We all wish whether we achieve the best or its better to be left with nothing, be it getting the best partner, be it getting into the best institute, be it getting the best job or be it achieving all the resolutions we made for the year. This year was one of the toughest and the best learning phases of my entire life, till now. The year started with lots of twists and turns but as it drew to the ending, it was meant to end on a happy note. The year-end was musical and will resonate with the coming years of my life. I want everyone of you to feel and share this special journey of my life and I express my gratitude to everyone who played a part in my life this year and contributed to my inner growth.
The journey began with new energies and with the early morning breeze. 4 o’clock it was and there was no light which could pave through the sheer darkness. I dressed myself up with my formals and was ready to set the journey to Pune. I had never seen Mumbai being so silent, everything seemed to be at a standstill. My life had taken a pause like the ambience around me and I was still wondering as well as struggling with my feelings of happiness and apprehensions. The car screeched to halt and the driver remarked “Which gate no will they come?” Suddenly I came back to reality and realized that I had to call three of my other classmates who were supposed to join me till Pune.
The moment I dialled my friend Mugdha, I saw three shadows coming from a greater distance. As they came to my vicinity, they were easily discernible. We all settled down with our bags and headed towards Pune. Chakan it was, the place none of us had any idea of. In minutes we were on Mumbai Pune highway, surrounded by giant trucks portraying how difficult it is for a small fish to survive among a pool of all larger fishes. But as in when the smaller fish grabs the opportunity, it advances through all the twists and turns it has to face. Despite the larger fishes, the smaller fish should never fail to enjoy the beauty surrounding their path. Therefore on similar lines, my eyes got stuck on the mountain ranges which depicted how much higher I had to move in life and the aura of the sun left me spellbound. The orange and red tint spread all over created a sense of hope and desire in me.
Following the direction arrows of Mercedes, we somehow managed to reach the entrance of its Chakan plant. Trees were dancing in the balmy breeze and my voice seemed to dampen in the clattering of teeth. We entered the main entrance and my legs froze to death, it was not the ambience; it was the star emblem engraved on top of the elegant blue glass building. We registered ourselves at the entrance and walked towards the main building. The place was adorned with a beautiful fountain.
We were instructed by Sonali to capture a seat in the bus and sign across our names. There were 15 of us, including candidates from different colleges. We headed towards the main office, which was embellished by different models of Mercedes. We couldn’t get our eyes off it and made our way to the seminar room where Thomson, the HR of the organization was awaiting us. He introduced himself and gave us that day’s schedule to complete the process on time and people could travel back in time. He took us through the company overview and handed over the dais to management executives of three other departments- After Sales, Sales, and Operations. They clearly explained to us our job role and which vertical we would be assigned, if selected. As and when the presentation proceeded, my adrenaline paced at a speed greater than even a speedometer could measure.
After briefing us about the group discussion and interview process as to how there was no elimination round, we were shifted to another room for coffee refreshment. Sonali instructed us through the refreshment and showed us videos to calm down our nervousness. My head started reeling, as it normally does before any group discussion and with the unfamiliar crowd, it was bound to reel more. The students were divided into two groups and as correctly guessed by my mind, I was out in the first group. On entering the discussion room, my eyes got fixated on the number of panelists sitting calmly opposite the discussion table. My heartbeat raised its rate and my mind continuously whispered “Best or Nothing”.
I sat according to the sequence number allotted and tried my cliché strategy of not looking at the panelist and focusing just on the topic given. They gave us a sheet of paper which described unemployment and listed ten causes of it. We had to provide our ratings as to what is the most important cause and which is the least. After we were done with the one-minute rating time we discussed and came to a group consensus as to what the rating should be. I was successful in convincing the most important and the least important ranking allotted by me. As the discussion ended, I had a sense of accomplishment as well as comfort, by the way, they were treating us.
The bus took us to the canteen and we finished our lunch in 25 minutes as per schedule. The interview process started simultaneously with the sales & operations panelists. As we were waiting for our turn to come and getting anxious by asking questions to the person already interviewed, Sonali took three of us at a time for the assembly plant visit. I jumped in excitement and was one of the first to head for the visit. As we went down, Mercedes GLA was waiting for us. My cheeks flushed with excitement and felt the exhilaration of victory. Getting a Mercedes ride was not less than a victory, not only for me but for all of us. We clicked innumerable selfies on the driver’s seat and with the car. The ride started with a brief pace and suddenly turned brisk as the driver accelerated down the slope of the plant. We thanked the driver and came back to the waiting room.
I was called the next and gathering all my courage I paved my way to the interview room. I had a flashback of all previous interview rejections and the typical interview questions prepared by me. On entering the interview room, they greeted me with a handshake and they told me to relax and be comfortable on the seat across the table. They started with a simple question as to how I felt coming to the Mercedes plant, followed by a discussion of my hobbies and interest, and then ended with a note of what interests me about the automobile industry as well as about Mercedes Benz. The interview questions were kind of verbal psychometric test generally given as a measure to test one’s mental capabilities & behavioral style. Their major end goal was to see how well we fitted in the organizational culture.
When all the process got completed, we went to chat up with our senior who motivated us and gave us basic tips if we got selected. The result was to be announced a day after the process so we packed our bags to head back to Mumbai. But the surprise element had not come to an end. Sonali walked in with bags of goodies, which encompassed a Mercedes cap, an E-class Mercedes keychain, and a magazine. There was a sudden sense of exuberance and in this euphoria, we had become allured by the company’s culture and value.
With contentment and happiness, we headed towards my car and found our way to Mumbai. The night was bound to be sleepless and full of hope. I was waiting for the sun to rise at the earliest and to calm my uneasiness, I turned to my only remedy, meditation. After doing my daily household errands, I headed to college for my exam. When I reached college, I found my way to the library and took a secluded place to go through the exam portion and analysis as to what went wrong which was leading to so many rejections in the interview process.
As I kept my head down in lieu of getting frustrated by my over-analysis strategy implemented. I suddenly got a call from my very good friend, Puneet who congratulated me on my feat. I could not believe my ears that I had got selected in Mercedes Benz. There was a look of ecstasy on my face and heard rhapsodies of praise. The news gave me a sigh of bliss and I automatically dialed mom. Tears rolled through my eyes and my mouth was drying up as the words started pouring.
Mom became scared and continually asked me what was happening. Swallowing my saliva and giving relief to my mouth, I gave her the news. Her happiness knew no bounds and she added dad on the same call. Dad and mom both very excitedly started asking me innumerable questions about the job location and the joining date. Hearing Pune they were emotional and concerned, but the happiness outweighed all the other emotions.
Best or Nothing, Believe me, either settle for the best or keep crawling on the sands till you attain the Best.
