The Phenomenon that “CAMPUS” was-PART 2

Infosys campus recruitment was scheduled on 16^th of January 2011 just the day after the CTS interview. My cognizant interview had gone well so I was a little bit relaxed but I did not want complacency to creep in so, I slept early after coming back home and got up at 4:00 A.M in the morning. Just had a look at some of the previous paper patterns and practices some stuff that was new to me. 
 

Again reached college at 8:00 A.M in the morning and went straight to the auditorium to attend the PPT.Infosys was offering a salary package of Rs.3.25 lacs per annum.Niket had not cleared the CTS paper so one of the primary objectives this time was to make sure that he gets through the written. I tried boosting the four of us by saying something or the other and cracking a lot of jokes to make sure that atmosphere was light.

Finally we were guided to our rooms for the written test and asked to fill a very lengthy form, immediately after which the written test began. The first section was Analytical reasoning and was very easy. I attempted all the questions with 5 minutes to spare and then showed all the answers to Niket and Aman who was sitting next to me. Next section was verbal which was easier but a little bit lengthy. I was attempting the paper but suddenly I found that Niket started to loose his cool. He got caught once for turning behind and looking in my answer sheet and the invigilator came and asked for his name. I don’t know but this seemed to have panicked him even more but contrary to keeping low for some he started shouting question numbers demanding answers from, I don’t know who. I asked him to keep quite but that was of no use. His voice was definitely being heard at the opposite corner of the room. He kept on shouting  22  ka..27 ka…32 bata…..I had never seen him more desperate before, anyways I told him and Aman as many answers as I could.

Finally when the exam got over I asked Niket “Bhai is ladoo paper mein tujhe kya nahi bana…tu neend mein bhi kar leta isse….itna risk kyoun lia”.He remained quite and I looked at Pankaj was gave me a look that clearly suggested “Leave it buddy…the guy is under tremendous pressure”.Anyways if there was any damage it was already done.  

We were told that our interviews would begin after a break of 2 hours but, none of us had come dressed in formals. So Tarang and Niket rushed back to their homes to get dressed while Pankaj and I stayed back. I had already packed a separate bag back at home incase the interview happened the same day so, I called Papa who sent someone to deliver the bag to me.

So finally suited we assembled in the auditorium waiting for the results of the written test. Around two batches of 20 names each were announced and none of us figured in those lists. We were informed that more lists are coming as the copies are getting checked. Finally some more lists came and Niket was one of the first among the Oriental CSE to be called out(We did have a sigh of relief),and then came heavy showers of the Oriental Computer Science names who have cleared the written test.Tarang and I also made it but unfortunately Pankaj could not this time. But I was not really worried about him because I knew that his CTS interview had gone well and he would clear it anyway.Out of 750 people who appeared 180 had cleared the written exam.

We were guided to our interview panels immediately. When I reached mine I found Punit already waiting for his turn outside the room. This time around all the cool customers  were in my panel.Punit always maintains that kid smile on his face and to my right was a girl from MCA who was telling me how  her interview took place at the same time, in the same room yesterday and how good did it go. If this was not sufficient soon I was accompanied by Sadaf with whom I had a fun chat and never realized when my turn for interview came.(Although Sadaf tried to crib about how nervous she was in her own perennial habit, I can tell you she was not at all. And you people will laugh when I tell you what she said “yaar…maine to kuch bhi prepare nahi kiya hai….mujhe to about me bhi nahi aata…pata nahi kya hoga..dar lag raha hai  :P :D” ).Finally my turn came and I was asked to go inside the room. Now this is how the interview was:

(This time around the HR was a little old but by the look on his face I could make out that he was very learned, and sort of calm and sweet) 

Me: May I come in sir??

HR: Yes..Please come in…take a seat.

Me: good evening sir.

HR: Good evening to you too. Can I have your resume please?

Me: (Handling him the resume) sir do you want me to give the scholastic sheet as well??

HR: yes please…is it signed??

