A lot of people know how to write a resume and talk their way into an interview. But when they get into the make or break dialogue, they stumble upon tough questions. Below, Grunty offers some advice on approaching the tough questions that interviewers like to throw at job applicants:

Why did you leave your last job?

Real answer: It sucked.
What you should say: I felt my talents and abilities were underutilized.

What are your biggest weaknesses?
Real answer: I can’t concentrate for more than five minutes, hate all forms of authority and tend to fall asleep at my desk.
What you should say: I’m a workaholic. I just don’t know when to put down my work.

You don’t seem to hold on to a job long. Why should we think you’ll stay here any longer than you’ve stayed elsewhere?
Real answer: My employers have always had a hang-up about keeping only competent employees..
What you should say: I’m at a point in my career where I am tired of moving around. I really want to feel part of a team, a long-term enterprise, where I can make a contribution.

How do you handle change?
Real answer: I deal with it everyday, unless I’m out of clean underwear.
What you should say: I think everyone knows that today the only constant is change. I thrive on it.

Are you a risk taker?
Real Answer: Whenever I do anything risks are inherent.
What you should say: I think it’s important to take risks, but don’t think you should be reckless. I like to take calculated risks.

How do you get along with others?

Real answer: Fine, as long as they stay out of my face.
What you should say: I think the interpersonal dynamics of the workplace can be among the most satisfying aspects of any job.

What does the word failure mean to you?
Real answer: It means I continue to collect unemployment insurance.
What you should say: Failure? I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean. That word is not in my vocabulary.

Do you get along with your current boss?
Real answer: I get along fine, considering what kind of a malicious person he is.
What you should say: I don’t think I’d call him a boss; he’s been more of a mentor to me.

Do you ever get angry with co-workers?
Real answer: I don’t get angry, I get even.
What you should say: Nothing angers me more than to see a co-worker not pulling his weight, goofing off or stealing. Yes, sometimes I do get angry with co-workers.

Can I contact your references?
Real answer: Sure, but they won’t know who I am.
What you should say: Some of them are out of the country right now. Maybe I can arrange to have them contact you.

It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murty through my friend Prasanna who is
now the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco (TataMotors). Most of the books that Prasanna lent me had Murty’s name on them which meant that I had a
preconceived image of the man. Contrary to expectation, Murty was
shy, bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner, I was
a bit taken aback as I thought the young man was making a very fast move.
I refused since I was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to meet for dinner the next day at 7.30 p.m at Green Fields Hotel on the Main Road, Pune.

The next day I went there at 7o’clock since I had to go to the tailor near the hotel. And what do I see? Mr. Murty waiting in front of the hotel and it was only seven. Till today, Murty maintains that I had mentioned (consciously!) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet him…And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a friend at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter.

Soon, we became friends. Our conversations were filled with Murty’s experiences abroad and the books that he has read. My friends insisted that Murty was trying to impress me because he was interested in me. I kept denying it till one fine day, after dinner Murty said, I want to tell you something. I knew this as it. It was coming.
He said, I am 5′4″ tall.

I come from a lower middle class family.
I can never become rich in my life and I can never give you any riches.
You are beautiful, bright, and intelligent and you can get anyone you want.
But will you marry me?

I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn’t want me to
marry a wannabe politician (a communist at that) who didn’t have a steady job and wanted to build an orphanage…

When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family. But my father asked: What’s his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me. He was willing to go dutch with me on our outings. My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a particular day at 10 a.m sharp. Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to take care of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment? asked my father.

At 12 noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work to Bombay, was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi (though it was very expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law.
Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life.
Murty said he wanted to become a politician in the communist party and
wanted to open an orphanage. My father gave his verdict. NO. I don’t want my daughter to marry somebody who wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn’t have money to support his family.

Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages something, which Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I realized I had developed a liking towards Murty which could only be termed as love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man. He proposed to me highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I will not marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time, I cannot marry anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because somebody wanted him to. So, I was caught between the two most important persons in my life.

The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was always broke. Moreover, he didn’t earn much to manage. Ironically today, he manages Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of the world’s most reputed companies. He always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don’t have money with me, you pay my share, I will return it to you later. For three years I maintained a book on Murty’s debt to me.. No, he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding. The amount was a little over Rs 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant and started his own software business. Now, I had to pay his salary too! Towards the late 70s computers were entering India in a big way.
During the fag end of 1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni Computers in Bombay .. But before he joined the company he wanted to marry me since he was to go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty had a decent job, now.

WE WERE MARRIED IN MURTY’S HOUSE IN BANGALORE ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978 WITH ONLY OUR TWO FAMILIES PRESENT. I GOT MY FIRST SILK SARI. THE WEDDING EXPENSES CAME TO ONLY RS 800 (US $17) WITH MURTY AND I PULLING IN RS. 400 EACH.
I went to the US with Murty after marriage. Murty encouraged me to see
America on my own because I loved travelling. I toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences which will remain fresh in my mind forever. Like the time when the New York police took me into custody because they thought I was an Italian trafficking drugs in Harlem. Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn’t get a response from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or kidnapped.

IN 1981 MURTY WANTED TO START INFOSYS. HE HAD A VISION AND ZERO
CAPITAL…initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business. We did not have any business background .. Moreover we were living a comfortable life in Bombay with a regular pay check and I didn’t want to rock the boat. But Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support him. Typical of Murty, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him Rs 10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, this is all I have. Take it. I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams without any worry. But you have only three years!

