How I met my Employer: Epilogue

28th December, 2010.

The sun was setting in Vadodara, after a really long day. Dad and I had been house-hunting for four days now, and our efforts seemed to get vainer and vainer. Tired of waiting for a phone call, we were getting tea at some sub-standard restaurant. Not surprisingly, I wasn't in one of my best moods.

Yes, I had been placed in Evalueserve. I know I ought to feel proud of it, but for the repeated instances when my parents forgot the name of the company. An good healthy inferiority complex had built up in my conscience. Who am I, really ?

Jason Bourne : Who am I ?

So I was still looking out for any on-campus opportunities to come by. Some good consulting firm, which was more heard of, and didn't have a problem with a gpa of 6.9 . Sitting on some stairs, leaning carelessly against the wall, I checked my email. Our placement head had sent us a notice of the companies to visit.

Being in Gujarat, I couldn't afford to waste any time considering any possible travel to Patiala. Tickets had to be bought soon, if they were to be bought.

But my excitement and hurry weren't able to open the attachment on my phone. Or maybe I just couldn't figure it out then. So I called home immediately, and started instructing my mom. I had kept a simple password, so that I could reveal it in these situations.

Exasperated with my exasperation, mom called my brother to the computer as being a Gen-y'er he was faster.

"Tata consultancy services."
"Okay, what's the CTC ?"
"3.something (I don't remember)"
"Next please!"

Likewise went Wipro alongiwith some companies I hadn't heard of, until finally,

"Nomura services." If auditory neurons could shout, I can imagine 'Oh my God!' as one of their chants. But I didn't get my hopes up too much, and asked "Open to branches ?"

"CS, ECE, EIC."
"Package?"
"6 L"
It still wasn't time to shout.

"Minimum CG?" Tense moment.
"6.5"

They had recruited only one at NSIT, apparently. So I wasn't that pepped up yet. "Go on."

"Deloitte."

I had been waiting to hear or read that name since last september, when the placement season had started. And no, I didn't have the slightest idea what exactly they did, but this was a name you can't expect people to forget.

"CTC: 5.2 L , CS ECE EIC Elec."

"Good.. and minimum CG?" Super tense moment. I had long harbored fear that Deloitte eventually come to recruit, but will ask for a 7 gpa. Some people have a habit of imagining the worst.

"6."

My liver : "What is it now, you bloody neurons ?"
Chief Neuron: " Emperor brain calls for a party. Muster up all the adrenaline you can!"

I think I got carried away a bit. But you heard chief neuron. Not my fault.

The written test for Nomura was scheduled for 10th of January, and Deloitte on the evening of 12th, which would extend onto the 13th.

Dad somehow instructed Mom to buy the train tickets. Nomura was actually visiting on 17th, so the return was bought for the 19th. But then I also got one return for the 15th, in case I get through Deloitte. It felt stupid saying that, due to general lack of confidence, but still.

Later in the evening, we finally found a cyber cafe where I could properly see it for myself. There was an attachment specific to Deloitte, and the moment I opened the excel sheet, words like Java, SAP, oracle came screaming to my face.

"Looks like they'll recruit only people from computer science then." Before I could hopelessly agree, there was a section titled minimum requirements. Good analytical and communication skills.. the usual. There had to be a reason they entitled the electronics' branches.

Then I sent a mail to Harry, inquiring for the number of computer science students applying, because when I checked it a few days later, not many from my branch had applied.

Harry replied with the entire list. Clearly I could see that the bigshots had opted out, as dream companies like Yahoo and Microsoft were yet to visit. (Deloitte was given 'dream status'. And once one gets selected in a dream, he's ruled out for the rest.) That's when I realised, I seriously had a shot at this.

For all you patient readers, I'm sorry I have to fast forward at this point. I'm not disclosing the details of the process publicly. In case any of you are really interested, you can ask me privately.

This will most probably be my last blog post. Any forthcoming ones will be purely psychological. I doubt anyone's interested.

500 people, including the Head of the placement council laughed at me in an introductory seminar in September for asking a valid question, which was misinterpreted by the entire fourth year somehow.

Seniors told me my gpa just wasn't enough to hope for too much.

Ten months ago I said there is no way in hell I can make it to a dream company.

I'm going to Mumbai day after tomorrow to join Deloitte, as a BTA (Business Technology Analyst).

A moment I'd like to see again soon.

Episode III: The Aftermath and Afterthought

'Totally got molested.'


Pulkit and Harry were waiting outside the placement cell, and these were the very words that popped into my head, and out of my mouth, after the second interview.


One might say after reading the interview now, that it wasn't that bad at all. But then comparing my walk and talk during and after the first interview the day before, this really was something.

I waited outside for further instructions, since I saw some people going for a third interview. Now I had no idea what that meant; but at that moment I could only suppose that these interviews were like levels to cross in Mario.


It was almost 3 o clock, and I went to get some lunch in the cafeteria. When I got back, a girl I knew was going in for her fourth interview.


Was she using a cheat code ?


Worries had now started to crop up in my head, which was obvious as my nervous head was the perfect fertilizer, and the interviewer had so kindly planted the seed. With nothing else to do, I kept on asking the guys assisting the whole process, whether I was supposed to wait for another call.


It was half past five, and still I hadn't been called. Many got a third interview, and I didn't like being left out. Finally, they said they had completed the interviews and were ready with the results.


We were asked to gather in another room. Harry and Pulkit were standing alongside me, and so we waited. After what seemed an eternity they entered, and we all instinctively stood up, as we've always done when someone in a tie and a suit enters the room.


They were recruiting in three different categories - Business Research, Investment research, and IPR; I had applied for BR. They started announcing the list with the very same.


