Job: To Be or Not To Be

When I was young, I thought that for getting a job astounding qualifications was the sole criteria. As I grew towards jobhood, I found out that in case of insufficient qualifications, contacts (setting) and even bribes have to be incorporated into the CV! I had no contacts and nothing to bribe. Morally I’m against it and even if I succumbed, monetarily it was impossible. So, I decided to embark on the path of attaining the best qualifications needed for a satisfying job.
2005 was a great year. I was in BSc(Final) and was undecided about my next step. My college profs sent me for an interview for a IT job at MBT (now TechMahindra). I went there empty minded just to attend it. But, in the evening I was among the four who got the job. In another month or so I accompanied my friends for another interview to Infosys Progeon (now Infosys BPO) and landed up with that job as well. By the end of the session, I had decided to move my ass to Pune for Masters in Physics with Astrophysics as my specialization. I couldn’t fulfill my wish that year and just out of frustration went for the BPO job. I didn’t like it and left in just 2 days! Next year I fulfilled my wish and went for my masters to Pune. In two years, the idea of job and for that matter earning large sums of money by grinding my ass was summarily rejected by me. I decided to dedicate my life (big words!!!) for research. So, I started applying to all national level institutes for PhD. I cleared some entrances but always fell at the last hurdle (interviews)!
By June 2010, it was totally clear that I wasn’t to be enrolled for PhD this session or even later. By luck, I have a nice AIR25 in NET(LS) examination. So, I decided to exploit it for a teaching job.
I started to gather information about the requirements and emoluments about my prospective job. I found out that teaching in a Science college in Nagpur will suit my taste but not my pocket! The colleges which would match my taste were in areas that didn’t match my taste. So, I had only one option and that was to join an engineering college. Pay was good and that was one of the basic requirements. Having fixed my mind, I started applying to various engineering colleges in and around Nagpur. In the meantime, I kept emailing Science colleges in Pune and Mumbai. St. Xaviers, Mumbai surprisingly called me for the interview. But as luck would have it, the call letter came very late on a Friday evening for the subsequent afternoon’s interview. I couldn’t go and missed a great opportunity. I kept viewing ‘aspire’ columns in Lokmat and in other Newspapers. One college was happy to have me for the interview but told me that it was unhealthy for them and me if I joined them. They cited that I would not stay for long given my qualifications and that would not be good for them. They also added that they can’t pay me the deserved pay and that would be an unsatisfactory start for my ‘would be illustrious career’.
I got rejected by 2 other colleges on the same flimsy reasons. I was contemplating about my decision when I suddenly saw an interview for MIET, Shahapur. The college belong to Gondia Education Society, chair manned by Mr. Praful Patel. I had no hope of getting a job even there. But, since the interview was at Hotel Centre Point (near to my house), I went there. But surprises are a part and parcel of life. 4:30 PM, Saturday, 10th July 2010, I gave the interview and in less than 23 hours I was on the faculty list of the college with a promised pay of 15K.
Since, 12th July, I’m attending college. Life has played the tricks. I’m working where I never wanted to be in the first place. I travel daily 2 hours one-way for my job and still am surprisingly healthy both physically and mentally. Maybe getting a job has given my mind the required energy to focus on my unfinished endeavours.
Since, the admissions are yet to happen, we have nothing much to do (I wrote this blog in college time)! This would be first time in my life when I would be paid for doing absolutely nothing.
I pray to God for a successful run in my subsequent adventures in the job world.