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How I got my first job by Paramji's grace

When I got my first job at Mu Sigma...

I am one of those people who feel very confident about anything they leap into wittingly. This time, although, I was so restless that neither shopping nor my cappuccino with whipped cream could mollify the butterflies in my stomach. The dry spell in the Chemical Engineering job sector had made me believe that I was not prolly going to get a job. I was thinking about M.Tech already and that wasn’t daydreaming since I had a good enough GATE score. To my rescue, there was this great sounding job prospective at Mu Sigma, a company that had been delaying its visit since long. I had not applied in the first go and badly regretted thereafter. In my winter vacations, I realized how rather apprehensive mother was about my future and stuff. That give me a kick to try for a job (until then I was not much bothered).  I kept a check on Facebook every day for some new notification regarding a company visit to our NIT campus. Just one day I could not log into FB and missed a deadline to apply for JSW. I tried really hard to make it to their interview but I didn’t have the documents. I left it there thinking there must have been some good in it for me.

Then started my lucky streak! I learnt that Mu Sigma was finally visiting the campus. I went crazy literally as somewhere inside of me I already knew they were coming for me. It was the kind of job I would definitely love. Come’ on, it was all MATH, my fave! They said they would recruit us on 5th March but I wanted it to be later than that. I wanted my GATE result to be out first and then I should get a little attuned to my college that is in the pits. I believed then I would be at my best. It all happened. They postponed the visit. The day finally came. It was tomorrow. My best friend here tried everything possible to get my mind off it but in vain. By Paramji’s Grace, my mother always dreams of the forthcoming events beforehand. Tomorrow was also India V/s Australia World Cup Quarter Finals 2011. I had a thought that tomorrow would either be a great day (India would win and I would get Mu Sigma) or it would be the first big embarrassing failure. I couldn’t understand why I wanted it so bad. Was it that I didn’t want to fail in my first attempt or it was what people would think? Well, I didn’t have time to figure that out. Also, I had promised myself not to call mom in the morning to ask about her dream but I did. She told me, “You’ll get it. I saw.” That was the second biggest assurance I could have got (the first being Paramji telling me directly). :)

Mu Sigma was to arrive by 3:00 pm. I slept through the day until then. Now we have this problem in college (at least a problem according to me). What happens in most of my country is that people lose a lot by absorbing themselves in the society too much. They always have a thing popping in their heads – “What would people think?” What I mean to connote here is that during the presentation and written test of a recruiting company in our college, people come in their casuals and only if they get selected, they change into their formals. This seems unseemly to me. I was the only one wearing formals that day from the start of the procedure. Before I left my hostel room, I called up my parents and we all did “Paramnaad and Papr” together asking Paramji, Alias His Holiness, to bless me with this job if it’d be right for me. I had also gotten up from the bed in the morning with two wishes – India winning against the very tough Ozzie and me capturing my place amidst all the animosity (that I feel in my head).

Friends are no more friends and it is every man for himself when the day arrives. We were all seated in a lecture hall waiting for the Mu Sigma people and there they entered. They looked all decent and nice. I couldn’t see much people sitting there but then the crowd gushed in. With every single person entering the room, my want for that job escalated. By the end I was a super greedy dog panting in my heart’s corner. They began the presentation with Mr. Tapan doing the talking. What I liked about them (there were three gentlemen) was their not so formal way of dealing with things. They were “cool”! It all sounded great! I had their attention from the minute they entered the hall (since I had put forth a question and I stood out…I was the only one actually dressed up for the “occasion”). They made it look so difficult and to make things worse, one of them (who hailed from Kashmir) said that he was here to pick up his people. I was scared thinking if it goes the other way round, I would be DASHED.

