Saud Bahwan Group - Update

I am about to complete 8 years of service at Saud Bahwan Group. When I joined this group in December 2008 I had posted my first impressions about the place (Muscat), my new job and some 'feel good' factors about the company too. During the course of my tenure here I have been getting a lot of queries regarding the cost of living, working conditions, the atmosphere at work, work culture and questions about the place in general from a motley group of folks. The queries were mostly from prospective candidates who were shortlisted by the company during the interview rounds which our HR guys conduct at various places in India. Some were from guys from other Gulf countries who were contemplating a change. Some disgruntled souls who had left the company also posted negative comments about the group. 

Just like I mentioned in my previous post a 'google search' on Saud Bahwan Group must be showing related posts from this blog too. From time to time I have made it clear to such people who e-mailed their queries to me to 'not get carried away' by what I had mentioned about Saud Bahwan Group and the place as these were my personal impressions and were not meant to sway anyone's judgement. There is a lot of information floating around in cyberspace and information can also be gleaned from 'word-of-mouth' sources (friend of a friend of a friend etc, etc) or the local grapevine (which we call 'lungi gupp') in case someone has a friend from Kerela. One should reach a conclusion after thoroughly researching all available inputs. To all such inquisitive folks I must say that my take on life may be diametrically opposite to yours considering my area of expertise, qualifications, experience, designation, age, attitude, level of expectations, etc, etc. 

Some illustrious people who, before leaving the organization for good, go through the 'generally accepted practice' of composing a fine piece of prose in praise of the organization, the wonderful support received from superiors and colleagues and how the company helped them grow into fine human beings and how the experience enriched their lives. Such lavish praise is showered by a majority of folks prior to leaving the company for good. I find it unbecoming on their part to pass negative comments about the workplace particularly when they have been so vocal in their praise while they were here. One such guy posted a comment regarding his fundamental right being infringed upon by having to deposit his passport for 'safe keeping' with the company. Well, if this policy is a 'deal-breaker' for you then don't join the group or if you are in service and this rankles, then 'chuck it' man. As far as I am concerned, it is no big deal for me. I have received my passport well in time whenever I wanted to travel without any fuss whatsoever. Sometimes (and I have traveled a lot of times owing to the court case which I have mentioned in an earlier post) I have got the passport at very short notice and at times no notice at all.

Some other gentleman has commented that the environment is very political and the work culture worse than a Government organization in India. Here again, I must reiterate, that this is an individual opinion and one must take a call on what to do about it if the perception is such. Early in my service I had heard of a saying in hindi which goes thus: "नौकरी  करनी है तो नखरा कैसा ?" We seek employment for various reasons or compulsions and every job has its pros and cons. We do not have the liberty to choose our bosses and if you have to work under some 'stuck up' guy or a 'fuddy-duddy' then it is just too bad mister. Blame it on luck !

As far as I am concerned I am quite satisfied with my lot and things are cool.

CPP - Update

I have received a lot of queries regarding the subject from CPP aspirants from all over during the past six years. A google search on 'CPP' throws up some posts from this blog besides other relevant results. I have tried to reply to most of the mails I got but missed out some owing to other commitments/preoccupation/general feeling of being DWL (Disgusted With Life). My apologies to those people whose queries did not elicit a response from me. While I did get some really weird and 'out-of-this-world' queries (which I am not listing over here), the common ones are as follows :

(a)  Will CPP enhance my chances of getting a better job in Security ?

(b)  Is CPP the best certification for employment in Security ?

(c)  How do I arrange the required 'Course Material' ?

(d)  How about sending me some study material ?

(e)  Name the companies which directly employ CPPs ?

(f)  What is the 'value addition' after getting this certification ?

(g)  Did your professional career get a boost after earning this certification ?

(h)  Does it really help professionally or it just remains on your CV ?

(i)   Is it worth spending so much money on membership, test fees and resources ?

(j)   How relevant is this certification in India ?

Well, guys, thanks for the above mentioned bouncers. I am not going to answer these questions individually but the update I have in mind should clear most of the doubts. Firstly let me remind the present CPP aspirants that I got my CPP certification way back in in 2007. After re-certification in 2010 the same was validated till 31 December 2013. I did not bother to get re-certified thereafter, so technically I am not a CPP now (that is why I don't append it after my name anymore). Thanks to my current job profile, my personal preoccupations and problems, the 'low-crime-rate-country-that-I-work-in', advancing old age and general laziness to some extent, I did not think of re-certification after the validity expired.

The tag of being "Board Certified" in Security did not open any doors for me and neither was it my expectation. I was working in the Reserve Bank of India which besides being a premier institution is also a 'corruption free' (in the words of a distinguished former member of the Board) place to work in. It was a "Sarkari" job which paid well and there was lot of prestige attached to it in the market. When I faced the interview board for my current job, the panel (6 senior management officials) was totally clueless about CPP and I had to explain what it was and how that made me a 'tees maar khan'. When I landed in Oman I found out to my chagrin that no one had even heard of ASIS or CPP. So it did not boost my professional career in any way. I took the test to see if I had it in me to earn the credential. In 2007 there were just 7 CPPs in India (myself included) and I was the first in RBI. I can happily state that I did motivate some other colleagues who are Board Certified today and working in the Reserve Bank of India and some who are not. A whole lot of other guys (who got in touch with me through this blog) also benefited by the material which I had.

However, a lot has changed over the past years in terms of exam content, structure and percentage of domains of Security in which one is tested. My earlier posts related to CPP may not be fully relevant today. The study material recommended has totally changed. Now all that is recommended is the 8 volume POA and relevant ASIS Standards which can be downloaded free of cost (once) in case one is a member. The cost of POA is quite high so it would be a good idea to convince your management to foot the bill for the resource. I know the New Delhi Chapter had bought one set of study material, POA (which was 4 volumes at that time) included, in 2008 or 2009. No idea about other Chapters.

The ASIS website is quite exhaustive and one should go through it carefully to get answers to most common queries. Earning the certification is tough but it certainly gives you recognition within the fraternity. Employers in India today (and not only multi-nationals) are increasingly advertising for relevant certifications. Taking the test will ensure that you gain the required level of knowledge in Security Management, give your confidence a tremendous boost and make you visible within the fraternity. Should one go for it or not, spend so much money and whether it will add value or not  is a matter of personal choice and I will not comment on these choices. Hope that I have cleared the air somewhat ! Wishing all the best to future CPP aspirants.

Resurgence, Revival, Resurrection, Revisting - Bishtblog

After a lengthy hiatus of six years plus, I think it is high time I start blogging again. I have received numerous requests from my friends and acquaintances in this regard. Well, for starters, an update on my status would be appropriate. I am still working with the Saud Bahwan Group at Muscat - going to be nearly eight years now. The past six years have been a roller coaster ride in hell on the personal front owing to a court case in which my sons were framed for a crime they did not commit. On the professional front, things have been hectic but no cribs on that account as the ride has been quite satisfying. So much for resurgence - I better quit my rant now.