It was the night of a chilly 19th February on the year 2008.I was sitting on a chair in the college hall.We just had our interviews over for the first ever on campus placement for our batch in our college.My head was hanging down in shame,crestfallen on the fact that I had the worst ever interview in my first appearance as interviewee in front of my interview panel of Tata Consultancy Services.All my friends were thinking about me and my interview and where it did go wrong for me.They were dejected for me more than they were excited for being able to give a great interview.They even went to the extent of asking our Training and Placement Officer(TPO) of is there anything that he could do in order to end my distress.Every thing they did was very encouraging but I just couldn't get any relief as I knew where I did that kind of a mistake during the interview session.
After all we were the second batch from our college who were having the campus placement and for the freshers like us,it was a golden opportunity to prove our mettle and bag our first job.Doesn't matter if it is not from our own stream but still we were at least eligible to sit for the exam.Yes there were people who were not been able to sit for the exam due to some required criteria but still those who were able to sit for the exam we were a very happy lot.
The day had started on a very energetic note.We were to report to our college as early as six in the morning.From our flat where we six people were staying ,three of us were sitting for the exam,me ,Kaushik and Nitesh.We woke up at around ten minutes to five.Thanks to my other flat mates Om and Abhishek who were awake the whole night and gave a call across the room on Kaushik's cell.My friends gave a smoothing touch with the razor to an already smooth cheeks.Looked as the skin would be peeling off by their razor.I didn't gave any finishing touch ,rather I was interested in wearing the new shirts and trousers that i had brought for this D-Day.Also I was very excited to admire ourselves in our new dresses.It seemed like a fancy dress party where everyone was wearing formals in a college that doesn't have a dress code.The most costly thing that I wore that day was a leather belt from Raymond's.We reached our college on time in two Rickshaw's.I was alone in one while Kaushik and Nitesh shared another one.I had a tough time with my necktie as I had left wearing my school tie well around three years before.But somehow it was done.Thanks to Nitesh.We reached there by 10 minutes to 6.We saw lots of other guys to be already there.
It was a very cold morning and our college ground was covered with a very light mist in that early morning.I went back towards the girls hostel to receive Sonali,and was accompanied by Writam who was there for Sudorsona.Gradually all the excitement to see ourselves in new dresses diminished as we saw the TCS people enter the college gate.We were then told to move into the college hall as the HR and other people of TCS readied for the presentation.We had heard rumors before hand that HR's likes students who are well mannered not only inside the interview room but also outside the room.Hence we were a very quite lot who entered and settled in the hall without making any noise.
The presentation started and we listened with great interest jotting down in between points that we thought to be very useful and those that may be asked during the interview.We were then divided into two groups.I was keeping my fingers crossed so that I and Sonali can be in the same group and can mutually help each other in the aptitude exam that we were told would be online.Luck favoring,we were both selected in the first group and both of us sat on adjacent PC's and helped each other through out the exam.At the end of the exam we were both happy to see "Congratulations.You have been selected for the second round".That was the first fulfillment of the hard work and effort that we both had put down for the aptitude exam.And for the price of non-enjoyment on the Valentine's Day that year.Of course each and every couple of our college wanted to be selected in the same company with a single reason,to be with their loved ones.We were then made to fill up Blue form,a mandatory form for TCS , after which we were told to wait for our interview round.
At around 12 noon I got my call for the interview from panel 5,a panel exclusively made for taking students after examining them through two rounds,first the Technical and then the HR.When I gave my interview everything was all right till I did the blunder.I told them that "I am curious and I have learned Windows Vista in seven days".I still don't remember why on earth I did say that.That question led them to a series of questions which were aptly answered by me as I guessed,but their faces suggested to me that they were not happy with the way I was answering.I tried hard to make them understand my answers but just couldn't.Rather their faces grew large.I was 100% sure that I had done a terrible mistake and there is nothing that can save me from getting rejected by this panel of members.That's it.They never called me for the HR round.I loitered around the room of panel 5 members the whole day but in vain.They never looked back to call me.I was heartbroken.........
S A M R A T G U P T A ...................................................................
All this while I was sitting down with my eyes towards the ground,making my self believe that I wasn't suitable for the job and making myself more determined for working towards the next campus placement by WIPRO that was being scheduled a few days later.Each and everyone of my group mates name has already been called out by the HR including Sonali among the selected students for TCS.Sitting beside her and knowing her for three years I could understand that she is more sad for me not getting selected than she is happy for her being among the selected ones...But......... What's This???
S A M R A T G U P T A....The voice again called out to which I could just manage to reply very feeebly "yy e ss sirr".Everything was silent around me then..all my group friends were sitting on the same row...They were roaring in joy................me..........................speechless.....and the girl beside me...............................crying to her hearts content.
All's well that ends well.I was the forty ninth student among the selected fifty one......Yes there were heartbreaks as well....My friend and Sonali's roommate Sudorsona was the first being called out among the selected.....But her boyfriend Writam,though he gave a good interview could not make it through to the top....and there were other heart breaks and joy with their equal share of griefs and ecstasy.
And here I am,writing to tell you the first ever joy of getting through an IT industry....and finishing my first blog on "Joy Of A First Job"
