Utterwaste to an USsociate !

There are many interesting parts of life . Well there is a misnomer that 'Nothing can be as boring as an engineer's life '. I ought to agree to that partially but there are a few interesting moments which we can apprise with pride .As an engineer (mind you ..by the degree B.E and  not technically) I would like to share how my life took turn from Utter waste to USsoicate.And the following event is based on a True story.

      The placement season was around the corner in my college already . Where ever I turn , all I could see is 'R S Agarwal ' . If you just put your ears into any group's conversation the students would be prating about ' Yeah permutation and combination  #$%%# crap ' . I was no different from this crowd . I was screwing my head over the same RS Agarwal book . Though I was not a huge devotee or something suddenly I started going to temples . The funnier part is , I even bought a Shirt for Placements on auspicious time which my mom saw on our ' Murugan daily calendar ' . So to cut to chase , I was so serious about this Placement . They had announced the date for the first visiting company . From that moment , many started freaking out . And yeah I was one in that many .

             So when I reached my home where I was staying with my friends , we started seeing our zodiac written on the Daily tamil calendar on the date of our placement . If one had a good thing written for their zodiac like ' Vetri'  and another one had a bad thing like ' Thukam' . The one who got the bad thing would caste his stomach burning instinct into what was so called 'Pogai' .  Though it was serious moment , it doesn’t mean we should not do the crazy stuff which we do quite often . It was the previous night before our first company , everyone almost dug their head into ' RS Agarwal ' book . Praying all around , when it comes to exam or placement most guys change like Rajnikanth in the  movie 'Baba' ( First half an atheist seecond half a saint ) . So I finished my preparation and decided to sleep , while all my roomies where awake . That was when they casted the so called ' Pogai' for that " Oh if you're sleeping early , you must be well prepared " . I was so scared how that 'pogai' would affect me tomorrow . Next morning , I woke up and had a clean shave . Had a long bath ( Long bath in a guy's dictionary means a good one than the usual one ) . Though I had an auspicious shirt , I burrowed my friends Tommy shirt which was a perfect fit for me . After a while we all got ready , we all were like Peter england models ( It was our expectation I don’t know about the reality ).

         We reached the college , with blazers in our hand  and were asked to report to our auditorium . When  we stepped into that auditorium there were a Tsunami of students . With blazers amidst  that crowd I felt like a stand-up comedian in a Tv Show ' Asathapovathu Yaaru '. I managed to find a seat . Suddenly the delegates and HR guy from the company entered the hall . HR guy's prolonged speech about his company  made everyone go ' Oh shut the crap , just hire us we will get to know ' in their minds . Then I took the aptitude test as we were directed to the respective halls . As it was an online test  I was in front of the computer ,  touched it and got the blessing from the computer secretly without being noticed (I made sure no one noticed it ) .  The test started , I was rushing and did that test in a good way according to me . The company officials told the results will be announced in the night . So I went to our home , refreshed a bit and returned to our college . After sometime , the company officials marched into the Auditorium with such an elegance(After all , the ball is in their court ). Again the HR guy starts talking ,talking and talking (The HR always want to do justice to their job ) . Everyone were like ' Stop talking or else I will slap you ' . So there the moment came , it was like a grand finale in a TV reality shows . They started reading names in Alphabetical order . As they were reading out , the students who cleared aptitude were giving Hi-5's and stuffs . And I was like ' Tell my name I'll give a Hi-5 to that guys face ' said within myself . I was waiting for my name to be called out but my name didn't make it up to the list  . I was bit down , I could hear the violin sad BGM as I was walking out of the auditorium . So that night was one of unforgettable night , I was staring at the ceiling and I couldn’t get a sleep .

