It was a cold Sunday evening in Pilani. A huge crowd had gathered before the placement notice board. The interview list of the database giant was due to be put up any moment. Someone who managed to find her way through the dense crowd spotted my name on the board and cried out "Rush..your interview is at 6!"...Things couldnt get worse...I had exactly 5 minutes..I rushed back to change into 'interview outfits' and raced to the guest house...(THE place for interviews!) I reached the place 5 minutes late..at exactly the time when my name was called.
The first round was s.i.m.p.l.e! I cudnt believe they were throwing 5 and a half lacs a year for these linked list and binary tree codes which could be found in ANY elementary data structures book...Some puzzles about hen and eggs and fruits and what-not, I met the man at the HR round! Having studied in the same college, aeons back, he spoke more about his life at college...Listening to this was.. painful!!!
A lightening struck and he started off...'Tell me about yourself...' and then the usual ones...'Oh..you did Bio in school?...'he was amused! 'Now where did he get a hint of that..!!' 'Yes'..I said..trying to not to sound very excited..I almost guessed the next question...'Why didn't you take up Medicine?'..and I wasnt wrong! 'Simple! I didn't make a great score in that entrance exam...'I wanted to tell him...Impulsively I said, 'My mom is a doctor..and I know how very tough it is to be one...I didn't enjoy the practical part of it...the burdensome fact that a life depends on your actions kind of scared me..' 'I understand...very tough indeed!' he retorted. Then came another one..'Why BITS?'...without giving it a moment's thought, I blurted out, 'Actually, I used to keep reading Malory Towers in primary school...and ever since I had always wanted to study in a residential institute! in that sense BITS has been a blessing!'...The spontaneity and the content of my answer stunned and amused him at the same time...He rocked his chair and laughed his heart out for a full minute..!!!
'Hobbies...?! apart from Malory Towers that is..' What did this man think?! that I read Malory Towers for a decade or so?! 'Malory Towers was only in class 4..I clarified....after that it's been lots of story writing, embroidery(God knows how this came to my mind!) and of course Classical Indian music..
'Why should I hire you?'...Wow! I KNEW what to say...this seemed like an extempore contest..All adjectives came to my mind and I lost no time in stringing them together to come up with what seemed like a well-thought out answer...!! 'Hmm...impressive...' he said...and asked me..'Any questions for me?'
'Am I going to be recruited?' I shot back! 'I wish I could answer that as quickly as you asked...but I need to consolidate other scores..!'
'Good Night..and Wish you good luck! Nice meeting you! by the way, my daughter reads Malory Towers too..!!!'
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