Job Interview - The Backdrop

Continuing from where I left, even before the actual interviews began there was quite an activity outside the interview rooms. The company was offering 5 job profiles. These had been indicated when we were to fill the applications. We were also required to order the profiles according to our priorities and if someone was not clear, he/she could also have indicated by mentioning the keyword ‘any’ in the application.

So, from the people included in the initial shortlist, they had further divided them into 5 categories which coincided with the job profiles. To start off, there were some discrepancies as this categorization did not always match the preferences as per the application. The students who were victims of this event (not many) rejoiced when their names were also included in the category which they had their eyes on. They were happier now since they would be allowed to give 2 interviews and so had doubled their chances of being ‘placed’. I had no such luck and was in the category I had wanted to be.

The interviewers were given one room each and so we now had 5 rooms who would witness the actual selection process and the behaviour and feelings of the candidates (I am making it all emotional now but that time I was just thinking about myself). My name was third on the list which had a total of 14 students. Before I could realize the first person on the list had already been interviewed and was now out of the interview room. People started following him to know the kind of questions asked and so on but he just barged out of the waiting room without speaking to anybody. We understood this unusual and rather rude (as we see it in our institution) action when the TNP (Training and Placement) Cell Head (FYI, he is also a student) Mr. AK explained that the interviewer had asked him, and for that matter everybody, not to disclose the proceedings of the interview.

Meanwhile the second person on the list was on the door asking the interviewer permission to get in. The other 4 interview rooms were either witnessing their first encounter or yet to face one. So, the interview (of the first interviewee from my list) was rather quick. As compared to that, the second one was taking a good amount of time. I started wondering if the amount of time accurately reflects the chances of being selected. I was not far from the door, which I would have to cross before I face my first interview, when the door opened and the younger of the two came out. The ‘volunteer’ (I doubt he was volunteering) from the TNP cell took a minute and then went to ask the person behind the door if the next candidate can come. Getting the green signal, he passed on the same to me and …