            The next day when I went to college I could see the placed students distributing sweets . I eschewed the place where they were all over . Then the next company was visiting in a day gap . My house was like a funeral house everyone with their long face . So I decided to put the past behind and started to prepare  once again . Then I wore my friends same Tommy shirt once again but inversing all other first company  'Vasthu' ( Vasthu is a superstition like wearing differently  pied sock pair not worn for first company as it was something treated to be the jinxed , I know this is crazy but everyone have their own Vasthu ) .So there I go again , attended the aptitude test . I felt like I had given my best . So I was eager (Come on this is just my second company and i m an optimistic fellow ) and the same procedure and Hi-5 stuffs went all around . I  expected my name would be there , yet again my expectation led to disappointment . I lost utmost of my confidence .I was feeling like utter waste. Got to tell you ,  failure during placements is one of the agonizing moment for an engineering student .

           I persuaded myself ' Ok let me go and take up GRE (safest escape plan) if I don’t get a job ' . Then a company called 'UST Global ' was informed to visit my college after 3 days . So I was like ' Okay let me give it another shot ' .So I did the inverse ' Vasthu' once again this time I wore that auspicious shirt which when I looked spoke to me ' Hey wear me ,you won't regret it '. And this company had group discussion rounds in their screening process . I was not so into this company , I just went there casually and appeared for the group discussion . The topic given to me was ' Your life achievement ' . So I initiated the group discussion and the HR was a lady (the following is a guy thing)  so you know though  I was not an orator or something , I pretended to be like one  . Then everyone spoke for a while and the GD concluded . The GD results were about to be announced on the spot . There were 11 in my group . I was looking at her lips ( Don’t get me wrong , I mean  I was waiting for the results) . She said only 3 in this batch got selected . But I was confident I would be one among  that . Later she announced the 3 names , once again disappointment as my name didn’t find a place in that three. I opened the door of the cabin , I felt like a contestant who got eliminated in Super singer show and I was in ultra-motion (just imagination). Then my department mate stood up for me saying ' Ma'am I think he did well could you check ' . So I waited with no hope . Then she gazed over her marking pad and said ' Yeahh yeaah !! He has also been selected , my Bad ' . I was like ' WTFF'(*tha)  it came out bit loud and I controlled it somehow . 

