Campus Placement ... First Interview of My Life

Campus placement is the dream of the hundred thousands student going through the various courses all over the India. I have also been one of them.

My story about the campus placement has been very interesting and full of events. Whenever someone ask about my campus placement, i usually smile and think about the chain of events that i went through on the day of my placement.

I know, till now, you have started thinking what exactly has happened that day which distinguishes my story from the rest of students :-) you will get to know soon.

It is the last exam of my fourth semester. Most of my friends are planning to stay in the hostel for preparation of the campus interviews, writing the technical and aptitude exams of the companies. They are very sure on this but i was still in the dilemma to go home or stay back in the hostel.

I have always been very confusing personality ... go or not go ... :-) Sometimes, i feel, there much be more options in life. Here is the perfect example.

Two months ago, HCL Tech came to the campus, i was hundred percent sure that i don't want to write exam for HCL but i did, and after the exam being so tough, i got selected for the group discussion, next round.

I had always been so shy to speak in the groups at that point of time of my life and on top of that, group discussions, omg. But somehow, i prepared myself to go through all this.

Unfortunately, i couldn't reach on time for group discussion and that's the reason, i was thrown out of the technical interview from the gate itself. My name was not in the list of the people for the next round. I was crying so much even when i was so sure that i don't want to work for HCL.

Hey, No need to think hard here.Reason was not that i couldn't be selected, in fact, i couldn't get a chance to make an attempt to go ahead and try my capabilities. One of my room mate told me that everyone gets their best and something else is waiting for me.

Back flash.... :-) Finally i decided i will go home. I took all the material to study in two months of vacations at home and prepare for the campus selection.

But mai to mai hun, i spent all my time taking tutions and doing other stuff than studying. Also, my mother was ill during whole of my vacations and i was left over with no choice than taking care of her. It was only 10 days remaining when the companies were beginning to start for the campus selection. My sister suggested me to go back to the campus and start preparing.

When i arrived to the hostel, what a view !!! Everyone was so seriously indulged in studies and most of them had spent their entire vacations at the hostel, i caught my nerve for few minutes by looking at everyone and myself.

I took a day to adjust myself at the hostel again and unpack all my stuff.

I was lying on my bed in night and in-spite of studying, i was still thinking. What ? How to start and what to study. It could be anything which the company may ask. How do i know what to prepare, it is definitely not going to be same like my regular exams ...

Imagine me ? I am crazy .. right ?

I was still not studying but getting inspired from everyone. I was helping others in various subjects i had expertise on. I didn't know what to prepare but I knew what i have studied in past 2 years and if anyone ask me anything related i can explain.

I revised few stuff from past 2 years of my regular course material.

TCS was supposed to be the first company at the campus in the coming days, girls had taken out the interview question set for the past few years and crammed it over days.

On 26th of June, TCS was expected to come, But, to our surprise, IBM arrived in the afternoon the same day and started conducting the written test. TCS arrived in the campus in the evening of same day. My Dean, Mrs. Rekha Govil, she was such a smart and intelligent lady, she didn't let any of the company know that there are one more company at the campus that day.

Written test was conducted in batches by IBM and i cleared the exam. Soon after results were declared for the written test, Technical interview had started in multiple panels. Name can also be helpful when process is alphabetically conducted. They had given us some form to fill up and soon after written test and my name was announced for the technical interview shortly.

Butterflies were flying in my stomach with a lot of excitement and nervousness at the same time.

I was standing outside the room where i was called up for the technical round, door was closed shut. I was felling nervous. I prayed to God to help me and give me strength to face the first interview of my life. I reminded myself that i want the offer letter, it has always been my dream and i have to get through the recruitment process, so i didn't have one single doubt about it.

I took a deep breath and went inside the room. I said hello to the interviewer and smiled, that smile itself gave me enough strength to stay there for another half an hour.

My stomach was bursting like a fireball in the empty space. I was asked to wait. I didn't know what to do, i was almost shivering with fear and excitement.

I was lucky enough to be called for the HR round as the first candidate in that particular interviewer panel. I was interviewed for approximately 45 minutes, including both technical and HR questions. I was quite relaxed and smiling in the interview as if i am talking to one of my friend. Wow !!! Results were not going to be announced until next morning, so i came back to the hostel and slept.

Interviews were held up to 2 AM in morning and results were declared around 4 AM. I got up by 6, it was raining so i asked the girls to check my results as well who were going to the institute till the time i get ready.

Few of them got selected and in their own placement excitement, they forgot to check my name in the list and when i asked them , they told me that i could not get through the interviews :-(

I was shocked, depressed with this announcement that i am not selected. There was many reasons to it. I couldn't get a job even after being interviewed more than 1 hr 15 minutes, how can it be ? If i wasn't supposed to select then they would have told me earlier, which can not be done, i know.

Now it is the last batch for the online exams of TCS starting from 9 A.M. and  i was not mentally prepared for giving any more interviews now or write any technical exams. But i have to, what other choice do i have ? Every minutes till 9 was passing so slow and with disappointment that i started loosing my nerve. For TCS i had left everything on destiny now.

I got ready and reached to the institute for the written test. There were few minutes left so i thought to give a glance on the list of students who have got selected in the IBM campus placement with the least interest. To my surprise, my name was listed there in the selected list of students. I couldn't believe this. There was no time to loose, everyone asked me to get my documents from the hostel.

aisa lagta hai story yahan khatam ho gayi, nahi.... :-)

I was the last student to enter the room where all the students who were placed in IBM were assembled. One person had a list in his hands and was annoucing the name of the selected students. And what ? He didn't announce my name. I almost started crying because now i had missed the TCS written test as well. I bowed my head with disappointment. I had lost the battel. When my friends had already told me that i could not get the placement in IBM , why i didnt believe them ?

I wanted to ask the interview panel about this confusion but i had to wait until the 49th student was announced. As soon as he was done with the list, i stood up and asked them, "my name is there in the list of selected students on the notice board but had not been announced so I am selected or not ?"

:-) they glanced through the list and smiled. "You are selected madam. "

Everyone in the room smiled at me and i felt so much relaxed on my achievement that finally i made it. :-)

Interview process itself was not difficult to attain but these 3 hours of my life were full of events and confusion . I was driving in 2 boats, IBM and TCS, ek baar idhar, ek baar udhar. I have never been in a more confusing situation that this in my life... :-)

Many of you may have more interesting story about your first interview or campus placement, views are welcome :-)