School & College days are best part of
life. I often mention @ my academic life as many of the interesting things did
happen in that phase. 4 Glorious years of Engineering can make a special place
in my lifes top 3 most lovely-important-mesmerising time to be remembered.
I have written a short little story @ my Engineering admission, so wont write
much here. Being a Civil Engineering Student itself is an honoured feeling
from KIT College
CESA (Civil
Engineering Student Association) was an active group then, where lots of
activities were been conducted social, academic & cultural. I was also one
of the active participants of the group.
The amazing thing @
Engineering is the education pattern....the well known amongst them is ATKT
(Allowed to keep term). Which means a student can be promoted to next academic
year even he fails in 3 subjects (which included External Orals as well).
Students use to call
it as ATKT (आता
तरी काडून ताक).
I was a bright student
from the school days, not a ranker but u can say above average. My parents were
never worried @ any results & grades. I got late admission in Engineering
almost after completing first semester in BSc. So the time I joined first year
Engineering,,,,"गाडी
छुट चुकी थी ". Syllabus was
over & exams were almost round the corner. However, I passed the semester
with 2 backlogs ( First failure came very hard). But I was All clear for the
first year as I managed to pass all the subjects.
Same story continued
in the next three years,,,,One Engine multiple bogies....Like One semester
& multiple backlogs, but next station all clear. I completed Engineering in
4 years...!! By the time I completed by Engineering, I was not known much to
the academic staff but yes I was good friends with the Admin guys, Canteen
Owner, Office boys. Reason I will tell you, any Ragging complaint (Not really
Ragging but u can say just some fun with the juniors) was been take care by
Admin guys, they were
Our savior in front of
Principal. Library, Academic Fees, Hall ticket every thins was taken by Admin
guys. Canteen was second home, where we used to spend max. time of day with the
Canteen owner Mr. Nandu & most importantly all the office boys...Those were
the special angels of God during External examination,,,may be telling the
marks obtained in external exam or getting file signed from Professor. I shared
a special Bond with them all.
I completed my Engineering & then after I was busy with life. Even though it’s been 10 years
since I have graduated Engineering, I still can recall each & almost every
small little thing that I went through. Many of my colleagues joined our
college as Professors, so Whenever I used to meet them, I always had a word
with all the technical-nontechnical staff.
Few days back I got a
Call from Training Placement cell of my College. I thought it would be regarding campus interviews arrangement. However, it was not exactly for that
reason. College had started one internal committee, which conducts various
events for Graduating students like training, placement awareness, Interview
skills etc. So the reason for call was they wanted my company HR/ Recruitment
personal to visit my college & give a seminar for "Personal interview
skills". That was interesting, I said I will try to convince the HR to
come down to my college for the seminar.
Next day I had a word
with the concerned person & she was ready ( I also told her my college will
give to & fro travel allowance...as a Cherry on the top). I conveyed the
message to my college. The event was then confirmed a week then after.
It was a full day
event & there were total 4 visiting personals:
1. MD of the company
2. Project Manager
from PMC
3. Recruitment head
from MNC
4. HR from my company
So it was like 2 hours
session per person. I updated my HR with the schedule, she was OK with it as
she had already given several similar seminars. Days were through &
suddenly the HR called me that her grand father in law has expired & she
won’t be able to make it. She had a genuine reason, I called my college to
update the status, my Professor said the programme is all set just 2 days from
now & it can’t be changed now.
Instantly the
professor said, we can do one thing, " तूच ये,,,तुला बोलायला काय Tension नाही ,,,,मुलांना चार चांगले शब्द सांग,,,बास ". “Idea अच्छा था”....But I had never done such thing before....But there’s
always a first time. It was a Yes from me.
What I did was had a
small interaction with our HR @ what should be the agenda for seminar...what to
talk,, what not to talk etc. Also as a backup I made a small 20 odd pages PPT,
just in case.
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| PPT for the Occasion |
So it was "The Sunday"....As scheduled I was in my college early in the morning. I was greeted by my Professor, who took me all the way to the conference room. Conference room is just near the principals’ cabin,,,,,,,,,it was a Deja-Vu for me.
In my engineering
days, me & my friend was been called up by Principal for Ragging complaint
by a Girl.(However as Principle knew what kind of student we were, it was not a
serious case)
I told my professor, I
aint going inside, " जुन्या आठवणी आहेत तिथं "...What he said was " मला माहित आहे पण ह्यातला काई मुलांना सांगू नको ". I met my HOD, Academic Din & had a breakfast
with them. Oh Boy I was enjoying the time....The place where I was once
convicted as " Not so good student", Was having a breakfast right in
the chair near to the Academic Din.
