The "that " chapter of my life
Why didn’t u attend the interview? Dr M asked… I,err dint like the office.. I mean the place. I mean it dint feel nice.. I said sheepishly looking down at the floor.. What do u mean? DR M asked bewildered.. I don’t know sir, I said genuinely trying to look apologetic.. he softened down, maybe he thought I would start crying.. hmm that’s alright, sometimes your intuition might be right.. he said, as he walked back into his room.. I hopped back into the lab, with a grin,- phew, convincing Dr M was so much more difficult than my parents! My dad doesn’t even know, and my mom said, fine do as u wish! :D..
OK first the background…Dr M was the head of the biggest dept in this R& D center of a US based bio tech company. and I was working there as a consultant on a particular project.. it was not a permanent job, but the money was good(much better than what a just out of college microbiologist would get) and the exposure was great…and the situation was that the project was coming to an end, and Dr M was worried about the fate of the 3 girls working on this project, where would we go? Was his worry.. the recruitment was done by people sitting in St Louis… of course we were worried about it too..so when he came to know about this particular company hiring he made us go there.. 2 of us went D and me..
We went there to take the written test on a Sunday at 8am.. I usually get up at 9 on Sunday’s.. but this day had to go.. hey I had to get a job too alright? My friends all of whom were in the IT sector had started earning big bucks since a year before, when I was still trudging in college!…. so I had to go.. There were around 250 people to write the test.. Most of whom were from TN and kerala.. This test wasn’t announced in any newspaper, it was just a word to word publicity.. some of them had come directly from the station, and bus stand I guess., they had their kit bags n all with them.. we were made to wait outside the building until 10am.. D was nervous, she wanted to get this job.. u see she was from kerala, so she really dint want to go back to her place after this project under Dr M got over, she wanted to stay back in blore…so back to the test- we all registered and a smart looking lady( I have always wondered is it a rule that the HR people be really smartly dressed if not smart?) called the first 150 people to the 4th floor of that building( using stairs) to take up the test… I was bored and confused( iam a typical Gemini) this wasn’t clearly what I wanted to do and certainly not on a Sunday.. but still the number of people wanting this job made me scared, after all I was unemployed too.. so it was an objective test.. with some multiple questions on topics ranging from cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, bio informatics and maths( this doesn’t let me go ever!)… I ticked away to glory. I like objective questions, u just tick. Lovely.. test over.. “Thanks guys, we will inform the ones who make it to the interview round, by tomorrow evening.. have a nice day” she beamed, the pretty hr lady.. “hey the belt she was wearing was cute wasn’t it D”? I asked.. she was biting her nails, already worried about her results.. the only good point of that day?- the pizza we had on our way home…
To my horror 30 people make it to the interview. And iam one among them!.. D makes it too.. I don’t want to go.. I tell mom, she says fine.. so next step telling Dr M.. that also accomplished... by the way D doesn’t make it though :(
And over here, project is over, all 3 of us are at crossroads…D goes to trivandrum on another one yr long project . she is kinda happy…S another girl, a darling( more about her sometime) says I need a break and goes away to a place which will make me her fan in yrs to come..
And I am offered a 3 month short term project in the same place in another dept.. Courtesy Dr M’s recommendations…
Then I went on to attend few more interviews. Some I dint get it, some I dint want.. There was one more very very painful time.. I went all the way until the HR round for this particular job in a leading MNC a pharmaceutical company.. I was very very disappointed. If u thought that was bad, listen to this, I get a call from the same company but this time for a different job profile… I was surprised, but I still went heart of hearts extremely happy.. The interview went on great.. They were so happy that I thought they will ask me to join the same day… then one of them who went out for some time came back and as if interrogating a criminal asked me in a serious tone, “have u interviewed here before for another job? I said “yes a month back”. He was like “Why dint u tell us?”..i was taken aback! I said I thought u knew when u called me here! I dint apply once again, u called once again… suddenly the mood was so silent and bitter.. He said, oh alright thanks for coming, u will know in a few days and all stood up as if escorting a criminal out… I was devastated…I remember that day.. I will remember it for the rest of my life..
Back in my 3 month project work was fun but soon it was the time for another one… the exam and interview for the job iam presently in.. I was nervous wreck, I prayed to all gods I could think off.. It was for 4 posts for which 70 thousand people from all over the country had applied.. I wanted it, badly at that.. and all this was in the 3 month short project I was in… I was again sitting in front of Dr M looking very depressed.. I was just back from attending the interview in delhi for this job.. he must have recalled the don’t care attitude girl not so long back!!… I was genuinely in tears this time, I looked up at him, he smiled and said – “ don’t worry, if u wont get it, then who will get?.. Nobody else will”… I swear, this is one compliment I will always cherish my whole life.. I have had innumerable bad comments, failures in life, but this one coming from a man of such high caliber and stature made all the difference, to a girl who was at that point of time had zero self confidence.. Thank you sir… I did get the job :)… it may not be GREAT or the best one around, but I do like it and iam thankful for it…
Things might seem horrible sometimes, confusing sometimes, extremely mean.. but whatever happens,happens for the best, for our best… like I, time and again realize in life and ofcourse as this “hunting for a job” chapter in my life showed me.
OK first the background…Dr M was the head of the biggest dept in this R& D center of a US based bio tech company. and I was working there as a consultant on a particular project.. it was not a permanent job, but the money was good(much better than what a just out of college microbiologist would get) and the exposure was great…and the situation was that the project was coming to an end, and Dr M was worried about the fate of the 3 girls working on this project, where would we go? Was his worry.. the recruitment was done by people sitting in St Louis… of course we were worried about it too..so when he came to know about this particular company hiring he made us go there.. 2 of us went D and me..
