My Cisco Experiences - III

Continued....

Now came the results. All of us were happy. I called up my family, told them and messaged my friends. Then, we went in for lunch along with the company to Alankar Grande. There, there were four of us (ladies??) and Aparna ate salads and rotis. J( csc) had had her lunch in hostel already because she never imagined her being selected. That left Sharu and me. Both of us were very hungry. But Sharu ate a bit of noodles and finished her lunch. I didn't want to disappoint myself. So I tried out a bit of everything. I didn't have too much of nonveg because I didn't have proper company and because most of the dishes were in mutton( I don't eat mutton!) Also, I stopped with one round on grounds of good manners. ( Come on! When none in your table eat, you too lose appetite!) But I compensated for it with the desserts. I tasted everything (except Kesari, that was too ordinary for some occasion so romantic!) and enticed Sharu too to try them out. We had a good fill and I suggested coffee in the end. If looks could kill, then Sharu's look then would have done me in :) So, I skipped coffee. Not that I was too particular because I liked the Strawberry icecream flavor lingering in my mouth and didn't want to lose it too soon. Then, I filled in a form and we said a good bye to them and came back to college.

We then went to class and then the department and shared our joy with our teachers. Then, I came home and rang up my near and dear and told them the good news. Then, I came on the net and scrapped all my friends on orkut. And, that is the end of a long and lovely story!

Now, what is it that I feel? More than being happy, I feel sated. I'm satisfied that I've done my bit in increasing the dual count of our department and that I'm done with the dual placements. I can now concentrate onto the hundred and one things calling for me. I can now atleast share my experiences with others so that I could do my best for their success too. I have learnt a few important things from this episode and hope to cherish it close to my heart! TCS was a different experience because that was my first job interview and any first job interview would always be special! This was unique in the sense that I was mentally prepared for it!( I was not for DeShaw or Goldman Sachs and that has made all the difference)

Here are a few tips for those who are going to attend their interviews:

1) The interview is a mind game altogether. So, be prepared mentally and you would have won half the game already.

2) Find out the areas which you are passionate about and learn the best you can in each of them.

3) Also, for people trying their dual placements, be selective about the companies you are sitting for because you should be strong in their required area. Only if their needs and your skills match, the companies would seriously consider you.

4) Do some good projects in your areas of interest: it might be wireless, networks, electronics, vlsi or anything. But be sure that you know what you are doing! Never keep any projects done by your seniors or your other classmates because of two reasons: First, only if YOU do the project would you understand the intricacies of it and can talk about it in the interview. This is a sure way to impress your interviewers as they know the problems that might crop up as you proceed in the project. They can smell a fake project miles away! Second and the more important reason: Only if YOU do the project can you learn the subject well. And, that gives you immense confidence in your talents and abilities. And, mind you, confidence is the key when it comes to interviews. The idea of saying that a project could be learnt and presented is total crap as only the creator would know the whys and why nots. You might escape in some situations, but it is better not to take a risk!

5) Be cool on the day of the test. Don't cram anything!

6) Knowing about the company profile is very important. If you cannot find out the info, rope in some good friends who would be patient and unrelenting in their search for this task. Enlist their help in this.

7) Be friendly to the interviewers. After all, they have not come to eat us up alive. They have come to recruit people and they have to select the best out of the lot! Make sure that you prove that you are the best of what they need!

8) You might be great in Electronics or Wireless. But, that wouldn’t help while attending companies searching for your programming skills. So, accentuate your strengths accordingly!

9) Be good to yourself and allow for small failures on the way!

10) Remember one thing! This is not the only company on earth and this is not the end of life. So, take things as they come and enjoy as much as possible!

Here are a few people who have helped me scale this peak! DV and AB who have reposed faith in me even when I have lost all hopes about myself! They have lent me a patient ear whenever I’ve asked for it and have helped me keep my cool even in trying times ; Ishu, my sister, who had knocked some sense into me every now and then; my family for standing by all the decisions that I’ve taken regarding placements; my friends for helping me in more ways than one could imagine and finally, God for giving the finishing touch to this entire episode.

Do tell me your experiences about the interview process and if this post has been useful for you. Also, send in your general comments. All are welcome ;) (no pun intended!)