The day I was selected for Vistaar, after a gruelling process of aptitude tests and 3 personal Interviews (one hour each), I had more surprises in store for me. Just when I had given up hope of getting a call from Infosys to appear for their test (the recent mails of resume sent to them were bouncing off their servers), there it was, a mail from freshers@infosys.com asking me to appear for the test to be held on 10th September. I was given an option of 5 centres out of which Pune was the closest one.
Saturday: I was still not decided on when to leave for Pune. The first bus from Mumbai leaves only by 5 am and it takes almost 4 hours (as opposed to the 2.5 hours I thought) to reach Pune. And I had to report at the test centre by 8:30. As luck would have it I came to know about a cousin of mine who stays in Pune. A phone call later it was decided I would have to leave mumbai by 2 to reach there before dark (it was already 11 am). I hurried about to get my documents xeroxed and pasport sized photos taken (thank God for instant digital prints).
I packed in the bare essentials, threw on a pair of jeans and tshirt and packed in a formal shirt. I thought the interview would be on the same day or else I would convince them to postpone mine to the next weekend (as I had to be in Mumbai on Monday to report for the training on Monday). Mom asked me to pack in an extra pair of trousers just in case (and I thank her for that).
Went to Thane and caught the Asiad Bus for Pune at 2:30. Travel via expressway is a delight but roads in Pune are no better than the ones over here. Anyways I reached Pune by 7 and my cousin had come to pick me up.
Sunday: Being a Mumbaikar I was confident enough to travel anywhere provided I knew the bus numbers. I had obtained information about the bus numbers from the net. But the ground reality in Pune is very different. The PCMT buses don't display the numbers (at least not legibly enough) and one has to rely on the encrypted names written in red on white background (making them very hard to read).
Anyways I caught a bus to Swargate and a ric from there to the test centre in Bibwewadi. I reached there by 7:30 (much before the stipulated time as usual). At 8:30 we were called to form lines for entering the test centre (It was then that I realised the huge number of people who had come there. There were approximately 1500 people present there that morning.)
There is an application form to be filled with your details. Carry your passport along (if you have one) and also names and details of two "professional" references (this excludes family and friends). I didn't carry any of these with me. The test pattern is the same, 1 hr logical reasoning test (almost 7 out of 10 logical puzzles were repeated from previous papers) and 30 mins english test. I don't know the criteria for selection but at the end of the day only 137 were selected.
The results were supposed to be declared by 2:30 but it was 5 pm when it finally came out (so be patient enough for the long wait). The interview was scheduled for the next day at 1 pm at the Infosys campus in Hinjewadi. This put me in a lurch since I had no place to stay (my cousin was going back to Ratnagiri). Luckily I had bumped into a guy who was from mumbai but had done his engg from Pune University. He was staying with his friends at Anand Nagar and invited me to join him. I readily took up the offer.
This was my first taste of bachelor life and it made my decision of not leaving Mumbai seem even more wiser (but still I guess I need this experience to be more mature and independent. If Infy happens I'll definitely take it up). We made some enquiries about the best mode of transport and decided to leave next morning at 10:30.
Monday: My jeans were totally soiled and my hopes of wearing it for the interview were crushed. Thankfully I had a pair of trousers with me. Strangely Pune was much more humind than Mumbai this time and I was sweating like a pig. This was the third day for my tshirt and it had began to stink (thankfully I still got the luxury of a bath everyday) but still I decided to wear it under my formal shirt (so as not to ruin the shirt with sweat) put on an ample quantity of colonge and dashed off.
The first 8-seater rick dropped us off on the Satara-Mumbai Highway. From there we caught another one for Chandni Chowk (no its not the one in Delhi) and from there another one to Wakad. I was keeping an eye out for roadsigns and had also asked the driver to inform us when we reach our destination. Fortunately when he stopped at one place I happend to see the signboard on the flyover directing us to Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park (our destination). We got down there thanking our luck and cursing the driver.
Now Infy Campus is a mere 1.5 Km from where we got down but the fares are decided based on which firm you are going to. So we ended up paying 40 bucks to reach there (compared to the less than 10 bucks fare we paid for each of the 8-seaters). The campus is huge and well maintained. The interviews had started at the stipulated time and the delay from the alloted time was not much to be impatient about. The interview lasts for hardly 15-20 mins and mostly consists of HR stuff and maybe a puzzle. I was not asked a puzzle (I don't know whether that is a good thing or bad).
I waited for my friend outside and he was finished by 3:30. His interview was the best one any fresher could give. We walked back to the highway. He was going back to his friends place and I had to catch a bus to Mumbai. I was approached by an agent and was about to book a ticket when I caught sight of an Asiad Bus with Pune-Mulund written on it. I couldn't believe my luck. I quickly bade good bye to my friend (I can never thank him enough for all the help provided) and boarded the bus.
Two vada pavs at the next stop stopped the growls coming from my stomach. The stretch comprising of the ghats were a lovely sight with mist everywhere. Next time if I have to travel to Pune, I am hoping to drive all the way. I hope this rather lengthy entry would make my friends, who have the Infy test on 24th here in Mumbai, realise how lucky they are. You have plenty of time so prepare well and hope to meet you all again but this time as Infy Employees.