We went there to take the written test on a Sunday at 8am.. I usually get up at 9 on Sunday’s.. but this day had to go.. hey I had to get a job too alright? My friends all of whom were in the IT sector had started earning big bucks since a year before, when I was still trudging in college!…. so I had to go.. There were around 250 people to write the test.. Most of whom were from TN and kerala.. This test wasn’t announced in any newspaper, it was just a word to word publicity.. some of them had come directly from the station, and bus stand I guess., they had their kit bags n all with them.. we were made to wait outside the building until 10am.. D was nervous, she wanted to get this job.. u see she was from kerala, so she really dint want to go back to her place after this project under Dr M got over, she wanted to stay back in blore…so back to the test- we all registered and a smart looking lady( I have always wondered is it a rule that the HR people be really smartly dressed if not smart?) called the first 150 people to the 4th floor of that building( using stairs) to take up the test… I was bored and confused( iam a typical Gemini) this wasn’t clearly what I wanted to do and certainly not on a Sunday.. but still the number of people wanting this job made me scared, after all I was unemployed too.. so it was an objective test.. with some multiple questions on topics ranging from cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, bio informatics and maths( this doesn’t let me go ever!)… I ticked away to glory. I like objective questions, u just tick. Lovely.. test over.. “Thanks guys, we will inform the ones who make it to the interview round, by tomorrow evening.. have a nice day” she beamed, the pretty hr lady.. “hey the belt she was wearing was cute wasn’t it D”? I asked.. she was biting her nails, already worried about her results.. the only good point of that day?- the pizza we had on our way home…
To my horror 30 people make it to the interview. And iam one among them!.. D makes it too.. I don’t want to go.. I tell mom, she says fine.. so next step telling Dr M.. that also accomplished... by the way D doesn’t make it though :(
And over here, project is over, all 3 of us are at crossroads…D goes to trivandrum on another one yr long project . she is kinda happy…S another girl, a darling( more about her sometime) says I need a break and goes away to a place which will make me her fan in yrs to come..
And I am offered a 3 month short term project in the same place in another dept.. Courtesy Dr M’s recommendations…
Then I went on to attend few more interviews. Some I dint get it, some I dint want.. There was one more very very painful time.. I went all the way until the HR round for this particular job in a leading MNC a pharmaceutical company.. I was very very disappointed. If u thought that was bad, listen to this, I get a call from the same company but this time for a different job profile… I was surprised, but I still went heart of hearts extremely happy.. The interview went on great.. They were so happy that I thought they will ask me to join the same day… then one of them who went out for some time came back and as if interrogating a criminal asked me in a serious tone, “have u interviewed here before for another job? I said “yes a month back”. He was like “Why dint u tell us?”..i was taken aback! I said I thought u knew when u called me here! I dint apply once again, u called once again… suddenly the mood was so silent and bitter.. He said, oh alright thanks for coming, u will know in a few days and all stood up as if escorting a criminal out… I was devastated…I remember that day.. I will remember it for the rest of my life..
Back in my 3 month project work was fun but soon it was the time for another one… the exam and interview for the job iam presently in.. I was nervous wreck, I prayed to all gods I could think off.. It was for 4 posts for which 70 thousand people from all over the country had applied.. I wanted it, badly at that.. and all this was in the 3 month short project I was in… I was again sitting in front of Dr M looking very depressed.. I was just back from attending the interview in delhi for this job.. he must have recalled the don’t care attitude girl not so long back!!… I was genuinely in tears this time, I looked up at him, he smiled and said – “ don’t worry, if u wont get it, then who will get?.. Nobody else will”… I swear, this is one compliment I will always cherish my whole life.. I have had innumerable bad comments, failures in life, but this one coming from a man of such high caliber and stature made all the difference, to a girl who was at that point of time had zero self confidence.. Thank you sir… I did get the job :)… it may not be GREAT or the best one around, but I do like it and iam thankful for it…
Things might seem horrible sometimes, confusing sometimes, extremely mean.. but whatever happens,happens for the best, for our best… like I, time and again realize in life and ofcourse as this “hunting for a job” chapter in my life showed me.
Comments
you sure do have a great style of writing sush..... its jusst amazing in its simplicity which spares the reader from the burden of comprehending huge jargons of litereature.. :)
very nice.....keep it up....
@aisha- yup.i am thankful i have had him to encourage me :)
and thanks for ur compliment :D
nd those job intrview xperiences sure gv me reminiscences of mine intervew xperiences!!!! :)
THUMBS UP 2 d Dreamer!!!!!!!
@shouvik- Thanks!
yup i know, each one of us will have similar experiences! it is a part of life.
Ur words hit home with me.. Well, for one, getting more eyes on a problem makes it more likely you get the right answer to it..
I think you must make the person your working with a reason for working, not just a job or some pay, but a real reason like a better outcome of something in the future.. I am glad u have one amongst others in Dr.M =)
The whole process u went thru is indeed a bad idea that just opens the door to exploiting people that are honestly searching for a job.Finding the hours just to attend interviews can be a problem
It’s a profound, extensive and obviously well known dilemma in our society and organizations. We know exactly what’s broke and not working well.
Now, who knows how to fix it ??
as far the answer to ur last question, i wish i knew :(