"I've never seen a resume like this before." This statement kept cycling in the velodrome of my mind. The sound bite, by itself, might not have hogged so much of my attention. But, the jumbotron in the velodrome continually replayed the expression on the speaker's face - one of bemusement rather than amusement. The event occurred at a meeting which had the tinges of an interview. And, because I was on my way to a recruitment drive, the scene from my last attempt kept haunting me. The three-hour journey from Mysore to Bangalore provided the passive backdrop that the memories needed to put on a show.
It was Saturday, the 8th of September, 2012. I was about to participate for the first time in an event in which Technical Writers were to be hired. (In fact, the last time I took part in any sort of recruitment process was on the college campus.) That the employer was a major IT company made the opportunity even more mouthwatering.
I had to report at the company by 8 AM, with a hard copy of the email invite that I'd received. The process was to begin with a 90-minute written test and culminate in the interviews for short-listed candidates. On a sleepy first morning of the weekend, with Bangalore's roads unclogged and vistas open for view, I reached the venue just past 7 30 AM, only to find a long queue of aspirants already at the gates. A few minutes later an employee walked by the queue, beginning at the gate to the tail of the line. For the benefit of those assembled, she announced that it was not a walk-in and participation was by invite only. She further said that the invites were unique, and those who'd photocopied the letters mailed to their friends had better leave. I clutched my printout just a bit more firmly. Having begun my day in the middle of the night, the last I thing I could afford was a hopeful trip to Bangalore on a fake invite.
8 AM, and the screening began. Each participant had to produce their invite and a photo identity proof in original at the gate. The credentials were cross-checked against the details in their list by the staffing team, who then stamped their approval on valid invitation letters. Mine was an echt invite. I entered the campus. Next, the ones who'd entered were given visitor's badges to be stuck on their clothing, either on the chest or on the left arm.
Then, we were led into a cafeteria which was to serve as the test hall. By the time all the invitees filed into the test hall, it was a quarter past 9 AM. Sat at a tables that was probably used to dine at everyday, each participant found before them five blank A4 sheets. The invitation had mentioned that the results of the written test would be announced shortly after. So, the last thing I was expecting were blank sheets; they surely could not evaluate essays very quickly, could they? As my mind toyed with me popping up possible topics for an essay, I was relieved to see the staffing team distributing questionnaires, which had four sections. We were given brief instructions on answering the questions, and the test commenced at 9 30 AM.
The first section of the questionnaire was along predictable lines - we had to correct sentences which had grammatical mistakes. Honestly, it wasn't very puzzling.
The next section required the respondent to write a descriptive essay - at least a page in length - about who would make a better Technical Writer, a person with better technical skills, or one with better language skills. I chose the one with language skills. As to why great technical skills wouldn't suffice, all writing needs to take account of the readers, predict the possible doubts and queries on their minds, and then seek to resolve these doubts and queries. A technical genius may not be as gifted in sympathising with the layman as can a writer who himself has grappled with the topic. Well, that's my view.
The third section asked us to recast a presented paragraph as per a suggested format, taking care to correct the grammatical lapses. I found the section challenging.
The last section had three questions on reasoning, and two of them stumped me. This kept me on the edge of my seat, though I did take heart from the fact that I'd performed well in the language sections.
By 11 AM, the questionnaires were taken back along with a copy each of everyone's resume. The next ten minutes were tense, with no action taking place. Some were restlessly silent, others restively spoke to the ones around. Then, the HR person appeared, read out five names, and escorted the five people out of the test hall. A few minutes later, the sequence of events was repeated. If I was sure of one thing it was that my result wouldn't be declared as quickly, as I was one of the last to hand back the filled questionnaires. The process of calling out names and taking people out in batches continued, and, if anything, became more frequent.
I was eager for the result. Hanging by the cliff is hardly a pleasant experience. I'm a theist. I do turn to prayer in an agitated situation. And I sure was getting agitated as people around me left their seats and the hall. I wanted to calm myself, take a few breaths and offer a short prayer. But, there was a dilemma. Where were all those people being led to, to the interview rooms, or out of the campus? What should be the object of my prayer? Should I ask the Divine to intervene and see to it that I'm called out shortly, or should the Divine ensure I'm still sat in the hall at the end of the process?
PS: I know it sounds as if the Divine is waiting to do my bidding. I wouldn't make such a claim. But, in case the Divine is unoccupied and bored of doing nothing, then perhaps I can nudge him towards possibly fulfilling activity...
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