Pure Blood Gets A (Vomitting) Taste of In-House Pressures

The pure blood felt upbeat now. When things occur to one’s natural choice, it gives a euphoric feeling and the mind, body and heart work more in congruity. The resultant effect of this coordination was that his stomach growled a bit and with every passing minute the growls only got louder. He looked around frantically for something to satisfy it but this was more of a residential area and nothing was visible to satisfy the need. He walked as briskly as possible to the main road on the other side. However, it was not before 20 minutes that his nostrils picked up an aroma. Like a remote controlled car his body automatically moved in that direction. The small eatery was located at the corner junction of the main road intersection. It was a self-serving arrangement and his thali (Indian meal with various dishes served in small bowls placed around a plate where they can be mixed & eaten) was ready quite fast. In no time half of the plate had been gobbled up by the pure blood. Then the marginal utility theory kicked in and it took him more than triple the time to finish the rest of the plate. The crudest reason to earn money had now been taken care of.

 

With a full stomach and ample time in hand, the pure blood pulled out the list of contacts he had prepared over the past weekend. From the physical map before him (GPS or Google Maps were not known at that time!) he could make out that one address was in the vicinity. He looked around for the signboards or road indicators. Unable to seeing anything to that effect, he asked a couple of bystanders and was given some directions. He moved in that direction and with the help of people he met on the road, he was able to locate the place without much difficulty. He went to the reception of the law firm and enquired for the contact. The receptionist sought the purpose and dialed the extension. She hung up in about 10 seconds and requested him to have a seat. The pure blood sat down on one of the cushioned cane chairs in the reception area. He did not have to wait long. His acquaintance from college came around and they got talking. He did not have to explain much – we all know when an acquaintance suddenly comes to meet, nine out of ten times the most likely reason is help in hunting for a job!

 

He was back on the streets in about 15 minutes, with visiting cards and email addresses of the partners and a promise for a word to be put in once his application was sent across. He took a walk around but did not find any further workable options so he started the journey back home. It took him more than one and a half hours, changing three buses and some walking to get back. His friend had not yet returned. His mind was already on the next day’s schedule, which was an interview with a leading IT company.

 

He would have a brush with the corporate world, which not familiar to him. He began the next day early and was ready much ahead of his planned time. But he did not wait at home. The venue was at the other end of the town in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) where most of the IT companies were housed. There were no direct buses and would entail changing atleast thrice to reach. Starting early certainly had advantages. He was able to secure a seat on two routes. The last bus was overcrowded since it was towards the end of peak hour. He could afford to wait for a few more minutes for the next one. Soon after tall commercial buildings come into view signifying that he was close to his destination.

 

The bus dropped him at the gate of the building of his visit. He couldn’t help smiling at the close proximity to the main road. He walked in confidently. The company’s headquarters was located on the eleventh floor. He reached a few minutes before the appointed time and went through the stipulated security checks. The receptionist directed him to a large conference room at the left side of the lobby. The room, large enough to seat about 20 people, had a long brown table with matching wooden chairs. The walls were adorned with photographs of various award ceremonies and corporate events. A few minutes after the appointed time, a short stout man in his late forties entered the room. He introduced himself as the legal head of the company.

 

The pure blood shook hands confidently and they sat opposite each other. The interviewer began the discussions on a familiar note asking basic information from the pure blood. This was the fourth interview in as many days; hence he rattled it out like a bullet train. The usual questions on transactions followed which he could now explain quite mechanically. He did not have in-house experience, so the next natural question was why the shift from a promising law firm practice to a restricted future. He was prepared for this – understanding business from close quarters, specialized knowledge, no client pressures, good work-life balance etc. – he blurted out. The interview’s ears pricked up on hearing the last 2 reasons. He shot back – do you have any idea what pressures are there in this role? ….. Or for that matter do you believe this is a 9 to 5 job?  

 

Although inwardly the pure blood felt exactly this way, something in the interview’s tone made him narrow his eyebrows. He calmly replied in the negative. The interviewer’s cheeks flushed as he barked – there will be 20 departments sitting on your head to meet deadlines that they have sat on; they will always expect documents reviewed as of yesterday; they will repeatedly force you to attend negotiations at unearthly hours since bid submission is due next day, they will make you travel to remote locations at the drop of a hat; your opinions, however legally sound they may be, will be disregarded in the name of “business targets”; and God forbid if something goes wrong, they will calmly point out “this went through legal, why didn’t they point it out?”.

 

The interviewer’s frustration at the sorry state of affairs in his organization poured out like a toddler vomits when forced fed more than his or her liking. The perplexed pure blood was left wiping the whitish liquid with obnoxious smell!

