1999 – The memory of getting my first paycheque is still so fresh in mind as it had happened yesterday.

When I was in my seventh standard in school, me & my friends starting smoking for fun.

My close Friends in school –
Pratik Mhardolkar. [We are still very close & in touch on a daily basis]
Ranjit Chavan. [We are not in touch, he is vamoosed without a trace , I miss him a lot]
Tarvindar Saggu. [We are not in touch,its been a long time I spoke to him , he is shifted to Thane]

My first Job in Real Value Ltd , it was a Public ltd co ,with all sorts of perks like daily allowance , Medical facility & others. It was a outdoor selling job , In 1999 Bank Manager salary would be around 6000 Rs .& I was earning 4500 Rs as my first job in organised market.
It was a dream job for me as lots people were searching a job in Banks & Admin sector where they get security & medical & allowances.

Coming back to the point ,

We friends had made a habbit to go in our school ground every evening for smoking cigarattes.
That moment I still remember as my friends were the first to see my salary cheque & give a reaction.
Pratik said he was very happy to see the cheque & happy for me, Ranjith gave a pat on my back & Tarvinder was smiling from his eyes.

It was a proud moment for me as I had worked very hard for that.

It was a very difficult job & I had that fire in my belly as it was my first job.
That job going office to office with that 5g fire extinguiisher to give demonstrations has taught me lots of things which are still helping me in my personal & professional life.

Everyone wondered how I got this job .

5 Days before I got this job,i was unemployed & was searching a part-time job when going through the newspapers I saw an advertisements saying earn 25000 Rs per month, this ad fascinated me & I went to the adress of this ad , what I saw in this place was a marketing office where all the people were carrying Big Sack of Bags in & out of the office & I was wondering that what this people are doing.

I asked the receptionists that I want to earn 25000 Rs per month,she guided me to the manager in that marketing office, the manager called me next morning in the office.
Next morning I went to the office , that manager told me it is a door to door selling job , I thought if it is a door to door selling job how can you earn 25000 Rs, I was wondering that the salesmans who comes to our house to sell the household items ,do they really earn 25000 Rs ,i had to find out.
The manager told me to go with a salesman on the feild & see how he works & earns.
The salesman name was Tiwari he was from U.P & had that UP accent when he use to talk broken English.

I went with him , he did not talk too much . He took me to the nearest garden & told me to sit ,he spread the newspaper on the grass & he lied down.

I was confused , I said to myself that in the morning where we have to go for work , this guy is sleeping without any tension.

I forgot to mention , it was a only commission job with no fixed salary.

When he was sleeping I asked him , what he was doing, He replied after a long pause in hindi , look Kiran this is the morning time when Husbands are gone to work as they have the money ,& Housewives are busy in their daily chores, in the afternoon people eat & sleep for sometime, Nobody likes a salesman in the afternoon & morning , So we will start in the evening.

To my amazement, that guy started from 5pm to 7pm & earned 750 Rs as commission for himself in 2 hours.
As they say people from UP are the best salespeople.
So next day I took my sack & went on my own on the field to sell & earn some commission.
I did not look like a salesman , I was in my Levis Jeans & an expensive T-shirt & shoes.
My mom make Tiffin for me & I use to eat that on station with some tea.
For 4 days I could not sell a single item , it was summer season , was difficult to carry that bag & walk but still I was trying very hard.
On the 4th day in Vikhroli at around 1pm I went to the Real Value office to sell my items , I was desperate & tired , there was an executive in the office , he told me that their Regional manager is going to come at 3pm, so he asked me to come at 3pm.

I came again at 3 pm & their was their Regional manager sitting in his office , that executive guided me to his office, he told me to give presentation, as I was desperate for a sale , I started lying to him about the product with complete confidence & conviction ,that manager was very experienced & was knowing that I was lying to him, when I finished the presentation ,he told me that he liked the way I presented the product & gave me an offer to work for him , & I accepted the job.

This job moulded me the way I look at things & made me a professional very early in my life.

My Great pleasure was not after seeing my Salary Cheque , It was after seeing the Salary Slip with all the Perks & Allowances & Medical Expenses,

My Mom was proud of me , that was enough :o)