relationship, and it goes both ways. 

2. Good supportive team mates is next, if they are smart and helpful, that's great, but even if they are not so smart, I would take helpful team-mates over super-smart ones anyday. It is about pulling together as a team. Instead of letting everyone decide team culture, you should take initiative and try to form a positive, supporting culture yourself and hope that others follow soon.

3.  Doing work that makes you feel fulfilled is also important. But remember, in all jobs, there are things which you may not like to do, but would have to do. I just hope that this type of work is less for you.

    4.  Think very hard before changing jobs. Your dad is a bit impulsive in trying to change jobs, do not be that. There is a huge risk in the new job - boss, team-mates, work quality, money, everything.  They all might be better or worse. Make an informed decision before changing jobs.

    5. Always be "quietly vocal". What I mean by quietly vocal is, if you have done some good work or feel certain things are not right in the job, please speak out. Do not hide it away. Ask for the raise or promotion or extra work or less work. 

    6.It is about compromise. If a job pays you a lot of money but treats you poorly, would you be happy looking at your bank balance every other day ? Maybe you would, maybe you won't. These choices in your professional life would define quite a bit of your life in general, be very thoughtful about them.  

    7. Always get feedback. Always get feedback on what you can do better from everyone around you. Aim for continuous improvement. 

    8. Your life is more important than your work-life. This may sound very stupid, but we often forget that we have a life outside work. If you do not, try to make one and enjoy it to the fullest. 

Well, that's what I have learnt until now. I hope you do something in life which makes you happy and is very fulfilling.

Yours lovingly,

Dad