Update: I now work at Google :)
Your story seems a lot like mine.. You'll find your answer in my story. The story of a guy who did what he loved through out college and continues to do so.
My BITSAT score was 295 and Since my childhood, my dream was to become a scientist in biotechnology (Why that specific field is story for another day). So, I chose Msc.Biological Sciences, convincing my parents that I will get a computer science dual for job security and that all will be well.
After a couple of days on campus, I realized there was a world out there that I never knew of. So many things to try, to be part of, to learn and I started exploring that world. I was just too fascinated and lost focus on my studies and landed in ACB. I was able to pull through in my second sem but the aggregate was just 5.25.
I could've gotten chemical engineering, but because I was so much into research, I chose B.Pharm. I felt the classes suffocating, so I studied on my own. and studied random subjects (in biology of course!) and continued screwing my grades.
Then came the question of PS-1, I simply didn't want to do it. I wanted to do a summer project in Biology. The only way to do that was to move out of the PS program and transfer to a thesis completely. Thesis wasn't graded then, so it adds no value to my gpa, and if I did a PS my gpa would improve considerably (25 credits with a guaranteed A). Every single one of my seniors warned me against it. Nobody in my position would even dare to do it. I thought a lot over it, and I got a transfer from PS to TS. and I was the only guy who did that till the next 3 batches!
I applied for a project under Prof. Suman Kapur. Looking at my interest, despite my 4.97 cg, she took me in. She became my mentor, I took projects under her, in my 3-1 and 3-2 and did some side work in 4-1. Did publishable research work under her. Dropping out of PS was the best decision I have ever made in college. If not, I would never have gotten a great mentor like her! I can write a 1000 word essay describing her great qualities and that again is for another day.
At the beginning of 3-2, as I understood the research world better, I realized that it's not the right career path for me. At the same time, owing to my extra curricular activities and my interest in Humanities. I decided I would prepare for IAS. It turned into a burning desire.
Towards the end of 3-2, my health was failing. I had to take that sem off, which meant that it would take 6 yrs to complete my dual degree. Because my interest now was in Civils, I dropped B.Pharm and got a sem extended. now it would take 4.5 yrs to graduate.
In 4-1 I had to take electives and I chose only humanities courses that would help with UPSC. Modern political concepts, Pub ad, international affairs etc,. and 4-2 was my CDC sem (my 3-2 sem repeat!).
Around this time, financial situation of the family started deteriorating. I have known it to be bad for sometime but didn't realise the gravity of it. I had to make a choice between a job and Civils. It was hard, I had to leave something I really wanted to do and I never did that before! but the situation demanded a job. I figured that once I clear off the situation at home I can go for Civils.
So, started looking for suitable careers. Analytics and business consultancy caught my eye. These were the only companies who would even allow me to sit for placements. Now, I haven't done an internship so far and I need one to sweeten my resume. No wonder I found none. I've sent my resumes to a couple of places with openings, where I was eligible to do so. NOTHING!!!!
Then I saw a post on fb from my senior Rohit Ramesh, about a job at his startup Gadgetronica, a tech publishing site. It was supposed to be for operations, I could work during my thesis too. So I gave him a call, after a couple of days he called back saying he took some experienced guy. I was utterly disappointed. After 2 days, he called me up saying there's one opening in analytics and marketing. I took it and did an internship for 2 months. I loved it. The work was awesome and very analytical with a lot of experimentation. I wished to continue but couldn't. So applied for a couple of jobs in the same field but never heard back.
Came back to college (5-1), took a thesis in Philosophy and medicine (for UPSC, because there was no way to do a thesis which would help me get a job). Waited for a month for some company that I'm eligible for, to show up. Sat for 3 companies in 3 months and nothing happened. The group that went with me to sit for interviews got smaller to the point where I was left alone, from my batch. There were a lot more companies in pipeline but hardly any that I was eligible for.
Then a company came up in the portal, looking to hire in digital marketing space and the pay was 8lpa. This was my ONE shot! a job that I loved and a high paying one at that! After the first round (Which was resume shortlisting, I was shortlisted because of my internship at Gadgetronica!), we were given a task, and i screwed it by focusing too much on Google AdWords. Nobody got selected.
But that was my one chance and I blew it. There's no way opportunities like that would come again. My senior was doing his ps2 there. I contacted him about the status at pilani and goa (the company attended all the three campuses). they took no one.
I mailed the director of the company who interviewed me for an internship, as a chance to prove myself. If they like me they can hire me. If not, I'd have gained experience. After 3 weeks there was another telephonic interview with the second director and after 45 minutes of grilling me over my resume. They offered me a 6 month internship.
I submitted my thesis on 12th December and joined the company on 16th December. Since this was a start up I got to work on a lot of things, and I worked damn hard! 4 months into it. They offered me the Job. The same Job that I once was rejected..!!
Now I have a career that's moving up pretty fast. A pay that not many engineering graduates would get. and I absolutely love my job.
It looks all good now, but facing the ridicule of my friends and faculty, facing all those rejections, the disappointment in your parent's eyes, your relatives looking down on you, everything. It's hard to go on. but in the end it's all worth it. I'm still doing something I love while earning enough to keep my family out of trouble and have a career that's really promising.
Truth is, at the stage you are in, you cannot possibly know what you want to be, because there's so much you don't know about. Try everything and find something you love. Something you can be really good at.
If you have what it takes, all you ever need is to do what you love and be exceptionally good at it. Things will fall into place. It's not going to be easy, every sort of crap imaginable is going to pull you down; friends, family, teachers and the rest of the world, but you shouldn't give up. NEVER EVER GIVE UP!!!!!
