Numerous calls and e-mails from a consultant persuaded me to take a break in my vacation and come to Bangalore for 2 days to attend an interview. The promise that all the rounds would be completed the same day with an offer given made it all the more lucrative. I should have known better that it was too good to be true. The interview process was scheduled for 2 hours from 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. I had arrived just that morning after a night journey and looked a disaster with no sleep from the previous night.
Nevertheless, we drove to the avenue and I presented myself on time with the laundry list of documents that they had asked for. Thank God, they didn't ask for my parents' birth certificates!
Waited at the reception area to be called inside along with some 50 odd candidates. 11:30. 11:45. Still chatting with Vivek. A guy clad in black presented himself, addressed us and took us up. I still hoped to be out by 1:00 for lunch. After filling a form, the waiting continued upstairs with 25 odd people. No sign of any action. A bunch of referral candidates were whisked away to another building. I had a few referrals but people had warned me against it here as this org didn't work that way.
More waiting. I kept myself entertained with SMSs to Vivek, gazing at the 10 odd clocks depicting times of various places across time zones. It was quite an entertainment as all were showing incorrect times from New York to London to Tokyo to Sydney.
Just I was beginning to get impatient, the black clothed guy that I would call P presented himself again and gave a very attractive offer of who wants to go and have lunch? No one was in the mood. We just wanted to finish it and be done for the day. Discouraged by a lack of response, he muttered, "you should cooperate. You should understand blah blah". So many "shoulds" drove me mad. No apologetic tone. No courtesy. Zilch. That was it. I told him they needed to organize better. It didn't matter whether I got the job or not then. He asked us to reassemble at 2:00 p.m.
Skipped lunch for a lack of place to goto nearby and came back at 1:50 p.m. More waiting. I finally went in at 2:40 p.m. totally exhausted from the 3.5 hour wait. The interview was ok and the interviewer was cooperative. I blacked out and my eyelids were closing but I survived. Lasted 30 mins and I moved to the next round. Little did I know that the next goddamn round would be at 5:35 p.m.
With no lunch no snack and meaningless waiting for 6 hours, I finally emerged at 6:10 p.m. My gut says I wouldn't get the job because I was very aggressive. But I really don't care. If you are curious to know, what was the place I interviewed at, it was IBM.
Today's Tips :
- Get a good night's sleep before an interview day
- Plan your travel ahead. If it is a last minute one, negotiate for a better travel deal with the company you are interviewing for. Else postpone the interview to a convenient date. That shows you are not desperate and works well in a services market.
- Do not take bullshit. If you respect yourself, only then can you expect others to give you one. Don't be inhuman and wait for unreasonably long hours. Plan an alternate solution and suggest you would visit again for the next round. That gives you time to get things in perspective.
- Check your e-mail and ensure that you have all the documents that they asked for before you leave for the venue
- To avoid delays at arriving at the venue, make sure you find out where the place is a day in advance
- If you are waiting for longer hours at the venue, keep yourself refreshed by splashing water and drinking lots of water.
- If you have information that there are going to be numerous other people taking the interview, carry a book or iPOD to keep you entertained. And ofcourse some snacks to munch.