MONDAY
After a very good shaky sleep in the train, I woke up at around 5.50AM in the early morning. My first look of the day is towards the girl. I ain’t know when she woke up but, she was busy working something on her laptop. I just plugged my ear phones and started listening to music. It went on for about 25 minutes and finally train reached secunderabad railway station. I was basically afraid of this place because it was densely populated city and also the traffic. In that fear, I stepped out of the station. But, I was lucky because it was just the start of the day and so it was not much of traffic and not much of people around. It took just 50 mins to reach my friends room and the bus journey from the station is good as because the climate was very cool in the early morning.
My friend introduced me to all his room mates and they were in a hurry to rush to their office. I need to report at the office at 2:00PM. So, I just had a nap for a short time and then at around 12:00 I started getting ready to report to the office. I and my friend reached the office at 1:45PM. There, we were asked to wait. Nearly 30+ people reached there from different places of AP. At around 2:15PM, we were ordered to go and wait at the 4th floor. After waiting for about an hour, they informed us to attend the interview one by one and suddenly discussions started between us. This is because we were actually informed that there will be a 3day orientation programme and the final interview will be on thursday. We all arrived here by mentally prepared for that pattern. But, here they suddenly called us for a pre-interview. For each person, it went on for about 15-35 mins.
We got info that they were asking question related to geography, current affairs and also regarding google products and features. Then every one started preparing all the related stuff. And just beside me, my college friend and one more girl from GITAM started preparing together. I just used to hear them and that was the only preparation of mine. It went on nearly till 5:00PM in the evening. It was completely like we were preparing for some civils of group service exams. Completely of General Knowledge and current affairs. The funniest part of it was when they both got confused regarding the 7 wonders of the world. One among them was MACHU PICCHU which is located in peru. I just tagged a short cut to it calling it as "MEEKU PICHCHI" and that made them easy to remember it. The other one was CHRIST REDEEMER which is located in BRASIL. And for this they used to call it as "CHRIST REMEDY". And the preparation is the states capitals. The funny thing in this is the MANIPUR whose capital is IMPHAl. And combining it, the used to remember as MANIPAL which is actually a university name. We had loads of fun in that room for that 3 hours and suddenly some one called out my name.
I went inside the room and was seated. He asked me to introduce about me and then started posting all the GK and google products related queries. When he began to ask capitals, states and countries I just had a smile on my face because while I was in the conference hall I used to hear at my two friends who busily prepared about all these things. I just recollected them and answered almost all of them except the eastern states of INDIA. And he punched a joke asking me "I guess u dont have the habit of taking tea". I said "Yes Sir you are right". Then he said " That is why you forgot our famous tea producing state ASSAM". Then we just smiled at each other. And when he turned the direction towards google products and features, my confidence raised and I answered all the queries. It went for around 20 mins and then I was ordered to leave and wait in the first floor.
After returning back from the interview, I said thanks to my friend and that gitam girl. Just because of hearing to their preparation I was able to answer all the questions. After waiting for an hour in the first floor, the time has come for the results. They selected 10 members and said that those people will have their final client interview on thursday and the rest 20 people need to wait for 2 more weeks to attend the client interview. That gave raise to the voices of some of them because we were actually informed that there will be a 3 days training programme and after that we need to face the client interview. But, they changed the plan. And after a discussion for about 15 to 20 mins, the HR Mr. Naresh asked all of us to wait at the conference hall. He along with one more person tried to motivate us and also demonstrated how the client interview will be and in that process, he started asking some questions and proudly only I answered all the question among all of us. And in that moment, I started thinking why I am not in the first 10 members list. I just felt that it was not my time… But at the end of the conference when every one left the room, I ran into thoughts that I need to make a choice. Whether to leave calm as like all others and wait for the next 2 weeks or to go and talk with them and make them understand that I am good at all those. After thinking for about few mins, I made a daring choice of talking to him and so went to Mr. Naresh and said to him that "Sir, I was good at wat the client requires from us and even you have noticed me answering question in the end day conference." He began to convince me to wait for 2 more weeks. I made him to believe in me and my confidence and finally he said me to meet the next day in the office.
I returned back from the office at around 8:00PM. I haven’t had anything from the morning and so I rushed into a hotel and ordered meals. I was basically always afraid of eating outside food. And this time it proved once again. The food was tasteless. Every one says that when we are hungry we never look for tastes and such. But it was proved wrong. I ran out and reached room. Just before going to sleep, I began to think about the day and about the talk I had with the HR Mr. Naresh. The most exciting part of the day was when we sat in the conference room and every one started preparing the capitals, geography and all related to GK. It appeared to me like we all are preparing for a civils or a group exam but the interview we were attending for is an IT firm. And so I call this "Preparation Civils: Interview IT"
Mr. Venky Bond Writings 