Your story seems a lot like mine.. You'll find your answer in my story. The story of a guy who did what he loved through out college and continues to do so.
My BITSAT score was 295 and Since my childhood, my dream was to become a scientist in biotechnology (Why that specific field is story for another day). So, I chose Msc.Biological Sciences, convincing my parents that I will get a computer science dual for job security and that all will be well.
After a couple of days on campus, I realized there was a world out there that I never knew of. So many things to try, to be part of, to learn and I started exploring that world. I was just too fascinated and lost focus on my studies and landed in ACB. I was able to pull through in my second sem but the aggregate was just 5.25.
I could've gotten chemical engineering, but because I was so much into research, I chose B.Pharm. I felt the classes suffocating, so I studied on my own. and studied random subjects (in biology of course!) and continued screwing my grades.
Then came the question of PS-1, I simply didn't want to do it. I wanted to do a summer project in Biology. The only way to do that was to move out of the PS program and transfer to a thesis completely. Thesis wasn't graded then, so it adds no value to my gpa, and if I did a PS my gpa would improve considerably (25 credits with a guaranteed A). Every single one of my seniors warned me against it. Nobody in my position would even dare to do it. I thought a lot over it, and I got a transfer from PS to TS. and I was the only guy who did that till the next 3 batches!
I applied for a project under Prof. Suman Kapur. Looking at my interest, despite my 4.97 cg, she took me in. She became my mentor, I took projects under her, in my 3-1 and 3-2 and did some side work in 4-1. Did publishable research work under her. Dropping out of PS was the best decision I have ever made in college. If not, I would never have gotten a great mentor like her! I can write a 1000 word essay describing her great qualities and that again is for another day.
At the beginning of 3-2, as I understood the research world better, I realized that it's not the right career path for me. At the same time, owing to my extra curricular activities and my interest in Humanities. I decided I would prepare for IAS. It turned into a burning desire.
Towards the end of 3-2, my health was failing. I had to take that sem off, which meant that it would take 6 yrs to complete my dual degree. Because my interest now was in Civils, I dropped B.Pharm and got a sem extended. now it would take 4.5 yrs to graduate.
In 4-1 I had to take electives and I chose only humanities courses that would help with UPSC. Modern political concepts, Pub ad, international affairs etc,. and 4-2 was my CDC sem (my 3-2 sem repeat!).
Around this time, financial situation of the family started deteriorating. I have known it to be bad for sometime but didn't realise the gravity of it. I had to make a choice between a job and Civils. It was hard, I had to leave something I really wanted to do and I never did that before! but the situation demanded a job. I figured that once I clear off the situation at home I can go for Civils.
So, started looking for suitable careers. Analytics and business consultancy caught my eye. These were the only companies who would even allow me to sit for placements. Now, I haven't done an internship so far and I need one to sweeten my resume. No wonder I found none. I've sent my resumes to a couple of places with openings, where I was eligible to do so. NOTHING!!!!
Then I saw a post on fb from my senior Rohit Ramesh, about a job at his startup Gadgetronica, a tech publishing site. It was supposed to be for operations, I could work during my thesis too. So I gave him a call, after a couple of days he called back saying he took some experienced guy. I was utterly disappointed. After 2 days, he called me up saying there's one opening in analytics and marketing. I took it and did an internship for 2 months. I loved it. The work was awesome and very analytical with a lot of experimentation. I wished to continue but couldn't. So applied for a couple of jobs in the same field but never heard back.
Came back to college (5-1), took a thesis in Philosophy and medicine (for UPSC, because there was no way to do a thesis which would help me get a job). Waited for a month for some company that I'm eligible for, to show up. Sat for 3 companies in 3 months and nothing happened. The group that went with me to sit for interviews got smaller to the point where I was left alone, from my batch. There were a lot more companies in pipeline but hardly any that I was eligible for.
Then a company came up in the portal, looking to hire in digital marketing space and the pay was 8lpa. This was my ONE shot! a job that I loved and a high paying one at that! After the first round (Which was resume shortlisting, I was shortlisted because of my internship at Gadgetronica!), we were given a task, and i screwed it by focusing too much on Google AdWords. Nobody got selected.
But that was my one chance and I blew it. There's no way opportunities like that would come again. My senior was doing his ps2 there. I contacted him about the status at pilani and goa (the company attended all the three campuses). they took no one.
I mailed the director of the company who interviewed me for an internship, as a chance to prove myself. If they like me they can hire me. If not, I'd have gained experience. After 3 weeks there was another telephonic interview with the second director and after 45 minutes of grilling me over my resume. They offered me a 6 month internship.
I submitted my thesis on 12th December and joined the company on 16th December. Since this was a start up I got to work on a lot of things, and I worked damn hard! 4 months into it. They offered me the Job. The same Job that I once was rejected..!!
Now I have a career that's moving up pretty fast. A pay that not many engineering graduates would get. and I absolutely love my job.
It looks all good now, but facing the ridicule of my friends and faculty, facing all those rejections, the disappointment in your parent's eyes, your relatives looking down on you, everything. It's hard to go on. but in the end it's all worth it. I'm still doing something I love while earning enough to keep my family out of trouble and have a career that's really promising.
Truth is, at the stage you are in, you cannot possibly know what you want to be, because there's so much you don't know about. Try everything and find something you love. Something you can be really good at.
If you have what it takes, all you ever need is to do what you love and be exceptionally good at it. Things will fall into place. It's not going to be easy, every sort of crap imaginable is going to pull you down; friends, family, teachers and the rest of the world, but you shouldn't give up. NEVER EVER GIVE UP!!!!!
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