Friday, August 24, 2007

Tables have turned

I was resting with a few final year students of MNNIT after an extremely tiring game of Basket Ball. My favourite sport whenever I visit MNNIT Allahabad (my home and my almamater) and and last week was no different. As always... I wanted to know about the placement scenario of my college, to show both curiosity and seniority :-) .

Me : So... how are the placements going on?
Student : Pretty Good Sir! Around 350 out of 500 got placed in the last 15 days.

Me : That is amazing! And how many Infosys took?

In all these years my curiosity to inquire about the placements in Infosys has not died down. It was exactly in August of 2002, when I appeared for the selection process of this supposedly dream company for campus placement. Not sure weather on knowledge but definitely on marks I fulfill their criteria of 70% aggregate including that of 10th and 12th standards. Around 150 students appeared for the written test but only 90 cleared the first milestone including me. I was nervous and excited and was still a step short of getting into the top organization of the country. In the interview the HR dragged me into a debate of "Authority vs Responsibility". The technical guys grilled me by covering all the topics except the ones that I knew. The interview lasted for around 45 mins which I surely flunked. In irritation I decided that 'some day... I will buy out this organization to take my revenge'.

In reply the student showed me his index finger.
Me : My GOD! They took 100 this time.
Student : No Sir! They took just one.
Me : What! Just one? But Infosys is a mass recruiter and I read somwhere that it has plans to hire a few thousand this year.
Student : But Sir, how could have they taken anymore when just 10 students appeared for selection and that too the ones with lower grades. Even civil engineers refused to appear.

Me: How many were in the panel and what was the eligibility criteria?
Student : A panel of 20 came and the criteria was 60% aggregate.

Somehow I felt very happy to hear that and dropped the idea of buying out Infosys. Afterall my juniors have taken my revenge by rejecting the organisation.
No doubt that the times have changed and Tables have turned.