Reaping Efforts

Manohar finds it difficult to calm his nerve and put his cent percent effort in clearing the initial rounds of interview. He is indeed in anger with his own performance. Over a period of time, he has approached different organizations for a job, still he could not taste the sweet of success.

Rejection after rejection went on disheartening him. He lost his confidence and this was driving him towards depression.

Manohar is a well-qualified engineer. After a couple of years of working with one of the renowned companies of IT, he thought of pursuing his PGDM course. He took Marketing as his key area of specialization and opted Information Technology as his Minor.

He had put his brain and soul while acquiring knowledge skills, but one main component that he had neglected was soft skills. Though he his physique was good, but he lacked confidence. Confidence while interacting with either the fellow mates or faculty members. He was never trained for these skills. 

A year and a half passed by where Manohar enhanced his knowledge skills pertained with Management studies. He started dreaming about big brands and a better position than on which he was posted earlier. He was keen to sit into the interview processes and was excited to get selected and wanted to kick start his career path once again.

To crack any interview processes, he thought will be the cake-walk for him.He was very confident that he can get through any such rounds of interview. His thought and expectations shattered when he saw his name in the category of rejected students list. And the similar saga continued with him over ten such interview processes. The companies that rejected him were all of the good brands and they were equally ready to hire the experienced candidates at handsome payout.

One fine Sunday afternoon, I was mentoring a student of mine at Coffee Cafe Day, Connaught Place. Incidentally, Manohar happened to be there, sipping a hot cup of coffee and listening to the conversation that I had with my student. Though with some hesitation, he approached and asked to have some discussion with me related to his career. 

With positive note when we started conversing about the problem that Manohar was facing, I told him that his knowledge skills were extremely good, but his body language and the way he portrays his answers, are so vague, that they fail to create the right impact on the listener. I gave him three tips and asked him to keep me updated and let me know about his improvement:

1. To do self-introspection, to identify the areas of development
2. To take few mock-interviews
3. To video record his performance so that he can re-check and correct self.

I received a call from Manohar last evening. He was damn excited and said that he successfully cleared the rounds of interview in two consecutive companies, and now he has double offers. 

Efforts never go in vain. You need to wait to reap its benefit.

Easy to Criticize

Manohar is a student who is pursuing his PGDM course from one of the renowned Management Colleges in Delhi. He says that his decision was not appropriate. He should have taken time in choosing and picking up the right institute for his career. 

What made Manohar say this? Why does he think so?

Let me give his brief introduction. Manohar's father is the grade-II government employee. He has the good source of income and he always wanted a better career and bright future for his only pampered child. Manohar studied in a reputed English medium school. As his passion was more towards sports, his academic scores were always meagre. He remained a five-pointer right from his class five to class twelfth.

Even after passing his higher secondary school, still there was no clarity related to his career path and what he wished to do in future. It was like a conundrum which he found too difficult to think and then to answer about it. He hardly met any setbacks in his life. He passed his graduation from Delhi University. Though he remained basketball champion for consecutive three years, his scores dwindled and academically he could not perform well. 

He insisted on joining sports academy but his father had different career plans for him. He admitted him in a B-School. Manohar was least interested towards the core subject of Management but he got inspired by the Faculty members of Marketing subject. He studied hard, put his best foot front and gained corporate exposure through many live projects and a summer internship program.

In the month of October when the placement season rolled on, students were quite excited. Manohar too was looking for great opportunities. Unfortunately, Manohar's CV was always rejected as he failed to clear the basic eligibility criteria expected by the companies. As he had less percentage, his CV hardly got short-listed.

Manohar's dream shattered when he failed to sit into the interview processes of brand companies. He started the blame game and said that it was his biggest mistake to join this B-School. Even with right employability skills, still he had to face passive rejections.

As a Career Advisor, when I met him, I advised him to start his career ride from a company where he can put his best of the Knowledge and Skills and can take the company to great heights. He thought that I was trying to take the side of the B-School and was convincing him for the benefit his educational institute. 

In the academic year 2015-2016, in over 18 B-Schools spread across India, I could meet Manohar with different names but their saga remains the same.

Schools and Parents need to understand that Career goals are to be set up at the right age. Certainly when the student is in his School, he should try to find his avenues from where he can pave his way for great Career and Success.