 

The Pure Blood Gets His Due...At Last!

For a few moments the pure blood stared blankly at the passing traffic. He was dejected at the sordid affair. All his plans for the day did not seem to matter much. The sun was beating down on him now. Sweat trickling down his face generated a tingling sensation in his numb body. He looked around and realized that it was almost lunch time. The road side eateries were briskly going about their business catering to the regular crowds that had gathered. He did not have any inclination to eat. With no particular direction in his mind he ambled along. He passed through various places, city landmarks, parks, streets till his feet grew tired and led him into a small tea shop. The lemon tea had a unique flavor and was refreshing.

 

It was late afternoon by now and the pure blood felt a bit better. He sifted through his pocket and retrieved his mobile. It had been switched off since he had stepped in for the interview. He swiftly switched it on and within a few seconds familiar pings attracted his attention. His friend’s anxiety was reflected in the numerous missed call alerts. It was then that he realized that more than 8 hours had passed since they had last spoken. He instantly dialed the number and heard the reassuring voice on the other side. He fumbled to explain his location, taking help from the owner of the tea shop.  It appeared he was close to his friend’s office and they decided to meet up an hour later. Later that evening the pure blood narrated the baffling experience but his friend was not so perturbed. He explained that in most corporates soft skills played an important role and the trend was perhaps spreading to law firms as well.

 

The pure blood was back to usual cheerful self when they reached ‘home’. He didn’t bother to do anything further and plopped onto the inviting bed. He was physically as well as mentally exhausted and was in his dreamland in no time. Having your full quota of sleep is essential to ensure the body is rejuvenated – a rested mind works faster. His caring friend ensured that the alarm had been set and when it rang, the pure blood woke up with a jerk, once again!

 

Today the pure blood was in a different mood – the ‘don’t care attitude’ had returned. It was quite hot outside and so he chose to wear a half shirt. He ate a hearty breakfast and after a careful check of his attire in the mirror, he stepped out. Today’s primary agenda was to meet up with the lawyers who had earlier had a telephonic interview with him. The first round was already done in this case and he believed he had made the right moves that day, so the pressure was presumably less.

 

His route had been chalked out in advance and he simply followed it to perfection. He had a bit of difficulty in getting to the exact location inside the myriad of by-lanes but the receptionist was very helpful in guiding him over phone. He arrived barely a few minutes before time and was received very cordially by the receptionist. The law firm was housed in what appeared to be a spacious two storey bungalow at the end of a most ‘missable’ side lane in the heart of the city. At first he was made to sit on a small sofa beside the reception area in the main hall of the bungalow. He was able to catch a glimpse of the first floor room where a small head seemed focused on a computer screen. Soon after, he was asked to move to a conference room opposite the sofa. As he got up he could make out that the head has risen revealing broad shoulders and a longish face moving out of the room.

 

The pure blood took his seat on the chair towards the right side of the door. No sooner had he sat that he had to get up. A tall stout man in a light blue full shirt and black trousers stepped in. He instantly recognized the head he had seen a few moments ago. He was followed by a short statured woman with a round face dressed in a white salwar kameez. The man introduced both of them and the pure blood was able to recognize the voices he had heard a few weeks ago. It always gives a feeling of completeness to be able to put a face to a voice. Both of them spoke softly which belied the stern appearance.

 

The interview initially was almost a repeat of what had happened earlier. Then came the specific questions.

 

Interviewer: Why do you want to move from a comfortable job?

Pure Blood: I like to take up new challenges.

 

I: What made you choose the faraway city?

A: I believe that there are better opportunities here with respect to this area of law.

 

I: What made him interested in changing his area?

PB: A few transactions including due diligence.

 

I: I can assure you that you will be bored of due diligences

PB: (Smile)

 

I: Why should we consider you?

PB: I have handled some transactions and would like to gain experience in this area. When I was new to the profession I did not have any knowledge but have been able to learn and gain experience on the job. It will always be my endeavour to learn this new area with the same spirit. You can ask me any question on my current area of practice to understand my knowledge and experience.  

 

The man’s eyebrows were almost automatically raised on hearing this matter of fact reply. The calm composure came apart revealing piercing eyes and stiffening of features. There was some more discussion relating to the pure blood’s monetary expectations. He was given the customary opportunity to ask questions. He had a couple of queries around the prospective position which were answered somewhat to his satisfaction. That signaled the end of the interview. The interviewers politely closed the discussion by informing him that they were considering him but would need some more time to come to a decision. With this they rose and led him out of the conference room.

