Guest Column (III)

(In continuation of the previous tradition of guest articles (1 and 2) on my blog, here is the next in the series from another special friend)

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When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. – The Alchemist

Never give up ever or the World will screw you forever – Me

Not sure how to start this story of someone I know. Someone who I thought I knew, but someone who became clearer to me as I spent more time with him. It’s so easy to give up when things are not going your way. There are times when one doesn’t understand why it’s happening to him/her. There will come a time when one would rather give up than continue. That’s what you would do when companies you want don’t call you. It’s a feeling you may get when all but 2 are yet to have interviews on campus. And the second last one keeps you as an alternate and only 1 is left! (Not to mention you don’t get a final slot from the alternate!)

That’s when one starts doubting his abilities. He needed a motivator so he called a friend, a mentor maybe; someone who could motivate him. One talk is all he needed. He never blamed anyone for his failures. He analyzed every single of his interviews to find the minutest flaw which he could improve. Soon he realized he had a great strength. A strength which he feels many don’t have…. To be able to accept his own weakness. Only when you know your weakness can you move forward to achieve what you want because only then can you improve.

But at times, even such things don’t help! A near perfect interview which ended like ‘I would like you to work in my group’ may still result in a 3 month wait for the next round! Incompetent HR or change of HR resulting in your candidature case getting virtually lost can also result in a long wait. What makes it worse is when other avenues also result in a negative result. There is not much you can do but to keep improving. To give every avenue your best shot. To forget that all around you have got what they want, to not even think about how many others have; but to be focused. Easier said than done? He didn’t feel so. He had a great motivator behind him. Or maybe he is just emotionally too disconnected that such things don’t affect him. But there was this sense of challenge. This realization that it’s not just Operating Systems, Computer Network, Distributed Systems which will help him later in life! It’s something much more than that. A feeling which sometimes people forget, but something they should always keep in mind or they haven’t gained much from their education experience!!

Suddenly one day he got the next round call. And the next day… the job. He had done it! He had not lost his confidence after all those failures because he believed in his ability. Even though he had faced many obstacles, he kept trying hard every single time at every avenue he was showed. He had learnt perseverance, persistence and lots more!! What’s in your hand can be improved, if you can accept your flaws and well, maybe if you have a good mentor! All you need is direction and self belief.

What he will always remember is that he proved to everyone that if you want something really badly, you will get it!! Of course for that you really need to know what you want ;). But once you do, the universe will conspire in helping you get it!