This post is
not exactly a about my college days but my experiences when I was the Placement
Officer of a well-known Engineering College in Kerala. It is a blow by blow
account of a day that would change the lives of few of my students forever and a memorable one for me as well.
It all
started off with a recruitment drive of well-known Software Company which was
held on another college a good 4 hour drive away from the institution where I
was working in. I embarked on a journey with 84 of my wards in 2 buses. The first day was not that eventful it was the
usual entry test and after everything we were back by evening to college . By
night around 9 PM I got a call saying that 42 of my students had cleared the
test and had to report for interview the next day. I dragged along a couple of
my students from the Men’s hostel and
went onto the college building to check out who all were there. Incidentally
these two guys were among the brightest of the group and I was almost certain
that they would be among the 42 .They left their supper midway and came with me
saying that they were all very tensed up. We started going through the list to
our shock these guys names weren’t there.
After the initial setback I got back to the business of informing
everyone who had cleared. Owing to the unprecedented number of students
appearing for interview I decided to try my luck to get a college bus arranged, with a bit of coaxing and cajoling got the job done.
So the next
day we I set out along with 42 of my wards with dreamy eyes early morning. I
knew this could be the defining day of my stint over here and also on the lives
of the students with me. I decided to make use of the long journey and started giving
tips to my students that I had gathered on course of time as I had also been a
candidate for a number of campus recruitment drives when I was in college. I
had also managed to do a one on one with a good number of students. What I
found out was that here were a bunch of kids most of who were going for maybe their
first interview and were a confused lot and inexperienced in this sort of
thing. I managed to dispel a lot of
their fears and also other myths associated with this entire process. The
biggest challenge that I faced was to boost the confidence and morale of the
bunch, to an extent I was successful but I had my limitation since it was
taxing on my part to reach out to each of the 42 students. We reached almost in time and the procedures
of the day commenced.
There was
hardly anything for me to do as the registration and the introduction about the
company was going on. I was hanging around the picturesque campus and making
the most of my “me time”. By afternoon the students were lined up for the first
round of interviews. The tension was palpable on my student’s faces. I decided
to lighten the mood a bit and started to chat up with everyone to ease their
nerves. I came across a student of mine whom I had not noticed much till now
she had an air of confidence in her and had exceptional communication skills. It
was a whiff of fresh air among all the students I had met previously met .The moment
I spoke to her I knew she would be selected (eventually she did make the cut). All
I did was give her a pep talk and she was ready for the kill. It also made me realize that I hardly knew
the bunch of kids who I was in charge of.
As I had mentioned earlier it is manually impossible to get to know each
and every one of them. This incident was
a catalyst it set off something on me and I went around trying to reach out to each
and everyone present there. I knew that if I could give a final push almost
everyone would be able to make the cut.
I came
across this guy who was very low in confidence and was perspiring I took him
for a stroll and told him to imagine that you are on a date (I knew that his
interviewer was this female) go ahead and work your charm on this female don’t
think about anything else. That’s all the fuel he needed and he went ahead to
bag the job. Then there were this couple
of students of mine who were on their heavier side incidentally their interviewer
was also like them. I told them to imagine that they were in a boxing match and
told them that I wanted them to come out as the victors they went on to win
the title. Then there was this student of mine who assisted me in my activities
of the placement cell which I headed in college. I had never seen her so tensed
I told her to just enjoy the process and the rest will fall in place she made
it count.
Like this I
went around the interview location giving pep talks to one and all that were
under me and giving specific inputs regarding the interview that I could gather
from the ones who were done with it. Physically it was very demanding at the
end of it I believe that I had at least talked once to all who were present
there. The instances that I described above are limited to how much I can
recall as this had happened more than 2 years ago.
After all
this the wait for the results began the air was filled tension everyone including
me were at our wits end. It was almost 7
PM earlier on the day most of us had gathered in our college as early as 4 am
and that coupled with the travelling had left us really jaded. The wait
continued endlessly as it is supposed to be. Finally the results were out 36 out
of the 42 who were called for interview on that day had made the cut. There was jubilation all over and everyone
was busy congratulating each other it was a job well done in the end. I on my
part was really relieved it was a real humbling experience for me. To be
delivering on your own is one thing but making others deliver is a totally
different ball game altogether.
On our way
back we had a whale of a time everyone was celebrating and I too joined in without
much ado and believe me I never had so much fun since my college days. Many of
my wards conveyed their astonishment to me after seeing how well I gelled with
them on their celebrations. It was a memorable day for me .The joy of seeing the
ones you are responsible for achieve something is truly amazing and the feeling
I had at that time was unmatched which I will cherish for the rest of my lifetime.
Check out a similar posts of mine College Diaries #1, College Diaries #2, College Diaries #4,
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