My SunTec - my first job

While making this post, I am having a chat with an old colleague from SunTec (my first company). Well surely this invokes a lot of memories and nostalgia. I still remember the first day I reached SunTec's corporate office for the initial round of interview. The office was located at a place Kuravankonam (Trivandrum). We were actually going for an interview from the institute where we underwent our Certificate course in Technical Writing. We had a little difficulty in finding the place. But when we were in front of the office all apprehensions were gone. It was more of a big house with a big lawn and lot of woodwork.

We were taken inside the building. This was the first time I was attending an interview, but I was not tensed or nervous. Because I had no expectations. I didn't even know the company profile. We were taken to one of the conference rooms. I still admire the buildings and paintings inside SunTec's corporate office, with all those yellow dim lights, and wooden staircases with lots of carvings on it. While we were all getting set, a lady from HR (she left SunTec the day we joined) came and distributed the written test question papers. We all took it so lightly and happily completed it. It was a bit quizzy. Once that was over, she left with the papers and we were all chatting and loafing around the place. But after the first round, when a few were eliminated and asked to go home, we became a bit serious. That was when we realized that this was no silly affair. And somehow, Narayan, Arun, and me were taken as Technical Writers at SunTec. And yes, that was my first job, my first step into the corporate world.

For one month we had to undergo a training on the product. It was at the Knowledge Solutions Centre at Vazhuthacaud. The training rooms were quite large and nice. Sitting and listening to 'God knows what product' for 4-5 hours and then a 'hands-on' session. Literally speaking, they were boring. Thanks to the others in the batch, that I cleared the final presentation. My favourite hobby was playing Soltaire. Though the trainings were boring, we were a good batch. I enjoyed the lunch breaks when we went out for lunch. Our tea-breaks were more enjoyable. The pantry was on the roof-top. Somedays when it was cloudy or raining, having a hot cup of coffee over there was perhaps more than what we could ask for.

A month later, the training was over and all were allocated into different teams. We, the technical writers, were to move to the Technopark. In the beginnings, the place and people seemed quite alien to me (infact, to them I seemed more odd.. ;-)). But over a period of time, everything was normal. I felt myself a part of the team. Work went on well. Aswathy and me, we always had confusions during our lunch time, over what to choose. Perhaps, we gelled well in terms of food :-) Celebrations, meetings, trainings, all went on well till I decided to leave the place. Now I realize how much I miss everything. Though I have lots of opportunities and freedom now, I miss SunTec. I don't know whether I would ever choose to go back. But still - 'first job is always special'. And SunTec is really special to me.