Internship Experience

13th Oct 8 AM

Like everyone, I was also apprehensive about the market – The job market. Virtually goods jobs were drying up. “Grab what ever u get” was the mantra given to us by everyone.

I dint make it in the shortlist of Citibank, consoled myself by saying that from the very beginning banks are not the place where I want to go.

Strangely IBM found me worthy enough to shortlist me. It is the same company which I dint joined few years back ever after getting selected. None the less now IBM was a hot pick for everyone. There would be a GD with 12 members each and 4 groups in all. Maddening competition it was. Being the first day of the summers everyone was beaming with energy. Everyone was dying to perform to get out of the race, the race of rats.

GD started and was anything but a fish market where everyone was trying to sell their ideas, dying to sell their ideas. I also raised my voice a bit and threw some crap. I had to speak, there was no other option. It ended, thank God it ended. I was calm, waiting for the shortlist.

I made it in the first GD shortlist. They selected 13 and my lady luck worked. As always my interview was at the end, name with “V” has some disadvantages and this is one of them. After 2 hours of wait I went inside with some confidence of making it through. They took just 1 and I was not that lucky one. Sleep was the only thing now which was playing in my mind as next war was on 8 hours away.

14th Oct 7.30 AM

Sleep, though not as sound as I would have liked it to be, helped me to recharge my batteries. Infinity research, Wipro and Avalon were lined up for today. Day started up by not making in the shortlist of Infinity research but rays of hope were still there in the form of Wipro and Avalon, so I ignored this temporary despair.

Avalon GD started. We were only 5 candidates (as they call) discussing some bizarre topic. As always I spoke, had to but we all were lost and were blabbering. I knew it and I dint make it in GD. But Wipro was still there. Competition was getting intense and people were becoming more aggressive.

1 more GD with 12 people in one group and 4 groups in all. I made it in this GD. This time my interview was not at last so some respite. I was observing strange pattern in my selection. Shortlist in every alternate company, every alternate GD shortlist and after one rejection I was hoping to make it in Wipro, hoping to maintain my logic.

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s better to wait for the interview or wait for the result”...

With all the thought lingering on in my mind I entered into the interview room with a big smile which was not that fake. It was 12 minutes of blitzkerg. 3 hours of wait for the result. But they we were informed that results will not be declared today so I went back to my nest trying to control my thoughts and calm myself. I logged on to the internet and saw message “Summers@Wipro”. It was from one of my classmate who also gave the interview and I got to know that I dint make it in top 5.

First real setback. I was putting all my energy to keep calm. It was only 10.30 PM but I slept, which is early by any standards. I needed rest. I needed to replenish my energy because the race was still on. I wanted to prepare myself...mentally, physically….

“My BE placement experience was coming very handy to keep the situation/thoughts under control”. This always strength my belief in experiencing, good or bad, everything in life as it always come in handy in the later part of your life.

15th Oct

Day started with so called bad news

I dint make it in TCS shortlist

I dint clear the aptitude test of Latent view

Body was starting to break...mentally, physically. 12 hours of wait and watch game daily was taxing.

But some hope was still there. “HP sales” was coming tomorrow. I was trying my level best not to put pressure on myself for HP sales. I was trying to ease the pressure by saying to myself that I am not born to work with HP so it’s ok, relax. I was constantly talking to myself…keep cool was the mantra. I did look in few marketing topics but that was it, nothing more than that. Then got the good news that TCS has selected 8 candidates and not the count was 22...the lucky one who were out of the race, the rat race.

16th Oct

General mood of the class was numb. People were loosing impatience to grab summers. Anything would do was the attitude. The wait was driving everyone crazy.

I read few things here and there and Dint attends the class. Listen to some nice music.

I reached the department in the after noon. The energy levels were really low. I could see lots of grim faces all around. I would not say that I was fully cheerful but I was still not broke. I was somehow managing the stress.

GD with 12 people and 4 groups was more or less the standard format. This time everyone tried not to make GD a fish market because few companies have given the bad feedback regarding the same. I fired few nice points in the GD, while trying my best not to confront anybody. When I came out my heart was pounding hard, sinking. I knew that my GD has gone fine but I was not acknowledging it as I know expectations hurt. It hurts when they are shattered.

I made it in the top 10. But competition was still hard because they might not take anyone was the verdict. Again the last interview. 8 minutes of blitzkrieg…crap...crap...crap...

Came out with no idea of how it went.

I made it…HP sales people found me worthy enough to select. I was numb for some time. Only thought that was coming to my mind was that of exit form the rat race. I was finally out of the rat race, the maddening race.

Every dog has its day

Today was my day…

It is nothing more than that.

Last four days have reinforced my belief in luck. Even as a science student I strongly believe in it. Yes hard work is important. It is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. I you want to make it, improve your luck. There are ways to improve your luck… “Being a good human being” is one of them.

Keeping calm in the most stressful situations is the most important mental condition one can strive for. One can’t fake it because it’s internal and not external. You have to develop it, slowly but surely. I took me two years to learn it, though I still need to go a long way.

Looking at the bigger picture is also imperative. One loss here and there does not make a difference. Your overall average should be good. You have to keep faith in your capabilities.