27th March. This is the day my IIM-I interview was scheduled. Reporting time 9.30 am. I was not completely new to this feeling. I had appeared for XLRI interview few weeks back. You know this is one of days you don't want to leave anything to chance. Normally people like us usually travel in the most inconvenient ways in NCR. Those miserable autos in Gurgaon, and the crowded DTDC buses in Delhi. But that day you need a Taxi. I had booked one too, that would take me to the centre which was in some building in the Lodhi Road. To be extra cautious I had called the Taxi at 8 and contrary to what public opinion might be, you can be late but the Taxi won't. My getting ready was accelerated by the Taxi waiting outside the house from about 7.50am. That was about the same time when my fellow inmates were getting ready to leave for jobs(which I truly miss these days). Getting ready in formals, collecting my precious certificate folder, I briefly said bye to my friends and left.
Probably the most common question you ask the driver when you start for an interview is "Bhai, how much time will it take." Only to find that even with allowances for a half an hour traffic jam, you will be there in time. But somehow you don't believe that. At every slow down of traffic, at every signal you get curious about what is happening. You don't want to get scared but you can't help it either. Specially when so much is at stake. 3 attempts at CAT and this single IIM call. This time you can't even use the excuse that you messed up a few questions here and there in the paper and that the method is not fair. Very uncertain. This time you are giving the panel some time to judge you. However small the span of interview be, it is your job to impress them. However, I was soon at the centre 45 minutes before time.
Even though I am not a very convivial person I could find 2, 3 acquaintances from the CL centre Gurgaon. That didn't make it any comfortable for me but hopefully they felt good at finding a familiar face. Most of the guys were talking about their other IIM interviews and how they were thinking of skipping this one, but then just thought, "What the hell!". All of us being early at the centre had to wait quite a bit after which some Profs arrived at the centre and we were guided to the final waiting room.
After a few minutes of further wait, one of the Profs came and welcomed us. He said he will just take the attendance and then divide the groups for GD's according to the numbers present. He started taking the attendance. It was a long list. He kept calling the names one after another pausing and repeating the names of absentees to make sure they didn't miss it. And he was soon through with the list. I found something odd. My name was not called. My only IIM call. And the name wasn't there! The Prof started calling out the names of the absentees once again. A thorough analysis of the case indicated that among the 100 reasons why I didn't hear my name (e.g. interview letter sent to wrong person, name missed from list with them, name skipped while reading out, me not being attentive enough, etc.) one strong reason was that I had read the interview call letter wrong, or rather registered the wrong date in my head. In stead of approaching the Prof with my doubt immediately I chose to verify my credentials first. Quietly pulling out the letter from the folder I read it carefully. It read 29th March. Another thing need to be checked, today's date. My watch said its 27th. I could only smile now. It was a mixed emotion with a prominent flavour of relief. Relieved I was for the fact that I was not feeling very prepared for the interview. There were a lot of topics I had thought of studying and had not covered. But most importantly because the interview was 2 days hence and not 2 days ago!
As soon as the Prof was done with attendance and left the room I quietly picked up my belongings and slipped out of the room quietly. I didn't speak a word or do a thing to attract his attention towards me as I don't wanted to look like an idiot before the person who could be my interviewer. As soon as reached the stairs I stopped. To make sure I really didn't have the interview today. I checked the papers and the dates again. I did that at least 5 times while still leaving the building. Still having made such a big mistake I was not sure of myself any more. So holding the letter in my hand and reading the date on it, I asked an auto-driver, what date was it today. He said it was 27th and only after that I was convinced enough to go leave the place.
To end the post I dare the reader to quote the most careless thing you have done in your life, if it comes close to the above, or supersedes this(that way its good to know I am not the only one!)
Probably the most common question you ask the driver when you start for an interview is "Bhai, how much time will it take." Only to find that even with allowances for a half an hour traffic jam, you will be there in time. But somehow you don't believe that. At every slow down of traffic, at every signal you get curious about what is happening. You don't want to get scared but you can't help it either. Specially when so much is at stake. 3 attempts at CAT and this single IIM call. This time you can't even use the excuse that you messed up a few questions here and there in the paper and that the method is not fair. Very uncertain. This time you are giving the panel some time to judge you. However small the span of interview be, it is your job to impress them. However, I was soon at the centre 45 minutes before time.
Even though I am not a very convivial person I could find 2, 3 acquaintances from the CL centre Gurgaon. That didn't make it any comfortable for me but hopefully they felt good at finding a familiar face. Most of the guys were talking about their other IIM interviews and how they were thinking of skipping this one, but then just thought, "What the hell!". All of us being early at the centre had to wait quite a bit after which some Profs arrived at the centre and we were guided to the final waiting room.
After a few minutes of further wait, one of the Profs came and welcomed us. He said he will just take the attendance and then divide the groups for GD's according to the numbers present. He started taking the attendance. It was a long list. He kept calling the names one after another pausing and repeating the names of absentees to make sure they didn't miss it. And he was soon through with the list. I found something odd. My name was not called. My only IIM call. And the name wasn't there! The Prof started calling out the names of the absentees once again. A thorough analysis of the case indicated that among the 100 reasons why I didn't hear my name (e.g. interview letter sent to wrong person, name missed from list with them, name skipped while reading out, me not being attentive enough, etc.) one strong reason was that I had read the interview call letter wrong, or rather registered the wrong date in my head. In stead of approaching the Prof with my doubt immediately I chose to verify my credentials first. Quietly pulling out the letter from the folder I read it carefully. It read 29th March. Another thing need to be checked, today's date. My watch said its 27th. I could only smile now. It was a mixed emotion with a prominent flavour of relief. Relieved I was for the fact that I was not feeling very prepared for the interview. There were a lot of topics I had thought of studying and had not covered. But most importantly because the interview was 2 days hence and not 2 days ago!
As soon as the Prof was done with attendance and left the room I quietly picked up my belongings and slipped out of the room quietly. I didn't speak a word or do a thing to attract his attention towards me as I don't wanted to look like an idiot before the person who could be my interviewer. As soon as reached the stairs I stopped. To make sure I really didn't have the interview today. I checked the papers and the dates again. I did that at least 5 times while still leaving the building. Still having made such a big mistake I was not sure of myself any more. So holding the letter in my hand and reading the date on it, I asked an auto-driver, what date was it today. He said it was 27th and only after that I was convinced enough to go leave the place.
To end the post I dare the reader to quote the most careless thing you have done in your life, if it comes close to the above, or supersedes this(that way its good to know I am not the only one!)
