A Day Worth Remembering for the Lifetime !!!

Post the end semester exams, the whole batch started preparing for the most important battle of probably their lifetime, they all started preparing to find the perfect answer to the reason which made them quit their well paying jobs, posh life and probably the warmth of the embrace of their better halves’ . The placement season was about to start. With lots of PPOs pouring in, the scene looked shiny.
During the exams itself we got the good news that one of the best FMCGs in the world is interested in visiting our campus. We all risked the most important exam hours (the period we mug almost everything to puke during the paper) to fill the form for the company. That was not just it. The form was followed by a super long psychometric test. To be very frank I was very skeptic. I was a guy with three years of IT work experience and by those standards I never thought that my profile would be fit for an FMCG who hire freshers. But then I never had an option to not fill the form. I would have been a fool had I not filled it.
On 2nd December, 2 in the afternoon, shortlist was announced and guess what, my name was there. That was pleasant surprise. Though the names of two deserving and near ones were missing from that list. In a hurry, bags were packed and went to Kolkata on the same evening. Stayed at Vineet’s place. Meeting him after a long time was a great pleasure. We relived the moments of his sector 3 flat where he, ashok, bhange,swappy and I did all the crazy and stupid things together. The worst part of that night is worth mentioning. At 3 in the night a cock started his duty, pretty early by Kolkata standards and kept on doing that till the time I left the house. No complaints though, he woke me us pretty early.
Reached the Swissotel, the interview center on time. Met everyone else there. After a quick written analytical test we were called in for Interviews. That was one long wait and one hell of a 50 minute interview. The interviewer was an associate director and is responsible for one third of companies business in India. The whole interview process was pretty much a discussion about my life. Got shortlisted in first round. If the wait for the 1st round was long then the same for the 2nd round was even longer. I was the 2nd last candidate to be interviewed.
It was 6:30 in the evening when finally the HR came to the hall where all of us were waiting and announced the results. My name was called at 3rd position. I was ecstatic. Happiness knew no bound. But the moment I called up my mom and informed the news, tears were the only things flowing. I thought I should stop myself but could not do so. Probably one of the most emotional moments of my life. Informed about the same to dad, bro and friends…
That was followed by a long journey back to the campus. Mixed feeling during the journey because few of us were not selected too. The best part was that my best pal at the campus got placed the same day (and then later the pal got hell number of offers). She was the first one on the campus whom I met. I could sense that how happy she was on the selection (even when that was her dream company), that was best hug that she has ever given me..
3rd December 2010 is surely one of the most important days of my life. Those memories are going to stay for long, very long !!!!
PS: Got placed at P&G as Associate Manager, Product Supply