Interview
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By Hiranya Borah
Copyright 2016 Hiranya Borah
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Preface
Interviews and jobs are two sides of the same coin. Many intelligent candidates fail to impress the interview boards due to interview phobia. Contrary to that, many candidates are able to project themselves in such a way that the interview boards think they are better than those candidates, who in reality are less capable. Therefore, some good candidates fail in an interview and relatively bad candidate cross the hurdle with ease. I as a candidate, liked to appear interview for fun. Sometimes I was successful and sometimes I fail to impress the interview boards to select me.
Later on after joining to Indian Statistical Service, I had to be Chairman or member of many selection boards for selecting Investigators, Drivers and other group D staff for Government of India. However, my real exposure to conduct interview came when I joined Staff Selection Commission, Government of India. My three years tenure gave me ample scope to conduct interviews for all Group C posts to be filled in for Government of India.
But this book is not based on those interviews. This book is based on the philosophy of day to day interviews we have to face in our lives, though I started the book with a real interview for a managerial post where our protagonist Arunuday appeared. On that day he not only able to grab the coveted job but also he got his life partner.
But for whom the interview was conducted? Was it a fair interview? Why a deserving candidate did not get the job? Why a candidate was happy after failing in the interview? Why a failed candidate got her job afterwards? To know all these, you have to read my short book, ‘Interview.’
The whole book is based on fiction; so any similarity to a real person or to a real situation is mere coincidence only.
The book has been dedicated to all my readers and to the interview boards who selected me for some of the coveted posts.
I am thankful to all the beautiful and attractive lady candidates who appeared with me before one or more interview boards; they were my inspirations for appearing different interviews even after my selection to some jobs which were better than those jobs for which interview was conducted.
Author
Chapter I: First Interview
Arunuday has a habit of reaching anywhere before the stipulated time which is uncommon to Indian context. Therefore, on the day of interview for the managerial post in an Indian MNC he reached the designated place well in advance. When he reached the office even the main entrance of the office was also not opened. Having no alternative, parking his vehicle, which was gifted by his father on his 27th birthday, he looked for a tea or coffee shop. Within 100 metres he got one and while ordering for a cup of tea, he scanned the area. The area appears to be in a better location compared to the office where he was working at that time. While Arunuday was taking tea, another person ordered for a cup of tea. He appeared to be another candidate for the interview. He asked Arunuday, whether he was also a candidate for the interview.
When both of them finished tea, they saw that the main gate was opened and therefore both entered to the office. Within next ten minutes a few more candidates entered to the lobby where they were provided some chairs to sit. An attendant came to the room and handed over one page form to each candidate to fill up. A few blank forms were kept on a table for the candidates who were likely to come afterwards. The form was simple one, so it took hardly five minutes to fill up. After filling up the form, Arunuday started scanning the faces of other candidates.
A beautiful lady caught his attention. She was about 25 having extremely smooth skin with two beautiful large eyes. For few moments Arunuday forgot why he was sitting there. For few moments, he thought of leaving the job for the beauty. However, within few seconds he thought she would be a competitor till the interview is over and then he can try his luck. He thought, being so beautiful would she be still single. As a very good student of chemistry he knows, except few rare cases all bonds are subject to be broken. As a corollary to that, even if she had been already in a ‘bond’, that can be broken through some chemical agents or by electronic bombardment.
When he looked to other girls he found, all were ordinary looking except one. This girl was looking nervous and sad. Why she was so sad? Arunuday thought for a while.
He again concentrated to the beautiful lady. She was sitting opposite to him. He scanned her from her face to her feet. The girl was not only having a beautiful face, but also she had smooth and cared feet with beautiful nails (only part uncovered). Her black suite made a killing effect on him. Arunuday thought, was he in love with that girl. But he knew his own character; he might forget the girl once interview would be over.
The girl stood up from the seat and straight came forward to Arunuday. All of a sudden, Arunuday’s heartbeat started thumping, why she was coming to him? Was she going to admonish him for staring at her?
‘Do you remember me? We appeared for an interview earlier also.’ The girl asked Arunuday. Within a flash, he recalled that two years ago for another job, both had appeared for an interview. Though Arunuday was selected, he did not join as the company was not ready to give a jump of forty percent which Arunuday demanded.
‘Yeah, that is why I was looking at you. But beautiful girls refuse to recognize people! That is why----‘Arunuday told her.
‘Oh! Thank you for saying me beautiful. I came to know that you were selected for the post and you did not join. Then the post was offered to me and I joined. Still I am in that office.’ Arunuday surprised to learn that this girl had been tracking him. Knowing that girl was tracking him, he became very happy. But why he could not recognize her before she introduced herself. She was so beautiful; how could he forget her?
Then he recalled the interview two years ago. He was accompanied by Arundhiti, who was his classmate and married to his best friend Pranjal. She is very talkative and she did not give him enough freedom to look at any girl on that day. That may be the reason why he missed this beautiful girl on that day. He rued his luck and became somewhat angry on Arundhiti.
