The Interview

Okk ... back to blogging !
Recent events had distracted me for long but we will talk about it later.

First The interview: I faced two interviews this year ( i.e. in 2007) , one for Covansys Pvt Ltd. which unfortunately recruited me . The other one was a biggie , for IIM C.

Let me start with the first one I have forgotten the details , so i will just paint it in the barest of colours ( heehee so much for pictographic speech)

Okk so here is the deal
15th jan sometime near 1:40 PM my dear friend Coke aka Ashoke , informs me that there is a new company in town fondly christened Covansys, and they have kindly allowed destitutes like Integrated MSc people to appear for their written test. His last words ( famous if i might say so ) ;for that afternoon (what else did you think) ; were " Pacha ta ektu sorao baba" (or translated in english " Dude move your pompous ass !!! " ).
So i did get to move my ass , dragged my feet towards the insti and found out that the test for covansys had already started. Still unperturbed i cooked up a conversation with their HR representative ( a not so lovely lady, wearing a lovely skirt :D) and got myself seated in a room full of matkas to give the test. Later in the evening my next door neighbour Lover boy ..... ooopps i mean Sahan Ray gets a call from some one in TnP saying that he has been called for the interview. All fine and sundry , i som how follow him to TnP only to find my name at the top of the last list. The instructions " No formals , report with CV in 5 mins".
Lets just skip the part where i actually got dressed and came back and go to that part where i plunk my pompous ass on a chair in front of a guy who is supposed to screw me.
Sample Question : Why are you leaving physics and joining an IT firm ?
Answer : Sir, believe me , i have appeared for every company that has come before you. Its just that they havent recruited me yet
Q: And why havent they recruited you ?
A: Sir, you yourself pointed out that my CGPA is not impressive. thats why !

guy looks at me halu-ed ...i look back even more halu-ed. dont know, i think he was expecting some fancy answers singing praises of his company. .....
some more general bhaat ... panel tries to prove that i am not a leader like person ... i argue ..

basically interview going in some arbit direction finally the revered ex asked me
Q: So do you have any questions for me ?
A: yes indeed i do , to cut a long story short why do you guys have this general distaste for physics guys ......
The panel takes my question seriously ...
Panel : See from our previous experience we have found physics to be very narrow ...
me: I am sorry sir , but you are wrong; physics is diverse
P: yaah but look ( draws on a rough sheet of paper) ... there are basically two major streams maths and physics. maths has two parts ; logistics and algorithm. We generally deal with these areas , and we have found physics to have no relation with these
me: again , i am sorry sir, but you are mistaken, physics is always related, infact maths is just a language to define physical systems. physics gives a definite meaning to the equations in maths P: so you are very goal oriented. me: Sir, even you are goal oriented.. you can type any code you want but that wont satisfy your needs. you write a definite code for a definite output .. blah blah ... blah blah .
I am excused
1 hour later ... i have a job.
Apparantly my answers somehow impressed them !! duh !!!


Fast Forward ..

2 months later 14th March I arrive in Tata memorial hall in IIM C. I am supposed to have my GD PI in here . I enter with Sahan Ray .... my first interview / GD of this sort and i have no clue as to what will go on. I am directed to a desk upstairs where my documents are verified. My file is returned back to me and i told " go to the lounge and wait" . I find a lot of confident faces. Me grinning , trying to smile ... but a nervous wreck inside. One guy sits beside me and asks " Are you a commerce grad ?" I nod my head vigourously, obviously not! He asks me again " Do you know anything about market ...." I cut him short and tell him my total ignorance related to commerce. He ventures off to greener pastures, I shower him with the choicest of expletives .... saale mujhe hi mila psych karne ko !!!!!
A lady enters and announces 7 names ... their panel is waiting. There are 7 of us left. We eagerly wait for our panel , while pleasant words are exchanged. Apparantly they all seem to know each other having met each other over the last IIM interviews. I am fresh meat! We all concur that it was nice that there was no female member in the gd group. Some even pointed the pros and cons of female candi's in a gd recounting recent experiences. Time comes. A gentleman enters and announces our names. Our time has come
We walk into a nice air conditioned room with a row of chairs arranged in a semi circle. i take my place and so do the others. A panel of 3 people look expectantly at us. The GD is about to commence. First a lot of rules are said. We are given a piece of paper with a case to be studied. I won't discuss the case ... after all it was all confidential considering that they took back the piece of paper after it was over , as well as any rough paper we might have scribbled upon. Well as soon as i finished reading it, the professor in the panel said " okk now you may start" ... and boom !!! Sahan Ray starts speaking. Me ... i am at a complete loss of words. Suddenly the guy next to me rudely interjects and starts speaking. give him 30 secs some one else interrupts. Now there 2 people talking simultaneously.... suddenly it becomes 3. then one stops . the other one too. another rude interjection. For 5 mins I have no choice but to look from one face to the other, What the fuking hell is going on. Suddenly its do or die. I open my mouth and say something. Thankfully I get through two clear long sentences and possible one drawn conclusion before i am stopped short. Another volley of 6 voices , with my left hand neighbour being a very aggressive person ( wanted to really shut him up !!! ) . Somehow before the end I manage another 2 sentences. The Panel proclaims .. "time is up !! " . We all summarize the discussion .

phew !!! GD is over , though i have no clue as to how i performed !!!
I go downstairs and wait for the interview, i am the 2nd guy in line. Some anxious moments , and as soon as the 1st guy comes out i am showed in . Did i wish Good morning ??? I dont remember. I took my seat. My file with all my certis is couteously taken away from me. One person remarks " You have a very nice file , where did you buy it ? "
Me " Sir I got it at a Symposium in Kgp ."
Panel : Aha so you are in physics , so you are a good student. Tell me why do you want to leave physics "
Me: Sir i cant study for 5 yrs more for a PhD .
P: But the country needs Physics teachers , what about that ?
Me: Sir , I do not think I will be able to teach .
P: How can you tell, you might be a very good teacher .

I mumble something out .. panel remains nonchalant

P: Okk but suppose after this MBA you go off to do a PhD , that means 7 yrs more . Dont you thinks you are wasting Rs. 10 Lakh Indian Government is spending on you ?
I reply with some crap on value added and all that in IIT education.

Panel moves on.. technical questions next. They had asked me 3 questions related to physics. I omit my replies in this post coz .... I do not know what was supposed to be the answer.
Q1 : They say "the chemistry of love/relationships " and "the physics of the market " As a physics student explain what it means to you ??
Q 2: Explain what Newtons 3 laws mean to you ??
Q3: When we open a tap the water flow is streamline, but as you open it wider, the flow becomes turbulent. Why ?

[I give you some time to find answers to these questions]


Next ... career goals
Panel : You say you want to open a broadcasting company . Do you think Media sensationalizes news?
Me : Yes sir for some it does , for some it doesnt.
Some more crap from my side ... a volley on the media
Panel : So have you made a B plan for this ?
Me: No sir
Panel : So , is it just a dream ?
Me : Yes sir .
I am excused !
I move out of the room having no clue as to how my interview went ! Results are due till mid week of april ... so still i have no clue.

End result : Please ... no more interviews for me !


P.S. : I missed a TIFR interview . GOD knows How i would have fared in that !