Murty and his six colleagues started Infosys in 1981,with enormous interest and hard work. In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty. We bought a small house on loan which also became the Infosys office. I was a clerk-cum-cook-cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst with Walchand group of Industries to support the house. In 1983, Infosys got their first client, MICO, in Bangalore .. Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with his mother while I went to Hubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days after my son was born, Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only after a year, as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had infantile eczema, an allergy to vaccinations. So for more than a year I did not step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only after Rohan got all his
vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook, programmer, clerk, secretary, office assistant et al. Nandan Nilekani (MD of Infosys) and
his wife Rohini stayed with us. While Rohini babysat my son, I wrote programs for Infosys. There was no car, no phone, and just two kids and a bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was taking shape. It was not only me but also the wives of other partners too who gave their unstinted support. We all knew that our men were trying to build something good.

It was like a big joint family,taking care and looking out for one another. I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us. Murty made it very clear that it would either be me or him working at Infosys. Never the two of us together… I was involved with Infosys initially.

Nandan Nilekani suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he did not want a husband and wife team at Infosys. I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am qualified to do and love doing.

It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason behind Murty’s request.. I realized that to make Infosys a success one had to give one’s 100 percent. One had to be focussed on it alone with no other distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosys then what would happen to our home and our children? One of us had to take care of our home while the other took care of Infosys.

I opted to be a homemaker, after all Infosys was Murty’s dream. It was a big sacrifice but it was one that had to be made. Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine.

You are responsible for my success.

---

After being through the actual test of 350-001, followed back to back by VCP-310, and before that 640-802 and before even that, 70-290, it is hard not to develop back issues because of constant sitting.

---

Hero is a software engineer. He does not have a life worth speaking of.

He spends eighteen hours a day in the office working and browsing the

net.

Heroine is a software engineer in the same company. She does not have a

life either. She spends eight hours in front of her PC, thirteen hours

in front of the TV and the remaining, sleeping.

One day, Hero meets Heroine in a staff meeting. They argue endlessly

about the insanity of Microsoft applications.. especially Outlook 2003.

Couple of such fights later, Heroine is found drinking coffee with Hero

in Office canteen.

“What is life?” asks the Hero looking at the vacuum right above her

head.

“I’ve been wondering too.” sighs the heroine.

“Why are we fighting over Outlook 2003?” Hero drinks his black coffee.

“And why are we not talking about Lotus NOtes” Heroine sips her Latte.

Hero shakes his head. “It’s not about software products. It is about

life. I guess life is much bigger than OUtlook 2003.”

Heroine nods. “I think it is. I am not sure though. Do you know that

Microsoft has come up with a fix to that bug you’ve been using to prove

Outlook is a worthless piece of garbage?”

“Heroine,” Hero is now determined, “From this moment onwards, I am not

discussing anything remotely related to software.”

“Fine Hero,” says Heroine, “Good bye then.”

Hero then returns all the Sybase manuals to the library and rents out

“how to live a life?”

Heroine meanwhile gets into an altercation with the villain during a

conversation on Sharepoint server. Villain vows to format the hard disk

of the heroine. Heroine takes her PC and runs away from the cubicle

trying to escape from the villain’s evil intentions. Since it is night

shift, no one comes to her rescue.

Hero, who has been reading “how to live a life” very seriously, suddenly

finds out that he loves the heroine as much as he used to love Tetris.

So hero messages Heroine on Yahoo Instant messenger. But there is no

reply. Hero does not understand it. He knows that the heroine is

supposed to be in night shift. What is she doing in Night shift if not

on Yahoo Instant Messenger? As far as he know that is what people are

supposed to do in night shift.

Hero senses trouble. He runs barefooted on the Information Superhighway

and reaches office just in time to see the villain snatch the PC out of

heroine’s hands and type the command “Format C:\”. When his fingers get

to the “Enter” key, hero delivers the killer punch on villain’s face.

Villain is thrown back. But in the process he manages to press the Enter

key…

The world comes to a standstill. The sky roars. The Rain pours.

Heroine breaks down. Villain is on cloud nine. But our Hero isn’t sad.

He is smiling. Villain cannot understand. Hero then says, “Villain, You

should learn DOS properly. Your grave mistake…”. He shows the monitor

to Villain. The DOS command prompt says “Are you sure?”. It is waiting

for a “Y” to commence the formatting operation. Hero then simply presses

“N”.

Villain cries in frustration “Nooooooo” and charges like a bull. Then

follows a lengthy fight. Heroine meanwhile calls the police and they

come right after hero beats the villain to pulp. Without asking any

questions, the police understand who is hero and who is villain and take

him into custody. Heroine, tears in her eyes, takes her PC, switches it

on and jumps with joy when she finds her favorite Calvin and Hobbs

collection in tact in her C drive.

“You saved my data” she exclaims.

“No, you saved it yourself.” hero says.

“No.. Jesus saves. I don’t” she cries.

“Nothing happened na.” Hero consoles.

“Let us get married” heroine sheds some more tears, “I want someone by

my side to protect the Calvin and Hobbscollection on my PC”.

“I love you Heroine” says the hero.

“I love you Hero” says the heroine.

“So you agree that Outlook 2003 is a bad product”.

“No I don’t. Why not we talk about Lotus nOtes?”

The End.

This personally happened to me in my office. I never used to shut down my machine and most of the works are based on copy and paste in any IT companies, i used to heavily use copy paste thing in windows while in work .At the end of a day suddenly copy paste thing didn’t work for me. I copied things but no paste option was highlighted. That meant my whole work stopped. And to overcome this i searched for the windows Clipboard viewer.which i found in windows System32 folder named “clipbrd”. I just ran the clipbrd from the run option in Start menu of the Windows ( XP ). then i deleted the clipboard from Edit menu. Bingo, Everything was fine after that. My work resumed.