I was eagerly waiting for the next placement to be announced as if I’m thirst of a victory. I suffered enough blows, learnt enough experiences and became mentally strong that I can take anything easily. I learnt how to tackle an interview, how to confuse the interviewer by experiencing the worst interview I ever imagined. Everything I felt was for my goodness, because I don’t have anything to learn, except experience. And experience teaches you better than yourself. All that I needed was a medium to show what I learnt, a placement. And that day came when a new placement notice was mailed to us. It was Infotech Enterprises. I thanked god for teaching me everything, and prayed to give a scope for me to excel now. If I can’t make it now, I can’t make it ever again. It was the day of placement; I woke up casually without much excitement or stress. All that I managed to learn was a few fundamental formulae on the internet. I reached the college in the same attire; I wore on the day of one of my failure placement before. The HR team demonstrated the job, salaries and all, but I was still thinking, but this time the plan I had to follow to win this time. After that we were asked to sit before in the same lab, where I wrote my first written test. The test was again being conducted by the same consulting company, but this time all the questions on ratios and proportions, mixtures which were the dumbest topics I ever understand. But still nothing was in my mind rather than cracking it. I used all the cleverness I ever had, and marked the answers by solving in the reverse patterns. The results were informed to be announced again in the afternoon. The same path, the same friend and the same walk we did before. But this time, I was smiling within me. I knew that it was sure my day. I returned the same seminar hall were the results were announced in the last placement. The first name was; Me. I was smiling still, within me. I didn’t panic or excite this time. I reacted to everyone calmly and casually, but everyone wasn’t the same. They were feeling surprised, but I left them without any tension, reached the office on time after a good lunch and waited for my turn.
After an hour, I was asked to enter another room for the TR. The interviewer was cool and smiling, unlike the previous experience I had. And I was much more confident before, I knew everything this time, what to do, what not to do, where to and how to. I wasn’t prepared to face another failure this time. This conversation is worth remembering for my life, as I answered everything in the toughest interview I guess anyone had.
“May I come in Sir?”
“Come in.”
“Good Afternoon Sir”
“Good Afternoon. Take your Seat.”
“Thank You Sir.”
“So. You’re Mannava Sriram Kumar.”
“Yes Sir.”
“What should I call You Sriram? or Sriram Kumar? ”
“You can call me Ram Sir.”
“Who calls you Ram?”
“My mom Calls me Sir.”
“Your Dad calls you?”
“Your friends call you?”
“Sriram Sir.”
“Okay Ram. What’s your favorite Subject?”
“Java Sir.”
By the time we were talking, an attendant came in and placed a plate of snacks on his table. He offered me a handful of snacks. I rejected it. He was forcing me. So I took them. I was holding in my hand. He continued,
“So Mr. Ram, Can You Write a Servlet program for me?”
“Yes sir.”
“Okay then. Here’s pen and paper. Write a program that displays the top 5 marks of students in the class to the user. Write it in a servlet code.”
“Okay sir. I can.”
By this time, I was confused, because I was holding the snacks he offered in my right hand. So I asked him whether I can eat them. He sighed to eat, as I put them into my mouth. He continued,
“Let’s start the interview while you start writing Mr. Ram. The condition is you should not stop writing or answering my questions, while I’m asking you. Shall we?”
My mouth was already full with snacks, so all that I could was to quickly swallow them and sigh my wiliness.
“Tell about yourself.”
I wanted myself to present it differently, so I started “I believe in the quote that being a jack of multiple platforms is much preferred now days than being a master of single platform” and continued to tell about my achievements in brief to him for a few minutes. I felt from his expression that he was surprised, which I wanted to happen.
Then he continued to ask me simple and short questions so fast that anyone could have stopped writing at one moment, but my presence of mind was too determined to win this, that I kept on writing the code.
“What are your hobbies?”
“I don’t have any in particular sir.”
“What do you do in your leisure then?”
“I’m a blogger sir. And I have a facebook page for it too. I post for them.”
“What do you write?”
“Stuff regarding science, placements, tips and everything current sir.”
“Do you watch movies?”
“No sir.”
“Do you watch TV?”
“No sir.”
“Then what do you do all the day?”
“I surf, I blog and I code Sir.”
“How many hours you sit before your PC?”
“About 5-6 hours every day sir. I sleep after 12”
“What’re your interests?”
“Computer Operating Systems, Mobile Devices, Gadgets Sir.”
“What’s the latest Nokia phone you know?”
“Nokia X sir.”
“What’s it?”
By this question, I felt like he’d die listening to all the stuff I knew about it.
Later He asked About Android, I made them one of my landmark answers for him in the session.
Suspecting what I don’t know. He asked “you use a Smartphone?”
“I use a normal Phone sir.”
“Then How do you know all about the features?”
“Virtual Devices Sir. Emulators and AVDs”
I showed him the servlet code I’ve written, but wanted me to write something more. I had to write the xml and front end html code for it. I then explained all the parts and libraries in that code. He was impressed I felt. And finally he asked me to draw the output. I drew, and then he said “Why didn’t you display the names of the top 5?”
My answer almost made him die laughing.
“My mother doesn’t the names of the toppers sir. She just needs some marks greater than mine, to scold me every day.”
He then asked me to wait outside for the next rounds. As soon as I came out, everyone was greatly surprised because my interview went for almost 2 hours. After 30 minutes, HR round started. Mine was the first name in the list again. As soon as I went in, the HR was a woman. This conversation was much more commanding from my side.
“May I come in Ma’am?”
“Come in Mr. Ram. Have your seat.”
“Thank You ma’am”
“Can you tell me about yourself?”
I sang the same song with much pleasure, because for the first time it worked out very well.
“Can you give an example of your cleverness?”
I explained her how I managed to clear the aptitude test even though I wasn’t aware of how the solutions were to be solved. She felt surprised, and so confident I felt.
“What are your hobbies?”
“I don’t have any hobbies in particular ma’am but I blog in my leisure times.”
“Can I see Your Blog?”
“engineeringaspirations.blogspot.in ma’am”
“Okay I’ll check it out later.”
“I have a facebook page for it too ma’am. You can hit like for it.” and I smiled.
“Can you tell me about your project?”
I explained it with all the interest and information I gathered tailored to it, she listened to it and asked
“Can You Show It to me?”
“Sure ma’am. I hosted it in my website, you can look from it. Sriramkumar563.net84.net”
She was already stunned by my answers. And this made much more impressive mark.
She then continued
“What do you know about Infotech?”
I spoke to her frankly and explained her that I surfed the day before and found about the company. I felt that being frank and true sometimes can put you in impression zone. She thanked me for my interest and asked me to look in the mail for the results. I thanked her and left the room confidently that I had found my day finally. And a week after the fantastic day, results were declared, and Me, Sriram Kumar was in the List. I should tell you something now, although I suffered a lot during my defeats, they really helped me that day, because you remember your failures much more accurately than your victories. But I'm too much satisfied for my first job because I didn't get it, I earned it.
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