Mean while another
guest, Mr. Ghugare (MD) had arrived. After a small interaction with all, we
then went to the seminar hall. Seminar Hall: The place I always avoided to
go....It’s a place for studious intellectuals,,,Paper presentation, Seminar,
Model presentation etc etc. And I was like " Not interested
types",,,,Reason was " येत तर न्हवतंच,,,,हिम्मत तर न्हवतिच न्हवती ". One incident I remember, there was a social
function after the national paper presentation & I & my friend Atish
were in the Mob. We were whistling so hard, that Principle had came out of his
office & in the seminar room,,,, to see who are the guys....Strange but
true.
So that was the
memories of Seminar hall.
My professor had said
that there were around 50 odd students for the seminar. (50 is also a big
number). I was kind of nervous while approaching the venue. There were cut-outs
outside the hall, posters on the wall,,,My name printed on the guest list.
I entered the Hall
& F***K,,,,,,,,It was pack house to its capacity (Almost 200 Students). I
maintained my posture as if I am very calm (Had no other option) All guests
were felicitated with Mementos & a small Plant.
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| There I was on the Extreme Right |
 |
| Memento |
 |
| Small Plant |
Our professor gave a brief introduction all
the members on Stage. Schedule was Ghugare Sir was the first to give the
seminar as he had some meeting planned in line, later the other Project Manager
(who was yet to arrive), then me & last was the Recruitment personal.
Ghugare Sir is one jam
of a person (Alumini member & first batch student),,,,,His topic was Job vs
Entrepreneurship. " नुसत्या सिक्स वर सिक्स,,,,सुट्टीच नाही ".
He just nailed it for
almost over an hour without break, mean while I was thinking & remembering
what I have to speak. Meanwhile my HOD told that the next person who was
suppose to take the seminar has not yet arrived & asked me to continue
after first session was over. Ghugare Sir finished the session loud &
clear, each & every student in the hall clapped for him in enthusiasm.
He was once again
thanked by my professor & introduced me to the students & asked me to
start the second session.
 |
| I always had dreamed to talk holding a Mike |
As I walked towards
the mike my hands we dead cold (I can feel it) & I was extreme nervous(
Almost sweating). One thing was on back of my mind, I had talked with one of
friend " Guru Katti" who is also a professor & member of the
committee. Guru said all are 3rd & last year student unaware of job
culture, all they know is the Book knowledge, limited job related information.
So don’t be too much nervous.
My topic was "How
to face personal interview/ Personal interview skills".
But my professor had
asked me to talk on various points such as:
1. Interview etiquettes
2. Communication skills
3. Aptitude test
4. Question Answer
session
5. Do's & Don’ts
for Interview & so on.
 |
| Audience |
So, I went to the
podium,,Sshhhhh,,,,Every single person in the hall is looking towards you (बघू तर बघू कुठं). I remember of the
office presentations, but it’s often for limited people & regular routine,
but this was something unusual (as they say Out of comfort zone). First I
thought of putting on the PPT on projector, but what happens is then the entire
audience starts looking at the PPT & avoids Eye contacts, So I dint go for
it.
I had a print out of
PPT in my hands, my plan was 2 minutes per page & I had plenty of
pages. But as I was damn nervous what to say, what to do I almost read the
entire 20+ pages in matter of 10-15 minutes. After the pages were read I had
nothing to say..........BLANK. Time frame was 2 long hours & I wasn’t even
half way through. What to do.....????
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| Page by Page....Word by Word |
Then I realised what ever I read was theoretical knowledge & I should share something more practical experience, which students can co-relate to.
I started telling them
point my point my personal experience:
The first Telephonic
Interview
The first Personal
Interview
The First Group
Discussion
The First Job
Surprisingly sharing
personal & actual examples made audience live as I was also cracking some
jokes in between. I thought of making it more of a inter-active session, So I
went in the audience & asked them random questions. " मी स्टेज वरून खाली आल्या मूळ ,,,झोपलेली पोरं जागी झालीत खरा J”I was also keep an Eye on the watch, I was 1 hour
through.
GD (Group discussion)
what a timing for it. I insisted that we will have a GD right now. As
anticipated no volunteer. I picked 3 girls & 3 boys & made there
group,,,Fair enough. Meanwhile other professors/ faculty were also in the hall.
Now what should be the topic,,,,,I dint wanted to be too casual so I thought of
more of a social subject.
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| Add caption |
"Extension of Kolhapur City
I asked my professors,
even they said "they will talk just start the GD, but students dint even
knew anything @ Kolhapur
An Idea clicked, there
was another news @ Sports,,,Movie on MS Dhoni........Bang,,," हे तर सगळ्यांनाच माहित असतंय ". So I gave a Topic on " Is it right to make a
Bio-pic on a Cricket who is still playing cricket or not?"
It was a nice &
good GD, which eventually happened, I corrected them where they were wrong
& how to improve.
Also I was asked to
take few personal interviews. Well after that Few more rounds of Question-
Answers & I was almost through............2 God damn hours.....Wow...Man O
Man I was happy.
More importantly
students were happy.
Later I received a
letter of appreciation from College.
That was one Heck of a
Guest Lecture.
One Lesson learned “Life Begin at End of
your Comfort zone”