Me: No sir ..(I started  to sign the scholastic sheet)

HR: (sweetly explained to me) you must always sign whatever document you give during the interview.

Me: Ok sir, I will keep that in mind.

HR: Tell me about your self.

Me: (Told and was again asked the company’s name for which my sister worked) I told him that my hobby was reading.

HR: OK Anshul…what type of books do you read??

Me: sir I read all kinds of books….I keep on changing the genres in order to taste different flavors.

HR: still some specific type of books ..that you like more??

Me: Sir I like to read fiction if it is gripping.

HR: Do you read only English literature or some other as well??

Me: sir mostly I read English.

HR: Why don’t you read hindi literature, it is also very rich and good.

Me: Sir I read English more because I want to improve my English language but I have also read some hindi literature like Premchand and I usually visit a website called “kavitakosh.com” that contains poems from all the renowned poets in hindi literature.

(He again confirmed the name of the website)

HR: Good..Tell me Anshul have you read “Madhushala” by Harivansh Rai Bachchan??

Me: (popping in quickly) Yes sir I have …infact it is one of my favorite poems…I even have the audio book for this recited by Amitabh Bachchan himself.

HR: Ohhh..is that audio book also available on the website??

Me: No sir..the site contains only the literature but actually I liked this poem a lot and one of my friends had that audio book ,so he gave it to me.

HR: Is that audio book available in the market??

Me: It must be…you will find it if you Google it J

HR: I must look for it then.Ok...tell me about your favorite author and some of his works.

Me: Sir I like fiction from Dan Brown the most. I have read four books from him..Deception Point, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code…….and…the fourth one..i can’t remember…

HR: Have you seen the movie also on The Da Vinci code??

(I mentioned that I liked watching movies in my hobbies)

Me: Yes sir I have watched the movie as well.

HR: Was it as good as the novel??

Me: Sir the movie was very good as well…but if you compare it with the novel then not probably not as good.

HR: (He agreed with me. Then he went through my resume and asked about my project and my role in it)

Me: Told him the name of the project and explained him one of my business plans and how it was different than the existing ones. I explained him that the complete plan, strategy and concept is mine.

(He asked some doubts about some loopholes…and I explained how I intended to remove them…by which he looked convinced. He praised me for my plan..J )

HR: Where did you do your industrial training??

Me: Told about my industrial training in web development and its relation with my project.

HR: (Looking at my resume) what is FPAI??

Me: Told him that it’s the world’s 3^rd largest NGO and all..(He said..okk..i get it now..i know about this)

HR: Anshul you must have faced some problems in your life….tell me about one such problem and how you came out of it??

Me: Yes sir..I have indeed faced some problems…you might have noticed that I have a drop after my 12^th standard. Actually I suffered serious illness during that period…I had to go through a bed rest for nearly 3 months. I was initially having fever and my family doctor was out of the country, so I had to consult some other doctors. They diagnosed that it was probably a viral infection and prescribed me medicines accordingly. The medicines worked as well and I recovered but again after a weak I would fall sick with same symptoms. The doctor would prolong the dosage and this kept on going for a month and a half. Finally my family doctor came back and he also diagnosed the same problem….I again recovered from viral but after a week or so I started having pain in my lower abdomen…the doctor asked me to have a sonography done as it was possibly looking like appendix. The sonography reported that it was not appendix bus there was a caseation in my lymph nodes due to some infection. The doctor prescribed more test to find out the reason of infection but they all returned no results, so finally he asked me to have a FNAC and CT scan of the abdomen.

