Telecom Billing : My Bread and Butter and CHICKEN too!!

It was just about 2-3 months after I joined VSNL project team at yantra park Thane.I was being called up by the boss and was told to join Billing team which required new resources.The time was such that I had just settled a bit into my first ever real life project and trying really hard to sustain and cement my place in the team.Like any other fresher I used to put 10-12 hours day-in day-out to make some positive impact and also in the hope to gain some practical knowledge.As even I had the will and grit to read more and more about the tool I was using and become expert in every aspect like my seniors around, I did not let go even smallest opportunity to learn something new.I guess this phase occurs in every freshers' life where he tries to prove himself and I just went a mile extra in doing that.Now I smile at myself remembering that I read product documentation completely that time which was about 1500 pages.Yes no doubt that it helped me a lot but more than that it shows a fresher's sincerity and dedication.
So I was just finding my place in India's biggest software company for that matter Asia's No.1.
And I was offered a place in telecom billing team by the Boss.I was in No Position to say"NO"to him.And without thinking what would it be I said Yes to the Boss hoping to learn something new in the process and increase my knowledge.Anyways freshers don't have choices,do they? So I accpeted gladly what came to my way.
I heard from some of my seniors that now life will be hell for me. As the billing process used to take around 2-3 days that time as system was unstable and even the process itself.Some of them advised me to say No to the Boss.But as I told before, I decided to go forward with challenge. My training was caried out by two of the senior people in team and I learnt many new things during that.
After some time Mr.Ashish joined me in the team as the senior most person was given some other responsibility.I learnt a lot from Ashish not only technical knowledge but also about professional things.We started working together and it was a wonderful experience.I had only practical knowledge about the system and tool and he brought his vast technical knowledge and we made a really nice time after Monica one more member was separated from the team.Now we used to solve our own problems with the complete freedom given by the Boss.We streamlined and enhanced the process together which takes only 6-8 hours now.One of the biggest achievements of my professional life.Thanks to ashish and also to the boss for the freedom we got in making some changes and providing required resources when we needed.I still remember those days when we used to be in office for 2-3 days together.
I never knew when Billing became an integral part of my life.Gradually all my appointments and dates were adjusted convenient to the billing date.And after hearing any plan or program the first thought that comes to my mind is whether I have billing on that date. Actually for past two years my vacations ,my programs,my plans all depends on the billing.So smoothly I have adopted with my new life style.I still remember 31st December 2007 ,when I went with my friend had a blast for new year for about 2 hours and again came back to office to do the billing.
Now it has really become part and parcel of my life.Dont know what people say but I actually love doing that.
Telecom Billing has given a additional dimesion to my skill set.People say everything happens for Good and I am a firm believer of that after all this.It made me a strong man personally as well as professionally.Though now there is nothing to learn new and everything is optimized to maximum but taught me a lot during the course. I learnt how to work patiently and dedicatedly to achieve your objective and how to meet deadlines without losing the hope even if things are not going your way.I still remember three of us (Myself ,Monica and Ashish) slogging for 2-3 days continuously like anything just to meet the deadline.
But now everthing is changed and the process has become much simpler.Thanks to the efforts of all who contributed time and again.But now billing has become part of my lifestyle and I actually enjoy doing it.There are lot many things I learnt and lot many things happened to me during these 2 years of billing not only professionally but on personal and emotional level.And everytime I learnt something new and thoght over my life when I am alone at night at office doing billing. I came to many important conclusions which helped me took many important decisions in my life during the thought process at night.Again thanks to billing otherwise how would I had got such free time with myself.
I growed a lot with the billing and matured professionally as the process itself got matured.
Nice Journey it was and many people helped on that way.Thanks to my excellent initial traing from Monica and Kiran.And then some important inputs from Ashish.I made friends and lost a few during these two years,but billing will always have a special place in my mind....