My Journey

Chapter 4 Career

Start somewhere, but with a dream where you aspire to finish it.

Many have the aspiration from the beginning, yet do not venture into the journey, do not know the know-how and cannot read the signals.

Many ventures into the journey, slides upon a stiff bend and loses hope to re-try or does not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Many do not have the goals initially, but as the journey deepens, the realization kicks on the face, and the inner hunger to strive and achieve lingers.

I was fortunate to have both the players, some I walked with blindly without realizing that there is a cliff.

Some kicked some realities and did not lose hope in me.

Above all was the right attitude.

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My initial career started as an office Girl, then to Accounts Payable and Payroll Clerk, later ventured into a different field i.e. Warehousing, was provided the opportunity to be the Human Resources Manager, ventured into training and development and took up the employment offer as Tutor.

You have choices/options in life, one just needs to grab it at the right time.

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In school holidays, I, worked with mum at Unitex Garments, a garment factory. I learned to sew, operate buttonhole, and button attaching machines. The working environment was really fun-loving.

Mummy sat in between piles of t-shirts, operating the machines and clearing the bundles. I assisted in laying the fabric on the cutting table and helped the quality assurance ladies to cut of thread on the garments. My days passed, with laughter and jokes.

While working in the garment factory, I came across women who were facing challenges in their personal life. I overheard conversations among the ladies, share feelings and incidents with their friends at work.

This was my first exposure to the problems which I thought, it only happened at home but no it was the same at every second door. At the age of 15, I realized, there is nothing such as a perfect relationship.

While working, I attended Singh's Commercial school and for secretarial studies. I saved up fees for my studies and this was my first tertiary education after secondary school.

Whilst at one point in time, I was not able to attend FIT for secretarial studies, however, I worked and paid my way through with another institute.

I also worked temporarily with my Aunty (Dad's sister) in a law firm, Sherani & Company, assisting her in the Accounts Department.

In the year 1988, my career started as an Office girl in a known garment factory, Classic Apparel. Mr. Solanki provided me with the opportunity to work, even when I did not have experience as an office girl.

The responsibilities included operating the switchboard, relieving the Receptionist, learned to maintain a register for spare parts, manual calculation of timecards, packing, and distribution of pay. This also included making tea and coffee for visitors.

In the year 1990, I commenced employment at United Apparel, a garment factory, as a Wages Clerk, manually preparing payroll for approximately over a 1000 staff. In the same company, I was given the opportunity to work as a personal officer, overseeing recruitment, and staff welfare.

On my second pregnancy, my health conditions were affecting work so I resigned from employment, however, I was not able to sustain the household expenses. Instead of resting at home I worked in a Video Library and also fried green peas (bean) and peanuts, sold it at the shop.