Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Housing blues

Yeah, now that our batch is looking forward to joining their jobs in different cities around the world, the biggest problem is finding housing in the metropolitan cities. (where housing is prohibitively expensive)

As Noodle pointed out yesterday to me, bigger problem than finding a house is finding the right roomies.
HIs criterion was plain and simple, vegetarian, non-smoker and must be fun to be with. (Read doesn't mind me drinking, but shouldn't create a mess himself)

Well if we simply look in WIMWI, the pool of people who are fun to be with, are not the vegetarian non smokers. Out of that choosing amongst guys who are placed in mumbai.

Well the same dilemma is facing me and Nippo. We need some vegetarian, non smoker but heavy drinker, who should know how to cook as well. And obviously should be fun to be with. On TV rules, cricket should be no.1 priority followed by formula 1 and soccer. At no point in time should soap operas be watched. Mooli (our dorm senior) says this seriously appears like a matrimonial advertisement in the times of india.

Another issue is where to look for accomodation, London being a large city and damn expensive. Though my office is near St. Pauls Cathedral in zone 1, I guess i might end up living in Canary Wharf or somewhere.

Anyways all these can be discussed later. Let me get my degree certificate on the day of convocation.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Finally End of an Era

Yeah, I havent been bloggign since quite some time, first half of the time was spent as a nervous wreck in the preplacement time, and then after getting a job, it was more of being too bored too lazy and what not.

anyways I've really been lucky to be offered a position in the Structuring Desk of Merrill Lynch in London. (Well i also had other offers, but i dont want to brag about myself, but this was not the highest salary offered to me)

Anyways this was simply the best time to graduate out of a B-school, especially since the global markets are all bullish (no pun intended with the Bull which is the Merrill Lynch logo), and at the same time they are recognising the talent pool which graduates out of india every year, and lo and behold, the investment banks and consultants simply come and recruit from India. (And IIM Ahmedabad in particular)

Anyways this has been a seriously bumper year, and will always be remembered for Barclays Bank making 22 offers out of which 16 accepted.

But coming back to what i wanted to say the placements had a lot more to do with being at the right place at the right time rather than simply merit of the students.
Similar set of guys were there last year and well they didnt have half as many opportunities.

Anyways let me enjoy it while it lasts, i will be in london from may 1 and dont know whether there would be enough time inclination and topics to blog about