My Story - My hard hitting Experiences - I just can't forget them..!!!

A week back, i was scrambling for my best job here and there on campus and now I have reached the 'status' of a blogger to say about my experiences..interesting!

The campus placement this year was an easy sail through for some of us, but the same was full of crests and troughs for most of us. I belong to the later category. First i will put my journey as short as possible and then i will put my learnings, infact the hard learnt lessons.

We were asked to give 12 preferences, and in my case, I attended all of them in the sense that I sat for atleast one of the evaluation processes of all the 12 organisations....I was there in all the initial shortlists...

Day zero (GCMMF, ITC) - I didn't sit for GCMMF interview hoping that I will get through ICICI bank since I did my MTS there and also earned a good name over there. ITC GD - eliminated after GD & essay writing!

Day 1 (ICICI, Metro, Sahaj, TAFE)- I was banking on ICICI bank to the fullest. The mistake i was committing on day 1 was being soft on GD. Soft in the sense, i was waiting for my opportunity to speak in the GD rather than grabbing the same. By morning, i was thrown out of Metro and ICICI GDs. ICICI and Metro gone, both of my dream jobs shattered in a jiffy! I didn't know how to react..!! Still I had other interviews too, so had to console myself and go ahead. Sahaj interview was good and finally was wait listed. TAFE interview was also good and they wanted me to sign there it self. I asked for more salary, they said they will get back to me when all the interviews were over but they didn't get back..!!!
At night around 10:30, I got a surprise call from Metro to give my interview. Dressed up again in full formals after a disappointing day, I thought it was a lifeline for me...I gave my interview to the best of my best, but still the recruiter didn't pick me citing reasons that i don't have much extra curricular activities though he found me academically good..!! So, at the end of Day 1, no job, empty hands.

Day 2 (E&Y, ITT, Shankara eye care) - I knew why i failed on Day 1, so instead of waiting for my opportunity in GD, I just grabbed them..as I badly needed to make a job! Result - E&Y, ITT GD got cleared. Shankara had no GD but I had an one minute interview where they clearly found my disinterest in their organisation. ITT interview was so spectacular and when i came out of my interview room, i thought i will definitely make it! E & Y interview was 'so so' types since i clearly decoded in the interview he is not looking for a person like me since his emphasis was more on technology & other aspects of it .
End of day - E&Y gone and ya the much hoped ITT didn't pick me up. I didn't know what went wrong in the ITT interview. Again, the worst day, no job..empty hands..felt like thrashing myself. Everything looked totally darker and murkier to me. After introspection and talking to some of my friends and parents, I came to know what exactly was my reasons for not getting selected in interviews! After talking to them, I felt a bit more confident!

Day 3 (PWC, HDFC ergo, SERP) - Third day. But somehow i felt today can be mine for the first time. HDFC GD got cleared. I just implemented my learnt lessons in ergo - don't be very frank, tell them I was waiting for you, convince them whatever be the silly question they ask. PWC - The recruiter came with a different motive and I was not selected. SERP, again, it was a half hearted interview. But, the first break happened, this day, I made in HDFC ergo and my waitlist got cleared in sahaj.
Actually, it was a moment to rejoice for me, 2 reasons for it- ergo gave me one day to sign and the biggie YES bank(4th choice) is yet to come. Had ergo insisted on spot signing, I would have lost my chance to sit for YES bank- thanks to ergo!! Anyway, the day was better,ergo was with me and I was getting ready for my last and only interview left in IRMA - YES bank.

Day 4 (YES bank) - I had more confidence in me because i already had ergo with me so even if i m not making in YES bank, i can sign ergo. YES bank came for 2 posts one for Agri business banking and second for financial inclusion,but later they increased it. I was more inclined towards agri banking. Agri business banking interview, God, I just can't forget it. It was the first hard core technical interview i m giving in finance. The recruiter was grilling me in and out like anything, and at one point I felt like saying to him "Boss, I m tired and i m sorry, I m happy with ergo..I will sign it and leave IRMA happily". After the grilling, I found myself actually satisfactory.
In the financial inclusion interview, the recruiter told me straightway that I won't be selected though he found be good..!! So, only agri banking job was left hanging with me...!! I left the place with slight dis-satisfaction and after a while i got a call saying YES bank has shortlisted me for the next round of interview..!! Oh my God! a good moment..but some more to go!
Second round, the grilling started again, but was lighter than the first one...and at the end of the interview, I knew my performance was above par. I still remember those moments..The recruiter asked " What other offers you have now? " I said - " I have ergo, if yes bank is not working out, I will sign it" Recruiter said" hhumm, ok...what if i say that you are a part of YES bank now? yes, you are selected...!! Join us"..God damn that moment, I didn't know how to react..and tears almost started coming out of my eyes..after initial days of stress and frustration...I could not have asked for better deal other than YES bank...My mom infact cried...I will call it as the 'the' moment of my life at IRMA...
I still remember that day..as it was a big day for some of us..especially shashi and rupesh..I still remember their emotional display when they made it in YES bank because we ,people, everyday will get dressed up everyday morning for all interviews and used to smile at each other sarcastically before starting the day..!!

And ya sorry for a big report..haha...

Lessons learnt -
1. Confide in yourself...come whatever may, if you are sure about your potential, then don't become skeptical about it..!! Estimate yourself properly and stick to your estimation..!!!
2. Take the support of your family...come whatever may, they are the ones who are going to be with you always and they are for you...
3.During bad times, there are always people out for you to support you and you will get to know who 'really' really care for you during those times. Be grateful to them and ya I will also be grateful to them till my memory cells work with no malfunctioning..!!I m really thankful to them who were really supporting me giving me oxygen those days.
4.Be in strict formals..be it even a GD or essay writing exercise
5. Grades are very very important. But it doesn't mean you should go mad about grades. It's always better to be in safe zone, by safe zone i mean in the 'B' grade zone..and whichever sector you want to go, you to need to excel in it by having more grades in those subjects...!! sure it matters and it mattered me as well.
6.Sit and prepare for the interviews...especially the HR questions, you will always feel happy when you hear the same questions you prepared for, from the recruiter.

Oh...!! sorry..such a 'long' long post...had i guzzled much of much valuable time, i m sorry for it...but i m sure you will take something out of this post with after reading it..!!!

And ya..I will be joining YES bank sooner....and thanks a lot to all those people who really came out and supported me..thanks a lot!!!


S.Manikandan Sanjive (30037)