Picture Talkies!

Talking about pictures in my last post brings me to another office story.

I deal with a huge amount of numbers and when I was really new to the whole system I would get very frustrated at times. It was one such day when, hot in the head and totally frustrated with the numbers that would not match, I walked out of office to get a breather. Wile waiting for the lift, I met a guy from office who casually asked me how I was doing.
Frustrated, I told him I was not good at all!
He wanted to know why I was so frustrated to which I told him how frustrating numbers can be when they do not match and how I just getting very very bugged with the whole system.

We spoke for a few minutes casually about this and that when I reached my foor. I went got myself something to eat for lunch and came back into office some 30 minutes later.

I had just settled into my chair when the same office guy came to my desk with a paper in hand.

He handed it to me.

I turned it face upwards to see a picture of a door. The walls were a nice shade of blue. I remembered the picture from somewhere, however.

“ Where have I seen it before?”, I asked him a little stupidly

He pointed his finger to his desk. It was there, pinned right next to his lap top.

I remembered how I had spent a couple of minutes looking at the picture the first day I had come into office. I ahd wondered why it was there?

“And what is this?”, I asked him.

“ When ever you feel stressed, just look at this picture. Try imagining all the good things that could be inside the door!”, he said.

I had never spoken to this guy before, I was very new to office and he had taken all the pains of getting a coloured print out for me to hopefully de-stress me!

I thanked him profusely for the kind gesture. I am attaching the pic for your reference. I sadly get no comfort from the pic and I cannot even try to imagin what good might be inside the door. It looks quite dingy and dark to me as if nothing good could be inside. However it still stays where I sit, because it was a very kind gesture.

Good News

When I got a job here in London in June, I was told that I would be on a temporary offer for the first six months. They were to take a call at the end of that time period. They said it would be enough time for both of us, the company and myself to decide whether or not I wanted to stay here.

Today, less than 2 months into my role, my boss asked me if I would be happy to accept a permanent offer from the company.

I was taken aback- we had been discussing her marriage and her question came out of the blue! I, ofcourse said a yes and as she explained some intricate thing to me on Webex, I was busy messaging Sid the good news.

That is one worry off my head. I had never expected that this would happen so quick! My bosses seem really happy with what I am doing. I honestly think I am do a miserable job here at times. So I do not know what is working, but am glad that it is!:)

I just wanted to share this bit of good news with you guys!

Sleep Tight:)

Love
RP

The Heights!

At five feet 2 I am quite tiny. My boss, a ten feet tall Australian is a strapping old man.


Today, he took long to offer me a chair even though I was standing because he thought that I was sitting.

:\

Day 6


So I am in office and sid is working from home. It’s a lazy Friday afternoon and I am amongst the very few people in office. I get this email from Sid’s office id to mine:

“Message from Sid:
Hey, can you please pick up the courier package? Get it home.

Forwarded message from C:
Hey Sid,
These guys have left a courier package for you on your desk. Thought would let you know!
Cheers
C”

So C sits right next to Sid’s desk. I craned my neck to get a view of Sid’s desk and yes, I could easily see the brown packages.

So, in the next few minutes, I sauntered to his place and casually picked up the package from Sid’s desk and sat down back at my place to work.

A couple of minutes later I got another forwarded mail from Sid:

“Message from Sid:
:D.Enjoy!

Forwarded message from C:
Sid!
Some girl came and nicked your courier packets! I thought you should know!!!!!!!
C”

Sid then sent him a mail telling him that the girl who came nicked his packages is his wife! And just to rub it in a little bit more, I went up to him today.

“Hi C”, I said extending my hand.

“Hi”, he smiled sheepishly.

“I am the girl who nicked the courier packages”, I said.

“Yeah!”, he grinned, “ I got to know you kinda know him”.

This is my favourite work place story right now!! Thought would share it with you guys!

Love
RP

Day 5:
Good News!!
I shall now share some good news with you.

I have a job! Tadddaaaaa. It took me some 5 months, lots of rona dhona and many many interviews including three at the firm I am with right now.

I have now been working for a week and apart from the fact that I have had to come face to face with an avalanche of information, things have been good.. And whats the twist in the tale?? I work in the same company and office as Sid!
That seems quite werid to think of. But Sid often goes for client meeting s and can easily work from home. Infact I realized today that it will be very easy for me to work from home as well! The profile is such that it does not matter from where I work.

