APPLY  APPLY  NO  REPLY!     DO YOU KNOW WHY ?

                                                                                          

                                                                                        By

                                                                              Gurmeet Sethi

Shilpi Mukherji, the young, just out of college fresher whom I had recruited as my first employee at the newly opened coaching centre was a gutsy, ambitious girl. She was full of energy, lots of drive, initiative and restless. Four feet something, pretty faced with large eyes, Shilpi was an inspiration!

I was new to my role after my pre-mature retirement from the Army. I would sit grim faced in our long rectangular office cum class room centre, toying over marketing plans to get our first student ! Shilpi would cheer me up once in a while with her positive quips and cups of tea. Those were trying times. Rentals, salaries et al and no students, rising advertising costs and no inquiries

One month passed. Salary day, I handed Shilpi her first pay in a white envelope with “best wishes” scribbled across. She smiled, thanked me and then refused to take the envelope! Sir, she quipped, “ We have done no business, Have had no students, I do not deserve this as of now”. I hid my emotions, looked the other way and shouted at her telling her to mind her work and not get too concerned about the finances and progress of my work or the lack of it. It was too much coming from a 22 year old fresh graduate. I knew I had picked up a gem .

I could see, Shilpi was restless. She would do up the office, sift through the near empty files. Pounce , whenever the phone rang. The mobiles had not yet caught up in 1998.  Browse the empty in box. She would strut in her high heels , making that noise that went with it, from one end of the window at the box like office to the other window at the far end .Each time expecting some one to climb up the stairs. I dare not look at her. I was not worried about my progress, but more concerned about how would she rate my  work. My mid –life experimentation looked like a mistake. Transition from a salaried life to a business life was proving to be tough. but I knew I had bit the bullet . I had started to learn the responsibility that goes with being an entrepreneur! I had to keep the home fires burning, not mine , but of others as well!

 One Monday morning,  Shilpi came dressed in a saree. She surely knew how to carry it on her heels. “ Sir, I have an idea” Shilpi was standing in front . I looked up , ‘Yeah, what’s it?”, I coldly asked. “ Sir, you are so talented, why not get footfalls by taking up something through indirect marketing!” I was impressed, but put up a stoic face to conceal my appreciation , at the suggestion coming from a plain Arts graduate-about lessons in marketing! She continued, “ Sir, when I was to apply for this post, I struggled to put across my CV, ran round to put one in place. I had applied to so many places, but would never receive any reply. Why do we not put a small advertisement about writing CVs for graduates and the unemployed who would be our target audience. We could charge them for writing their Curriculum Vitaes ,to meet our working expenditure and then counsel them to enroll for our Exam preparation for the MBA courses as well.”

Not wanting to dampen her enthusiasm, I gave a small classified advertisement through my vendor the next day. It read : “ APPLY APPLY-NO REPLY !   Do You Know Why?, Contact: Phone-XXXXXXX, SCF XX, Sector-XX, Chandigarh.” It did not cost much, but Shilpi was happy. I was relaxed, as I knew it would at least keep her at bay for a few days, expecting a response .I did not think much about it, as my focus was to get the main venture going. I was busy tying up for guest lectures etc with colleges.

To my surprise, the telephone got buzzing. If not much, a few calls a day. Shilpi started to get practice at handling calls, trying to convince them to  walk-in. “On the job training!”,I chuckled. Shilpi was all business, after all it was her venture.

Most walk ins were unemployed, desperately wanting jobs and not CVs. They could not even think of an application process leave alone shelving Rs 50/ to 100/, as Shilpi would try to convince each of them. She was not the one to be dejected. She asked me to place a repeat advertisement. I let her!

Along with telephone calls, we stared to receive desperate postcards and letters. Addressed to: Director, Apply Apply No Reply!  So now I had a new designation !

Then one fine day, in walked an elegant lady in her mid 30s. Smart, clad in a pretty saree.  Shilpi sized her from top to toe like a tigress in waiting. She had got her first customer. She made the lady fill up all her particulars in the form that had been prepared for the purpose. She ushered the lady to my cabin and introduced her. Shilpi was on top of the world. She had after all succeeded!

I went through the details. Shilpi had gone back to her seat. I captured the missing links. The woman had widowed a few months back. She needed a job desperately and had never before ventured out for one.  I felt pity. I promised to do a good professional job. I asked her to come and collect it the next morning. I polished her CV, even worked out a few leads where she could apply. Drafted out her cover letters as well.

Next morning , she was there to get the CV. I handed her the same . She was extremely pleased. Thanked me and asked for the charges. I was overwhelmed- a widow in search for a job, trying to gather her life after the death of her husband. Chivalry learnt over the years  in the Services was still alive. How could I ask for a fee from a widow ? I was at my best, politely telling her that all I wanted was that she get a job. She asked me again, if I was sure, I did not want to charge her the fee that the lady at the reception had quoted. I smiled. She smiled too and left. Shilpi was blissfully ignorant of what had transpired at my end. She got to her favourite window at the end of the first floor office to see the last of that woman disappear.

After the woman had left. Shilpi was keen to know the details. After all , it was her idea. I congratulated her and then told her as to how the lady was so mighty pleased with our work. How I wished she got a job, as she was a widow desperately in need of one. Shilpi couldn’t resist any longer, as she could sense something amiss. “Did she pay” she enquired, her face all red. I had never seen her in this form. I told her, how dis-courteous it would have been to ask for money from a hapless widow! I had known a woman scorned is as if Hell hath no fury!  Shilpi, was like incarnation of Godess Durga in rage. Eyes blazing, she gave me an ultimatum, “ This is no way to do business, you would do better running an orphanage or better still an abla naari asharam!” I had received my first sermon on trying my hand at business from a fresher. She continued, “ You come driving your small Zen, that lady whom you let go out of  pity came in a chauffeur driven sedan!”

(Shilpi served our organisation for nine long years till she got married, mastered language, accounts and computer skills, rose to become the Center Manager. Looked after a staff of 15 and a student base of 1500 students. The staff feared her wrath , the students loved her motivating sermons. Most of our students working in Corporates in Senior positions across the globe, would fondly remember “Shilpi Maam” till date. She was an epitome of what we call  “taking ownership at work”.)