I kept counting the days down to February 25, 2013 from the day I was called for the interview and yeah, it did come - the 25th of February, 2013.
A month's duration from the end of January to this day is the closest I can think of to how I prepared for my twelfth standard board examinations. And the morning of February 25, 2013 started with the customary revision, only that in this case, I had to restrict the syllabus for revision. Sounds so nerdy, I know.
After lunch, mom, dad and I left for Hotel Savera on Radhakrishnan Salai and reached by 1 PM. The scheduled slot for my interview, by the way, was at 2 PM. One hour was more than enough to calm down my nerves with India-Australia test match also to watch. 2 PM sharp and the nine of us were called by one of the two professors of our panel for the Written Ability Test (WAT). The topic was about India venturing into the manufacturing sector for progress in economy. As with most candidates, I was also not able to complete the essay in the 10-minute time frame given to us. However, I only fell short of a conclusion. (To any aspirant who is reading this, please do not assume that an incomplete essay is acceptable provided you have dealt with the topic appropriately. I should say I could have managed my time better. Always try to complete the essay). All of us were out of the room by 2:15 PM and what followed was a grueling wait for 3 hours and 15 minutes. I was the last of the nine candidates to be interviewed in my panel. Of course, anyone anyday would gleefully accept that it is worth the wait. Let me call the two professors who interviewed me P1 and P2.
P2 took me in to the interview room.
P1: So you are Shivram.
Me: Yes, Sir.
P2: Give me your certificates.
Me: (Handing over the certificates)
P1: So why did you quit XXX company and join YYY company.
Me: Explained.(and a short discussion followed)
P2: So, you like teaching?
Me: Yes sir.
P2: What do you teach.
Me: Told.
P2: Do you teach complex numbers?
Me: No sir.
P2: Okay. What is Ptolemy's theorem?
Me: Explained. Used a pen and paper.
P2: Okay, what is its application?
Me: Don't know sir.
P2: Fine. Take a 2-minute tutorial on quadratic equations. Take sometime to compose yourself. No hurry.
Me: (After around 30 seconds) Shall I start sir?
P2: Sure, go on.
Me: Explained for close to 2 minutes.
P2: Okay, is x^2+1 = 0 a quadratic equation?
Me: Yes sir.
P2: How would you draw this?
Me: (I drew it just as a upward parabola that doesn't touch/cut the x-axis)
P2: Is this correct?
Me: (Kept looking at him)
P2: What is the minima of this function?
Me: Oh Okay sir. Will redraw. Drew it correctly this time.
P2: Okay. This does not cut the x-axis at all. You said this is a quadratic equation and that the roots of a quadratic equation are the points where the curve cuts the x-axis. How do you explain this?
Me: Those are only real roots sir. Here we have imaginary roots.
P2: Fine. Okay. So how would you explain the roots here then?
Me: (Answered tangentially) Said something about complex numbers evolved because we didn't know the roots for negative numbers.
P2: Why should you even be bothered about finding roots for negative numbers?
Me: (Dumbstruck. Said to myself, "That's a brilliant question. I have never thought about it.") I said something which obviously didn't answer the question.
P2: Okay fine. No problem.
P1: So you prepare online test content, right?
Me: Yes, sir.
P1: Any of your competitors already has this?
Me: Yes, sir. Named a couple.
P1: Okay, what is their business model? How do they make money?
Me: I do not know what exactly their business model is sir. But I can explain how these things generally work. Explained for a few minutes.
(Both of them were listening.)
(Both of them were listening.)
P1: You know about sites that give general information about exams like CAT, GRE etc., right?
Me: Yes sir.
P1: How do they make money?
Me: Primarily through ads sir. (Spoke about pay-per-view and pay-per-click models.)
P1: Okay. Fine. You have done Optical Communication in your Engineering right?
Me: Yes sir.
P1: What is the basic principle in it? How does optical communication work?
Me: Based on the differential refractive indices of two media sir. It works on the principal of total internal reflection. blah blah... Drew an optic fibre roughly and explained the propagation.
P1: Okay. You have done something in robotics. What is that?
Me: Spoke about the competition in which our team won. Explained the problem statement in that and told them what we did.
P1: Okay. Have you watched the movie Robot?
Me: Hindi or Tamil sir?
P1: Some language. Doesn't matter. Have you?
Me: Yes sir. Have watched it in Tamil.
P1: Okay, who is the villain in that?
Me: Promptly said Rajini and then corrected it by saying Robot Rajini Sir. And then thought it could be Danny Denzongpa too. However, just stuck on to Robot Rajini.
P1: Hmmm. Okay. Which law did that Robot disobey?
Me: I am not sure of the law sir. But I can explain the idea. Apparently explained the second law. The first law didn't come to my mind then.
P1: Okay, do you know who wrote these laws?
Me: Yes sir. I know.
P1: Who?
Me: I know the name sir. I am not able to recall now. (Kept staring at the roof for about 5 seconds). Can I take a clue sir?
P1: science fiction.... science fiction writer.
Me: Yes sir. Yeah. I know that.
P1: (anxiously looking at me with his palm supporting his chin)
P2: (who was checking something on his mobile till then suddenly turned his attention towards me)
Me: (Out of nowhere it came out of my mouth. It was clearly the 'aha moment' of the day for me) Isaac Asimov. (All smiles)
P1: Okay. Name three island nations on the Indian Ocean.
Me: Said. Srilanka, Indonesia and Maldives.
P1: Okay, name their capitals.
Me: Said. Columbo, Jakarta and Male.
P1: Male? For Maldives?
Me: Yes sir (doubtfully).
P2: You are close enough. That's fine. You know where Bali is?
Me: Yes sir, Indonesia.
P2: Do you know what it is famous for? Do you even know if it is famous?
Me: No for both sir.
P2: Do you know Indonesia is an Archipelago?
Me: Yes sir. Group of islands.
P2: What other archipelago do you know?
Me: Caribbean sir.
P2: Caribbean? an archipelago?
Me: Yes sir. Group of islands.
P2: Group of islands, fine. Is it an archipelago?
Me: (Blank face)
P2: Fine. Okay.
P1: You play table tennis, right?
Me: Yes sir.
P1: What are the different grips used?
Me: Shake-hand and pen-hold sir.
P1: Can you show me how?
Me: Showed both the grips using a pen.
P1 and P2 looked at each other.
P1: Take a toffee. Thank you.
Me: Thank you sir.
P2: So, being the last one, you got to discuss a lot right?
Me: No sir. We were just talking. Not much of discussion.
P2: Yeah, I saw that (with a smile)
Me: (I was trying to explain that I was genuinely avoiding discussion as that might create unnecessary tension for me)
P2: (Cut me short). That's fine. Everyone has the right to information. We are not going to disqualify you based on that. Don't worry.
Me: Thank you sir. (Walked away with a mentos in my hand)
P.S: Yes, I did convert :) .
Two key inferences.
1) I have an attachment with red-coloured buildings at some level. I did my UG at College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University. I converted FMS too. :D
2) Secondly, and the most important one. Weren't I asked about Rajnikanth's movie? Now, do you see how I converted? With Rajnikanth, nothing goes wrong. :D
No comments:
Post a Comment