Setec Astronomy

Why management? Why this company? Why this place? Why us? Why you? Why were you born? Ah, all simple questions tackled by every b-schooler and the critters on campus a million times across seasons and entrances and PLACEMENTS! Yep, its that time again, when a sh!tload of media releases announcing "world-record" placements and even wilder "CTC" claims hit the papers, TV channels and other such invasive communication channels. :) Well, after the summer placements 4 months back (wow! time does fly like crazy!), this was my second view of the placement process - albeit from a different angle.

From the behind-the-scenes perspective - rather than being one of the guys on the stage...and what an experience at that. I wonder if I should spoil the surprise for a whole-load of B-school aspirants out there who might really read this blog later on. So I won't. There are some surprises which are best kept the way they are meant to be. I will say this though>>

• Its an unbelievably organised world this.
• A world where walkie-talkies and communication on the lines of "First floor to control - confirm" and "Affirmative, over" are not uncommon.
• Where pin-point precision for time is taken for granted.
• Where its possible to forget which company's interview you are appearing for.
• Where its very easy to say that you are a marketing stud when you've spent the better part of 30 mins convincing them you are their man for finance.
• Where FBI stands for a completely new definition. Where everyday rooms taken on different meanings with special names/acronyms attached to each.
• When the suits, the blazers, the sarees are broken out of their slumber to be donned for a period of only a few hours.
• When feet used to wearing bathroom chappals 24/7 start to realize the pain and torture involved with formal shoes. When you wonder, how back in school you wore shoes with no complaints whatsoever.
• Where a bunch of people work in a claustrophobic room with a bunch of computer screens displaying a bunch of data, a bunch of layout diagrams, a whole-load of sandwiches, samosas and yes a few more walkie-talkies.
• Where the tension in the air is palpable.
• Where everyone in the process is critical - from the guy putting food on the plates in the make-shift mess to the guy sweating away in the above-mentioned room.
• When more than 220 students cramp themselves into a room which usually fits 60 and wait with baited breath for the results of everyone's work.
• When everyone, I mean EVERYone, exults in the joy of every single offer made at the end of the long day.
• When your hands hurt from all the clapping and the patting. When the sheer happiness in the air engulfs you. 

I'll stop here, because I'm starting to reveal some of the most revered surprises which make this place what it is. These images are common to all of the B-schools out there and definitely some of the most remembered. :)

Take my word on this>> For those who make it to this side of the fence - this is a time when you learn that words like "240 students placed in 36 hours" actually have some kind of wizardry involved in them. Wizardry conjuring up every facet of management - from sheer number-crunching to the best in operations to the shrewdest of negotiations and impression management. To be a part of it is to be part of the blockbuster titled "Making of the Indian B-school dream", when the lessons learnt go well beyond the rolling of the credits in this stupendously sychronised process. :D

*Payne bows to both the batches of I*

*ResTecP*

Ground floor, over n out.

Payne

PS: Just noticed that I never really mentioned where I'm heading for my summers. For whom it may concern - am off to ITC for my summer internship. :D

Self-Realisation #98

I am so prejudiced. I pretend that I'm not - all the time. I like to believe that I'm an individual who always thinks without any biases. Bullshit.

I'm so emotional. I like to pretend that I'm the cool guy. *smirks*

I'm so useless. I'm typing out a blog at 5AM, with four mid-terms less than 30 hours away.

I'm funny. I like to pretend that I am.

I'm so full of myself. I like it.

Payne

PS: Another payne_ful pic. A 5 second exposure leads to a nice lil effect with the seconds hand on an ole clock. My experiments with time.

"Blessed are those who forget; for they get the better even of their blunders."    -  Nietzsche

Not only blunders, but a lot of unnecessary baggage too. To let go, is to take charge.
Amen to that.

Payne

PS: This site has some of the best writers on this planet. Wow. (No sarcasm)

Edit: Arbit Payne_Photo:

Title: Curiosity

Subject: A stunned Praying Mantis.

Have I finally crossed the line from being a kid to growing up? Maybe, the events leading to this post might well make me believe in it.

Blaring trance music, a riot of colors from the blinking lights and the various concealed lighting thingies, the myriad expressions around - grinning/thoughtful/smiling/melancholic...so many people, so many stories, so much alcohol. Some dance to remember, some drink to forget...some post blogs far away from the madding music. There's a party rocking down stairs, which I've given a miss - as I always do. What I post here is just to jot down as a milestone in my life, its time to do a "Things I've learnt" post.

Things I've learnt : January 14-31, 2006

-- Being through tough times does not necessarily make a person tougher. Its not what you've been through that matters, its how you came through.

-- I'll never let go of things I love doing. Even if it means doing a near thankless job.

-- An expected loss can sometimes be better than an unanticipated victory when you learn more from it.

-- Losing hurts, twice hurts more. Losing unfairly hurts even longer.

-- A quote from an old post: "someday u'll look back on this day and laugh" - syko, April 11th, 1:36PM. Someday I'll look back on this week and smile, I hope.

-- People, no matter how intellectually balanced they may seem, will never behave as individuals when thrown in to a community atmosphere. Research should be done on this, the results can be quite stunning. Herd mentality rules, everywhere.

-- There are few individuals, even fewer thinking ones.

-- Never have I believed more that the journey is more important than the destination - especially when you don't get there.

-- I have actually stopped being the 'popular' guy. Wow.

-- Thinking about one thing over and over and over again will not make it better. Moving on is f____ing difficult.

-- This place is so full of oddities, its getting difficult to keep a track of 'em.

-- Sometimes it pays to just dance. No strings attached, just. Maybe I'll do that someday.

____________________________________

Most of what I wrote above may not make sense to a lot of people reading this, the others will simply not read it. :) By not putting down anything explicitly I'm using this blog for what its worth - a nice lil milestone to carve a few lines on.

This is my first post in 2006, I never really said goodbye to 2005. Should do that. If only to say a proper Hi to 2006 - we haven't gotten along very well so far. *shrugs*

This is Payne signing out.

Good morning new day.