The next session was said to be the Aptitude test . I didn’t make any preparation , but yet another time I inversed my 'Vasthu' and I was like ' Ok let me give my vasthu Peter England shirt a shot again ' . I wore it and took the apts . It was like the same  feeling I had before . So I came back to my home and had a good sleep as results were to be announced the next day . Next morning , I was so serious . I had to put an equalizer as my friend was leading ( Playing FIFA in PS2 with my friend ) I didn’t care much about the results . Then after sometime my placement coordinator rings me and tells ' Come to college ASAP' . So I was rushing and I didn’t even take a bath . Asked my friend to drop me in the college while I was getting ready while I was travelling on the bike   ( Like the 'Hoodibaba'  bajaj wind 125 ad). I had another GD which also I cleared by what I call miracle . They asked me to sit in the interview panel in 5 minutes with all certificates. As I came in a rush I didn’t bring any of my certificates or resume . I didn’t know what to do . I recollected that I had the soft copy of my particulars in my mail . So I rushed to my HOD's office to take print out , asked him ' Sir , can I take a print out '. He replied ' Already this printer is not working , I ve been complaining to the college to replace the ink they have not done that and started telling stories like aunties  '. Swiftly ,  I thanked him and went running to  the photocopy shop . There I took the print out of it . As I came out , it started to rain (quite dramatic , isn't it but it really happened ) . I covert the hard copy and got  soaked a bit . I entered the interview room and the people over there saw me like an alien in the movie ET . Many laughed when I took the folded tie out of  my pocket and start to wear it . Placement coordinator asked me ' What you forgot to take shower ah ?' in a funny tone . I was like ' I m not in a mood to laugh '(Suma iruda sotta thalaiya )  though I gave him a fake laugh telling him the joke was lame . So I sat down , having all the hard copy . Then noticed , everyone had a file . As I was in such a rush I even forgot that . So as my friend was sitting next to me I made a deal with him if I get called first for interview I'll use his file . Just leaning back on the chair thinking I might only be called after an hour . I was surfing in the web about UST ( For other two companies I did a thorough research , but I  didn’t even had an idea what UST stood for ) . Somebody called out my name as I was staring the mobile .Then the voice got louder and it struck me ' Omg! they are shouting my name' . I grabbed my friends file keeping the papers I got and buttoned my blazer . I have dreamt of this day for a long time . The coincidence was that the HR guy and we had the same name. I told to myself pretend like ' Neengalum velalam oru kodi surya '. I had prepared certain things for the interview . And he asked me the obvious question of ' Tell me about yourself ' . It was like ' One ..two ..three for an athlete ' I started telling the stories I had prepared . Then he asked me , ' Where are your certificates ?' . I had a shock reaction , I grinned and said Do you mind if I bring it which I placed outside ' . He gave me a casual look as I rushed and asked my friend my certificate as he was laughing and showing off with the girl seated next to him . I took it and ran to the door of the cabin and slowed down entering in again gently . After a moment as I was talking for a long time suddenly my tongue started rolling . Precipitous , my confidence started declining and sweats started coming out in a 16 degree celsius air conditioned room . As I had started the interview like Billa ajith when it culminated   it was like Villain 'paralysed' ajith . So while concluding I made up a story , to emphasize what was on my mind . Guys , one important thing even if your well prepared to fake in an interview I bet you could not sustain that throughout the interview (Atleast that was the lesson I learnt ) . But my tragedy didn’t end yet . He asked me ' Do you have any questions ?'. I could have asked an question or two and left rather I asked him 7 questions . Till now I don’t have  any idea why did I ask such silly and idiotic questions ' which I regretted when I left the interview room . While I was asking question , It was like  a  conversation with a neighbor uncle ( pakatha veetu mama ) . My last question was . ' What are the skills I should possess after joining UST ? ' .  He nailed a reply lifting his eyebrows ' Who said you got placed in UST ? ' .After which, I could hear glass breaking noise . But he did reply that saying regardless of this company in general . I couldn’t even hear a word after that ,  my hearing was almost impaired . Then he said thank you , I smiled at him and said thank you back . I returned  back to my home in a share auto all I could hear is those words ' Who said you got placed in UST ?' in all modulations . At that moment , I distasted myself for being a jerk and blowing up a good opportunity . The friend who accompanied me in the share auto also was telling about the ceremony the company is going to have by cutting cake and stuffs , which was a catalyst to my agony . I reached home and I couldn’t even eat well that night . As it became yet another night of disappointment . I had another company visiting our college in 2 days . But I was down to the superlative degree. Next morning , I woke up and was again not much in a mood though was playing FIFA in ps2 . I didn’t even go to my college to know whether I got selected or not . I didn’t have the guts for one more failure . Though I was playing the game my thoughts were floating like ' Damn I missed the shot this close ! ' . And somebody called my friend mobile as everyone in my room were also expecting the result . Everyone were staring at the guy whose phone rang , he attended it and said ' Solunga amma sapten naa ' . Almost I had a small panic attack . Then soon after another friend's phone beeped . He said ' Dai macha you got placed da ' . I didn’t buy it  ( FYI , network service provider used to message in the morning ) I thought it was prank . Then my phone rung and my placement coordinator said ' Hey you got placed ' . I so didn’t believe it that even after hearing that I couldn’t react for it . 

It  was/is/will be   one of the unforgettable moments in my life . That is the time I transcended myself form Utter waste to USsociate .I think the  Vasthu auspicious shirt worked well for me .And I learnt an important lesson in life , Life may not give you what you want in the expected time but it gives you in the right time when needed . Getting a job was part of destiny . And that’s my " Ella pugahzum iraivanuke " moment for me !!!!