Short Story:Ratiocination at the Interview, Part 2

Ah, finally a question which he was waiting for. ‘For acquiring business skills and making a mark in the corporate world. For setting up his own company or organization. For helping the fellow citizens of his country with his special entrepreneurial skills. For learning about the country’s economics, investments made, mutual funds, stocks, shares, debentures, asset building, liabilities, demand-supply,etc etc,’ He repeated in his mind.

Aloud he said, ‘Cash. Cold Hard Money. An MBA is an instant shortcut to fame and earning quick bucks. And I wanna be really, really rich.’

‘What is the meaning of this, Mr. Engineer? You want to do an MBA simply to get rich and famous?’

‘Are you deaf, Mr. Interviewer? I said that perspicuously, did I not?’

‘But won’t your engineering skills be wasted in that case?’

‘What engineering skills? I don’t have any. I never wanted to do engineering in the first place. Its way too boring. Thank God those 4 horrible years of my life are over.’

‘Then why did you do engineering? You could have done something else?’

‘Simple again. I did it simply because every good student does it. Because of the degree, which has a very high demand in the industry.’

‘But if engineers don’t do engineering jobs, who will?’

‘Who cares? And quite frankly, nobody bothers. All that matters is the degree, and of course money.’

‘Anyways, let us ask you a few questions related to your academics. Electrical, in fact.’

‘Go on ahead, I have memorized as many definitions as I could.’

‘Why don’t we use a special relay in a motor car?’

‘What? Why are you asking me conceptual questions? Just ask me the definitions. Nobody has the time to bother about Why’s and Why not’s. We just study to pass in the exams and get that stupid degree.’

‘Okay, then tell me what sort of resistor should we use in refrigerators?’

‘How am I supposed to know? Go and check it yourself.’

‘Oh well. Tell me, what is the practical use of Differentiation and Integration?’

‘What? Are you out of your mind? How can those be of any practical use? Just give me a problem, and I will show you how they are done.’

‘I give up. That’s enough. It’s clear that you have only relied on rote learning, Mr. Engineer. You have absolutely no concepts.’

‘How dare you say that? Don’t you know that most engineers do they same? Simply memorize things a few days before the exam, and pass? Do you honestly believe that over 5 lakh people are interested in Fourier Transforms and Induction Motors, and Fluid Dynamics, and Operating Systems? No sir, they do it simply out of compulsion. So that they can pass, get a degree, and get some useless job which they will never like.’

‘You have been quite ingenuous to say the least, Mr. Engineer.’

‘Yes, Mr. Interviewer. I am here only because MBA is the latest fashion trend. People believe it’s cool to do an MBA, because it gives you load of money and makes you famous. Who bothers to know about Business or Economics or Finance or whatever? That junk gives me a headache. Plus, currently every engineer believes that doing an MBA is his basic right. After all, with more than 90% engineers in most Bschools, MBA has unofficially become an extension of engineering, has it not?’

‘You are right, Mr. Engineer. 95% of our students are engineers, and most of them are like you.’

‘The problem is that most students are confused. They have no idea in which direction to propel themselves. This is because they lack ambitions and the courage to follow their passion. So they just go along with the flow, doing what others are doing. Instead of doing something they will inadvertently hate, if they had just pursued their passion with dedication, they would be earning much more than by being nugatory engineers.’

‘For example, in our country, chemical engineers take up I.T. jobs, then shift to management and finally start working in a foreign bank. Now tell me, wasn’t that engineering degree simply a waste of resource?’

‘I was impressed by your frankness. We will surely look into this matter. You may leave.’

Finally, our hero leaves. He is not quite sure as to how he performed. Will he make it or will it not? Let us end this story here, and hope for the best.