THE SYMBIOSIS EXPERIENCE…

Date: 2nd February ‘08
Time: 09:00 A.M.
Venue: International Convention Centre
Senapati Bapat Road, Pune
This was undoubtedly the Big One. I arrived in Pune on the 30th. I had quite a few days off (31st and 1st ) before the Big Day. The day before my interview I went to the venue, ICC, for a trial run as to how long it would take me to reach the venue from where I was putting up. By the way, I was staying at my Aunt’s place. It took me almost an hour and just about a hundred rupee’s to reach the place. The rest of the day I spent checking out PagalGuy (The one stop website for MBA aspirants). The thread on SCMHRD where people had posted their experiences pointed to the fact that they were rejecting a lot of people on the Group Process stage, people who were too bossy and dominating, and obviously people who were too meek and spoke nothing. In the evening I just brushed up on my Academics and prepared on some HR questions… (Things like Why MBA? Strengths? Weaknesses? Etc. I slept that night with butterflies in my stomach.
Mornings in Pune are quite chilly during early February, especially if you’re riding in an auto rickshaw open on both sides. Add to that the open roads around 7 in the morning allowing the auto driver to drive at full throttle, and nothing to guard me shoulders (I was wearing a half sweater) from the chilly winds. By the time I got to the venue I could hardly feel my shoulders (talk about a cold shoulder). At reaching the venue which was this huge modern building, I waited for some time and gathered my self one last time. The interiors of the building was , well, intimidating to say the least. There were already some people waiting, you know those executive like one’s I met at Christ only even more executive-like and confident here. All this made me feel uneasy, it was only after a few minutes that I realized that the uneasiness was largely because I was feeling like a shit. So I added ‘ICC’ to an illustrious list of places where I’d taken a crap.
The actual process began with registration and verification wherein we were allotted our ID’s and divided into groups. My group consisted of 9 people (4 Guys and 5 Girls), some Group discussion we were gonna have…I mean, without trying to be a sexist, girls are known to be Big mouthed. After the initial formalities we were taken to the fifth floor and made to wait for a while. Then a lady came and took us to our Group Process room which was a real board room (no kidding). It was a huge room with a big oval table with nothing in the middle (like an oval tyre). Normally such a sight would’ve made me feel even more nervous but strangely I felt at home and felt like an executive myself. Two people came in and asked us to sit in our allotted places. We had a small microphone each in front of us too, but we weren’t required to use it. The process was divided into two parts, the first part was where we had to choose a brand ambassador for a car called ‘Ninja’, which was competing with the Tata Nano. I did well, after all I was feeling like a Manager, and put in some innovative points. The second part was kind of a rescue operation for a soft drink company after some of it’s products were found to be contaminated and had hospitalized a few people. I continued my good form in the second half too. The whole group I thought had performed quite well and every one got a fair chance to put forward their points. After the Group Process which took around 50 mins, we were made to wait for around half an hour. Then the results came and as expected I was selected for the Interview process, and so was everyone in my group barring one person. I guess the guy didn’t add any value to the discussion and all I could remember was that he was saying ‘Yes, Yes’ to every one’s point and in the process forgot to put in his own points, kind of like a rubber stamp. But it’s my take and I may be wrong.
The Interview was next and it was a long wait. I mean every body in my group had already been called and I was still waiting. Actually I had wanted to go to the toilet for a pee right after the Group Process but I had decided against it, thinking that I’d go after the results were out. As it turned out, I forgot all about it in the ecstasy of making it through to the next round. So the wait was even more painful with a flared up bladder, I couldn’t go to do my thing fearing that I’d miss my call. While waiting I met a senior from SCMHRD who was from Gangtok and she gave me some tips for the interview, she told me that they liked out spoken and bubbly people, she also told me that they preferred to have people from all backgrounds so they could have a healthy mix of students in the campus. This bit of information really added fuel to my aspirations. Finally the call came…
The interview was held in a small room by two panellists. I came to know that I was going to be the last person in before they went off for lunch.
P1: A 50+ man wearing a brown tweed coat with white hair and white moustaches. (Experience Personified)
P2: A 35-40 year old man wearing a red T-Shirt.
M: Me (A nervous wreck)
M: May I come in Sir.
P1 or P2 (Don’t remember who): Come in. Come in.
P1: So, Gurung ? Where are you from?
M: From Kalimpong Sir.
P2: Are you a Nepali?
M: Yes Sir.
P1: When did you come to Pune?
M: On the 30th.
P1: Where are you staying?
M: Near Kondhwa, in my Aunt’s place. (Feeling relaxed now after a few general questions.)
P2: Tell me what’s the situation in Darjeeling now? It’s been coming in the news of late?
M: Tell them about the new party coming up against the GNLF and their want for a separate state.
P1: What language do you speak at home?
M: Nepali.
