Recruitment and placement agencies - phew!

It is highly disappointing and disapproving to see that recruitment & placement processes have not changed / revised much since ages. They have not undergone changes or improvements. They remain stagnant and show no signs of improvising for the better. No wonder candidates and job seekers don’t feel the excitement and enthusiasm to answer calls from these agencies anymore. It’s not only disappointing but also an annoying waste on time and energy. Well, having said that, let me put down some grave mistakes that these ‘agencies’ might want to reconsider and work upon:

-       “okay, so tell me something about yourself” [oh really!]

-       “I haven’t really read / gone through your CV” [WHY?]

-       “How much were you drawing in your last job” [well, none of your business, really]

-       “What were you doing in your last job” [well, whatever!]

-       “Why did you leave your last job” / “why have you worked for ___ months only in ___ job” [give them a hard stare]

-       Not bothering to offer correct directions to their office, or offering exact directions only once you have reached there, after some hassle.

-       Not bothering to offer any hospitality

-       Asking you to ‘carry a print of your CV’ [where the hell are the eco savers?]

-       Asking you for your last salary slip [phhh – no way!]

-       “You would be required to wait for longer hours on some days” [is this my office or a party]

-       “You will have to work really hard” [oh yeah, will you pay me harder]

-       “can you work under pressure” [yeah man why not, I am a pressure cooker. And what kind of ‘pressure’ really]

-       …….Phew!! 

I shall soon follow this with another write up sharing the positive traits of the agencies and placement processes. Thanks. 

Shivani Sharma

- Writer

Haalo Haalo - The Visual Treat of Navratri

        

Never seen before – the visual feat of Navratri – the original flavour of Gujarat!

“Haalo Haalo”

It was a worthwhile tour to Gujarat – purposefully made – to celebrate one of the greatest festivals in India; also the longest running festival, not just in terms of number of days involved but also the pomp and enthusiasm with which it is celebrated.

It is a visual treat to see the gaudy flash of colours and sparkle all around you and so the excitement on the faces. This is what I concluded: people in Gujarat, really take their festival sincerely and celebrate it whole heartedly too. Not one person is at halt when the music is running aggressively. There has to be non-breakable movement of the neck, the shoulders, the head, the arms, the eyes, the torso, the legs…..you just get carried with the flow!

Days are spent in hard core practice and nights are spent in presenting their acquired talent. The excitement is displayed not just by participants or dancers, but also by those who organize Garba at the various venues spread across the city. There is no less excitement amongst the teams of organizers, as they tirelessly sing and beat the drums in tune with the dancing feet. I found myself absorbing the festival zing even as I stood there, dumbfounded, and awestruck.

People in costumes and get up look really cool…. They look so cute and beautiful. Thin, fat, tall, slim, short, stout, young, old, tiny, huge – descriptions of bodies don’t matter at all! Everyone looks the same in their own costumes – handsome and gorgeous!

“Pankheedaaaa tu udi jaa re Pavagadh re……. pankheedaaaa….. ooo Pankheedaaa….”

Appealing to a messenger-bird to carry the message of my devotion to my beloved Goddess Amba Maa. Yes, this is the only chance to get your prayers heard by your favourite Goddess – Maa Amba or Maa Jagadamba! She will fill your heart and fulfill your desires and wishes. She is pleased, she is happy, she is overwhelmed with emotions. We offer her our prayers through our dance, our expressions; we offer her our love, our devotion! What else can the Goddess ask for!

It is impossible – not to get carried away to the beats of the consistent flow of music and rhythm.

“Pavadi laeine hun to Pavagadh gayi thi… Pavagadh Maa ne mane darshan de…Nahi to mari pavadi paachi de…”

This is the time when the entire Bharat worships female deities in various forms or avataars. It is overwhelming to see Goddess Durga, looking at her devotees - seemingly engrossed in devotion and music, a spring in their feet - with love & compassion in her eyes. She stands gracefully and in elegance looking across at the huge display of colour in front of her, colour that is constantly on the move.  

I am content with my decision to make the trip between the two States and enjoy the festival of the nine nights to the fullest, in its original, unadulterated flavour!

“Chalo chalo re garba ramva…chalo….garba ramva jaiye…poonam ni raat che…sakhiyon no saath che…”

Let me share this visual treat with the readers!

Horrible guys working at recruitment agencies! They need to sit at home!

What a horrible job the so-called recruitment are doing – or, are they really doing any ‘job’?

I have been harassed by these persistent and incessant calls from all sorts of fellows who call themselves recruitment agencies…it is indeed harrowing and annoying. Not only it distracts you from your work on hand, it also leads you away from your work….completely breaking the flow of thoughts.

And once you pick up the phone and talk, it is evident that these callers have either no or very little information which is of use. They will not divulge complete details of the job offer or about their ‘client’ to you…for whatever nonsense reason. Their callousness does not end here. Once they fix you up at a place, they will not even provide complete address and phone number related details to you, fail to mention whom to contact making a complete mess. They will also miscommunicate between the candidate and the organization. They will never give correct and complete information about who is coming for interview, what time, fail to give their CV,

Not only this. When you arrive at a place for a job interview, the interviewer has hardly had any time to go through your profile or place a position for you. And here comes the most disgusting part: “Okay tell me about yourself”! [uuugggghhhh]! What a disaster!

What’s worse: “Please carry a copy of your CV” – give me a break! What age are ‘you’ living in my dear recruiter friend? Ufffff!

They are not willing to reveal about their job profile that they are offering, neither discuss their payscale, neither the profile of their company, nothing! They just keep beating the conversation  around the bush and within minutes you are ready to give up and walk straight out the door.

At times, you start to lose your nerves with your interviewer because they are constantly distracted by one of their colleagues poking their head inside, or the buzz of their cell phones, or some silly ‘reminders’ of their work….the last thing they are interested in is – interviewing you! You feel humiliated and want to run away after yelling at your back, ‘I have rejected this job’…

I have done that on more than once occasions….either of the above reasons have pushed me to reject the offer in front of me. Either I say it on their face or I convey to the agency that coordinated with me.