There is a long story about how this job happened. I am still on leave from company X (which took me on a great salary in the midst of severe recession!). Sid and I collectively decided that I had time till 4th of July 2010 to figure out a job for myself else we will both move to India.

As he told his boss this and the HR head heard that in passing, things started happening. There was this role available for which they had been passively head hunting for over an year. Would I be interesred in interviewing for it, they asked!

Hell yes!

So then followed 3 rounds of interviews.

And on 5th of May 2010 I was offered employment.

As an MBA I am indeed a little over qualified for this role, so they are happy with who they have on board and I have a job which is what I have been craving for for so so so so long that I don’t care about the role ( which btw is quite decent)
So I have started work now. I hope I do a decent job here-I want to work hard and to do well. Wish me luck!

Love
RP

Job #2...

Okay, so 2 days back Adobe came visiting to our campus. I came to know of it only the night before that and I was in mood to work for it. I had stopped working on my technical skills by Jan last year when I had started working for a b skul in full earnest and somehow never started working on it again.
So like , I was in no mood to stay up the whole night working for it...so I just brushed up a little bit of C and was basically ready to go give the test.
I was mentally prepared for being chucked out in the 1st round itself.
It would be nothing more than a slight embarrassment, I reasoned with myself!

The whole day was spent busy with the farewell party that my branch juniors had organized for us , I came back dead tired at about 8 , watched some TV [only ' some' because it was a Sunday and Dad was home for the evening! ] and went off to bed!

The next day I got up at around 8, got out of bed at about 8:45 and left home for the PPT that was to begin at 9 , at about 9:15.

Spent the next hour listening to the ppt and err… admiring the cute guys …ahem..and before I knew it, it was time to write the test..

There were three things they tested, analytical skills, mathematical skills and C .
I personally was not very satisfied with the test and instead of waiting for the results I decided to head back home. There was no point in waiting for about 2 hours for the potentially negative results!

At 5, a friend called up to tell me that my interview was slotted for 5 sharp.


Needless to say all hell broke loose…I had been semi asleep cuddled next to Ma when the call had come and the transformation from the sleepy me to the screaming me had to be seen to be believed !! After having created enough tension at home ,I changed into a dark maroon salwaar kurta, tied my hair in a plait, kajal for the eyes, a tiny black bindi .This was followed by a mad rush to look for the CV and certificates [ which were still in the file I had used for the Narsee Monjee interview in Delhi ] which was then followed with forcing Dad to drive fast to drop me to college!!

When I reached college, I was immediately handed this huge form to fill..I had just borrowed a pen [I do not have any faith in having pens of my own, you see ]and was about to fill in my name when this guy from the team came out and called my name!

Like a woman possessed I hastily tried to fill my form .Once that was done I headed for the interview room. I just paused outside the room for a few seconds to compose myself before heading straight in.

So began the first round of interview.

The guy taking my interview and I felt completely relaxed…infact he even asked me how I was so well prepared for the interview!
:P
Then followed some puzzles which believe it or no I managed to solve !!!I guess the tough DI caselets I solved for CAT helped me there…
He even got me to play a game with him..he asked me to sell him a paper weight, a pen and sooo many many other questions!
The interview went on for about an hour..it was so extensive, the fact that he was easy on the eyes helped a little bit ..hehehe :P

Then the second round happened –another 50 minute interview of extensive grilling!
And then as soon as I was about to go in for the third one I was asked to wait for sometime…by this time it was already 9 o clock in the night, so I got together with some frnds of mine and we went and had Maggie at the Nestle counter just outside the academic block….


Maggie in college at 9 in the night?
Priceless!

So, then finally the interview happened at 10 in the night, from 10:30 to 11:00!! Haf an hour of the gentleman trying ot figure out my insecurities!
:|
Yess, that is what he said…he also asked to me to tell him about the craziest thing I had done.
I actually told him that it was censored and could not be mentioned here!
And he actually said that whatever I said would remain within the walls of the room!

Heheh..Imagine

So finally at about 11:15 I reached home, after having been standing the whole day without a moments rest!

And with that my second job interview came to an end.

Epilogue: I got the job!!! Yeayyyyy!!!

P.S : If you wish to check out my first job interview with CTS , here is the link--- http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html
Check out the post in green