My Interview

This is my first blog and I would like to talk about one of my first times. My first interview. It is pretty amazing how different each interview can be. But there is nothing like the first time!! So here goes…

I was woken up on a cozy Saturday Morning. I had an absolutely brilliant plan of spending the whole day in bed when this happened. A phone rang somewhere around. I was hoping this to be a dream than wake up and pick it up. Then before I knew it I was talking to some girl on the other side. What on earth does she want at this time of the day. Why can’t a guy live in peace.

Then she told me that they are calling from this great marketing research company and had happened to see my resume in a website and thought that I might just be the right guy.

I was shocked to hear that. I don’t know which part of my resume made them feel about me like this. My resume spoke nothing more than SOFTWARE and IT and somehow they were pretty sure as to what they were doing!! I told them its pretty short notice but I was assured that its nothing more than a mere HR round (meaning, the worst was yet to come). That was swell. I didn’t know what to do. I decided to give it a try anyways. Its amazing how fast your decisions can change. I don’t remember what made me change my great plans for the day. But I did.

Now I was in a fix. What will they be asking? What are they expecting from a fresh pass-out like me? Will there be 4 old guys taking their turn to grind me? What if I don’t find any answers for their questions? Oh, its pretty amazing how your brain decides to go incoherent when you really need its faculties. By this time I realized one thing. I had no idea what this company is all about!! That was real great. Then I contacted few of my friends who I was pretty sure had heard something about this company.

I was told it was a pretty decent firm but they won’t offer a great package for the new recruits. Well that was okay. Anything was okay now. But my problems had just begun. Why on earth did I agree to this. Of course I could have stopped then and there. But the excitement cannot end like that. I had to attend the interview no matter what!! I took my Transcript, some Certificates & Project Reports & Forwarded a CV soft copy to the HR. I never had a resume hard copy so I had to take one by rushing to the nearest net browsing center…

About the interview. I don’t think it deserves to be called one. There were three of us. Company was good looking & all (so were some ppl in it). I was sitting with the some IITians (well that is unfair competition but life is so unfair) when a lady came in… No introduction from her side. She asked for our names & was surprised when she saw me. She asked whether I was in the right place. I felt sort of dumb but gave her my name again. Finally she remembered or rather made it look like she remembered.

One person went in & came back in 5 minutes. It was OK, he was not hurt. That gave me some confidence. I went in after filling some application. I was asked to describe myself in an application… This part I liked… “Frank, growing with competition, very open to new technologies, simply great with people” & all such nonsense… I wrote anything that came to my mind. Still we didn’t know about the job profile. Pretty amazing huh!!

I went in. What the heck! Where are the old fellas. There was just one girl. ‘Cool‘, I thought, ‘I can manage this‘. She asked to tell something about me. I told her about my School, College… I think she expected much more, but I stopped with that. After an awkard silence, she showed an old sheet & told something about it. I had absolutely no idea what she was driving at. Finally, she told me its a sort of research work… she was still not very clear. I said I am okay with software… research, is simply too much for me. Yeah that just about killed the whole Interview, I know, but I couldn’t help that.

Then she asked me about my family… I wasn’t very sure what to answer & started telling about my history & other stupid things… pretty dumb I know, but I wasn’t sure what to answer. Then she gave me an odd look & asked me what was my dad & all that… ‘Oh that‘, I thought, but why the heck is she asking about my dad. Still I gave her the answer… then she asked me to leave & said she’ll call me when there’s a vacancy in software work. I REALLY DOUBT THAT!! Its unbelievable how the most exciting moments of your life come to an abrupt end. This end was no exception.

I finally asked her whether she was the person who contacted me on phone & she said yes… I was amazed she had no more info from her side & I am sure she was even more bewildered by my answers. I felt sort of sorry when I thought about her life. She has to put up with so many guys like me EVERYDAY!! So what? She started all this!!

The last guy went in & I told the goodbye to the other candidate. He smiled & said “meet u in next round”… of course he meant it as a pun & I left… That was it. I had managed to come out unscathed but on the whole I felt pretty dumb & stupid when I thought about my replies.
Not much to write about, it was after all a five minute talk. But it left behind a lot of unanswered questions in my mind. Am I really competitive enough to face the corporate life? But I guess there are things to be learnt from any experience – “WHEN YOU LOSE A FIGHT DON’T LOOSE THE LESSON”. I learnt and finally managed to make a job but I can never forget my first Interview!!