A Job Interview

After a long gap of 4 years, today I planned to update the blog and make it alive and kicking. I receive comments for earlier posts to my email and also my friend Shankar keeps encouraging me to update the blog.  Moreover at present I am jobless, and as somebody has well said that creativity comes when one doesn't have any regular job. So let me tell you about yesterday's incident (I will try to make it as interesting as much possible though it is my personal viewpoint and not intended to hurt anybody's feeling).

For past one week, like any other person desperately in look out for job, I too am sending my resumes for various positions on jobsites, placement consultancies and also to my known friends. Day before yesterday evening, my friend Manoj as usual gave me a few job openings. He had recieved  a email for walkin interview for the position of Executive Officer in Stores support in TESCO. Out of the various job openings he forwarded I felt that my profile suits for the TESCO opening as it is semi-voice (10% voice only) and moreover the job profile very well matches with my experience in service industry. I quickly went through company website, memorised a few information about the company so that I can have the extra edge if they ask about their company in the interview. I mugged up things like how TESCO HSC is providing service to their global chain of retail stores, how they are managing the retail application so that the store shelves are continously refreshed, the innovation in designing and support of retail layouts, how they are bringing up sophisticated technology to manage the queue at billing counters, the loyalty programmes etc.  I started making note of other information like when the TESCO service centre started in  India and how it has grown in terms of employee strength, the benefits for employee in the company and not to mention I was even going through the picture gallery checking the photos of the cafetaria, gym, the virtual retail test lab etc. By the time I finished going through the website it was already 1130 pm.  I once again checked the interview call email and it had mentioned that the interview timing is between 10 to 12 pm and need to carry copy of resume, marksheets, pass certificates, previous company offer letter, salary slip etc.  I checked my folder that I carry for interview and found that I dont have a copy of the salary slip. Planned to take a print out of salary slip next day on my way to attend interview. I arranged all the other required documents in the folder.  Took out the shirt and trouser and ironed it nicely, polished my shoes.  It was almost midnight 12 by the time I finished getting everything ready for the next day. A kind of over confidence was slowly settling within me that I am going to nail the interview and will get the offer. Maybe because I felt that the requirement perfectly matches with my profile. I set the alarm for morning 6.00 am the next day and went to sleep.
The alarm did keep its word and woke me up at morning 6.00 am. Finished my morning bathroom activities within half an hour. It's 6.45 am, made a cup of tea, went thru the headlines of the morning newspaper.  The venue of interview is around 20 km away from my house and there is no direct city bus service and moreover going by bus will take a lot of time considering Bangalore traffic. So I planned to go on my bike so that I can take print out of the salary slip on the way and also can have breakfast. It was already 7.30am, Sun was getting brighter and hot. Filled my bag with the required documents and also took a bottle filled with water. Before getting out of house once again closed my eyes and told 'HIM' please do the needful. Started the bike and went straight to the nearby internet cafe, I told him need to take print out. He politely replied "No Power Sir". Just not the start that I expected. I drove further but could not find any shop with print facility. It was already 8.30 am and I thought let me drive and if enroute I see any shop I can take printout but what about breakfast?. My inner confidence shouted "Leave it sudhi, you are going to get the job and skipping one day breakfast is not going to starve you to death, once you get job you can have double breakfast".  Okay, kept riding, on the outer ring road, reached Nagwara signal, heavy traffic - hawkers selling mobile chargers, selling hanging hanumans, Enunchs asking for money, some children finishing their breakfast in the car, executives on laptop, some talking on handsfree mobile, Radio FMs playing in cabs. I always like the scene at traffic signal, its as if you are getting snippets of life of entire city at this 2 minute stop.  The signal turned green and people drive as if they are participating in Formula one race. I moved on and kept on checking for some internet cafe so that I can take a print out, reached Banaswadi outer ringroad and found a cybercafe, the system took almost 10 minutes for my gmail to open. I asked the boy at counter why it is taking so long to open the site, he replied "It is because of heavy traffic". I could not hold my laughter, indeed Traffic is a major problem as the webpages also has to travel via the congested Bangalore roads in this heavy traffic.  Somehow took the printouts and took xerox copies of my other certificates and started heading towards my destination. It was now 9.30 am, crossed the KR puram traffic and phoenix market city mall, prestige shantiniketan and at last reached TESCO HSC. It is 1015am, parked my vehicle and headed straight to the security office at gate. There were few candidates who were making the entry and taking visitor pass from security. I too filled the details on visitor book and collected the visitors pass. Entered the building and was asked to wait in the visitor's lounge. I looked around and saw around 30 other candidates waiting anxiously for the call. Everybody has come here to sell themself, to negotiate, to get the visitor pass changed to permanent employee tags. The HR lady came inside and asked us to submit the resume , everybody handed over the resume. she collected the resume and after a few minute  came back and called 10 names and took to another room. After 15 minutes she again came and called 10 names, my name was also there. we were taken to a small room. She introduced herself and put forward a question - "Can anyone of you tell what is the job profile we are looking for?".  One of the girl replied that it is a sort of MIS kind of job like daily report making,   admin activities etc. I raised my hand and I said that it is a remote secretary kind  of job. She seemed convinced with the reply and she asked how I came to know that, I replied honestly "It is clearly mentioned in the email that I received". Then she asked each one of  us to introduce ourself. I was the fourth person and I introduced myself (personally this is the only part that I hate about interview). After completion of this session, the HR lady informed that only one person is selected among us. Suddenly my hopes were at its height because I was confident that she is going to call my name. But the HR lady called that one name that got selected, I dont remember the name she pronounced but it definitely was not my name. I felt as if  I have just now jumped off from a cliff and floating in air at a very high altitude. HR lady informed that all the other canidates can go back and need to improve on their communication skill as the candidate they are looking need to be good in communication.    I wanted to ask her that you have mentioned in the job requirement that it is only 10% voice, but I did not ask.  I came out of the room, the girl who got selected was smiling and was calling  somebody on mobile and informing about cracking the first round of selection.  A lot of mixed reaction started happening inside my head. I wanted to tell that HR lady that the color of  the dress (churidhar) that she was wearing was very awkward, her hair needs to be properly combed, should not have chewing gum in mouth while taking interview and above all should look at candidate's eyes while taking interview. Till this moment I was not feeling hungry but now I was feeling very hungry. I drank the water that I had carried along, handed over my visitor pass back to the security and walked out. While driving back I could not help but think of the last 12 hours, from the moment I received the intimation of walkin interview, the preparation, the ride, the final show. Like every other time, I told myself dont worry sudhi it is not your loss, that company lost a chance to get a effecient candidate like me.  I remembered the dialogue from the war movie 'Black Hawk Down' where Eric Bana says - "When I go home people'll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."