I first watched Sanjay Manaktala, stand-up comedian, performing in Urban Solace, Bangalore, in 2014. Since then, I’ve followed his videos and jokes on social media. I also attended his performance in 2018 in Chennai.
He is the ‘IT guy’, the NRI ‘chooth’( as he put it, not me), ‘Senti Sanjay.’ He has donned several avatars over the years. Some time back, he wrote a book called ‘My beta does computer things.’
I recently wrote to him and requested a copy of his book and offered to share my review across social media. Thanks, Sanjay, for the personal note you left in the book for me. It made my day!
In his introduction, he says “What I hope this book does, though, is guide you on how to have a successful and more enjoyable career in Information Technology, a career in which so many people tend to be depressed and bitter. I want to show you how to find real satisfaction and success in technology rather than just work for it or simply get certifications because you think you need them.”
As someone who has worked in several IT majors, albeit not as a techie(but as a marcom professional), I totally ‘got’ his book.
If you have worked in half a dozen companies over a period of time, you will know this – the HR interview in most companies becomes an opportunity for several candidates to parrot out ‘suitable’ answers that will get them the job rather than a meaningful exchange of information between two parties that want a win-win relationship. Sanjay’s advice: “Just remember that in an interview and in life, being someone else is easy…it’s being yourself that can be difficult.”
The section on ‘actual interview questions not to ask’ is hilarious. In it, he lists the common rumour heard at TCS offices: if a guy gets married to a girl in the same company, he will get a cheque worth 1 lakh rupees. Back when I worked in Cognizant, the story I heard was about Satyam employees getting paid 50k if they tied the knot with another Satyam employee.
Sanjay says the technology industry is not about what you’ve learned. It’s about your ability to keep learning. I must say this is true for most industries.
On page 39, he mentions a list of common interview questions that are asked. This laundry list includes the common “Where do you see yourself in five years”..if I had a rupee for every time I’ve been asked that question, I could retire today☺
Chapter 5 is on ‘Romance’. It would speak to every geek and nerd. Elsewhere, he says, “I’ve seen techies who’ve spent more time deciding if they want an iPhone or an Android than on whom they’re going to marry.”
The book has cool, humorous cartoons sprinkled through it and dejargonises the IT industry. I would recommend this book to those in high school and college and maybe even those in Class 9 who are deciding which subject to take, so that they can envision how their career path in software would unfold: expectations vs. reality. It would also appeal to guys and girls in their 20s who have just entered the IT industry and are trying to get ahead and are looking for guidance from a buddy who has considerable experience in the field and in life.
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