Its my pursuit of happiness

It all started in college, like all engineering students I too had a dream of getting placed in a big concern, well only thing missing was the utilization of potential. Its always hard to see people get too much of things which you can only imagine. After college I joined a small start up company and things were going fine until one day I figured out the “whole in the wall”, at some point its obvious that we all come to know the truth. The truth I realized was, well I realized that I turned out to be a complete loser. So I quit the web designer job which I was working as in that start up concern.

Then I was searching for job again. Oh boy, walking down to all the companies with expectation and dream, but walking back home with a long face. I was selected in companies which were asking me to pay for training. And the companies which were ready to provide me a real job where BPO’s. There wasn’t much of companies hiring due to recession, sadly in my time. So I was practicing mock interviews with myself. Then I found out that I wasn’t too genius, ( and the little guy inside me was asking me tech interview questions, I wasn’t doing good). As days passed I was forced to get some job. So I joined HCL Bpo, and I was told while joining that I could move to HCL software soon from BPO. Believing that, I joined them and worked for their client AT&T as a Tech support officer. After 4months of job I thought to myself, “man, could I be more loser?”

Leaving that BPO job again I started my long road of job hunting. And between, have any of you experienced how it feels to stay at home while your dad goes to office everyday? Its like trying to stay calm while wearing a pant full of ants. Then I reduced my expectations and I was looking for some software company to gain experience without caring about salary. Too many interviews, too many companies, too many failures. Lost hope in life, leaving a permanent sadness, the worst part was I felt that I am getting old without a job. Sometime I wondered whether I'd die without a job, even had nightmares in my sleep on this issue. As things were going on in this kind of way, I received an email from Cognizant saying that they were hiring and they sent me a hall ticket for attending their aptitude test. Not much of a good news, cause after all I went through, I felt, “well yeah, another interview”. Seriously I never was good with aptitude tests to be honest, and this aptitude test of cognizant was conducted by Merittrac. I really don’t know how these Merittrac guys sleep at night, their papers are easy but time is a scarce commodity when it comes to aps conducted by them. That day after attending the aptitude test in the morning, I returned home and took a deep nap. When I woke up, I found an email in my inbox saying I cleared the aptitude test. And I was like, “wait, am I still sleeping or is it for real?” The next day it was technical interview. So I went to my friend Ramani’s place where we all (group of 5-7) preparing for technical round.

The next day, we reached CTS office in Mepz for technical round. We were made to assemble in an auditorium, a big one, with more than 700 people in it. I was worried, but still it was after a very long time, there was a slight spark of positive spirit that whispered inside me “Son, you can do it” Then I was separated from my friends as they called my name 1st for the panel interview. Waiting there for the Tech HR to call me, I approached a volunteer, and told him that I haven’t been called yet and I’ve been waiting for a long time. He asked me my panel number and said “you are next”, but with pity in his eyes he told me that the HR in my panel is so tough and he expects a lot. All 4 who attended technical round were rejected by that HR. That statement from him really freaked me out, but still with a confused mind I went inside. The HR was a guy with no sign of smile on his face. I sat in front of him answering all the questions that he fired on me, no matter how hard I tried to express myself with a best answer, he remained showing me a dissatisfied face. After answering a series of questions on OOPS, my project, Software lifecycle and testing. Finally he smiled indicating that I did well. That small moment told me right there, that I am selected. I felt like I got placed, I shook my hand hard with him to show that I am confident. Walked away from him, with boldness in my walk and my heart filled with some meaningless joy. I was waiting in the hall and some volunteer walked in, informed me that I got selected in tech interview. Next was HR, it was a lady, as soon as I reached near her, she pointing her hands towards me, and I grabbed her hands and shook it. Only then I realized that she wasn’t pointing her hand towards me for a handshake but was actually informing me to take my seat pointing her hands at the chair. Lol
She asked me the usual HR questions, and I did pretty well. I left CTS with my friends with happiness and confidence that we would definitely get selected. And guess what, we all got selected. The next day I received an email confirming that I got shot listed. After a year of struggle, finally I got a job in a company in which my dad wanted me to join. And this is my pursuit of happiness.