Just another day in my life!

The alarm goes off as usual and as usual I open one eye and stretch a hand to shut it. With that, my stretching regimen for the day is taken care of. Too groggy to see clearly, I make an effort and manage to open the other eye too! I almost mumble a prayer and beg to not have "that" message in my inbox! Lo and behold, the notification icon is blinking in all its glory! Cursing out aloud I click on it! False alarm; it's just a text from the cell phone service provider! What a relief!

Just in case you are psyched off by now, wondering which message I was so worried about; well no one is harassing me! I am a search consultant and the messages that not just me, but all my fellow professionals are scared of; are the ones about rescheduling an interview! Mostly, it will be a candidate sending a text message, which nine out of ten times is nothing but a blatant lie. These are excuses used at liberty, even if the reason is that they have a hangover from last night's party or have lost interest in the opportunity.

I rush through my chores and soon I am ready to face the world!

Scrolling through my mails I realise, it wasn't as lucky a day as I had assumed. A candidate had turned down the offer extended! There goes weeks of labor down the drain. I almost groan out aloud, but then stop short. Never mind there is a plan B, where B always stands for back-up!

The phone rings and it's Vishal, a candidate who has an interview scheduled for now. I answer immediately.

Me: Hello Vishal!

Vishal: I have reached their office, but where do I park?

Me: (Totally baffled) What?

Vishal: WHERE DO I PARK? The parking is full!!

Me:??....

Vishal: Are you there?? Are you listening?

Me: Yes Vishal, I was thinking!

Vishal: Thinking?

Me: Yes, if you can't even park your car, how can you drive the organisation’s growth.

The “CLICK” signals the end of the call, however I am worried now. Was there an error in judgment, about this guy's suitability!?Let's see. Living life on the edge, takes a new meaning.

The phone rings again ..Mom calling ...

Hello

Mom: This “press guy” isn't good! Can't we use someone else?

Mummy!

Mom: Ok ok, it's so difficult to have a decent conversation with you ...

I notice Raghav, my team member, pointing at his phone and waving his arms. He has a thunderous expression.

Mummy I’ll have to talk to you later.

Mom: Yeah, like always!!?CLICK.

(When people ask me how come I am so sarcastic, I think I should say it runs in my genes)

Yes Raghav?

Ma’am speak to her!

Which her?

Pallavi!

She had an interview today , right?

He looks aghast and without wasting another second, I take the phone. The conversation is crisp and simple.

Hi Pallavi !

Pallavi: Have you ever been to their office? Do you know someone had spit “paan” on the staircase! O Gaaawwwwddd !! You expect me to work in a place like that???Really!!! Anyway, I’ll speak to you later.. gawd...?CLICK!

I turn to Raghav. By now he has managed to compose himself.?“Ma’am, The Client shares the building with 3-4 other organizations. In fact many organizations are housed?in the same complex, which has a common staircase. She found Paan stains on the staircase!! Honestly I don’t know!?(He looks totally crestfallen!)

Its ok. Relax!?

What relax Ma’am, will have to restart the search!

Never mind, we can do this. And listen I know that one of your senior guys has joined today , so cheer up! Party time!

His face brightens up and I am convinced he is not suing any “paan" guy in the immediate future at least.

After two meetings, which ideally should have been two emails, the gurgling in my stomach makes me?realise its time for lunch.?The “many times heated and now chilled” lunch is glaring at me accusingly. I take a bite and it tastes like bran. I take another and scroll through my mails.

Sheila, another team member approaches me with “Maam nahi hoga”, sees me having lunch and exclaims “who has lunch at 4 Pm” and backs off. I call her back and setting the lunch aside, we battle through the ifs' and buts of a critical search, where there is a huge gap between the “demand” (expectations) and “supply”.?A call to the relevant HR team and a detailed discussion later, sanity prevails on all sides. A sigh of relief escapes me.

The discarded lunch is unforgiving and so is the gurgling in my tummy! Thank God for coffee!?Some notifications from my various social media accounts, take the next few minutes. Two jokes?and a mug of coffee later, I?am?feeling better. In fact rejuvenated!

My phone rings again.

Hello, is that Anu?

Yes, “Anupreeta” speaking!

Yeah, so "Anu", my name is Shiva and I am calling from Chennai. I have 3 years of rich experience.?Now that I know everything about the current industry, I want to change sectors. You think you can help me with a senior level opportunity there?

Nothing irritates me more than the “know-alls” and today isn’t going to be any different!

Shiva, While I would have loved to help, its just that I do not handle such senior level opportunities.

Okay, no issues! I’ll call up someone at Michael Page!?CLICK.

Mukeshji, my accountant, who usually speaks in monosyllables has really sharp ears . “You turned down a senior level hiring opportunity? Do you even have an idea how difficult it is to sustain ……”

Mukeshji , Relax! 3 years , rich experience, knows all!

Oh!?(With that, I am sure I was forgiven)

A few calls, mails and searches later, I notice its 7.30 pm and I am feeling tired, not to forget hungry and drained too. Maybe I can make an exception and wind up early today.

A mail from a client, catches my attention. Needed to schedule some interviews at 9 am the next day with the CEO & MD. The URGENT, IMPORTANT etc with CAPS ON makes it worse, as these profiles had been shared almost 3 – 4 months back. By now, not only the candidates but even we had given up on this assignment. Best to call up.

Hi Sandeep! Just saw your mail…

Oh yes, see our CEO is in the country tomorrow and he’d want to meet up these people between 9 am?- 12 Noon. I want both candidates here.

Actually Sandeep after 3 months of no feedback / update from your end, despite follow-ups, not just the candidates, but even we had given up on this. Especially, since you had said that it was an urgent opportunity!

Of course, its urgent! Why else would I want them here tomorrow?

But Sandeep, that urgent was mentioned 3 months back!

His voice softens; “I have been very busy so couldn’t revert earlier. But now my neck is on the altar. Why don’t you check with them??Please put in your best!

I know it's a wasted effort, but I still call up both the candidates. Needless to say they were both very unhappy. If for 3-4 months there is no update / feedback and then suddenly I spring a “ can you meet their CEO tomorrow” on them, my being a woman is the only reason, they did not shower me with expletives! I turn on my 'charm mode'. A few lengthy apologies and 'please can you at least try' later, I am a notch better with 'can only confirm tomorrow morning whether I have the time', from one candidate.

The phone rings again.

Hi Anupreeta! Pranjal here! Just wanted to thank you! I completed a year today and its been an amazing journey. Thank you so much…………….. He went on enthusiastically. Loads of cheer and goodwill later, I am feeling good about life!?Thank God for lesser mercies!

Its late, but I still send a text to those two candidates requesting them to “see if something can be managed”. Optimism, thy name is Anupreeta!

Dinner time was mostly listening to “Don't you have any work to do, saw you post jokes ” and “Mamma, why do you post such lame jokes?” and me insisting “Maybe you need to have a sense of humour!!”

Have no clue when I crashed.

The ringing of the phone jolted me from deep slumber. I look at the clock – It’s 6 am!!

Sandeep! At this hour?

I?manage a feeble Hi!

"Anupreeta!!! What do you think about them? Will they be coming for the interview? What have they said? What do you think will they do….See I ….."

On hindsight, I have no clue about the “why”, but I blurted “I swear Sandeep, I didn’t spend the night with any of them!!”

CLICK!

Aah! Another day in my life just started!