Employment

Before I start let me first apologize to all my readers for the constant cribbing that I have subjected you to over the past few blog postings. I realise being unemployed is not the end of the world but in my defence I would like to say that it felt at times that I was waging a loosing battle, what with the economic conditions here.

On a very short notice I got to know that I have an interview arranged at RBS – Royal Bank of Scotland for the position of a Business Analyst. I was sent a preparatory pack on the kinds of questions I could expect and I was horrified to see questions like –

- Tell me about a time when someone misunderstood what you were trying to communicate

- Tell me about a time when you were successful in getting crucial information from another person

- Tell me about a significant crisis you have faced

The list was 5 pages worth and where previously I had put together documents on UML, RUP, Ms Visio, EMC Documentum as a sort of ready reckoner for interview preparation. I was now at loss as to how to answer these highly subjective questions. It took me a while to convince myself that this was not a gag but indeed the interview format. Anyways, after irritating the hell out of Shaiwal with these questions I sort of did prepare myself and set out for the interview the next day.

My interview was at 10 am and I reached at 9:15. Eager am I not? :) Well luckily I had a notepad and pen with me so I sat down and spent my time by writing down my projects, issues faced, steps taken and results achieved. I even wrote down the umpteen times coached answer to the question “Tell me something about you.”

Before I started my writing, I called up the one person to whom every individual reaches out in important times, to my MOTHER. I spoke to her for a couple of minutes, felt all the more calmer for it and blessed. At such times your parent’s voice revitalises you. Now if I had an issue and I had to find a solution, I would have run to my dad. This was different I just needed a reassurance that things were all going to be alright.

My interviewer was a lady. I assumed that since it was to be a lady I was going to have a session which would cut me down a few sizes. There is something to be said about lady bosses but I hope that if ever I do get to any such position I would not be regarded so. However, when I saw her I knew she was a kindred soul and with no intention to knock me down. Something about her face and smile just put me to rest. I remember the interview as a haze, it was all very pleasant and a few questions on continuous improvement, team management, lean, requirements gathering, etc.

In my school days after an exam I usually would come home and go off to sleep to clear my head of the subject and get refreshed for the exam the next day. So i went back to my routine, when I got back from the interview I saw a movie online and then hit the sack. Somewhere around 5 a call comes from the recruitment agency while I am still sleeping. Amidst sleep clouding my senses she informed me that I bagged an offer!

After all that cribbing I should have been overjoyed, ecstatic at the very least. Somehow I was calm. I knew in my mind that RBS had sacked over 6000 employees and I was replacing one of those permanent positions as a contract employee. Although I did not feel guilty over it, I did not feel overjoyed either. I remember what my Satyam friends went through when the company went into dire straits last years.

I thank you god for giving me a job yes but I also pray to you to support and help those 6000 affected families.