Finally i had an opportunity to travel on campus recruitment assignment. this trip was to Hyderabad. this trip happened on the 9th and 10th of February 2008. day before the trip It was a very hectic Friday for me. I had organized a treat for my L&T InfoTech’s cricket team as I had a due of 2 treats for them (1 for getting 15K in paper presentation and one for getting 2nd rank in my M.Tech). Treat got over at 11.30 PM; I stayed at boys’ place. After reaching home as usual our hero Praveen and boys played chess and we watched movie, it was 2.30 when all went to sleep. I watched “pursuit of happyness” on bala’s creative vision M until 4.30 AM. I was ready at 4.50 AM. At 5AM got call from kavita to go to airport. We both were traveling to Hyderabad where we would be joined by qualcomm people. By 6 AM we were in flight after check in. I wanted a sleep badly, but the personal entertainment system of KF airlines didn’t allow me to sleep (I love music), so plugged earphone and started listening to music. After leaving Bangalore early morning it was the first flight for me after many years, I lost a day’s sleep. We reached Hyderabad at 9AM and we traveled to L&T guest house from there we were joined by Murali, Tirumala and team. We reached IAE, Dindigul at 11.30 AM. It was grateful for me to be in Hyderabad after 22 years. Good roads and nice city to be in.
The test finished at 3PM and we were offered with good Andhra food at the college. After taking leave from the college we reached the guest house at 4.30 PM. The response from the students was good with more than 1K students attending the recruitment drive. It was first campus recruitment drive for me. We managed very well and finished in time as we had good support from college people. After taking a short nap at the guest house it was serious business for the team. The paper correction finished at 1AM with tirumala helping us to finish the same. Poor guy he had to take interviews on next day .I and kavita were to catch Chennai flight for the Nellore recruitment drive. We had to pack up very early to catch kingfisher’s 6.30 AM flight to Chennai. So I lost one more day’s sleep. We reached airport at 5.30 AM and the check in was very strict at airport. Meanwhile I was very unhappy the way the luggage was handled. I had a crystal gift presented to me by the college people which broke duet improper handling by the security people. It was an ATR flight to Chennai, 50% of the aircraft was empty. I had a small nap during the journey; unfortunately I didn’t take any photos in the flight. We reached Chennai at 7.45 AM. From flight it was a very good view of Chennai. The Hyundai factory was amazing from the top, the track that they have resembles the f-1 track, and here I didn’t take any photos (very bad for me). As soon as I got out of the aircraft I got the feel of Chennai. The college people had sent us the cab. Vishwa and Guru of core logic team were waiting for us. We traveled to Nellore on a very god road and reached college at 11.30 AM, without any breakfast. The flight’s breakfast was horrible (mallyaji, at least improve the breakfast in your airlines).
After a small discussion, we started the test at 12 noon. With almost 800 students attending the recruitment drive it was a good crowd for us. But unfortunately I found it difficult to make them understand how to fill the OMR sheet. They were asking questions in Telugu, I seriously can’t converse in Telugu, but somehow managed to clear their doubts. Luckily for kavita it was home turf and we had a person who could talk in Telugu. It was very helpful for us in Hyderabad also. After finishing test at the venue, we were taken to Nellore city where our accommodation was booked. The college had provided us with a good hotel, Guru and vishwa were totally tired and they took a quick nap and we both (kavita and I) started evaluating papers. I was sure that the shortlists would be less than 50. After finally finishing the test paper evaluation, the problem started with the lappie, to hell with it we had problem with MS-EXCEL, and I remembered our MS guru Dileepa at that time. Finally we managed to give the results at 11PM and had a dinner. I was supposed to leave Nellore at 1AM as I had to be in Bangalore for my training on .Net. So I didn’t sleep at all and was watching TEN sports as some good football match was coming. All others were staying back and were to return on Tuesday morning after completing the recruitment drive. After saying bye to kavita (guru and viswa were in deep sleep) I left Nellore at 1AM to reach Chennai. God the driver was amazing; he had traveled to Chennai twice in 24 hours (round about 600KMS in a day). I had a sleep in the car itself; the driver was busy driving and watching a Telugu movie. I had told him to drive slowly and take break if he needed to. He dropped me at Chennai airport at 4.30 AM I was supposed to check in at 5.15 AM. It was very unfortunate for me I had to wait until 5.30 to get my boarding pass and I had to stand in a huge queue to get my security check done. I was cursing myself at that time that y did these people have put me into training on .Net. Finally got on to Jet lite flight at 5.55 AM I had no chance of a sleep as the flight journey was only 45 minutes. I didn’t have breakfast also. Flight was good and journey was also comfortable. Finally I landed in HAL airport at 6.55 AM. I had to rush back to office. I reached the office at 8AM, had a small nap and got back to business as usual. That was the end of my Hyderabad trip.