Now this CT scan was fine but the FNAC was something brutal…The doctors used a 6 inches long hollow needle and poked it in the area of caseation …until the skin of my stomach punctured and then used the sonography machine to look whether they have reached the correct spot or not. They took out the needle and did this twice or thrice and each time they poked that needle a stream of blood would flow down my stomach. Finally when they reached the right spot they put an injection to the other end of the needle and pulled the plunger and a tissue of the infected caseation was sucked into the needle which was then sent for testing (I did not tell him this but the doctor who did this was very sweet. When I asked her initially what was going to happen she said “arey you you won’t even realize and it will be over…no sedatives or anesthesia required. After the job was done she told me you were very brave….most people faint during the procedure. Although I was half dead by then but I must confess what she said provided some sort of respite :D ;) )

Anyways by then I had already lost 3 months…I had to take a drop anyhow but most of the coachings in Bhopal had already begun and all of my friends were already into 3 months of preparation. This was a big stretch of depression for me because I was good in academics but I could not help the issue. My sister was in Indore so she asked me to come their and join a coaching which had batches starting late so that I can also have a change of environment. So finally I went to Indore…and not to mention hostel had its own hardships …but somehow this drop year turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me. I made some very good friends at hostel, I learnt to fight my fears, came out of my depression. Eventually I did not clear IIT but this made me realize that my sickness was not the only reason..I lacked something else…and that is what I have been trying to improve over the past 4 years.

HR: Good… very good.Ok Anshul that would be all..All the best!!!

Me:Thank you Sir J

They interview was very nice and the interviewer was really kind and gave me enough space and freedom to speak.

We were then asked to wait in the waiting room. 

Now this is where a change of equation took place.Sadaf was back from her interview and we were discussing our interviews…suddenly there was such a huge noise that I could not hear my own voice and this is when an alien feeling took over me. Something that I had always known but never felt so tangibly. That feeling was “mediocrity”….both of my job interviews had gone well and I am quite confident in getting through both of them….but this is just when I realized…that this was no big a deal. I am not the only one to be at that position….I am just another pebble in the huge hill…just another fish in the vast ocean. The thing which appeared to be so coveted until now, suddenly seemed so trivial.

That is when I called my dad and said “Papa feel nahi aa rahi yaar….har kisi ka ho gaya…there is no sense of achievement…bheed lagi padi hai yahaan” and my dad said “beta maine to pehle hi kaha tha tumse…anyways you come back home and we will discuss about it”

The moment I hung up that call I knew what I had to do and this time more clearly than I had ever known. My dad always wanted me to enter the business but he never forced me, he would often tell me “Dude what’s the point in struggling and making just 3 lac rupees per annum when you are capable of earning 3lack per month comfortably back at home” and I would answer him in my mind “Papa you have been your own self made man, you have had your own share of struggles and you can’t take my struggles away from me. I need to be my own self made man…I want to establish my own base line…my worth in the market…so that even if I falter in future I have the strength and confidence to start from scratch again” (My dad’s life story is an awesomely inspiring one..from being the 2^nd rank holder in Agra University to doing his first job for Rs.1500 per month and finally becoming a successful businessman).

Truly speaking at this point of time I don’t even care if I make it in these two companies or not…I have already got what I wanted from this experience…my self belief and the reassurance of my minimum worth. I don’t at all want to demean or disrespect the achievement that cracking this campus job is, infact I myself have worked for for 15-18 hours daily for the past 15 days. I slept at 11:00 P.M on the night of 31^st December so that I could get up on time the next morning and start working. But sometimes when you know that you have worked hard the process of struggle and hard work starts appearing more rewarding and dearer than the result itself.   

I would also like to thank all my friends and family for their support especially Neeraj and Guggi for believing that I will make it in first go, even before I believed it. I remember Neeraj coming up to me on 10^th of January when we came to college for our registrations and saying that “Buddy I still suggest you skip this campus and enter the field…”.Thanks for showing that confidence in me buddy…but you very well know why I want to gain the experience of the corporate world..and I promise that I will be back soon…and if I go astray I want you to remind me that it’s time for me to get back.

Anyways it’s time to set new goals, work on the incomplete ones, look forward to more struggles and achieve my New Year resolutions. I would be more than happy to extend my services if anybody needs help as far as cracking campus tests are concerned. Even if you haven’t talked to me for a long time or whatever reason it is please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Wishing all good luck for the upcoming campuses and awaited results.