I recently left my job and here I lie job less facing the brunt of Recession. Such that even the best brains are layedoff.... Your views might help me ...
Over the past year friends and family have been asking me what am I doing? And I always managed to escape with some excuse. Often telling things that I was doing years back. However the fact remains that I worked in a very secretive environment.
Last year I was approached by a rather unusual startup. What they did is secondary; but the point it was that none of us were ever allowed to reveal about our work, our team members or any other details. Yeah creepy, but it was the nature of business that required us to do so.
When I first heard the idea I said it to them “This wont work”! But the work they had already done and the money promised was too much to resist. It was challenging. And I sure did live up to the task. Being one of the top performers in the 17 member team; I find myself to be a changed person now. Annkur@2007 was way too different than Annkur@today! And this change prompted me to QUIT without spending even a day more working for those SICK B*&%&^*!
So what is this (evil) organization about?
Well they research people, profile them. You know that background check etc etc. They check all of it but a little in detail. Dealing with some of the rich and famous families in India (mainly based in MH and GJ) these people actually manage to make a decent sum; but just doing research on brides and grooms before their marriage is fixed… and in this fashion was CRAZY (IS CRAZY).
At first this doesn’t sound too bad. But what they do and make you (me) do is really bad. Apparently the vision that the founder (read Biggest As**h0^3) has is that the families won’t approach us; we will approach them to sell what we have! They aren’t a startup really - In operation since 5 yers now, they start profiling these rich dudes and babes right when they are graduating (we referred to them as TARGETS). With a large amount of such profiles from specific communities; they start approaching the interested ones with all the details they need.
The job required me to go to college(s); often to meet some non existent friend or attend festivals. Make friends with the TARGET; their friends and if possible family! A big part of the assignment was character profiling and I had to undergo some really big changes to fit in for the task (wonder how I lost 14Kgs in 2008). The worst part - they took my contacts and added it to their database; soon friends of friends, or classmate of friends of friends started to become the Targets. Making the approach easier for me… The job wasn’t really simple. Following the TARGET at times took weeks. The process was always continuous and I am required to keep in touch with them till they graduate from college and are ready…
Some became really close friends and It was often harsh to break contact with them after the work was done. But I did it, took all the pain. However the ethical and moral boundaries kept stretching each day. Don’t know how I could silence my conscience for so long and keep working, doing things that I never imagined I would do.
I was made to attend funny gatherings. From some social group of some community to Bar Camps. Make new friends (often pre-decided and planned) and then reach the Target…
I am not 100% sure, but I wont be surprised if these people even extorted money from parents to hide their little ones college affairs…
Often when I meet my old friends today, they tell me you have changed. But I am not able to determine if the change if for GOOD or not. (Or I fear confessing that the change makes me feel like the worst possible criminal on planet earth)
I am in a bad fix at the moment. Did I do the right thing by leaving a well paying job in recession time??
Also posted on
Life as I see it, things I encounter and more! - Ankur UPDATE: HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY EVERYONE http://annkur.com/2009/04/happy-april-fools-day-2009 
Re: I Quit my job in recession time -
March 29th, 2009
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