Only App for Top Post

Towards the end of October, I got an email from SAATHI or the Student Wellness Body of IIT Madras calling applications for the post of department representative. At first, I didn't apply, thinking that I may not be the right person for the job, but then I thought, No Pain, No Gain!!! So I applied. 

The people at SAATHI (basically students) asked me to join a WhatsApp group to have my doubts about the positions and responsibilities of the position clarified to make up my mind before I submit my application. The thing is, I submitted my application even before they asked me to join the group! 😅😂😂

See, I like getting things done ASAP and not keeping them pending for too long. This was one such thing that I wanted out of my way.

So about a week later, I was added to a different group created by the people at SAATHI for those shortlisted for the interview stage, and I could not find anyone from my department. When I joined the other group where I could have had my doubts cleared, I saw 3-4 people from my department also in it, which I took as a sign that there would be a further screening before the appointment is made. Cut across a week later, I find out that's not the case. 

So, I asked one of the group admins whether there would be adding anyone more from the HS (short for Humanities) department. She said, 'Yeah, we would love to.... If we had more applications from the HS department. 

My mind voice: What does that suppose to mean?

She: Your application is the only one from the HS Department!!!

My mind voice: I'm getting the job!!!! 

My actual voice (desperate attempt to look calm): Will there be an interview? 

She: Most likely not.. Other departments have three-four applications. Therefore, they'll be having an interview. 

Ok. So no interview. That's for sure. Atleast that's what I thought.... 

A week later, a new message in the aspiring department representatives group about the schedule for interviews. I opened up the doc, and guess what, my name was in it! The people at SAATHI want to interview me anyway! 

6:30 pm. Neeraj, join link 1, the message came up on the group. I joined the link, and there were two people from the 2019 batch (people from SAATHI). 

Their first question was just what I expected: Why didn't other people from your department apply for the post? 

I said, " It's highly likely that the notification was not paid attention to given that a majority of the common emails we receive is of use only for you techies, not people from our department". 

Well, the truth is I don't know why they didn't apply, but I had to come up with an answer and not look stupid in front of them!!

The panel did seem convinced, and I thought the meeting was over, and it sure was over. They told me what my responsibilities as Department Representative will be, and they said you may leave the meet. That brought the curtains down for the interview for the post I knew I was selected...

Cut to the third week of November, and my first assignment as department representative came- finding suitable candidates to mentor the incoming freshmen (who had already come in the case of my department). 

A fellow department mate who was in the higher positions of SAATHI told me that our department always doesn't get enough applications, which means an unhealthy mentor-mentee ratio. Pressure😖😖

When the first round of applications for mentors was called, I got nine applications. I thought, well, that's a good number. But my head (the position, not the one above my neck) told me that around 12-15 applications were needed. 

From where am I to get 4 more applications? 

But then, like the saying, when you need something, the universe conspires to make that happen. I don't know which universe that is, but I did get people asking me if they could submit their applications beyond the deadline. 

I was told, Open them for just one night. No further than that. 

After the second round, I got 15 applications. Phew! Now for the worst part, evaluating them. I was given a deadline by which I was told to complete the evaluation, provide remarks and most importantly, tell the heads whether a particular applicant is suitable to be a mentor or not. 

After sending the list of recommended applicants to my heads, nothing for a few days. 

Then around 29th November, we flung into action and informed the incoming batch (which already came in my case) as to who their mentors are. I got a list of fifty-eight students from the 2021 batch to whom I had to send the emails. 

Thank God for Excel and the mandatory IT Lab course in the second sem. A job that could have taken around half an hour done in five minutes!! After sending the allotments, time to rest.. Well, actually, it was time to do two pending endsem assignments.

After that, I feel like my job as a department representative has become more like a corporate manager, trying his best to get the best out of his employees ( which in my case are the HS department mentors) while trying not to appear nagging (which will inevitably happen). 

But till then, let me keep working!!