July 30, 2010

First anniversary of my 2nd innings in Bangalore

Yeah... On this date, one year ago, I had arrived in Bangalore in search of a job. Not that I eagerly wanted a job. Just that parents didn't let me have a laidback, freewheeling time at home so thought of going far away from there.

Hmmm... So 12 months since I came here. Time flies really fast. It's been two years since I had started my journalism college. Man... Anyway, wanna know how was my "job hunt" like here?

Did I say "job hunt"? I should be saying "job kill". Yes, I didn't hunt jobs, but killed my chances of landing them. For example, reporter's job in The Hindu. A perfect example of how a dream-come-true can be turned into a nightmare. Of course, my ephemeral stints (of four days and one day) at two content writing jobs before and after that are not even worth mentioning.

Let's make a timeline of these past months:
July 30, 2009: I arrived in Bangalore
August 10: Applied for internet desk of The Hindu
Aug 10-Aug 30: Kept thinking I would get a call from The Hindu. Didn't get it.
September 1st week: Started my first content writing job (at monthly pay of Rs 8,500)
Four days later: Got up, took bath, got ready, had breakfast, left for office but stopped midway, in disgust and frustration. Decided to leave it. Split-second decision. Wrong, of course.
Next eight-nine days: Brooding over the frustration over which I left my job
September 19: Took membership of British Library
A few days later: Decided to do internship in The Hindu. Got starting date of internship as November 1st week. Kept waiting till then
October 23 or 26: Started internship one week ahead of scheduled start
till December 1: Reporting for The Hindu. (Boy, what a time!)
December 1: Gave test for sub-editor at The New Indian Express
till December 22: kept postponing going to The Hindu to collect internship certificate and send stories as freelancer
December 23: Went to office, discovered I could contribute only feature articles, not news stories. Disappointed. I had thought I could freelance that's why I had discontinued internship
December 24: Get an email from city editor of The Hindu. I am offered a job. A reporter's job! Wooohoooo!! Tone set for a joy-filled birthday, for a change. I went office wearing my new Reebok shoes for the first time, with my bling-bling and guitar
December 25: My birthday. I am happy that I got, nay, earned that job at The Hindu. My phone is not switched off and I'm happily answering birthday calls. But some jerk in our building stole my vest that I had kept on the clothesline for drying
December 30: Was supposed to be the day when my entry into The Hindu was to be sealed. Was supposed to be the last scene before "happily ever after..." gets played. I messed up in that last scene. Most unexpectedly. Of course, unwittingly. But tragically. Poor me. Awww...
January 1: New year! Bah.. Who cares, especially after unwittingly losing out on a hard-earned job!
till January 6: Nursed the flicker of hope that I'd get my dream job, that I had earned and lost, that of a reporter at The Hindu. January 6 clarified, "Not this time, buddy."
till February 12: Gave a couple of online tests for content writing exams. Cleared them but didn't go for interview. Bah, not interested
Feb 12: Got email from editor of The New Indian Express. They want to hire me! Had given test on December 1. I knew I had done well!
Feb 15: I join a content writing job. The Hindu job had slipped out of hand, so gonna take no risk this time. Man, got bored to death. What boring work. After a couple of hours itself I wanted to run away from there. And when I did run away at the end of the day, I never came back
Feb 22: Watched Backstreet Boys and Richard Marx live in Bangalore, from first row..!! WOOOHOOOO!! Yeah yeah..!!
Feb 23: Short, formal meeting with editor-in-chief of The New Indian Express. So short and seemingly insignificant, I wonder why was it held!
Feb 24, evening: I get a call from editor, The New Indian Express, asking me when can I join. (Looks like I made it, but still too early to tell, after The Hindu experience.)
Feb 26: I sign the offer letter, join the office. Nailed it. Finally. Done. Yeah!
since then: going to office daily, chopping stories ruthlessly (as I'm trained for) and having fun with it

Since then I've watched an IPL match of Bangalore vs Delhi and live concert of MLTR too! Hmm... Good enough. Well, past one year has... Will I be correct in saying it passed by rather swiftly? Man, I dunno. I'm just glad that it went by. Any fond memories? Ummm... Yeah, interning at The Hindu. That was fun. Although tiring, I had  sound, refreshing sleep at the end of the day.

Ok, any fond memories on personal front? Haha.. None. What is important is that even though I got neither my dream job nor my dreamgirl, it doesn't mean I can't or won't have it in future either! Right? Right :)