How I made a job.

This may seem a curious thing to post about right now, especially since I am probably not going to join the company where I am currently placed...(which, for fear of a lawsuit by the company, and my batchmates' murderous intentions I will hereby name as ABC) However the fact remains that I made my job in such non-congenial and weird circumstances, that its something I have to share with others.

So here goes: It a couple of days before elections, tensions mounting, worrying incidents happenning, me totally confused as to what to do, and to top it all, ABC comes for recruitment, and I haven't made a single job.

I give the first test, aptitude, 40 mins, 40 questions, it goes well. I then go to the Dean's office for updates.. apparently he was out of station and just returned. So while I am with him discussing the issue, I get a message, second technical test in 10 mins. SO I excuse myself, and go up to 2201 again. This time 40 mins, 70 mcqs, and around 45 guesses(...really I am not lying). So I return to the office and now its a meeting between lots of people, so I don't need to talk much here. Meeting adjourned, lunch missed, message reads "technical interview at 3pm" I smile, but not for long. I run, tear open my packed shirt(yet another twist, 'twas my first interview so the white shirt is still in its original package) I look in the mirror, then my wrist watch. Unshaven, 8 minutes remain. 5 minutes to walk to VFAST. I decide to risk it, and go unshaven. I reach with a minute to spare, sweating from everywhere, the volunteer tells me that things are going about an hour late. First piece of good news all day! I walk back slowly, shave, relax, google for what ABC stands for, write it to my memory(too many CS apti papers, I guess) and walk back to VFAST.

Technical interview: The guy is around 45ish, balding from every perceivable angle, looking as interested as a five year-old looks at his dinner plate filled with greens. But I smile like I am advertising for a new brand of toothpaste. He sits me down, and asks me to write code. Now I'm no programmer, but its an IT profile:-(, so I take the pen in hand and start. Factorial normal, factorial using recursion, fibonacci using recursive, sum of geometric series. I look intrigued but smile from within, same questions as to the guy before me. Now the real test, what do you know about OS, DS, and some more abbreviations. I answer, "Sir, I am an electronics graduate, and during the course of my study I was not exposed to these concepts. However, if I have the good fortune of being shortlisted to your esteemed organisation, I assure you that I will acquire the requisite skill sets during this semester." I guy actually looks impressed. :) Some more questions, again answers that any 12th pass could answer. But always with a smile and with sang-froid..(this one's for those preparing for GRE). The interview finishes, and I wait for HR.

Now as I wait for HR, the whole situation, as though reveals itself to me. As of now, I had too many things on my mind, but now its like.. By God! I may actually get it.. and an IT job too. Life's weird man. I enter, and the guy starts with the all too famous, all too overhyped, all too cliched, "Tell me about yourself, something not on your resume" I act as though I wasn't expecting this all so suddenly. I then switch on the tape recorder. Perfect answer, no hesitation, no stammering, no nothing. Cool as cool can be. Then things about my family and stuff. Then the question that I think they gave weightage to, 'coz they stressed it a lot, "Are you willing to work anywhere during the training". "Yes sir, I love travelling and seeing noew places". And then the question that could have screwed it up, "Why do you wan to join ABC?" Now how do I answer that, I just heard of the company a week ago, I don't know what they do, by God, all I know is what ABC stands for. Now as all this is going through my mind and my processor just starts thinking up a brilliant answer, he looks me in the eye and says "You don't have an answer, right?". Now for a moment I am cought unaware, like a novice swimmer who realizes for the first time how high 8 metres really is. But I risk it and shrug honestly. Fow more questions, and later we shake hands and I leave.

Before I can even fathom it all, I get a call, and its urgent. Now for purposes of not wanting to deviate much from the topic at hand to an altogether different and probably more interesting topic, I will not divulge any details. All I will say is, 2 hours later, in the middle of a tense SU meeting.. well not tense but one with a potential for serious consequences, I get a call, no message this time. I got in. I smile to myself, look around and tell the nearest fellow in the ear, "I got a job" and the meeting carries on.

Now what I wanted to do here is just share an experience. Not to show off my pressure handling ability, or my presence of mind or my good..(maybe weird) luck, or my writing skills :). No, the purpose is none of these, but if you do think I need to be applauded for these or any other aspect of my experience, do leave comments.