My job interviews...

Job interviews are one of those kinda experiences, where, if alert, one can come across some really funny incidents & sometimes quite serious ones too. I will narrate some of those instances, where, I was at the receiving end of some of the most intellectually stimulating questions. What was my state of mind at the end of such experiences? Well, 1 thing for sure, it left a halo around my head, which I'm still struggling to get rid of. And, thanks to people's quest for getting that "ideal job" i.e., jobs with tax free fat packages & little / no work, with maximum work-life balance (work:life = 10:90, that's decently balanced, but there's enough scope for further improvement), they tend to mistake me for a enlightened being. Now, I'm sure you all agree that this is as far from truth as it can get. Else, why would I be writing blogs, right? I'd rather have been better off in a hermitage, perhaps in the Himaalayas. Any way, man is a misterious being, & even more misterious are his quests in life...

Before I proceed further, here's a thought I came across during my MBA days, few years ago. This thought is attributed to Mr. Siddharth Shanghvi, a young writer, who perhaps must've been around 23 - 25 years when I came across this thought. Siddharth says - Most people assume that because you write a book, writing is your 'career'. Nothing could be farther from truth. Despite the success of "The last song of dusk", I'm clueless about what to do with my life. Do I write another book? Take up water polo? There is something very toxic about this idea of a 'career' - that you need a specific identity to belong. It is important to make spaces for the ambiguity of identity, for folks who don't fit in. There's more to life than getting married, buying a microwave, or going to Malaysia over the summer. And, only when we lay down the desire for the same, can we make room for the surprises of life.

To me, this is a highly mature & deep thought, coming from a person who's himself very deep & grounded in reality. This thought also inspires me in the sense that it shows Sid's humility to accept life in all its eternal, infinite self, &, in a way, accept the reality of one's own individual insignificance, as a consequence. This thought is highly inspiring to me because, I am an ardent student & devotee of life in all its splendor & glory. This, in my opinion, is a highly evolved thought coming from a man of experience & depth.

Coming back to the topic, my current organization is the 3rd in my career so far. Let me share some of the questions I have encountered in the interviews & my state of mind while answering those questions. I will restrict the questions to only generic ones & not make it too technical. It all began way back in 1999, when I graduated as a Mechanical Engineer. I attended my 1st job interview while on campus. The firm is into automation & I'd applied for the job of sales engineer. You know, like many engineers, during my engineering days itself, I had decided that I wanted to get an MBA. But, I wanted to understand technical aspects well, & then go for MBA. You may ask, how sales job will build technical competence? My reasoning at that time was, sales job requires fairly good understanding of technical aspects, especially in an engineering firm, & the job also provides opportunities to directly interact with customers, which throws ample opportunities to hone managerial / customer handling skills. I think even now, it's a decent answer & is also logical. Also, I did not cook up this answer, like we most often do while preparing for MBA interviews; I felt this answer genuinely & hence came up with it. Any way, I went to the company's factory for the interview. After the brief formalities, the interview began.

Interviewer: Tell us about yourself.

I: What do you want to know about me?

Interviewer: Tell us about your childhood, your family, education, etc.

I: You wanna know about my childhood? Well, ok, if you are so interested.

Interviewer: No no...It's not that we are interested in knowing your childhood. It is just to break the ice.

I: Oh! Ok (thinking, how come I don't know this method of breaking ice?). I was born on DDMMYYYY to my parents...blah blah blah...As a child, I used to play with cigarette packs on the streets with my friends, I played marbles, lagori, cricket, eye-spy, blah blah blah...I went to this school & that college, before entering engineering, where I did this & that...blah blah blah...

Interviewer: That's ok, enough. Quite interesting.

Then began technical questions for about 15 - 20 min, which I knew I did quite well. And then:

Interviewer: Is there anything you want to ask us?

I: Yes. Will I get this job?

Interviewer: We will inform you thru' a communique. Thanks for coming here for the interview.

I got the answer & left the place.

My performance in the technical round gave me the confidence that I'd done quite well in my engineering & that I had good understanding of Mechanical Engineering. However, the biggest lesson I learnt from this interview is that, despite one's technical competence, there's no guarantee of landing a job, leave alone "good job". One of my very close buddy's brother had to wait for close to about 6 years after his engineering to land a job, that too in IT testing, which has nothing to do with Mechanical Engineering. He was quite proficient in CAD / CAM & other design tools, but couldn't land a decent job, the reason for which is a mystery even now. He's now become proficient in IT testing, & doesn't seem to regret not having got a job in a mechanical industry. But, he still loves his parent branch.

My 2nd job interview was a couple of months after I graduated (I graduated in Nov 1999; & this interview happened some time in late Jan 2000). There weren't practically any mechanical companies that came to the campus & I wasn't keen on IT. So, this firm was a auto parts maker. I cleared the technical written test & the technical interview as well. I was finally called for HR interview. I was elated to be called because, I was keen on joining a auto / auto component firm. So, I went to the factory all geared up. And the interview followed:

HR: So, you graduated in 1999.

(I'd submitted all the certificates beforehand).

I: Yes sir (thinking - that's what the certificates endorse boss).

HR: What did you do till 1999?

I: Doing my engineering from 1995 to 1999 (thinking - I was playing marbles, gilli-danda, loafing around, etc).

HR: What engineering did you do?

I: Mechanical Engineering (thinking - did you call me for Civil Engineering job?).

HR: Why Mechanical Engineering?

I: I liked that branch of engineering.

HR: Why should we hire you?

I: Because I'm a qualified engineer, & I've cleared 2 technical rounds, which indicates I'm technically competent to do the job.

