Job Interviews and how I got my first job

Having written about my first flight experience, couple of weeks ago and comments on to that from my Onida colleague Nari as to whether I cut and pasted from my diary --I thought I should do more rewinds just to test my memory out . ( I did maintain diaries but stopped doing it since passing out from high school). I thought I should pen down my job interview and how I got in to my first job.. I had completed my Chartered Accountancy in July 1987 and had a more than three months of my internship to go till I could go and get in to a job. When you clear CA in your first attempt , you have many horns on your head !! I thought the company where I was an Intern , would make a offer to me . The company did make an offer to me but at a plant location that people do not go, unless there is no other alternative available . With little or poor transportation and Communication facilities , I was advised not to take up the offer and I took the advice.

A little bit of history as to why I choose the Commerce and Finance stream - thanks to some good advice from my friends and mentors. It is so important that we get guided well at the right time and heed to that advice and take good decision until we are able think through and make decisions on our own. I was very fond of numbers and Finance and some embarrassing incidents at the Physics , Chemistry and Biology labs made sure that I will not take the science stream when moving from school to high school. I was also told that just doing a degree in Commerce will take me nowhere and I had to get myself a Professional qualification.

My first year in the evening college was so light. But at the end of year one , I was on to my CA curriculum and the going was tough. Office during the day and college in the evening. Add this to the studies for the Bachelors degree and the preparation for the CA , it was long days everyday. I do not remember worrying about work , college and life balance !!

The CA course is one of the toughest . To an aspiring CA student , the results every half year would give him no comfort. The pass percentages were so low, indicating how tough the course was. And I was also warned that there is no incentive in completing the CA in more than one attempt. If you want to get in to a good company , pass your exams in the first attempt. But the course was the most cost efficient and you could complete it in three years if you cleared all the exams in the first attempt.So there it was , having cleared in the first attempt , having a few horns on your head was not bad at all.

My Intern got completed in September 1987 and I had no job offer/s. I went to a few Consultant firms , who decently said they will get back. I looked forward to The Hindu job opportunities page, which used to come out every Saturday . Few advts came . I applied for one Bombay based electronics company which gave a advt in its Service Company name. I forgot all about the applications that i put in.

Needed some money to take care of myself and so with a friend of mine started writing books of accounts for small time Finance companies. It was very profitable and I stayed afloat for the next two months till I got a letter asking me to attend a interview on 28th November 1987 with Onida ( to whom I had applied in the Service Co name called Adino ( Onida in reverse ) ). There was no specific time for the interview but I decided to go in early and was the first candidate and in order of "First Come First Called" basis, I was called in first and met up with the Sales Head and Controller of the Company. I did extremely well but there were 15 others to be interviewed after me. They asked for my Telephone number and I gave my friends number which was the closest to my home. Nothing happened till 2nd December 1987 .

My friend's house got a call asking me to come down at 4 PM for a final interview with the Director of the company. I was away at Chrompet with my friend completing the book writing assignments. My house was in Jawahar Nagar a suburb in the opposite direction of Chrompet and it would take close to 90 minutes to get from Jawahar Nagar to Chrompet by train and with proper planning and knowledge of train timings. There were Four brothers in that house and two of the brothers were my good friends. The elder one of the two was my mentor and adviser and gave the right advice in me choosing my career. The younger one was my age and classmate but was a science student. He was my best pal . He was at Chennai waiting to join for his Engineering Course.

The elder one went to my home and got the address of my Chrompet's friend address and sent a telegram from the Jawahar nagar Post office. The younger one knew my position very clearly and how much I needed a job. The call had come at 10 AM and by 1:30 PM , he took a great piece of action that helped me in getting me the first job of my career.. He took a car and drove down to Chrompet. At around 3 , he reached and called out. I was shocked and at his sighting , thought that something was wrong at home. He said , you have a final interview at 4 PM and offered to drop me at Nungambakkam in his car, I was not appropriately dressed to attend a interview with a Director. He urge me to attend and explain my case in the interview. He just about dropped me at 4 PM and I attended the interview, and after more meetings at around 9 PM, I was made an offer and I was asked to join on 3rd December 1987, the next day !! I did and enjoyed a great first career spanning close to nine long years.

Now what happened to that damn telegram. It was delivered on 5th December . All of us had a good laugh!!. But if not for my friends presence of mind , I am not sure if I my career would have started. It so important to have friends and good friends at all time and get the right advice as one tries to build his life !!　
Long story but hope everyone enjoys it.

If Natchu and Paddu read this , they will relate to what happened ….Two guys who made my life far better at that time.