Campus recruitment and Interviews!!!! Most important time of a student life! Here I will tell you how you can screw it up!
Well... The US based Informatica - The Data Integration Company, came to our campus yesterday! About 100 students were eligible to appear according to their eligibility criteria.
Stage 1: Technical Aptitude Test + Theory Paper!
Duration: 45 + 30 min.
Topics: Database (Major), Operating Systems, Unix, C language, General Aptitude.
Students Shortlisted: 13. (I was among them)
Stage 2: Technical Interview:
The interview lasted for almost an hour. Database questions were fired like anything. (I have only basic understanding of databases and queries). I could not answer the higher concepts.
Unix commands and architecture was asked - It was ok! I told them I won prizes in Sun MS blogging contests. He was very impressed!
Students Short listed -4. (I was again one of them).
Stage 3: Technical Interview + HR:
Now comes the most interesting part.... (The interview was conducted by John Sir)
In the beginning I was asked about the database I had designed long back (For storing student -teacher academic data). He was very impressed again.
Then he came to my field!!!! Programming....
I answered almost everything... We discussed some of the projects I had undertaken before (I keep on doing small projects and exploring new technologies.) He also asked base Software Engineering concepts and OS! Everything going so smoothly!!!
Next....
John Sir: So, you are good at programming.. not at database...
Me: Sir I know the basics. I am not an expert in it...
John Sir: See... We do not expected you to be an expert. If you are capable of learning new things we can train you as we like. Its every companies responsibility.. right?
Me: Right Sir!
John Sir: So what are you basically most interested in?
Me: (Without thinking anything) Programming!!!!!!!!!!!
.......... Now !! Here I am... In front of the HR from the Most reputed Data Integration and Solutions Company... I have cleared all the hurdles. He asks me what I am interested in...
I say - I am not interested in what the company is doing! I like programming!!!
Thats the end....
He explains me that it is very difficult to get anything related to code in their job! The core team is far away....
The Concluding remarks...
One guy - really good at databases finally got selected. I was handed a T- Shirt and a pen!!
Not just that - There was this concluding remark:
"You are very good at what you do and you will get selected in other companies. Its just that your interest and our interest don't match!!!!"
Question is - Was it a mistake or a boon in disguise?
I don't know the answer as of today. One thing is for sure.... I cant sit for years typing in same old mugged up SQL Queries - So I think I did the right thing!!!
Everybody around me thinks - I am wrong!! 5.6 Lakh per annum (Indian Rupees) is not a small amount right?
But what about job satisfaction? I would love to get less than that for doing what I love to do - To PROGRAM! To think about things - To try and innovate!
I hope I am not proved wrong in the long run..... But am I too inexperienced to keep preferences at this stage of my carrier?
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July 19, 2008 at 1:01 PM
@Jay: If you chase money now, money will never chase you later!
Ofcourse you did the right thing. Have confidence in yourself and march ahead. Success will surely follow. Doing what you love is doing it best. I would say you have saved yourself from commiting suicide. Listen to your heart and not to others.
And by the way, even if you don't get selected in any company, have the guts to start your own. We always look for companies to employ us. Have the faith and the guts to venture out on your own. I assure you, the thrill is well worth it!
All the best!
July 19, 2008 at 1:48 PM
@Jay: you did the right think, no doubt! The job of your choice should be interesting, specially if it is your first position. Selecting boring job for the startup discourages many of the graduates when they start their IT career.
Try Google! :)
July 19, 2008 at 6:14 PM
I'll second the above remarks, a boring job, or one that isn't where your interest lie can suck the life out of you. And don't just wait for large multi-nationals, who will generally put you in a IT sweatshop until their profit margins dip. There are some smaller companies everywhere doing interesting stuff, it just takes more effort to find them.
July 19, 2008 at 10:17 PM
Wow! Interesting dude! Seriously, I agree with you, its more about job satisfaction first, money will follow you, if not sooner, then later!
There are so many companies out there, go for it...
Enjoy!
July 20, 2008 at 6:22 AM
@Rohan, Anton and Scott..
Thanks a lot for your comments and encouragement. I guess you guys are very experienced and realize the importance of job satisfaction.
This gives me some relief and confidence to do what I believe.
As Scott said, small companies are a very interesting prospect for young graduates. But Google or Sun are companies that we dream to be in! (Very few are lucky enough to achieve such dream though..)
And Rohan Sir - It would really need SOME guts to start our own company. Not everybody is a Bill Gates or Larry Page or Sergey Brin!
Thanks again!
July 21, 2008 at 11:13 AM
You did the right thing. Do take a look at what we do. Our technical team has 3 IIT Bombay grads and is one of the best in the country. Do take a look and see if your interests match in Web Programming (www.cocubes.com).
July 21, 2008 at 1:04 PM
I have to side with previous commenters on this - I strongly believe you should always do what do first and foremost because you enjoy it, everything else is secondary.
Also, contrary to popular belief, an interview is a two-way process, not only are you 'selling' your skills to the company in question, but they need to 'sell' their position to you as well. So, if you don't suit in their company, it would likely be best to decline the an offer if you think you would not fit in or enjoy it there.
Oh, and on the 'starting your own company note', you don't have to become a Bill Gates, Larry Page or Sergey Brin to be successful. You can be successful even if you are completely obscure to te rest of the world :)
Anyhow - just my 2c
July 22, 2008 at 5:19 AM
@hsgrover: Thanks for the comment. And ur site is a very good and promising initiative. All the best for that!
@cmdrdats: "not only are you 'selling' your skills to the company in question, but they need to 'sell' their position to you as well"
Very interesting thought. Although, the word 'sell' seems a little hard to me! We could look at it as - 'offering' your skill. It somehow sounds better.
July 22, 2008 at 11:38 AM
of course u did the right thing dude..i always tell u that u are made for a lot bigger things in life..i find no reason for committing a suicide for such small little stuff...informatica has lost a great opportunity i would say...
August 22, 2008 at 11:52 PM
Yes man u did the right thing after all your interest,your personality,your confidance is more than Rs.5000000000000Cr/Second.Never ever compramise these valuable assets because u have to carry these things thru out ur life.
September 22, 2008 at 11:17 AM This comment has been removed by the author.
September 22, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Hi jay
just came across yr blog...liked it...had heard abt this goof-up from the guys there...and yes, i DID think that yu had made a big mistake( yah 5.6 lpa is a pretty good sum)...but yah, yu are rite...job satisfaction matters a lot...
a couple of more remarks...dude, there is nothin like right or wrong...yu just need to believe and understand that watever yu are doing is good for YOU, no matter wat ppl say and hw they react...yu also need to accept that wat yu did in the interview was a big mistake...and probably yu shdnt have done that...
anyway, I do hope this does prove to be a blessing for yu...all the best...
PS- database is not all about firing sql queries all yr life...its much more interesting and requires much more creativity than that...
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