 

The pure blood walked out through the doorway and main gate without looking back. For the first he felt positive. He also drew a conclusion that they would not have met him a second time if they were not considering him seriously. Perseverance and patience was paying off. He was certain that this time he had got his due…at last!

Pure Blood Fires The First Shot

The pure blood slept peacefully in the first few minutes but somehow restlessness crept in after a couple of hours. He kept tossing and turning until he could not bear it any longer. He woke up silently without waking up his friend and looked out in the darkness through the bedside window. Would his coming days continue the dank darkness of his life or would the divine light intervene to make a difference – that was the question which was playing on his mind. He got off and drank some water from the bottle on the table. He had a sudden urge to leave it all and run away. The foolhardiness of his thought struck him the very next moment and he returned to lie down. He tried to convince himself to keep his focus on the agenda the next day. He double checked the alarm before closing his eyes. Sleep would not come but he forced his eyes to remain shut.

The jarring alarm jerked him from his slumber. He sat up immediately and rubbed his groggy eyes. In a minute the day's agenda flashed before his eyes which prompted him to get into action without further ado. Within a few minutes he had shaved and showered. His ironed clothes had been brought out last night itself which he donned gingerly. He neatly brushed his wet hair and sprayed the latest deo all over. Although he was not hungry, yet he did not want any growls later during the day, so he partook of a light breakfast of toast and cornflakes. He collected his bag from the corner and checked its contents for this CV and other supporting papers. He sought the blessings of the Almighty before moving to the door. After putting on his polished black shoes, he hoisted his bag on his right shoulder and bid goodbye to his friend, who had just woken up.

He briskly walked to the nearest bus stop on the main road and waited for the one which plied on the route to the interview location. It had not been 2 minutes when the bus arrived but it was quite crowded and he didn’t want to risk any distortion to his attire. Within a few minutes 2 more buses on the same route came but both were equally, or if not, more crowded. Monday morning had its share of madness on the road! He made quick enquiries and found another bus which would get him part of the distance and since this one was relatively empty he hopped in. This was good thinking and in reasonable time, he reached half-way from where he took an auto riskshaw to the law firm’s office. The map of the place was ingrained in his mind and there was no need to pull out the physical one. Very soon he reached his destination, paid the auto driver and got off a few metres away. His watch told him that he was much before scheduled time. He took a stroll around the place and then stepped inside the standalone building.

The receptionist checked with the partner’s secretary and asked him to wait in the small front office couch. The pure blood maintained him calm both within and outside. Very soon he was directed to an inner conference room bordering the front office. He walked into the small squarish room with a bright blue hue and customarily took a seat opposite the door. Very unlike his previous interviews, this one started within minutes of his arrival and before the appointed time. A few awards and citations of the firm were displayed on the wooden panel at the other end of the room beside the lone window.  However, he had no time to view these as the door opened and a tall and stout man walked in. He was wearing a blue shirt and black trousers. He had sharp features, oval shaped face and long nose. His piercing eyes were momentarily hidden by the wide smile as he introduced himself and greeted the pure blood in a jovial voice.

After some introductory discussions on general topics, the partner slowly maneuvered the conversation to the job in hand and pure blood’s experience. Questions flew thick and fast at the pure blood, who responded with equal measure. There were times when the pure blood was short of an answer but still managed to respond impromptu. At times the partner was also left stumped at the high level of preparedness of the blue blood. Clearly both of them were having a field day! At the end of almost an hour the partner had exhausted all technical queries and started testing the pure blood on soft skills. There were queries on intra-team and inter-team relationship building. The pure blood did not have much experience in these areas since there was hardly a team in his existing firm. Although his boss had a sizeable number of associates working under him, most of them were the sole points of contact for their respective matters. Moreover  they did not have any reportees. The partner was able to sense this and the truth popped out on further probing. The partner explained that his firm had fairly large teams and it was of utmost importance that all team members gelled together. He further gave instances where aloofness among associates had reduced cooperation and coordination leading to difficulty in delivering large assignments. His firm has engaged HR consultants whose report had cited reputational risks from continued attrition on account of this critical but oft neglected area in law firms.  

The partner concluded the interview rather abruptly by declaring that although the pure blood was technically fit for the vacancy, but he would have to think it over in terms of the deficient soft skills. He mentioned that his firm would get back in the next couple of weeks if the pure blood could be offered the job. When the pure blood stepped out of the office he was confounded - did this sudden turn of events stem from a real experience or was it an excuse to reject him. The common understanding was that technical expertise was paramount in a law firm and everything else played second fiddle. He had never heard of soft skills being elevated to such high level of gravity in any law firm before! The first shot had badly backfired!!