Cost To Company (CTC)
There are two kinds of people who say money can’t buy happiness. The disillusioned kind or the underpaid-overworked-love my job anyway kind. While I like to think I’m a little bit of both, I do suffer from a slight hint of the hallowed envy pang whenever I hear of my twenty something friends making a bomb and a half on the regular 9-to-5. Don’t get me wrong my friend, I’m thrilled for ya, but I ain’t a saint. Crazy jealous is what I am when I compare the take-home figures!
Placement season in college was the time when I got introduced to strange new words..CTC, take-home, package(!), probation, deduction, placement party! I had solemnly sworn back then that I will not fall for the number of zeroes on my offer letter, ever, and instead always look for ‘challenging’, ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ ‘profiles’. Post-college unemployment and the lack of a Bachelor of Engineering degree soon taught me that the aforementioned adjectives can possibly be some global conspiracy to make a laughable/untaxable income seem like such a grand idea.
A great work experience so far had somehow subdued thoughts such as these, until last night, when a friend told me about his ridiculous (also grotesquely huge) new pay package… 
Another friend started talking about the right industries (being IT) and the wrong industries (being everything else) and how doomed we are to be doing anything else besides technology…
EVERYONE in a tech company seems to make more than me, my friend, my neighbour and my landlord, put together!…
Every ‘techie’ I know has been sent to ‘phoren’ for atleast 3 months…
I look at my work email inbox and I see all the writing I have to do, the research I have to do, the people I have to meet, the plans I have to design, the events I have to attend and coordinate, all the interviews I have to arrange, all the reading I have to do…and I remember one small thing.
Every techie I know envies my job:-)
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Bina! Did you read my mind or what!?!?! I was just calculating my CTC!!! Very Co-incidental (just as the previous post i.e. Childhood)
Well, I’m in a fix these days. I have a small offer (with a not-so-appealing profile) from a big brand and a big offer (with an awesome profile) from a small brand. Didn’t really know which one to choose initially. The big brand sent the offer letter with a disappointing CTC and the small brand is yet to decide my CTC
And here I am, waiting in anticipation for a good offer, planning to apply in other companies all over again after six months of unemployment. How sad is that! 
Touchwood! You’re lucky to have a job profile you like, Bina! Phoren-shoren will happen too
its funny how nothing is ever enough!!…and also,how evryone around you earns more than you(atleast in my case)…and out of the two “kinds” of people that you listed,i certainly am the 2nd kind!!….JESUS!!….it sucks!!!….the good part however,is that i dont have to compare my pay check(s) with a ‘techie’ or the likes(for reasons i’m only glad about)…phew!….SOME RELIEF!!!…
Yes, maam’ we do own every techie, we pawn them, we eat them for breakfast and spit them out for tea,
with out us they wouldn’t have a reason of existence. however, if I put it that-a-way it works vice versa. Though, I’m practically the exact definition of the second option you mentioned there, so my dislike is nothing compared to HR managers and Accountants… for me they’re the real enemy…
Eradicate – Eradicate – Kill em’ all!!!
P:S: I want a raise, oh! wait I’ll be gettin one in a month!!!
(and the salt goes in deeper) 
@mona Yeah, some relief! All said and done, the techie paycheques are impressive! But i’m glad you are the second kind. Go girl!
@Shruti man that is freaky:-P I say go with the small company. Profile’s always more important! Yeah, I’m waiting for phoren to happen…quick!
@Gary…@#$%^
No salt at all! I recently got promoted:-P
Every techie I know envies my job too
P.S: got promoted? when? where? party? beer?
@Nishant I can totally imagine! n yeah, I got promoted:-) party real soon!!
damn it… I’ll just have to kill kenny!!!
Bina, I’m joining a big brand in Mumbai. You know why? The small company promised me too much and didn’t give me any written letter. And now the role they’re offering has shrunk (in responsibilities and CTC) as much as the profile offered by the big brand.
Very bad experience I’ve had with that small company. So, now, I’m going to Mumbai to join that big brand!
@Shruti
Congratulations girl!!! Hope you have a blast there. Really unfortunate that the small company screwed up. But it’s all or good, isn’t it!
@Bina – Congrax for the promotion! Phoren happening quick?! So I dont have to make special efforts now, eh?
Money is important at this stage in my life and we will see later if money buys happiness or not! As of today, it sure does
@thanks but phoren not happening anytime soon:-)
But sure is important but I can’t imagine justifying drudgery every salary day..doesn’t work for me:-)
@Bina – I am waiting!
You go girl!! Money can’t buy happiness, but, believe me, I am on the same boat as you! I don’t regret my decision to leave that world for a much more sane & soul satisfying life I’ve found for the last year!!!
& It is totally rewarding when my friends ask me,” You got a job for me in your company?”
Are you a HR Personal! ……………..?
Naa! You cant be one. HRs don’t give you details they trick you with the CTC treat.
Well explained , in details.