All's well that Ends well!!!Though we are pretty much well into the year, but I must take you back in time for that is when it all started, my horrendous run of luck that is!!
First of all I cupped, flunked, got screwed in CAT-2005, and the results which were announced on new years day left me very depressed, if not surprised!
Then followed my previous semseter grades. Here I wasnt too disappointed not because I had done well, but because its hard to feel depressed and disappointed when your expectations are anyway at an all time low!
The only piece of good fortune I had was when I, expecting an F (ail) grade in Financial Management, managed to convert it to an E (pass, but barely) by putting fundaes to the prof, basically by genuflecting at her feet and pleading for mercy. whew!
No sooner had I rid myself of the morbid fear of failing in my last year at IIT (I feel it pertinent
to mention that I Have NEVER EVER failed a course!), I had to face upto the devilish task that lay ahead of me:
Con (vince?) some company into taking me! And believe you me , a task more formidable I have'nt had.
It was that time of my life when I would have to try and earn my bread. No longer could just chill and take life as it comes!
As company came and went, without even giving my resume as much as a second glance, my frustration only grew. Shit! I should have worked harder I would think. But then, As my friends Jumper and Ghattu always say, No point regretting not studying harder! These chaps kept me confident that 'hazaar companies' would come and someone would pick me up!
Well, As the line in my favourite movie The Shawshank Redemption goes : "Hope is a good thing!" and so I would wait to try my luck another day!
And so , The days did fly,
without even a whiff of a chance coming by!!
Oh God, Why cant my grades lie???
And then it happened, a firm called 'Baypackets'; suppliers of Software for the mobile/telephone
operators held a test which had a considerable part on Verbal ability, where I can hold my own
against any chap there is! Voila, Shortlisted I was! It was Interview time! My first!!!
Finally, I could use that Stunning white Zodiac Shirt which cost me a fortune!
Finally, I could use my not so brand new shoes (not after loaning them to many in the wing!)
Strangely, when the chance I had been waiting for came, I turned all jelly and literally started
doing what my blog title so proudly proclaims!
Anyway, my wing mates Sunt and Pointy(a veteran already in terms of number of interviews attended) put me fundaes, and somehow off I went, to face the big bad interviewer!
After killing an amazing amount of time awaiting my turn, I went in and surprised myself
by answering allmost all that he asked, excpet a one on Internet Protocols, where "
Smart Satya" had goofed up to give me the wrong answer, which I went ahead and confidently put to the interviewer. No wonder he had that smug look on his face!!
And then the wait began, Tea time, Dinner all I skipped hoping! Hoping for such a long time!
and to cut it short, They Bumped Me!! and I thought that I had done well!
Trudge back to the hostel, get consoled by wing mates, and dive into the great game again the next day! Back to Square One!
Bhagwan jab deta hai to Chappar Phad ke deta hai!!!25th January dons, and I come back to IIT from a
certain place, where a certain
someone says "dont worry, You will get a job soon!"
Test One: Pricewater House Coopers: I come a cropper, Jumper gets through and gets selected in the interview too!!
One Ashwin down and 2 more in the wing to go! Hurrah! Congrats da!
Test Two: Global Analytics: English Component again, Me Through to Interview, scheduled at 14.30!
Test Three: Strand Life Sciences: Pseud programming test, but I get through! interview at 18.30
I goto the Global Analytics interview, and see who?? A CompSci grad from IIT-M. Rapes me left right and centre for not getting started on my B.Tech Project! Asks me to define a random process! Almost tempted to say: the interview process, but control myself!
Asks a few puzzles which I luckily manage to solve. Sample this: how to find the value of an input "N" due to which a program(cant handle inputs >= N) will crash, in the least number of tries? Also give an estimate of the iterations required. Taking inspiration from the British, my favourite answer to such questions has always been "Divide and Conquer", and voila its right! I add in a few details and he's pretty satisfied!
A few more puzzles later, since I seem to have done ok, I get sent to the next round: The HR round, My favourite round, since I get to do my favourite thing:
fart! It goes really well and he asks me for my blog address, and I give it to him. Hope he likes it! I am serious guys!!
Come back to hostel, prepare for the Strand Life interview, take fundaes from
PK, the 9 pointer stud whos got a $ 100 K Job in New York. He gives me a few questions and puts fundaes. Amazingly, the exact Questions get asked and I answer all. It was like a PK incarnate giving the Interview! Almost sure that I will get the job!
Saarang's Choreo nite is on, so proceed directly to the OAT in formals and am having a blast when the news comes through! Jumper's Message: pack the choreo and come out, you got Global Analycis da
Bastard!!!
I start shouting like a maniac and apparently kiss someone on the cheek. Cant remember!!
Allmost all my close friends r there: Sunt, PK, OS, Whykass, Ghattu, Jumper, Pointy, Rohini, Pingala, and Swathi!
Get the bumming of my life with OS, PK and the wing reaally getting down to the task! Ouch, but wat an Ouch! The girls try it too, but its more like a balm!
Two Ashwin's down, one to go!
Ghattu and Whykass send smses to AIRTEL which flashes the message on the giant screen and I and Jumper start getting congrats from everywhere! Amazingly good feeling!
Looking back now, I think that the biggest feeling was that of Relief!! and happiness of course!
yipee! I am placed! Thank you god, and everyone else!
and abt the salary package, its not bad, not bad at all!! [:)]
P.S: Most importantly , the job is in Chennai and for ppl who know me best, they know how important that is to me!
P.P.S: I have since gotten my offer letter which says that they can fire me with a fifteen days notice! Brrr... Scary!
