When I finished my masters I felt on top of this world. I couldn’t wait to step out into the big bad world and start working. I had all my "tools" - specs that made me look cool-ly geeky, formals, Indian clothes to assert the readiness of being a big working girl now and a handbag that fit everything in it – tiffin box, books et al. You get the point.
I think what a fresh graduate needs most is what I didn’t have. What is that you ask? A handbook that tells them how utterly jobless they are going to be for the next 3 months, AT LEAST. When I joined I told my family and friends that I would dedicate my weekends to them if I could get over how tired I was going to be through the week. As luck would have it, my friends didn’t see me through the week, not because I was buried under heaps of work but because I had to travel a minimum of 4 hours every day to get to my work place. I obviously started taking time out for friends and family over the weekend but tired I was. For all those smirking right now - travel 4 hours by a school bus and we'll talk. I swear I kid you not but I’m sure I’m developing a back problem because the bus seats are like brick. And all those who are very excited at the prospect of wearing formals, don’t be. The heels will kill you. So will the ac in office.
Over the last two months in my spanking new office I’ve gotten loads of new stuff - new clothes, new shoes, new pan card, new debit card and god knows how exciting all of it has been but the one new thing I was excited about most, I have got not - work! I very religiously sit in office for my stipulated 8 hours, tapping away at my keyboard, hoping for a new mail to arrive. As it goes, freshers don’t even get spam!
Finally after 2 months into my uselessness which I tried making use of by taking up umpteen trainings, I was called in to meet one of the people I was to work with, to discuss "work". I have always been ridiculously proud of myself on being really dedicated to everything I do, after all, when work is so difficult to come by, you’ve got to make sure you give it your all. So I went and met her with my notepad and pen. As she described what was required of me, I gazed at her incredulously. You are kidding right??? You didn’t just call me for a meeting for this, did you? Clearly, reading my expressions not one of her strong points! Anyway, she painstakingly went through all the steps my "work" would require off me as I stood and listened to her explain. At the end of it, she very sweetly asked me if I understood. Still dazed, I nodded yes. I was sure, even though it had been four months since my academic life, I hadn’t forgotten everything. I got back to my desk and got to work. Man, did I feel responsible. The future of CG lay on my delicate albeit strong shoulders. I mean for all those who think I am being over dramatic you just don’t understand the importance of deleting columns from a table. If you disagree I would like you to come hear her explain each and every step of the process. I mean after all I must have "GRADE 1 IDIOT" written on my forehead for her to be so specific, after all, what other use could the "delete" button possibly have?!