The silence was deadening, and I felt cold inside. If dementors were real, they were in that very room.


My heart paced more and more with each name spoken out in BR, until they stopped. I think my heart would've followed suit, but the very next second, they proceeded with IR, and my name was the first spoken out.


Sachin could've been a few feet away, a dragon might've flown by, but once my name was uttered, there was no way in hell I would've noticed.

Twelve students had finally made it. I felt sorry for the girl who got left out in spite interviewing four times. Twelve, out of the 280 odd that started.


I would not go into details of the celebration, although I assure you all I didn't run naked on the street, kiss anyone or get high that day.


Jokes and brags aside, there are a few things I notice once I reflect back on those couple of days. I believe these tips might be of some help.


Note: This is what my experience was. Interviewers are unpredictable, and what follows may not be true in some cases.

• Resume: Be wary of everything you write in your resume. Every single word. Especially the extra-curriculars. More than half my interview was about that section.

• Certificates: Neither of the two interviewers asked for my folder of certificates. So save yours and your friends' time by telling them that running around and begging for an Aranya certificate will do no good. Whatever you did or achieved should be on the resume. They're not interested in a fat colorful stack of cursive handwriting.

• Cheating: Okay this is tricky. I didn't cheat to get through, but the reason might have been that they shortlisted around 90 out of 280. Say it took just 30, then groups of students might put a loner into disadvantage. Watch out.

• Luck: This is a bit more deep, and ought to be shared.

I honestly don't believe in luck. Yes, I believe in chance, but I don't hope for it to work wonders.

I'm usually referred to by people as pessimistic and/or cynical. But when it comes to stuff that matters, believe me I'm the most optimistic guy in the world. Those hours I waited with an empty stomach, for my second interview, never did my optimism waver. Many would get frustrated in the same scenario, and trust me that is bound to reflect in their interview as well. 

There are some questions to which many answers are possible with multiple explanations, but only one perfect set pleases the interviewer. I didn't prepare any of them beforehand, but was spontaneous. Where some might say I got lucky, I'll say that my blooming spirit did it's job. When you're thinking positively, the things you say in your spontaneity will reflect that. So, try not to get frustrated during the procedure.

Also, don't beat yourself up if you realise you've given a wrong answer. Nobody who gets selected has all the right answers. Sometimes it doesn't even matter whether you're right or wrong.

All the best to everyone gearing up for this !

Of Movies and Musings.

1.This post is not intended in any way to criticize anyone's opinions.

2. When I say movie, I mean Hollywood.

Just like for anything else, everyone has their own opinion of movies they watch. Where once only the Academy existed, now there're entire websites dedicated to reviews and ratings. IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes.. you get the point.

This, inevitably has led to the biasing of the public's judgement. Many worship IMDb and their list of the top 250, and some of them don't watch anything rated below 7. Others call the movie total crap if it somehow passes over their head, or doesn't live up to their expectations.

Personally, I don't judge a movie by its rating. Not entirely, at least. I think I've more faith in the Academy.

Now you can all come at me flying with daggers, 'Tera kya jaa raha hai... Sabki apni choice hai..' etc.

Before you do so, I'm not here to tell you to make the right choice. This is not about what movies you like, but about those you don't like and tag as nonsense. The minds behind the movie deserve much more respect and credit than what we give. After all, it's a work of art.

Consider Da Vinci's art as an example. Most of you would be aware about the plethora of interpretations of The Last Supper, or the symmetrical beauty of The Vitruvian Man or the mystery behind that Mona Lisa smile. Heck, these very intricacies form the grounds for so many novels, and subsequently documentaries/movies.

That's the power of one single image.

Imagine the possible depth in a string of such images. Vis-a-vis, a movie.

If you think that you can comprehend that depth in one watch, you're kidding yourself. Of course, not everyone prefers to go that way. Some like it shallow. But please don't go mocking legends like Christopher Nolan, just because you didn't get Inception. 

DiCaprio with God.

Again, the problem is not is your depth or shallowness. Yes, some people just watch movies for fun, and some dig deep and try to look from the director's perspective. But no movie deserves to be called trash, especially when a movie blossoms after the painstaking efforts of hundreds. Ask yourself, does calling Mona Lisa stupid make any sense to you at all ? A movie is no different. They're both a work of art.

One of my friends made a movie (Antiparallel) in his first year. There was a lot of publicity before the screening, and expectations were high. I couldn't attend the screening for some reason. Afterwards, on what I heard from most friends, they didn't get one bit of it. Two years later, when this guy became a close friend, I finally watched it. Obviously, after what most people said, I wasn't too fussed about watching it.

It turned out to be superb. I had to watch a couple of scenes twice, and had a doubt about the last one. But coming from a first year, it was surprisingly intense and ornate.

I felt guilty about my earlier judgement. Art needs time to be perceived. 

The same goes for Inception too. Every time I watch it (5-6 times as of now), I observe something new, and it leaves me astounded every single time.

I'm not endorsing my friend's movie or Inception here (But I don't deny Christopher Nolan is my God). At some point, I'm sure many of you have discovered new insights after watching a movie again.

Lastly, this isn't a request to go watch the entirety of Hollywood and try hard to fall in love with every one of them. It's obviously up to you what you wanna watch. All I'm saying, some movies deserve more than one watch to be judged. And don't let sites like IMDb cloud your opinion even before you watch it, when you have a working brain to make your own opinions.

So, the next time you hear your mom tell off you, or your sibling, "Kitni baar dekhoge? Aajtak koi chapter toh padha nahi ek baar se zyada..", you can tell her that:

Mom, there are some things that are just meant to be done again.