An Interview Excerpts

So, recently I took an interview of my class senior. The result was to judge whether I am "Domination material" (college magazine). I am publishing here the full interview of Vaibhav Shrivastava.

“I WRITE TO SIMPLY SHUT DOWN MY THOUGHTS”

                                                                                                                                               -VAIBHAV SHRIVASTAVA

                                                                                                      (An interview by Kunal Bansal)

What were you doing prior to joining Doms, IIT, Roorkee?

After my engineering, I joined Infosys. 2^nd July, 2012 was my last date in Infosys and on 22^nd July, I joined Doms.

Maybe this question must have been repeated to you umpteen times before, but still I would like to hear from you, why MBA?

 See, MBA is as much a degree of an individual as much of an institute.  I mean, it differs from person to person depending upon their perception, their ambition, their skill set. MBA for me was a way to come out of my shell. I had certain qualities, I wanted to nurture more. I had certain deficiencies; I wanted to go away with. And in a way, I would say that I have succeeded. What MBA does is, broaden your horizon, your way to perceive other things. For example, I did my internship in advertising.  My view towards business is completely different now. I look at businesses as less risky and more profitable; previously, it was the other way round.
 

Since you did your summers in advertising and at the same time taken marketing as your specialization. What prompted you towards it?

First of all my skill set and my reasons for joining MBA program were pretty clear. Being an engineer and working in a corporate while in Infosys, my purpose in MBA was to understand businesses and communicate that to clients. By communicating businesses, you talk about your organization’s goal and other salient points and in a way, you sell. And selling is all about marketing. Basically, I see myself as a person responsible for transforming needs into a product like a brand manager or a marketing strategist.

Employee Poaching

Web definition: The act of enticing key employees from one competing firm to another.

    Why is this even worth a topic to debate? Well, for me, if some other firm is giving better incentives and lots of mullah, does it really matter whether my present employer is worth leaving? For starters, the net worth of every company is his people and the satisfactory index of the employers is what defines the real assets. Not the patents, not the machineries and certainly not the closing-opening stock. Now, if you are not creating a suitable environment for your employees, it is certainly your loss.

    According to a study by The American Society for training and development predicts that by 2015, 60% of the new jobs created will require the special skills held by only 20% of the population. In 1991, by contrast: Less than half of the U.S. jobs required skilled workers. Hence, the poaching.        

                                 

                                                                              

Where does the problem lies then?

The problem lies in the unethical way and going beyond what is fair and legal. For ex. well known stock brokering firm Ord Minnett recently fell foul of restraints in a different way. It used the confidential information of Wilson HTM, an employer of some individuals who were angling for jobs at Ord Minnett, to try and 'lure away' even more of Wilson HTM’s employees. 

Entry into the tunnel leading to a new world

I have been looking for a reason to write for a couple of days. The reason not, just to tabulate the things, I am going through. It is more of an egotist nature. Well, I really am going through a transitioning phase, adapting to the new surroundings, meeting some very interesting people. But, why I wanted to write about it is to see whether I could really write about it. Confusing, lets start from the basics.

Exactly one week ago, I was an idiot boy with some stupid doubts and some more stupid cravings that only a certain type of education could cure. So, I took an admission to a school. And after months and months of planning, preparation, scheduling, interviews, it all paid off. So, here I was, thirsty with knowledge, 2 bags in hand and a laptop bagpack coming out of the railway station and off to the prestigious school of Indian institute of technology. Some more nervous faces crept from the platform. Nobody knows who and when these same people will be running the top corporate houses of the world. So, is the factor of uncertainty. But the fact that I have been given a chance to play my destined role alongside these future leaders is just exhilarating. What comes out of the grinding machine goes to the refinery to fine tune the final product. It is the same with us.

Purpose of Life

Recently in an interview, I was asked, "what is my take on the 'purpose of life'!" And the great turmoil which has encroached me forever, like a cricket buzzing constantly in the helm of night, dawn upon me. It all started with a simple question of how i pass my time! And the boastful me started throwing the name of book after book to accomplish the doubt, that I am a well read men. But the result was disastrous when they asked me the above said  question. I for once,  was not going to give up so easily. So, I sat there thinking where to start. I might have taken a little more time than usual because in the meanwhile, he clarified on his asking this type of question, "since you have read a great lot many good books". And there I was still thinking where to start and how.

Finally, when the silence became unbearable, I started answering somewhat magnanimously, "From the dawn of time, this question has been of some interest to men. And time again they have quarreled over it. So it is insurmountable a question to be answered correctly. But in a politically correct way, I can surely say that I too have thought about it and according to me each life form on this planet has a different reason to live. And in a singular fashion, they cannot be clubbed." And that was the end of general questions. The interviewers  took a 90 degree turn, faced each other and I knew I was doomed. I knew their next question and it was a matter of time for me to be prepared for it. The lady opposite to me asked to please elaborate.

When is it that I am going to see the light?

Night after night, I walk in my sleep deprived state, turning the pages of a new book, flicking the moronic television channels. I lie to myself tomorrow will be better. What is it that I am looking for? I turn to the big question, why am I here? Is there any purpose? Generations have dwelt into this pathetic yet essential question, philosophers have laid down their lives. But are we really nearer? Do we really have a purpose here? Or are we Darvinian’s evolutionary cycle, the fate to which lies on the survivor’s quest. The meaning to life is then so much easy, that centuries have been wasted in futility. Food and shelter, the only two things we need to concentrate to, and to forget about Nasa’s Mars mission or the president’s election. We even don’t need our clothes unless of course it contradicts the shelter purpose. But it is not so.

