Years ago, when I was studying in a not so well known undergrad institution in Bangalore, a not so well known company came to interview me. I already had a job offer at another well known company, but I considered this job to be a better one, owing to various inputs from friends. There was a test conducted first, and the shortlisted candidates had to face an in person interview. My name was quite late in the list, and the first few candidates who were interviewed came outside and discussed the questions. All of us sat together and solved most of the problems. At that point in time, we had no idea that the interviewers were going to repeat the same questions to each candidate. So a number of us who went in later in the day passed that round of interview, went on to the next round, and finally had job offers. When I went in, I felt it was dishonest to pretend that I hadnt already solved the question sitting outside, and so I told the interviewer that I knew some of the questions that he asked me, already. He then gave me a set of other questions, and I solved some, and stumbled on some. This was around 5.00 in the evening, and I was told I would be called for the second round of interviews later. Meanwhile, someone else who had went in around the same time as me, was called for another round, and she apparently answered all the questions without having any moral qualms about it, and was given the job. I waited until 8.00pm, at which time they said they were shutting shop and would interview me the next day. I went home in hopes of being called the next day for an interview, but nothing happened. I never heard from them again.
Meanwhile, those of us who got the job offer (and who had also gotten the offer from this well known company that they considered bad) went about saying they would never join this well known company, and that the lesser known one was definitely a lot better in terms of work environments. I was considered to be better than most in our class, and so I felt a little depressed that I had not been able to make it through this interview. It was a little while later that I got info that I had been selected for a masters degree program in a fairly well known institution in India. With everyone dissing this well known company from which I had a job offer, I decided to pursue the degree.
I have wondered sometimes whether I might have gotten the job if I had just played along and not been honest. I would be lying if I said I never had second thoughts about what I had done. But several years later, I am glad I did that. Because if I had been given that job, I would never have gone to IIT. I may not ever have worked at Microsoft. And I might never have met my husband. See how a small decision such as sticking to my morals changed the course of my life?
So why do they say, dont sweat the small stuff?
