5 years @ Opus..The Beginning

Come 23rd August 2009 .. I will complete 5 years in Opus .. My company Opus !!! (well, not owned by me.. as of now!!!)

Feels like yesterday when i came to Opus for an interview.
Opus Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd.. Wakdewadi, Pune.. Frankly, never heard of it ... I badly needed a change....and i got a call from some Sunil from the (ech are)HR. Kudos to Internet Job sites...I had just updated/posted my resume and the very next day I get a call..

It was a Saturday when my interview was "arranged". Just last night i had a party with Amol in Nigdi at Golden Palms... had a lot of beer...refreshed the memories of Fergusson College..had great fun... Never was serious in my life and career... why should i be now...

Saturday morning, 9:30 AM, dressed in a formal white shirt complimented perfectly with a blue jeans!!!.. (not the attire expected for an interview is it!!) I came to Opus office.. Not really impressed with the Reception (or the receptionist!! I have had better :) ). I told the receptionist that i have come for interview.. she said the HR will come and talk to you in a minute. In a minute, that lasted more than 15-20 minutes, came a bit bulky looking individual .. introduced himself as Sunil .. I handed over hard copy of my resume (the only one i had left!!).. He said wait for "some" time, our technical team will be free in "some" time..

After "some" time came a person holding my resume and cried out loud "Faiyaz" .. I looked around... there was nobody else there for an interview (at that moment) why is he shouting... I said I am Faiyaz ... he said come in... He was Mr Bean!!! ... or atleast he looked like him!!!

For the next 40 minutes we played "Who wants to be a Millionaire"...Vivek (Mr. Bean...i was getting sure he was him.!!) asked all possible questions on VC++ and Win32 DLL and COM DLLs. I did not come prepared and had to say "Pass" to many of them.. Then he asked about TCP/IP communication ..and i said now u come to my territory... i answered all the questions he asked..even those he did not ask.... The interview ended on COM DLL's and I was sure that i flunked in the interview.. He said wait outside...I said sh** man ... I have flunked another interview.

I was expecting Sunil to come and tell me the dreadful news, " Thank You for your time. We will get back to you". And then...a miracle ..Sunil comes...out of nowhere he says "u have 'cleared' the first round and can u attend another round now??... I said "Yes" .. (are these guys sure 'I - Faiyaz' has "cleared the interview")

Then in "some" time a guy in a descent T-shirt and Jeans called my name.. I went in .. he introduced himself as Prashant .. no last name!!!... Next 20 odd minutes he asked me almost the same questions that Mr. Bean (Vivek) had asked about TCP/IP communication.. I gleefully answered the questions... Now i was dead sure these guys want a "resource" with experience in TCP/IP and socket communication.. and I certainly was that kind of a "resource".. Prashant gave me a real life scenario and asked questions around it... i was aware of that scenario and answered by citing a real life example.. he was impressed (atleast his face said so...)

I cracked the second round too.. and now here I am completing 5 eventful and adventurous years in Opus... I have seen Opus grow from a 100 people company to 500 people company in these 5 years ... and also saw myself grow from a Software Engineer to a Associate Manager. Opus Rocks!!!!!

P.S. The reason i left my earlier company was just that they did not have a "Sound Card" on my machine and i loved MUSIC. Opus made sure that they had a "Sound Card" on my machine before i came on board :-).

Adios Amigos