What is Better – Service (Job in Corporate World) or Business?

Although I work for a multinational company; I always suggest preferring business over service if someone has a choice. I had different reasons previously such as being able to maintain good social relations, ability to get leave from work, having own policies or style of working, the scope of business expansion, making a name for yourself, etc. however; recently I discovered there is a bigger reason for a person to prefer business over working for some multinational employer.

Parents invest a lot in their children and they don’t expect anything in return other than respect however; it is still the duty of their children to take care of them in the hour of need. Most of the corporate offices are located in some major cities. Manufacturing units are often located in remote areas. In short, most employees are forced to stay far away from their hometowns.

When the father of ‘Shiva’ was diagnosed with cancer he had to take him to the best hospital in the city which further referred him to some hospital in Mumbai. Shiva was not satisfied with the results there so he took him to other reputed hospitals in Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and wherever he could but in this process he was out of leaves.

He was ready to use the ‘leave without pay’ option but his employer (who was very supportive in the beginning) started losing patience. His colleagues were frustrated as they had to accommodate his work as well. He used to get calls from them regularly indirectly inquiring for his return date.

After another fifteen days, finally, Shiva’s manager said that either he should return to work or he may take care of his father. Shiva was the only earning member of the family and had no other source of income, so he had to return despite knowing that his father was in the last stage of cancer.

Shiva is not the only case. There are many people who have to compromise. My friend ‘Chandra’ (name changed) took only three days leave when his mother died. Out of the three, two days were for traveling. One of my managers once told me, “I took only a day off for my marriage”, but I don’t blame him as it was his decision to take only a day off for his own marriage.

Workload in the organizations is distributed such that sincere employees do not hesitate sacrificing every bit of their personal life for their employers. People say, ‘it is for money’, but it is their nature. They like fulfilling their commitments and keeping their promises. They suffer. But it’s their nature. That’s how they are.

Most people working in the corporate world have to miss the wedding or other important social functions at their friends' or relatives houses'. Not only this, they can’t go and support their relative or friend who is in need. That is why most of them don’t have social relations. You see the wedding of modern ‘Naukriwala’ and you will find very few people there compared to a business class person.

While this is all because of work, you can’t blame the employer for not allowing desired number of leaves. He gets paid for working and not for going on leaves. The employee is supposed to work. That is why he was recruited.

So, it is better to decide whether to start your own business or do you want to join some reputed company. Once you get into the corporate world, it is very difficult to return unless you have enough money to start something on your own. If there is a choice, make it!

---

read more