Snapshot From Hell - 3

I never imagined I would need three posts for these experiences, but then again, it’s close to my heart and lest I stretch this into four, I’ll delve straight into Stage 5 of my internship hunt.


With so much happening so fast, before I knew it, I was already in Stage 5, which I call ‘THE LAST STRAW’. February 6th – Last interview scheduled. No offers. No more companies listed to interview on campus in the near future. I was miserable, to say the least! The constant rejections had left me drained. I didn’t know if I was doing everything wrong or if it was just bad luck. I was asking myself – How can you possibly blow up almost 15 interviews in a row! Anyhow, with my self confidence at its lowest ebb, I decided to give one last strong shot. I researched the company like crazy – digging into the best and worst of archives. Got a call back after the first round interviews. Second rounds were the next day. I felt I had done well – but then, I felt the same after every single interview I had had. With nothing better to do, I sat back and started waiting for the result.


It finally happened on February 13th. The last stage – ‘BREATHING AGAIN’. It had been six days and still no results. As I walked to school in the snow, I saw a voicemail on my phone. I was almost expecting a ‘Thank you for interviewing with us.’ In recruitment circles, if a call starts with that, you’re better off hanging up right there. But this one was different. It was good news. Something I was not ready for! It might seem the obvious thing to say that I felt happy – fact is, I did not. As I look at it now, it wasn’t happiness – it was just relief.


If I had to look back, I can say I could have done things better. But it was a learning experience. Maybe, if I had got the first position I interviewed for, I wouldn’t have learnt this much. Then again, it’s all in hindsight. With lessons for the future. If there’s one takeaway – I realize that I worked hardest when I was pushed into a corner - with no interviews in the pipeline. I guess it’s all about how desperate you are to achieve something. As the saying goes, “When you want something badly enough, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”