Job Interview, Part - 3

Continued from my previous posts,

"Job Interview, Part - 1" (http://ansumanjena.blogspot.com/2011/11/job-interview-part-1.html)

and

"Job Interview, Part - 2" (http://ansumanjena.blogspot.com/2011/11/job-interview-part-2.html).

We were certainly late by couple of minutes. Again all eyes on me as I… kinda opened the door and rushed into the auditorium. Had to disk break my entry when I saw the immediate reaction of the entire auditorium. All seats occupied… not even an inch for my butt; eyes still looking for any vacant seat in the front row. Naahh… all were occupied by the faculty members and placement coordinators of the participating institutes. I saw a few hands waving in the air… friends… here I come. Grabbed a seat towards the back. Sambit was hardly visible from that place… being short heighted. They were still discussing… Sambit, Vibha and Priyanka.

A weird idea struck again. Take your own picture… my heart and brain shouted. Ok… let it be so. I took a picture of mine. At that time I didn’t know that it is going to be so valuable a memory for me. Will tell you how!... in the next part but remember about the picture… do not forget.

Attention guys! Here we are with the results. Before I spell out the names I would like to say a few words… Sambit gave a speech about the overall performance of the participants in GD. Then he started calling the names of the selected candidates. I could hear the tune… the melody… hay, wait… it’s not that what I felt… it’s my heart beat. Am I nervous? Am I praying? Anxious to hear my name from Sambit! Yes… I was and I am most of the time. How many are they going to select for the next round? What are they going to ask me in a psychometric test? What if not selected? What do I do then? What can I do?

Congrats Ansuman we are through!

I turned to my left… I don’t know you… who are you girl...? I thought.

Congrats Bhai, you are selected, Sabya said… and I am not. His face looked gloomy.

Did he just call my name?

Yes…

Really… (I missed my name; my own name... strange) and not yours? Are you kidding? He is still calling…

No… it can’t be… he called two of my group member’s name. If I were selected then my name should be there somewhere but it was almost five minutes ago. You are in bro… good luck.

What should I say in a situation like this?

This is all guys. These are the names of the candidates selected for the next round. I request all other participants and all the faculty members to leave the room. We are going to have the psychometric test here. Please cooperate. Only the selected candidates… volunteers and support staff you are also requested to move out… just in case we need you I will call you guys. Thank you.

Most of my friends left. The entire crowd dissolved… we were may be 6 or 7 from our college and about 80 odd in toto. My college mates (those selected) have cornered Sanjib sir and may be asking about the Psychometric test. I must go there…sir is leaving the hall.

Where are you going?

Hmmmm… I carelessly replied and tried to find my way out of the red Neelkamal chairs.

Don’t go! Seat here… besides me…

I looked back… she was pointing a chair besides her. Hey she is the girl… congratulated me at the first instance… I realized then only. So far I have completely ignored her subconsciously. I looked back at the exit point of the hall… Sanjib sir just moved out. Crap…

I am a huge fan of yours… she said.

My fan… ha ha ha… who am I a super star?… a hero or what? (I was slightly confused). I was about to ask do I know you madam? Have we ever met? (But, I thought it would be rude… I just paid a serious look at her… tried to scan her) I am not a big…

Oh don’t be modest! I have seen your dance and acting in many B-School meets. You were fabulous. I am seriously a fan of yours…

What do I do now? I was thinking… speechless so far and standing.

Settle down guys, we are about to start. Vibha call the volunteers to bring the packet… Sambit said. Vibha moved… Priyanka accompanied her as both of them moved out of the hall. I sat near her as I noticed I was the only person standing in the entire hall with my back towards Sambit. Priyanka and Vibha came in with someone carrying a carton. Sambit pulled out some printed materials and bundle of pens and handed them to Vibha and Priyanka. They started distributing those…

What are those?… she asked.

I don’t know!

Sambit started, we are giving you brochures of Reliance Money and a pen with the R Money logo and name printed on it. Please go through the brochure. I give you 15 minutes… go through it… we will start the Psychometric test exactly after 15 minutes. Stay inside this hall.