We were made to write an essay on "Should Kashmiris decide their own fate?" followed by a written test (aptitude like CAT with those usual three sections). Along with it began an excruciating headache that seemed to cast dark shadows of the coming events. I had to ignore it at every cost else it would cost me real big. It all went well but still I was nervy. I went back to my hostel room while they were preparing the shortlist of the selected candidates. I called up my mother and completely freaked out on her with the thought that I have prolly lost my second dream job. I broke into tears (despite knowing her morning dream). I hung up there and went back to my best friend in college thinking he would instill some happiness and the much needed confidence in me. While we were together and calmly talking, I got a phone call saying I was selected for the following round. Group discussion and personal interview rounds just fleeted. These rounds are much in your control in contrast to the written test. I knew I could speak well and was articulate enough. I went in for the GD with the topic - “Is talent necessary for success?” When they announced the topic, I remembered what my cousin had told me (it is not necessary to start first as it is better to think upon it and then answer). I tried to make up my mind while I listened to others. (It was my first GD ever). Everybody was speaking against talent. They all believed that hard work and luck are the only ingredients for success but I couldn’t get myself to believe that. I was already too late being mum and that had begun to slightly unnerve me. Then I opened my mouth being the first one to say that talent is absolutely necessary. I had gathered all my justifications till then. I crossed every statement made by the opponents, closing with the dialogue from the movie “3 Idiots” - “Had Lata Mangeshkar worked really hard in cricket, she couldn’t have become Sachin Tendulkar and vice-versa”. At that, Mr. Tapan cracked a PJ saying how could she become a guy anyway!

Our group came out and I knew I was in. My best friend and my god-brother tagged along until my PI with me. They told me that they saw the evaluators’ remarks “Very Good” next to my name. It was the time for the interview. I went in the round table room. I was made to sit in the centre of the area encircled by that table. Mr. Tapan sat in front of me, reading my resume. Mr. Kashmiri wouldn’t talk to me, seated at zero degrees from me by the table and Mr. “Tall & Handsome” sat ON the table to my left. The first thing I was asked was if I love cricket to which I quickly responded, “Sir, I only watch cricket when India play”. That was an honest answer and I remained so throughout my interview (even when they asked me if I wanted to do an MBA later on). Dad called me before my interview asking me to be prepared with an answer to the question – “Why don’t you have a job yet? Why didn’t you try in the software companies that visited your campus before us?” Frankly, I didn’t prepare an answer. I did not want to because I know myself. Whatever I do in the nick of the moment, I do it the best. They asked me this question and I said, “I didn’t want them. I had been waiting for Mu Sigma”. Simple, is it not?
It was around half an hour long interview and it was great! They asked me if I liked myself in the GD and a reason why wouldn’t I join them and things about me. They asked me technical questions, some of which I couldn’t answer but it was okay to say “I don’t know”. :)

After the interview, I rushed to the mess for dinner and when I headed to my room to change, I was called for the results. I was told that I had got the job and they wanted to hand over the intent letter to me personally. I ran to the venue with my heels in one hand, blazer in the other. I was on top of the world! They also gave me a Mu Sigma watch that says “Do the Math”. :)

Out of the 4 people recruited from 148(if I remember right), I was the only non-Kashmiri. It was a big achievement since they made an exception for me.

I have already thanked the people who needed to be but I will always be indebted to Paramji for this great first experience and for consolidating my belief in myself!

It was 24th March, 2011 
& I lived as high as a kite ever after!

Comments

  1. Charnam Sharnam Gachhami!

    many-many congratulations !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!to you garimaji as you got job in your one of favourite firm with bless of Paramji alias his holiness!..

    Charnam Sharnam Gachhami!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, Sir.

    Charanam Sharanam Gachchhaami!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MANY MANY CONGRATULATIONS ...............
    BUT WHY U R MAKING A DIFFERENCE B/W KASHMIRIS N NON KASHMIRIS........

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank You.
    If you read carefully, you will see that I wasn't discriminating. The employer firm was here to hire the Kashmiris to give them the opportunity to see the world outside Kashmir only for their upliftment. This is what I meant.
    Please do not jump to any random conclusions.

    ReplyDelete

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