Since I am going to write my thoughts, I guess a lot will ask who is he to share his thoughts, what has he done, for us to even be bothered to read what he yaps!
Well let's start with "Who I am" I am the Chief Investment Officer of a real-estate project and a holder of an MBA. That's about it!
But "Who am I" well that's a long story, but will share the short version of it, hoping a lot of youngsters would learn from it that life is not how we see it at the moment but rather it is a whole path that we have to go through and struggle to reach where we are at this current moment.
I won't say that during my young age my life was complicated and tough, rather it was completely the opposite it was made so simple by my parents "being the first born has it's advantages" till I became careless and negligent to what was important in life. After my secondary exams and seeing all my friends traveling to study abroad one in the states the other in UK I asked my dad to send me abroad to study "but my real motive was to be with my friends". I was then shocked by my dads decision and his exact words were "Son, You need to learn how tough life is and need to start taking responsibilities" I honestly thought he wanted me to get married!
But pretty soon I was slapped with the reality and found out that he meant I needed to work and start spending on my self. That decision has altered my life, way of thinking and my perspective to the every single thing you could imagine! Don't imagine that I liked that decision as at that moment in time my way of thinking was still not matured enough to understand the real motive of my dads decision, it took long and hard years for me to appreciate it. So, I had no choice but to start looking for a job as I was 19 and had my entertainment that needed money which my dad decided to stop passing!
One day, My father told me that a Bank is looking for employees and told me to try my luck there, which I did, and in my interview I was asked by the branch manager what was my target position in the Bank, I told him I want to become a Dealer "Forex Trader" he laughed his socks off and said to me "Good ambition, but the reality is, the job you are looking at is a cashier!".
I started working, started earning my own cash (BD250/-) and thought I owned the world, till a day I saw one of my school mates "one who I always considered as a nerd" walking in front of the Bank. I said hi and asked him what was he doing in life? He replied, studying medicine! That guy changed my life! I kept the whole day saying to my self after a few years that nerd is going to be a doctor and I will remain as a cashier! So I decided to prove to everyone including my parents that I can manage and be better without anyone's help! So I started studying in the University while I was working in the Bank and it was hell, my social life went down the drain, friends thought I went to study abroad! But was so determined to prove to all, so I cared less!
After serving in the customer service department for a year, the Bank's branch manager "who interviewed me for the job" called me and said to me "Son, I can see you are putting lots of effort in both your job and more important your studies; so I will set you on the track to achieve your dream". I was over the moon, as he transferred me to an opening in the treasury department of that Bank.
5 years passed, I had my bachelor degree in hand and doing what I always wanted to do and being independent from my parents. I decided to take it a step further and do my MBA. My parents were shocked! But not as much as me when I found out that the Bank branch manager "who became a senior manager" was going to be my class mate, in addition to two Managers and one Assistant General Manager; I was still a clerk at that time which I cared less for as my aim was set on finishing my MBA and leaving the treasury as I found out after working there it's not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!
After a year and a half I finished my MBA and decided to peruse a complete career change and leave the Bank in which I started as a cashier and left it as an employee of the Treasury department to another Bank where I was placed in the Corporate and Project Finance division... After that it was simply moving up the ladder either within the Bank or to another Bank doing the same job.
Till one day, I got a call from my uncle asking for my help to work on a finance for a project.. I heard the amount of financing required for the project "$925 million" and I was so tempted to leave my job in the Banking industry which I served for 13 years to peruse this challenge.. Yes it was risky, but worth every bit of time I have spent on it! Worked on that deal for 2 years and was basically living out of a suitcase because of the amount of travel involved but honestly loved every minute of it! It was concluded and successfully sold to the investors, that's the moment I left it and decided to settle down and got my current job!
I know it was a long story but I had to write it for people to appreciate that people in positions actually put a lot of effort to reach where they reach! And no one is handed his position in a silver spoon.
In addition I have written it as a tribute to the stars of my story or life who I am indebted to them for life as without their input, support and help I wouldn't of reached where I am today..
The stars of my story are:
1) My Parents (Mohd Aqeel Janahi & Amina Janahi); if it wasn't for that decision I would of been a spoiled brat.
2) The Branch Manager (Yousif A. Karim); if it wasn't for your support I wouldn't of achieved my dream to move on to another.
3) The nerd school mate (Khalid Helawa); if it wasn't for me feeling challenged by you that day I wouldn't of reached where I am.
4) My uncle (Ahmed Janahi); for giving me the challenge of my life time "as of yet"
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Proud of you bro :)
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