All in all assistant to an AVP – the backstage story of a fresh graduate from a down south town

My journey

My journey with iSource started in the year 2007, as a fresher. The moment, I finished my B.Sc., Computer science examinations I stepped into the iSource family. I wasn’t aware that this company would provide me all the support I’d ever need. Like all of you, Mr.Shiva interviewed me for 2 hours (2 hours – which is common for all) and I had to listen to his motivational speech. People don’t advise you when you meet them the first time. But he does.

The Biller – 6 Months

If you assume, my complete experience belongs to digital marketing, you are wrong. The very first job I was offered was, “Biller”. I had to enter the demographics and post EOBs. I still remember how I used to disturb my trainer, (he is with us now). Though I was not at all aware of medical billing and insurance regulations, I decided to go with the job offered. Un (fortunately) the client left us and immediately Mr.Shiva promoted me as a system admin (?)

Biller to system admin to network engineer – Part time

I should thank Mr.Shiva for offering the system admin role to a guy who had 0% knowledge of computers and the internet. I didn’t even know how to plug-in and plug-out cables. But, he believed in me. I started learning to repair computers. We had not more than 15 computers and I had to repair 50% of the systems once in every 3 days. If I couldn’t, I will call the professionals and they will do the rest. Since he was happy, he added one more responsibility which was “Networking”. When Mr.Sakthi is facing problems in 2016, consider how horrible the internet connections would have been in the year 2008. In fact, before being offered this position, whenever I saw networking cables I’d get irritated, because of how clustered and confusing the cables were!

System admin to SEO executive – Part time

Both system and networking problems don’t occur often. So all sudden, one fine day Mr.Shiva advised me to learn the basics of SEO (I had this in mind- எத்தன வேலை தான் மாத்துவாரு! ) and he too started teaching me like how a father teaches his kid while walking for the very first time. Like how an elder brother helps his younger brother while driving cycle for the first time. This is how my career into the digital marketing world started.

SEO executive to Team lead.

Somehow, I learned SEO basics and started working on my own. A couple of years later the, “elder brother”, came to me and said, “Henceforth you will be a team leader”. When Mr.Shiva gave me the Team lead position I was very nervous. Because business starts with Digital Marketing and it lays the foundation for our other marketing efforts. I was clueless but accepted the challenge. From there to till now I have never gone and given him reasons. But, I have been giving him results and reports, consistently. Head Product Management:

Changing departments and taking up responsibilities has become a part of my role. I have never seen or heard, ITES & BPO companies having an in-house software team. We realized the huge need for tools and applications in the post-reform environment. And set about developing and offering them, to our existing and potential clients. All major software companies follow a systematic process and timelines to develop applications. I saw a communication gap between the business owners and our development team. I decided to bridge that gap. This was the only time I went and volunteered. If not me, we would have hired someone else. Believe me, I am not at all a coder and have never written a single line of code. The moment I said, Mr.Shiva accepted my application. As a result, I received an award for “producing better outcomes with lesser resources”, in last year’s award function.

AVP – Assistant Vice President.

The latest position which I am holding is “Assistant Vice President”. Once again, it is Mr.Shiva who rewarded me this role. I am still in the early stages & learning the responsibilities of the same.

My whole write up may look like I’m either praising Mr.Shiva or iSource. Of course, the both cannot be separated. But I am not at all promoting them.

I always believe in Newton’s third law:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

To adapt it to the corporate language, “the more you work the more you get”. Accept it or not, we all joined here for money, but it is up to the people to consider iSource as an organization or their family. I always consider iSource to be my first family. Without iSource, I wouldn’t have been at this level where I am in now. Both personally and officially it has helped me a lot.

There is a saying, “if you are good at something do not offer it for free.” It is not because I am here for almost a decade, iSource has given me everything. It is because of the results I produced together with other teams that has made the organization, realize and reward my contribution towards its growth.

There is a proverb: “Do your best, rest will follow“. It is us, the employees who hold a lot of responsibilities than our employer. Even a 2-year-old kid will not listen to you if you keep playing the same game again and again with him/her. So, take responsibilities, bring in ideas, present them with confidence and get paid for it.

Let’s all accept this. “சும்மா கிடைகாது பாஸ் சுதந்திரம்”

Here is one more example, of how iSource encourages employees. Mr.Shiva gifted me a “Black Panther” Ford Figo recently.

And, he has not only stopped with that but given his golden words too.

ISource presented Ford Figo to Soma Nathan is understatement ! He earned it in style!

“As a fresh grad from Aruppukottai with famous yellow bag..... 2008 He started as very humble "all in all" assistant doing computer repair, insurance data processing and even petty tasks given to him with utmost sincerity! Today he is the head of Digital Marketing and IT Products at iSource ! Isn't stupendous achievement! “

https://www.facebook.com/sivakumar.sadayappan/posts/10208089415692525

10 important formulas which I have been following, since I started my journey, are as follows:

1. Don’t wait for anyone’s reply go and ask for it.

2. Bring in your own thoughts

3. Don’t hesitate to present your ideas

4. Have the thirst to earn money

5. Listen, learn, leverage

6. Take responsibilities

7. Do not have an outsider mind-set

8. Encourage teammates

9. Appreciate people

10. Believe in iSource

Natalia , one of the senior most QA’s in GT who’s been with me since 2008 always says, she is, I am the best evidence of iSource’s growth. I was just 45 kgs when I joined and now am close to 80 Kgs. Not only my weight but the company’s revenue’s also increased – Thanks Nats for the wonderful words. I promise you, we will all be witnessing, iSource as, the No.1 best RCM, captioning and medical transcription company in Chennai within the next 2 years from now.

Note:

Whoever is interested in knowing more stories about iSource, if and when possible we will go for a “Full” Yoga class, I will be sharing a lot more than this.

Thank You.

---

Somanathan.

AVP - Marketing & Product Development

iSource IT Enabled Services