Sidarth Mishra

Loyalty is Two-way

"The adage that you must wait for a good opportunity only holds true after you have repeatedly tried to find one or make your own. In other words, don't rely solely on the break that may come your way.  The best course of action is to create the opportunity.”

Sidarth Mishra joined QSS in 2004 and worked as a cleaner and office assistant in our first Office Pantry Management contract at Qatar University. He acquired office clerical, inventory management, and customer service skills over his two years working on this project. He was performing standard office duties in addition to serving tea and coffee but QSS noted that he was keeping a clear record of his pantry supplies. This led to his transfer in 2006 to the company-owned Le Gourmet Restaurant in Souq Waqif to fill in the vacated Storekeeper role.

In 2009, the headoffice required an Assistance Purchasing Officer and Sidarth was tapped for the role. Here, he learned about dealing with suppliers, coordinating deliveries across locations and facilitating purchase orders.

Sidarth was performing well in the purchasing department, but he loved the challenge of managing stocks and inventories.  As a result, in 2011, he grabbed the chance presented by our project at Keppel and went back to store management. 

In 2013, when QSS mobilized the cafeteria and events project at the College of the North Atlantic—(now known as University of Doha for Science and Technology), Sidarth was promoted to Senior Storekeeper to oversee the store. To date, Sidarth continues to be a suitable replacement every time the location manager takes a leave of absence.

How was your life back home?

I belonged to a medium-class family who had food on the table but was not totally living comfortably. In fact, my father struggled to pay for the education of my brother and I.  

Before QSS, which career were you pursuing back home?

While attending high school, I started working as a Helper in a Tea Factory. Throughout my career in Nepal, my earnings helped support my family. 

What was your driving force to leave your country and work abroad?

I wanted us to live comfortably more than just to get by on day to day.  My wage as a helper was absolutely insufficient to provide us with the necessities, let alone the indulgences.  I felt obligated to raise our standard of living, and I thought that working abroad would improve my earnings.

How did you land a job in Qatar Star Services (QSS)

In 2004, I started my hunt for jobs overseas and my daily searching led me to a job vacancy for a steward position in QSS. Without hesitation, I applied and was fortunate enough to be selected for the role.

How did QSS change your life?

I will begin with the gist of my QSS tale.  My family and I now enjoy the conveniences in life that the QSS opportunity made possible.

Throughout my entire career, I have never worked for a company that is as generous with opportunities and training as QSS.  As a newcomer to Qatar, I encountered many challenges including language barrier, adapting to a different culture, and acclimating to an unfamiliar work environment. These were my apprehensions and they lasted no more than a couple of months.

I had all the training, direction and support that I needed to become more at ease and confident.  Up to this day, QSS continues to be a company that values internal promotion and employee training and development over hiring new people. With the knowledge and skills that I have acquired since I joined, I would have left and joined another company. But thanks to the opportunity for growth that QSS has extended since I joined which is one of the so many reasons that I remained loyal. Others have told me that loyalty could close new doors of opportunities for me.  I respect that but with QSS, I have reached my goals.

Additionally, I would like to emphasize the invaluable support from my managers and colleagues throughout this journey. As a result of their collective efforts, I conquered all sorts of work pressure and progressed from being a tea boy/office assistant to a senior storekeeper.

My journey in QSS is an achievement from which I learned how to deal with obstacles in my life and secure a stable financial future. I was able to build a home for my family, send my kids to a good school, and acquire a land in Nepal as an asset. As the husband and head of the household, it is my responsibility to secure the future of my kids since they are my source of strength and motivation. They inspire me to get out of bed every day and give my all in everything I do whatever the circumstances.

What lessons can you impart to others who are striving to establish their own success story?

My life’s golden lesson is that “You need to be smart enough to create your own opportunities. Don’t wait for the opportunities to chase you”.

What continues to inspire you to keep aiming for a better life?

The smile in my loved ones’ faces, especially those of my children.  Their smile constantly fuels my drive to pursue a brighter future.  Their happiness serves as a measurement of my fulfillment as a father, motivating me to consistently aim higher. I aspire to be their role model, support their growth and empower them to achieve their dreams.