What is your package?

Ever since placement, I have heard this question so many times that I feel like smacking the mouth that utters these words. Whoever I meet at ISB or outside asks this question as if it's my duty to inform the person about this most private thing. Whatever happened to respecting privacy?

Following is a conversation I had with an old acquaintance recently over gtalk.

S: hey hi buddy

hru doing these days ..?

me: im fine

how are you

long time

S: ye pretty long time ..

doing good ..

so hows all going at your end ..?

MBA over ..?

me: ya

just graduated

S: cool yaar congrats ..!

placed @ ..?

me: hv a cpl of offers

with xx and yyy

S:
congrats yaar ..!

:)

hey can u tell me wht ws ur gmat score ..?

me: 740

S: hmm ...

If u dont mind ...cud u tell me ur package for yyy..?

me: it's good enough for me mate

S: Ya but it was good even before right

me: Ya well it takes care of my needs even better now

S: Ya but exactly how much?

P: I'll get by. Enough to take care of my needs.

S: haha :) ok

People just don't get the hint that someone values privacy.
Another time an ISB classmate asked similar questions. So I said it's a private matter dude. Did I ask yours? So the reply came, "just because you didn't ask me how would I know I didn't ask anybody else? And anyway, I just want to benchmark my salary". me: "!".

Today I got this email...(to set the context, I had forwarded a job posting I got from ISB alum group to my undergrad (Jadavpur University) alum group.

Hi Priyom,

Though I'm not intersted in the job you mentioned but from your signature I came to know you are MBA from ISB 2010 batch. Would you please tell where have you been placed from campus with what package. And what's highest, lowest, average package of ISB this year domestic as well as international.
Regards,
P*******

I got so pi**ed off at this that I felt like giving a mouthful to this person whom I didn't even know.
I eventually replied:

P*******,

I had an offer with ** Corporate Strategy from the campus.
Compensation details are a private and confidential matter and I won't provide that info to you.
The ISB salary and other details are available on the ISB site www.isb.edu (the current year's will be available in a few months).

Now I've decided that I'll be brutally frank and tell people to f*** off if anyone asks my salary. And if you do want to ask, wrap your question in a garb of propriety. For instance, today someone asked me, "Could you tell me what percentage hike you got over your last CTC"? Though I replied "substantial" but at least I haven't lost respect for the person asking the above question.

Anyway, this would be be a good time to mention that I decided to rejoin my old firm. They are opening a new strategy consulting practice and I'd be in charge of the entire east India region. In fact I'm the first and only employee so far in this part of the country. My reporting manager is the SBU head. Interesting days ahead.