The Interview: A Fictional Story of a Bhutanese Job Seeker

He had been recently out of a business college in Bhutan. He graduated summa cum laude in his batch. He was also well-known for his wits and oratorical skills inside the college. He had also leadership skills and known for his entrepreneurial aptitude.  When he graduated he was certain that his ability would get him into best of national corporations as he had decided not to sit for civil service examinations.

When one of the finest public corporations floated a vacancy for a post, he was delighted. He was certain that such post would select someone like him or even better as there would candidates who studied in third country. Few weeks later, he found out that he was shortlisted first based on scores he had in high schools and college among twenty others. He was now almost sure that he would get that job as almost all of the competitors were from his college. None of graduates who competed head to head with him in college had applied as they were waiting to appear in civil service commission examination.

Yet he didn’t want to take it easy. He prepared wholeheartedly according to criteria set. Marks in college and schools count for 20 percentage. The return examination was for 30 percentages while 50 percent was reserved for viva voce. He focused mostly on viva preparation. However, when result came, he was shocked as he was in second place while a guy from his college who was shortlisted second last was selected. The guy’s score in VIVA VOCE was unbelievably high at 45 %. 

He had known that guy since college as lazy who involved most of the time in drugs. The guy had passed the college exams copying from here and there. The guy’s language skills and communication skills were very dismal. When the guy with neither content knowledge nor communication skills topped the exam, he was shocked.

But he couldn’t do anything. He didn’t have either director father in civil service or general manager uncle in that corporation. All he had was talent and he hoped one day his talent would shine. Today, all he has is talent which is not enough in Bhutanese working society to succeed.