P1: Is it different from what the Nepalese speak in Nepal?
M: Quite the same but there’s some difference in the accent.
P2: (Looking at the details in my application) So, you graduated in Philosophy?
M: Yes.
P1: (Looking very interested) Tell me about the Philosophy of the youth of today in India?
M: Tell them that youth of today are liberal and like to take their own decisions. They are basically more independent.
P1: So, a guy and girl having sex before marriage is fine according to the youth of today?
M: (Shell Shocked) I guess it is if both of them are consenting and know what they are doing.
P1: Does your Father let you take your own decisions?
M: Yes. He’s always been very lenient but only as far as I know my limits.
P1: And what are the limits within which you can take your decisions?
M: I mean he hasn’t told them explicitly but you tend to know these things automatically.
P1: Taking decisions on your own is fine as far as you’re not dependent on anyone, but if you’re still dependent on your Dad you must consider what he says too. Don’t you think so?
M: Yes Sir.
P2: Why do you want to do MBA?
M: Rattle on a prepared answer. Full Gyan on career growth, and self improvement, etc.
P2: What are the placements that you can get from a Philosophy Degree?
M: (Tell them about how a Philosophy lecturer was retiring in my place and that if I’d done my Ph.D I’d have probably got a job there, but I didn’t want it because I wanted to do an MBA)
P1: So, Don’t want to be like us?
M: (Ok …I realised that I’d just rubbed up the wrong side…Damage control)…Sir its not that, I actually love teaching and the prospect of teaching things to people. Its just that I feel that one need’s to get a few years of experience behind their back before one gets to teaching rather than doing it right out of college, so I will get into teaching at a later part of my career. (Wow…I was proud of myself with that blockbuster answer) P1 was nodding to P2…I think in acknowledgement of my brilliant answer.
P2: What are the different Philosophies you studied?
M: Sir in Indian Philosophy segment we had Carvaka, Nyaya, Baudha, Jaina…
P2: Before I’m finished he asks me What is carvaka philosophy?
M: It’s basically a Materialistic Philosophy.
P2: (Nods looking satisfied) Ok.
P2: Have you read things by Ayn Rand?
M: (Can’t believe my luck, Almost jumping out of my seat) Yes Sir I have.
P2: Did you look at his expression?
P1: Yes.
P2: So what are the books you’ve read?
M: Sir I’ve already read the ‘FountainHead’ and the ‘Atlas Shrugged’ and I just picked up ‘The Virtue of Selfishness’ a few days ago.
P2: You’ve read the Atlas Shrugged? I’ve interviewed a lot of students but you’re the first one who’s read that book? Tell us the story?
M: (Rattle on. But I seemed to have forgotten about the female protagonist) I say that I’m getting mixed with the lady from the other book.
P2: What was the lady in the other book’s name?
M: Dominique.
P2: Ok, we’re convinced you’ve read the book but what did you learn from it.
P1: What’s the Philosophy of the book?
M: Some more Gyan, I even put in a quote sayings from the book. (This time P2 nods looking at P1, I’m thinking…SCMHRD here I come)
P2: What is this particular type of Philosophy called, there’s a specific name for it?
M: Objectivism, it’s called Objectivism Sir.
P2: Akhilesh, have you faced any setbacks in life?
M: Sir, a recent setback I faced is the CAT.
P2: Apart from academics?
M: None that I can think of.
P1: Never been slapped by a girl?
M: No Sir.
P1: If you were given a chance to go back a few years in your life, when you’re just out of school, would you still choose to take Philosophy?
M: Yes Sir definitely. Philosophy has changed my life. I would still choose Philosophy.
***** Now, the part where I think I blew it******
P2: Tell me, Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
M: (Oh God I hadn’t thought about this one) Sir, 5 years from now I would like to see myself in a big company holding an important position. (Something of that sort…I may have sounded a bit unsure about this one.)
P2: The Indian Railways is a big company and the position of a driver is a very important position, would you like to be working there?
M: (Feeling I could turn back 10 seconds of my life…rather than 5 years P1 had offered me earlier)…I didn’t mean that Sir.
P2: So be more specific.
M: Sir a place where I will be enjoying my work, etc, etc.
P1: What other exams did you give?
M: Sir CAT-80.54, XAT-99.3 and MAT-98.5.
P1: I think I’m done.
P2: Me too. Thank you Akhilesh, it was a pleasure meeting you.
M: Thank You, Sirs.
That was That, I thought I’d done pretty well and the Ayn Rand stuff was pretty cool too, I mean I got really lucky. And the panel too seemed really impressed with me…they nodded in approval quite a lot.
As I was returning home I checked the Christ website and found out that I’d been rejected for Christ. I was pretty confident about Christ as I was about SCMHRD, so I prayed to God that Christ was just a one off incident. But as they say Lightning does strike twice…(On the same person.) (sic.)