Arunuday then changed his seat to adjacent to her seat. Her body fragrance started disturbing him. He understood, he was going to do a damn in his interview.
An officer from the organisation came and announced, ‘All are welcome to the interview. All will be interviewed in the first half and few will be shortlisted for the second interview. Those who will be shortlisted will be informed at 1 PM itself. However, the shortlisted candidates will be interviewed after 4 PM only. Result of the second interview will be intimated within a month. Any question?’ He paused for a moment. ‘OK then, all the best for the interview.’
Arunuday was the third to be interviewed. The beautiful lady (girl?), Deepa was fifth to be interviewed. After her interview, both left the lobby and went to a nearby coffee house.
‘So you are enjoying your present post?’Arunuday started a conversation after positioning himself on a sofa.
‘Had I been comfortable with them, I would not have applied for this job.’ She lied (you will know the truth why she was appearing for the interview).
‘You are right! I am otherwise happy there; but I am coming here for a change of designation. I am already fed up with the designation of ‘senior executive’ for last two and half years. I want a change. But I think I shall not be selected by this MNC.’
‘Why do you think so?’Deepa asked.
‘They had not asked me
any question on my academics nor on my experience etc. They asked me how I reached the office from home. Then they asked me what I had taken in my breakfast. Probably they have a candidate in their minds and this interview might be eyewash only!’Arunuday commented.
‘But they have asked me many questions on the subjects! Deepa told.
‘Forget about the interview! Have you got married or engaged?’ Arunuday surprised at his own question.
‘No. Why you have asked this question?’
‘You see, I am coming for an interview and it appears, I am going to fail in the interview. Therefore, since it would be bad day for me, why I do not make it a worse day by getting a rebuttal from a beautiful girl.’ Arunuday with a smile replied.
‘I think appearing in interview is a hobby for you. Even if you are selected, you may not be joining. Now you want to appear for another interview. Will you join if you are selected?’ Deepa took a jibe on him.
‘Will you offer a job if I appear in the interview?’
‘I cannot say now. I have to decide after the interview only.’ Deepa smiled.
‘That is fair enough. Ask me any question.’ Deepa did not ask any question immediately. She told about herself. She belongs to a middle class family having a brother studied in an engineering college. Her father is a Government officer posted in New Delhi. Her parents were looking for an alliance (at that time). So far nothing was materialized. She wanted to know if Arunuday was serious about her, she could talk to her parents.
‘You have told everything about you, you have not asked me anything about me. What type of interview is this? ’ Arunuday asked her.
‘I came to know everything about you when you refused to join my company and later on I had joined.’ Deepa told.
They were so engrossed in their talk that they did not see to their watches. When Deepa got a call from a friend she saw the watch and it was already half past one. Both of them virtually ran to the lobby to know the names of shortlisted candidates.
To his utter surprise, Arunuday was shortlisted for the second interview. Deepa was not short listed. Deepa commented, ‘You may pass both the interviews and I may fail both.’
‘Yeah! First one result is out. For the second one, result will be out by one month!’He laughed.
Before Deepa departed, they exchanged their mobile numbers and promised to be in contact.
At four, he noticed only two candidates were shortlisted. The pale nervous lady was shortlisted along with Arunuday.
At around five, both of them were called to the interview room. The same question was put to both of them, ‘What are the liabilities and assets owned by your family? What is your expectation from our company?
First, the question was answered by the pale and nervous lady. ‘My widowed mother and a sister are dependent on me. I shall give everything to the company and expect that I shall get my dues from the company in lieu of my hard work. In financial terms, as I am earning 10 lakh per annum from the present company, I want a hike of forty percent of the present package.’
‘I have no financial liability for my family. However, expectation from your company is almost similar to that of her. But may be one difference, she wants the hike for a better life for her family. I want the hike so that at the end of each month, I do not need to ask for a non-refundable loan from my mom, though I know she will be unhappy if I stop asking for a non-refundable loan from her. But I fear even if my salary is doubled, I may even then ask for a loan from my mom.’ He paused for a moment and then said, ‘I do not know, whether I can do that or not, I want to suggest something!’ Arunuday asked permission to the interview board.
The Chairman told, ‘OK. Go ahead with your suggestion.’
‘I think she is more deserving than I for the post.’ For few seconds, there was pin drop silence in the room. All the eyes set on his face. He again broke the silence, ‘I know, I am a very hard working person. But if I go by necessity of the job, she needs it more than I need it!’ He stopped there.
‘You have a very large heart, I must admit. In today’s world it is not expected! I must compliment you for that!’ Then he said, ‘Ok, the interview is over. You will be informed your result within a month.’
The pale and nervous girl thanked Arunuday for his generosity. ‘Whether, I am selected or not, I shall remember you as a good man, rest of my life.’ As departing sentence the girl told Arunuday.