All three of them left.

What is a psychometric test?

It’s a kind of lie detection test and brain scanning examination. There will be a hidden devise that is going to observe your heart beat and pulse rate. If you lie… there will be alarm/siren.

As they show in the movies…?

Yes, just like that. I laughed out loud.

Why are you laughing? Was it a joke?

Yes, a terribly bad joke… I kept laughing; she joined.

You are really funny. A joker.

I stopped laughing… gave a very serious look. She looked frightened/threatened a bit and wrapped up her laughter. I controlled my anguish because she just called me a joker. I hate… hate… hate… really really hate that word.

I am sorry… she said in a low voice.

What is your name?

What?

Your name? I pointed figure at her.

I am sorry.

Ok, Miss ‘I am sorry’ you are excused.

She laughed again. Her teeth were really bright. I could see the food particles struck in between.

You had chicken, right?

How do you know?

Telepathy… you know…

Really… I am impressed…

You are already (impressed)… मरे हुए को क्या मारना…

My classmates came and sat beside me. The Naukri Debta and Naukri Devis (HRs) appeared again. Now with paper packets. They placed those on the table. Vibha and Priyanka took out some white printed papers out of each packet and started shorting them very carefully. Sambit moved towards the podium to address us.

We are about to start the Psychometric test. You will be given papers containing a few questions. There will be three sections. First the personal information section. Here you have to mention the designation you want either CMT or CST. Location preferences… minimum 5, three from your native state and two out of state with supporting reasons. Then mention our name, native, work experience etc. The second section is Ambition section. Here you have to answer questions about your dreams, vision, philosophy of life and some other similar questions. The third and last section is the Describe section… you have to mention your favourite colour, subject, happiest day, saddest day, strength, weakness etc. There is no word limit but you have limited space with in which you have to restrict your answers. You have got 20 minutes to finish it. He looked at Vibha… Vibha and Priyanka started distributing the papers. Sambit started again…

I request all the participants to rearrange their seats. There must be three vacant chairs in between each of you. Reshuffle guys… hurry up.

We moved and tried to maintain the three chair’s gap among us. Priyanka handed over me the booklet. I have forgotten most of the questions… as the time was very short and questions were many. But I still recall few of them.

What is your philosophy of life? Was a question. What is my philosophy of life? Is there any such thing exist at all? What do I write here? I just closed my eyes. “LEARN TO EARN, EARN TO LIVE and LIVE TO SERVE” came to my mind. I don’t know from where it came but certainly it saved my time. I still believe the same; you can see my profile heading (to the right on the WHAT page) on the home page of the blog.

Another question was “if you have more than enough money what would you do with them?”

This was easy for me… I know the answer… I want to setup an Anathashram… hey what’s the English of Anathashram? I cannot recall at that moment. Let it be vacant… can’t spend much on thinking… so many questions left.

Guys submit! Time up. Come here… one by one and give your booklets to Vibha. Sambit said.

What is the English of Anathashram? I was desperately looking for the answer. I saw Bhagawati Kanabar… the topper of our batch. I looked at the Naukei Dev and Devis. They were busy in arranging the booklets and chit chat with the students who were there to submit. I tried to move as fast as possible as Bhagawati was moving to submit.

भगवती, अनाथ आश्रम का अंग्रेजी क्या है?

Orphanage, she said.

Thank you. I started writing it and was walking simultaneously. As I finished I had a deep breath of relief. When I took my head out of the booklet and looked straight… I saw Mr. Naukri Dev Sambit and Naukri Devi Vibha and Priyanka are looking at me… Since when; I thought? They were observing me closely… because I was standing just in front of them and the table was the only thing in between. I put my booklet on the table and tried a fake smile. It didn’t work. Turned and went back to my seat.

Sambit said…

Read Part - 4 (http://ansumanjena.blogspot.com/2011/12/job-interview-part-4.html).