HR: There's no rule that says we have to hire you despite your qualifications & clearing technical rounds.

I: Well, that's for you to say, as I'm not aware of the company's rules.

HR: I'm saying so.

I: So, can I leave now?

HR: Yes. Don't you want to know if you are selected or not?

I: If you want a good engineer to work for the firm, you'll select me. If you end up selecting a bad / not so good engineer, you're putting your job @ risk.

With those words, I left the place. And, I didn't hear anything from the firm. After about 6 - 8 months, I happened to see that HR manager on a morning while I was boarding my bus to go to work. I stared at him in his eyes, & for a moment, I felt he avoided making eye contact. Any way, I had moved on after that interview...

My 3rd interview was at a auto major in Bangalore. I was very excited because I'd had dreams of working for this firm. I was referred to this firm by a relative of mine. He was very keen that I be professional in my outlook & attitude as well. So, he made me buy 2 silk ties for the interview. I love formal dressing, & so, I didn't mind the investment on those lovely ties. So, here too, I was successful in 2 rounds of technical interviews & 1 round of HR interview. I was finally called for a "formal talk with Deputy MD".

For the "formal talk" I was wearing dark trousers, light shirt, & 1 of the silk ties. When I was called, I gently tapped on the door & once I heard the "come in" words, I went in. There, I found a medium built man, perhaps in his early 50s. He was brousing thru' my resume & showed me a seat to sit down. I was all the time wondering what's in my resume for this man to brouse for so long? I was just a recent graduate with not much on my resume, except my qualification & the projects I'd done. Any way, who cares? If he's memorising my resume, it's his efforts & memory capacity to retain...Why should I bother...With these thoughts I sat there waiting for the man to utter his 1st words...After about 5 min, he looked up & began the "formal talk".

Dy. MD: So, you are Vinay?

I: Yes sir, I am.

Dy. MD: So, you passed out in 1999?

I: That's correct sir, Nov 1999.

Dy. MD: Did you not appear for any campus interviews?

I: Sir, actually, no mechanical companies came to campus, & I'm not keen on IT.

Dy. MD: So, you did not appear for any interviews at all?

I: Sir, as I said, I'm not keen on IT.

Dy. MD: But, why? IT is the order of the day.

I: Sir, I'm a mechanical engineer & I have taken it up for my engineering studies because I love my branch. So, I'm not going to appear for interviews with IT companies.

Dy. MD: IT companies pay close to double what we pay an entry level engineer.

I: So?

Dy. MD: So, isn't money important for you?

I: All I know is that I want to work in the mechanical industry. I'm not sure as yet whether money is important for me or not. If it is, how important, if not, why it isn't? These are some of the questions I have not yet thought about.

Dy. MD: What if you are not made the job offer?

I: Perhaps, I'll take it as both of our bad luck & move on.

Dy. MD: How's it bad luck for both?

I: For me it's bad luck because I'd lose on the opportunity to work for a world class organization; & for you, it's bad luck because you'll have lost the opportunity to hire a good engineer.

Dy. MD: What makes you think you are a good engineer?

I: Sir, before seeing you, I have been successful in 2 rounds of technical interviews, each lasting about 45 min. So, I think I'm a good engineer.

Dy. MD: Hmmm...I see...Ok gentleman...We'll get back to you. Our HR will contact you on further steps. Good day & good luck to you in your career.

I left the place after thanking the Deputy MD. Throughout the interview, he did not sport even a single smile. All the while, he was frowning, serious, or lost. After a couple of days, when I did not hear anything, I called the HR lady. She conveyed her regrets that I wasn't the chosen one. It broke my heart. I was so keen on joining this company, & as I said, I used to dream about it. It was not meant to be, & it didn't materialise. Within about another month, I got my first break in a midsize auto parts company where I spent 3 years of my career, before going for my MBA. The interview there was purely technical without any HR discussion or "formal talks". The Technical Director of the company also asked a couple of HR questions for formalities' sake & then wound up the interview. My memories of that company are still afresh, & I still am in touch with some interesting people there.

So, that's how my experiences were, finding my first break after graduating. Was it good, bad, or ugly? Not sure...It was an experience for me, that's it...That's how I look at it, now. How did I look at it then? The last interview before I got my first break (with Dy. MD) was a bitter experience. I was deeply hurt & was depressed for quite some time. Only when I started working did I slowly forget the bitter experience. Any way, life goes on...I have also moved on...Becoming more wise, mature, & better geared to handle life's surprises & challenges...Along the way, I began appreciating the finer aspects of life & was left with deep impression & amazement for the wonder that life is, in its totality. I became more aware & tuned to life around me, developed respect for people, their ideas and thoughts, & ways of life. It made me more receptive to the petty concerns we have in our everyday life & how magnified those petty concerns could be for some. All these have made me appreciate "life in its totality". I have become an ardent devotee & obedient student of life; for, there is no better teacher than life itself. In this entire experience, I felt that what is needed of me, as a educated man, is a receptive and clear mind, outstretched arms to reach out to those in need of services within my means & capacity, loving heart, & the will to work hard and earn success in my life (trust me, I have no clue what "success" means, except that I wanna have decent money in my account & lead a relaxed & laid back life, doing what I really like & enjoy doing).

It is my opinion that life will honor those noble characters who strive to inculcate these & many more noble attributes into one's character. I, as an obedient & devoted student of life, am endeavoring to inculcate these values into my character. Tough it is, because it requires a great deal of sacrifice personally; but, I have made up my mind & have begun my journey. There's no looking back; for, I know what I'm doing is THE RIGHT THING TO DO.