So what exactly am I doing here? Will someone stand up and guide me? Why do I look upon me as useless, like a crushed up soda tin waiting to be kicked on the road. At least, it served its purpose, quenched its master’s thirst. But, what about me? Do I have a master? Should I serve somebody? Night after night, I see a dream in which I am walking bare feet and a grand door is waiting for me, so much grand that the length and height is not visible, just a white hazy blur. And there I am, about to push it open. And yes, it opens. And all I see is just white light, the same one seen by many at the end of tunnel. It must be heaven, I reckon. But is it the purpose really? Is it what everything comes down to, finding a way to that door? If yes, then how? If I know anything, just praying cannot be it. It is something else, to fulfil our duty, to fulfil our destiny, that is only how it can be achieved. That is all we know beforehand. But the same question presents itself, what is our duty? What is our destiny? Some say it will be shown to you at the proper time? Till what then? Do I keep on living my moronic life with my no-clue-what-I-am-doing-with-my-life attitude? No, sir no. I refuse to do that. I want my answers and I want them now. I do not want my life to go aimless and to think that someday, by some sheer luck, I will be interviewed with my prospective destiny and if I chose, I will be able to open that bloody gate and if not, well, who gives a damn when you are dead!!

Freakonomics

Well, lets start with an MBA session. This is how studies should be done, start with a slow example and then all the gibberishness. Enough blabber, now my example is:
Yesterday, i listened to a video lecture and here it goes-

In a city, there happened a murder. Police came and started investigating. After a while two guys were caught with  a knife. Since they were the only clue in the murder mystery, police locked them up.

They were kept in two separate cells. Now, the questioning starts. In a game of confession and rejection, they were given two choices, two difficult choices that could change the way of their life.

   So they were given the above choices, if both confess, as the first column says, they will be given 5 years sentence for their crime. If one of them confess and other deny then the one denying will get 20 years sentence and one who confessed will walk out free for his goodwill. And the last, if both deny, then they will get 1 year sentence just for carrying knife.

Now the problem is that they were not allowed to see each other, what will you choose at this condition-

Of course, my answer will be to confess, 5 years may not look good in comparison to 1 but definitely worth than 20 years. So, now the theory part starts about the 3 strategies in economics-

one is dominant strategy,
second one i forgot,
third one was Nash equilibrium and then blah blah blah...

We can easily understand now, that studying MBA is not a piece of cake, with all the good examples in the video lecture, there were also 90 % theory that bounced just right from my head and after 3 and a half minutes, i had to juggle hard not to close my eyes. So never judge a book by its cover, when you go deep inside it, you will know its value.
.
And now for that "I forgot part" and to justify it somebody told me that a man's mind can continuously listen and understand to maximum to 7 minutes and then it is prone to wander.. So, my point is just to say that i listen to what, i want to listen..
While a woman's mind can only understand to 4 minutes.[:)]

So the session ends, and it hereby changes the prospective that  i look of MBA. Will have to do more of r & d before coming upon something that i regret later.

So long bloggers and bloggees, take care..
till then xoxo...

P.S. i have still not read freakonomics, bought it just looking for a quite weekend, schedule just not allowing..

Twilight- Breaking Dawn

One awesome experience. All those people who criticized it way before i went to watch it can kiss my ***.
Seriously, it was way beyond my expectations (although i had lowered them..).
Kristin was as pretty as ever, the one scene in which she pictures her wedding just mesmerizes the mind.
The dialogues were ok, but the cinematography must really be awarded. Every cine scene looked like it  has been taken from a photographers sketch book, just ready to copy and make it as desktop wallpaper.

The girls as usual prefer the Pattison or Edward on Bella, and as he entered, two teenage girls sitting next to me gone ballistic. Chanting his name, praying their soul mate be like him and even picturing their own wedding just be like the one in the movie at the altar,(although our wedding is much more pompous with reception, khana, pooja, rona dhona rather than just "I DO" )It is always nice to see such adulation. Maybe the main reason behind bollywood and cricket industry runs the india. Just give a hit and youngsters will make you Devi/Devta, give another hit and you will be God Himself, give one more hit, and your next 5 years are secured.


Another news, this week Dhanish's kolavari di.. Almost 80% of the population has uttered these famous words "Kolaveri Di" without knowing their history, their meaning. This is what we're good at, criticizing others, adulating, but when others do the same to you, its like hammer's impact on the head. We never listen, we never want to listen. We never want to go to core, surface is more than enough to us. Even after writing these heavy heavy statements, i wont tell the meaning, pretty rude of me, but that's how i am. Google it yourselves.[:)]
 Anyways, i love the song. As it was released on my b'day, gives a little more meaning to me. i have been tracking its viewers on youtube since then, and amazingly exponentially increment it is recording.
The words itself are catchy and even though its a Tamil-English song, words interconnect themselves to make it understand with no efforts. Dhanush and ashwarya's masterpiece. Even after being Rajnikant's son in law (and mind it, thats quite a  big thing.), most of people will remember him with this song.

And finally the weekend ends with a high note, watched back to back two movies.. the other one not mentionable, "Desi Boys", for God's sake, don't go.. Don't watch it at home, Don't listen to its songs, don't even please watch its trailers, just flush it down the drain. Rather donate the money than to watch it.
Office tomorrow, So sleep tight till next time sayonara. (Japanese way of saying goodbye  さようなら )