Saturday: I was still not decided on when to leave for Pune. The first bus from Mumbai leaves only by 5 am and it takes almost 4 hours (as opposed to the 2.5 hours I thought) to reach Pune. And I had to report at the test centre by 8:30. As luck would have it I came to know about a cousin of mine who stays in Pune. A phone call later it was decided I would have to leave mumbai by 2 to reach there before dark (it was already 11 am). I hurried about to get my documents xeroxed and pasport sized photos taken (thank God for instant digital prints).
I packed in the bare essentials, threw on a pair of jeans and tshirt and packed in a formal shirt. I thought the interview would be on the same day or else I would convince them to postpone mine to the next weekend (as I had to be in Mumbai on Monday to report for the training on Monday). Mom asked me to pack in an extra pair of trousers just in case (and I thank her for that).
Went to Thane and caught the Asiad Bus for Pune at 2:30. Travel via expressway is a delight but roads in Pune are no better than the ones over here. Anyways I reached Pune by 7 and my cousin had come to pick me up.
Sunday: Being a Mumbaikar I was confident enough to travel anywhere provided I knew the bus numbers. I had obtained information about the bus numbers from the net. But the ground reality in Pune is very different. The PCMT buses don't display the numbers (at least not legibly enough) and one has to rely on the encrypted names written in red on white background (making them very hard to read).
Anyways I caught a bus to Swargate and a ric from there to the test centre in Bibwewadi. I reached there by 7:30 (much before the stipulated time as usual). At 8:30 we were called to form lines for entering the test centre (It was then that I realised the huge number of people who had come there. There were approximately 1500 people present there that morning.)
There is an application form to be filled with your details. Carry your passport along (if you have one) and also names and details of two "professional" references (this excludes family and friends). I didn't carry any of these with me. The test pattern is the same, 1 hr logical reasoning test (almost 7 out of 10 logical puzzles were repeated from previous papers) and 30 mins english test. I don't know the criteria for selection but at the end of the day only 137 were selected.
The results were supposed to be declared by 2:30 but it was 5 pm when it finally came out (so be patient enough for the long wait). The interview was scheduled for the next day at 1 pm at the Infosys campus in Hinjewadi. This put me in a lurch since I had no place to stay (my cousin was going back to Ratnagiri). Luckily I had bumped into a guy who was from mumbai but had done his engg from Pune University. He was staying with his friends at Anand Nagar and invited me to join him. I readily took up the offer.
This was my first taste of bachelor life and it made my decision of not leaving Mumbai seem even more wiser (but still I guess I need this experience to be more mature and independent. If Infy happens I'll definitely take it up). We made some enquiries about the best mode of transport and decided to leave next morning at 10:30.
Monday: My jeans were totally soiled and my hopes of wearing it for the interview were crushed. Thankfully I had a pair of trousers with me. Strangely Pune was much more humind than Mumbai this time and I was sweating like a pig. This was the third day for my tshirt and it had began to stink (thankfully I still got the luxury of a bath everyday) but still I decided to wear it under my formal shirt (so as not to ruin the shirt with sweat) put on an ample quantity of colonge and dashed off.
The first 8-seater rick dropped us off on the Satara-Mumbai Highway. From there we caught another one for Chandni Chowk (no its not the one in Delhi) and from there another one to Wakad. I was keeping an eye out for roadsigns and had also asked the driver to inform us when we reach our destination. Fortunately when he stopped at one place I happend to see the signboard on the flyover directing us to Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park (our destination). We got down there thanking our luck and cursing the driver.
Now Infy Campus is a mere 1.5 Km from where we got down but the fares are decided based on which firm you are going to. So we ended up paying 40 bucks to reach there (compared to the less than 10 bucks fare we paid for each of the 8-seaters). The campus is huge and well maintained. The interviews had started at the stipulated time and the delay from the alloted time was not much to be impatient about. The interview lasts for hardly 15-20 mins and mostly consists of HR stuff and maybe a puzzle. I was not asked a puzzle (I don't know whether that is a good thing or bad).
I waited for my friend outside and he was finished by 3:30. His interview was the best one any fresher could give. We walked back to the highway. He was going back to his friends place and I had to catch a bus to Mumbai. I was approached by an agent and was about to book a ticket when I caught sight of an Asiad Bus with Pune-Mulund written on it. I couldn't believe my luck. I quickly bade good bye to my friend (I can never thank him enough for all the help provided) and boarded the bus.
Two vada pavs at the next stop stopped the growls coming from my stomach. The stretch comprising of the ghats were a lovely sight with mist everywhere. Next time if I have to travel to Pune, I am hoping to drive all the way. I hope this rather lengthy entry would make my friends, who have the Infy test on 24th here in Mumbai, realise how lucky they are. You have plenty of time so prepare well and hope to meet you all again but this time as Infy Employees.
1 comment:
Does only BEST get the cosmopolitian experience? Even Bangalore has buses (excellent buses -- they've volvo buses running locally), but they've got signboards only in Kannada. Furthermore a scheme that results in numbers like 253F, 253Z and (so far) totally useless start--end information for these numbers means Bangalore's populace use their own vehicles or rickshaws. Pity.
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