‘The day you stop having fun at work, well, it’s a wakeup call for you to leave the job!’

After completing his undergraduate studies in Political Science from Delhi University, India, Abijit Sharma, 24, worked for an NGO in Delhi for about six months.

Upon returning to Nepal, he didn't want to merely jump in for Master's Degree. Instead he wanted to gain exposure and expand his network. Currently working as a Program Associate for Foundation for Development Management (FDM), which is a development consultancy agency, for over a year and half, he shares with Republica, his experience.

Describe your work responsibilities.

As a Project Associate, my job is basically to assist the program coordinator and that includes all kinds of tasks. I assist in trainings and proposal writings. I sometimes also help out in updating data on our website. A lot of our works are field based, where I conduct surveys and sometimes perform the task of coordinating between stakeholders. Hence, depending on the nature, my work responsibility varies.

What do you love the most about your job?

My foremost focus is to learn and gain exposure, and this job has helped me learn in many beautiful ways. There is a nice energy in the office because most of the people here are young and easy to get along with.

I remember I was clueless before I came here, all snuggled up in my comfort zone. Thanks to this job which requires me to travel, especially to the remote parts of Nepal, I am getting a better idea about people and their livelihood. The past one and half year has been very special to me because I traveled to some 30 districts outside the Valley.

What is your work mantra?

Do not say "no." At least until you get gain some experience. I feel it isn't quite the right time for me to say no to my seniors, especially when I don't know much myself. If I end up saying 'no' to the task I am assigned now, then it'll bar me from learning something new and will also set a bad impression among my seniors.

For the overall job, my mantra is, "From the day you stop having fun at work, well, it's a wakeup call for you to leave the job!"

Any memorable work related incident?

Recently we were in Pokhara, doing a project for police officers. At the end of the first day, one of the police officers asked us, "So, how are you kids enjoying Pokhara?" Turns out, he thought we were a bunch of interns and when enlightened of our job positions, he was completely shocked. Sometimes being young prompts people to not take you seriously enough. My boss advised me to grow a beard in order to help me look a bit "mature." He says, "The beard will enable people to take you seriously."

What are your future plans?

I plan to work here for another year and a half and then probably get back to education. But then again, I hadn't planned that I would be working here this long either. Therefore, I don't really make long term plans because you never know!