It was first of my trips to the campuses, it was nice to be par of this amazing team, thanks to Ajay , shubha , Vishnu( for booking tickets in good flights) and of course my Navini manager , paulose for allowing me to go for the recruitment process. I was very unhappy and was let down when I was forced to drop my travel to Delhi recruitment drive. This was a gift for me in return. Also thanks to kavita, who was part of the recruitment drive. Of course my camera was idle for a long time as I was unable to take any photos. In my next trip I would be surely taking many more photos.
Morning 7.30 AM I was told to be ready, which I was able to make it up. Had a nice breakfast at sojourn hotel, we checked out as we were supposed to stay at “Future College” Guest house on that night. Trip was a bit enjoyable with the driver taking us into inner rural Kolkata. The narrow roads, where only one vehicle would be able to pass old buildings… cool view of traditional kolkatta, nice way to enjoy the morning. Hot and humid weather was making us boring; meanwhile my Zune got switched off due to battery drain. So no music. Passed time by talking to Vidya and Krithika. Finally reached kalyani at 11 AM, JIS group was the first visit , where we dumped all our luggage and took the test kit to Govt engg college , the test started at the Govt college at 12 noon with one single batch which we completed by 2PM. Again volunteers were good for us with very helpful natured guys. Then I and Vidya were supposed to return to JIS where we had to do the short listing and finally at 4 PM the results were declared with only 12 getting short listed for the next round. Instead of sending the students to JIS the kalyani govt college PO asked any one of us to come to his college to conduct the GD round, after heavy negotiations I went to Govt Engg College to do the GD.
Again communication problem for the candidates. Had to reject 8 people with one guy being rejected due to his stammering, it was very painful for me to reject that guy, he was technically good, after his interview he told me that CTS had rejected him for this stammering (I wish I had that guy in our organization, unfortunately some good offer will be awaiting for that guy). After the selection process I had to rush back to JIS for one more GD session, I was very frustrated with the way the people made me to come back to JIS, I was taken all around kalyani with the university staff and I was finally dropped to the JIS, all along the way, the hammering talk of the PO for so many rejections in his college. God IT industry can’t take people who are just dumb.
After doing GD at JIS and final offers we wanted to move to Kolkatta with the Future college’s PO , but Vidya wanted to shop for sarees , we were taken to Kalyani’s market for the shopping , I was not able to purchase anything cse we were supposed to leave kolkatta on Thursday . So I dropped the idea of shopping. What a tragedy there was a shocking message that was waiting for all of us; it was the return journey back to Bangalore.
And after shopping went back to kolkatta with future college’s placement officer. Reached and had a nice dinner. Rest in the next post. Still more to go, will continue….
Had a nice dinner at hotel and went back to sleep as Vidya and Krithika continued with the paper correction. The next day's schedule was to travel to Kalyani where 2 campus recruitments were to be held. The details in next post.
Me, Krithika Vidya at futue Guest house
Paintings of Shanthi niketan students @ Future
Camera Gone wrong
Inside Indian Airlines flight