Chapter II: Result of the Second Interview
‘How was the interview?’Opening the door Arunuday’s mother Subhalakshmi asked him. He told about his interview in detail. He finally told how he suggested the interview board to select the other candidate.
Giving a cup of tea, Subhalakshmi told her son, ‘I am always proud of you. If the girl gets that job, that will be a great help for her family. Anything else you want to say?’
Arunuday wanted to tell about the meeting with Deepa. But should he tell now? Is it the right time to discuss about a girl whom he met for the first time, in a sense?
A mother can read the minds of her child. ‘You want to tell something else. Tell me about that also. I shall like to hear that my son.’
He told about Deepa, about her family and his liking for the girl. ‘Do not worry mom, I am not in love with the girl. I only like the girl. She appears to be a good girl who, according to her own statement, loves me for last two years and followed me without my knowledge.’ He finished with a consolatory statement.
‘It is very interesting! She saw you for the first time in an interview and fell in love with you and she never met you till today! All these seem to be very filmi (like a motion picture/ film). It is too difficult to believe.’ Subhalakshmi exclaimed.
‘I agree with you mom. Like you, even my head is not willing to believe her. But, I do not know why I want to believe that girl. My heart says she is telling the truth.’ Arunuday told.
On that night, at the dining table there was a long discussion among all the three members of the family and decided to go ahead with preliminary proposal for Deepa. Mr. Garg, father of Arunuday agreed to meet the family and told his son that he will gather information about the girl and her family through his reliable sources.
At 11-30 PM, Arunuday rang Deepa. To his surprise Deepa picked up the phone on the very first ring.
‘Are you expecting my call?’
‘Yes, I told my parents about you. My parents want to contact your father soon as per your family’s convenience. They (my parents) are very happy, but I am extremely worried.’ Deepa told him with lot of excitement.
‘Why you are worried?’
‘If they (your parents) reject me, my parents will be unhappy!’
‘So you worried about your parents only. You do not have any feeling about me! Is not it?’
Arunuday knew the answer from the other end before Deepa answered.
‘When a girl, crossing the lobby and asked another candidate whether he remembers or not, why she does it everyone can guess. If a girl becomes happy even when she fails but another candidate passes, the passed candidate should know why she is happy. I understand, you are the only fool who could not read the mind of that girl. Unfortunately, I loved that fool for last two years and collecting all information about him. I have appeared today’s interview only to meet him, not for a change of job!’
‘That means, I got the job before I was interviewed.’ They talked up to 2-30 AM and decided to meet again on the next day after office hours.
Next day, when he met Deepa, he confessed that he did not notice her due to the overwhelming presence of his friend Arundhiti.
At this Deepa said, ‘Do you know, initially I thought she is your wife. Then I thought, you would not have given so much importance in public had she been your wife.’
‘That means if you will be my wife, you will not expect any importance in public from my side. I shall remember your statement in my life. But why you noticed me?’
‘Will you believe if I say the truth?’
&
nbsp; ‘Tell me. It is my prerogative to believe or not to believe!’
‘For me, it was love at first sight.’ Deepa told coyly.
‘For me also, love at first sight; but only after two years. Yesterday when I saw you, I felt something exceptional trickled inside me! I do not know whether, that is love or something else; but I was very much attracted towards you after looking at your eyes.’ Arunuday admitted. ‘So when you are going to be my wife?’
‘Are you sure, you are going to marry me? If your parents reject me what you will do?’
‘I do not know. But I know my parents; they always want me to be happy.’
While taking coffee they talked and talked and finished their talk only when they were requested by the manager of the coffee shop to leave the place.
‘Can I hold your hand?’While moving towards the car Arunuday asked Deepa.
‘You can hold; but before that you have to promise me that you will not leave me alone till I die.’ Deepa told thoughtfully.
Arunuday holding her hand promised, ‘I shall not leave you till I die. I want to die in your arms.’
‘Dying in the arms of her husband is a dream of every wife. I am no exception. So dying in your arms will be my privilege.’ Deepa stressed her view point.
At this Arunuday pulled Deepa towards him and embracing her tightly told, ‘I love you.’
Deepa did not object him for a kiss.
Chapter III: The Third Interview
Mr. Garg through all his confidential sources gathered information about Deepa and her family. To his pleasant surprise, he found the girl was truthful whatever she said about her and her family.
The family of Arunuday invited Deepa’s family for a dinner. There was lot of anxiety on the part of Deepa’s mother. She knew Deepa loves Arunuday for last two years without knowledge of Arunuday. Now, according to Deepa, Arunuday also loves Deepa. Considering the wide social and financial gaps if his parents reject the proposal, she will be devastated. She confided all these thoughts with her husband. Deepa’s father was also wary of these facts. With all these thoughts the family of Deepa reached Arunuday’s house by 8 in the evening.