The process:

Sitting in my lab , i heard excited voice of my junior.Sir finally theres a job for Microbiologist.
wow i said.But will i get it?
The junior was soon heart broken because to apply he had to clear his Msc .He was still studying.
And i the great had passed.So i was eligible to apply.So where almost 20 people from my department.Probably 20,000 all over India.
But who cares , thers a job and the advertisement said Scientist, equivalent to Gadgeted officer of central goverment.
Better than a Junior research fellow.
The word Scientist is so exciting.It kind of denotes that you are intelligent.A belief that i needed desperately.So finally printouts of forms were taken and a combined bunch was made and sent.

The first jolt:
Beta your form has come back.Its written that you had to sent it by ordinary post but you had sent it by registered post .It was what my dad told me.
Already last date had passed.But what the hell i had already spent the money on paying fees.
So i asked dad to sent it again by ordinary post.
What will be the use?Asked dad.
Like so may other questions raised by my parents i was groping fr answers for this one.Any ways he sent it.
Soon i recieved the admit card.Instead of Microbiology as a subject it mentioned Mechanical engineering.
What the hell?I was as far away from Mechanical engineering as Sonia Gandhi is away from Narendra Modi.
I called up and told them about the mistake.They said since the papers common for all branches , you give the written first.I countered what will happen later?
First you clear written.They snubbed.
Very true i said.
So finally the night arrived.
And i had to follow my ritual.See the giving of CAT for last two year had set my friend and me into a kind of ritual.
Go to delhi one night before.Seek the same budget hotel in paharganj .Try to get our lucky room for 300 Rs .Pack the paneer tikka from nearby same restaurant.Grab beer.Into the room.Forget about papers fr the night.
This time i was alone but i followed the ritual.

And i cleared the written.

Good.I had calls from IIM Ahmedabad and Kolkata for phd in management and couple of pvt colleges fr MBA.And this was also very pleasing.Now i had lots of options.The ritual worked.

The options start dwindling:I make a trip to ahmedabad.First give the interview of MICA that i really liked because it was closest to my heart.Communications wow.In the GD every one shouted .Me too.In the interview they simply asked Why should we take you?
I had so many reasons:

1. Heart reason: Communications means ads, films , scripts, media.I love reading ,fancy myself as writer.My heart says you will get salvation when others either laugh after reading you or tear your books away.But channeling your output in other forms of communications was also good as a career and will keep me in something that i love doing.

2. Money Reason: Really if you strike it big in media moolah and glamour are yours for taking.Fast bucks and maybe fast gals too.

3.Desperate Reason: Where will i go?What will i do if every body rejects me?I have not joined phd .I am feeling insecure.I need you .Please admit me.

Instead i said something so conventional and stupid even my sub consciousness has forgetten it.Actually i also started asking myself why they should take me?
More then 500 people were there for interviews and gd that day.5 Centres and 5 more days fr interviews.500 rs from all.This sures management.

Dream comes true: I walked into IIM Ahmedabad campus with my call letter for interview.I was ecstatic.I was there.Ok for an Interview only.But there.
The place every body writing CAT dreams of.
The place thats best in India.


I was given a room in hostel for three days.My interview was on second day.First day i spent ogling at campus wide eyed.Trying to absorb it all.I met fellow candidates.I had applied for Human Resource management.And i had no idea about it.

I had my own ideas about whats human resource.I had my lessons from life.I had certain beliefs.Treat peole well , give them encouragement, allow them to grow, spark their imaginations , lead them into exploring them selves and alternate ways of thinking.Very simple and common.Yes very simple and common and very absent from life.Especially science.My idea was to blend all these theories practically into scientific research and give our science a new look.Turning research projects that drag for years into market oriented from start and students sharing their working vice versa with industry.I had written about that in the paper you have to submit along with application.
I had no knoweldge of so called management theories.My maths was pathetic .I did not knew any body who had done Phds from IIM or even given a interview.

The other guys included a IAS, a management teacher, a researcher from IIM Kolkata .
My interview was a disaster.The quant guy looked ay my score and wondered who had let me in.He asked a simple stat question that i blurted wrong.I paraded something about my beliefs but even i had lost interest till then.

That day the placements for MBA guys was taking place in Campus.From my hostel room i could see them engrossed in talks with employers.In the evening by coffee shop there were rumors of astronomical salaries.

I brought a stat book for cas , downloaded some management theories stuff and on way to kolkata managed to mug half of the matter i had.

Kolkata was funny. : I met a really sweet senior girl who guided us very sweetly.I was actually in her hostel room along with her pet cat.I wanted to be in IIM Kolkata to see her and probably be again in that room.

The interview started :
Where have you come from.
I answered.

Why have you come here?
To see kolkatas girls.Means dont you guys know why i am here?(Inside)
Out side : Sir for getting admission into the finest program for HRM phd in country.

Who told you we are the best?
Sir IIM kolkata is known for management research and Students passing out from here are Faculty in top management colleges in India and abroad.The products speak for themselves.

Oh you are a scientist?A researcher?So now scientists are doing management haan?May be we should call people from NASA next.
No no he said best in country not world.Lets call people from AIIMS next.
Look at his quant score .He will definitely fail.
With that they closed my form.
Beta you can not pass here.

Sir i will try my level best.I will spend the next 3 months before the start of course doing maths.By the time the course starts i will be ready.

Not possible they said.Then some body asked me some theory of HRM.It was not in my downloaded stuff.

Beta aisey bina padey nahi aana chahiyey idhar.Jaao.

OK.
So i had nothing to lose .I had another interview for Marketing that Head IIM Kolkata was taking along with two others.I knew about marketing really lesser.But i let go all guns.
I made theories and i made strategies and i talked about visibility and i thought i sounded good.
The members listened.

Then the head told me that i was making a mistake by switching streams.He advised me to go for phd in science.
All others were waiting for results.I was drinking beer.

In between i got admissions into 2-3 pvt colleges.Not top grade.And they wanted lakhs.And they wanted non refundable advance.I was feeling sick.

I went for my Scientist Interview.The questions were basic.And i knew them.

I DECIDE : AN MBA from a b grade college was not that exciting.Phd meant four more years of studying.
And here was a job.Of goverment.Of scientist.

Ok lets earn money baby.

First Jolt :
You are not Goverment gadgeted officers.
You may not be posted in labs.
The labs are not that exciting and are outdated.
Theres no research work here.

Good.

The truth dawned fast.People from all over India who had joined were jolted .They made noises but slowly start getting adjusted.

The training was good.AC classes to sleep, boring lectures to hear.And the best part were the tests to flunk.
May be i should stop.If some snior reads it i am gone.