I went for interview of Program Officer [Engg] -AKRSP [Aga Khan Rural Support Program]

A Leap of Faith: My First Job Adventure (1993)

It was the final lab exam of my second semester in the Post Diploma in Computer Applications (PDCA) program. My friend Ashok and I, having finished our turns, were casually flipping through the Times of India job pages (a Thursday ritual). Suddenly, my eyes widened at an intriguing advertisement: “Program Officer (Engineering)”—a role requiring a civil engineering qualification and three years of experience. The clincher? A tempting salary of ₹4,500 per month!

Though neither of us had the full three years of experience (we were six months short), Ashok and I decided to apply anyway. To our delight, we both received invitations for a written exam at the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) office in Ahmedabad.

The Written Exam: Chaos and Hope
The scene at AKRSP was overwhelming. 21 candidates had shown up for a single position! The conference hall overflowed, spilling applicants into corridors and onto borrowed desks. Ashok and I exchanged nervous glances—how had we even made the cut?

After the exam, we were told to wait two hours for results. To ease our nerves, we wandered into the sweltering noon heat, stumbling upon a quaint tea stall. Over steaming chai and puffs, we daydreamed about landing the job.

The Shortlist Surprise
When the results were announced, only three candidates advanced to the oral interview—Ashok, myself, and a third contender with an MTech in Water Resources. The odds felt daunting, but we clung to hope: a 66% chance one of us would succeed.

The Interview: Nerve-Wracking Moments
My interview panel included Mr. M.H. Vakharia (Retired Chief Engineer) and Mr. Apoorva Oza (Senior Program Executive at AKRSP). Despite stumbling on one technical question, I held my ground. Ashok, too, felt he’d performed well. Yet, doubt lingered—our competitor’s advanced degree loomed large.

The Long Ride Home
We replayed every detail on the bus back to Rajkot, arriving past 11:30 PM. Over the next two weeks, college deadlines distracted us—until a letter arrived at my doorstep.

The Life-Changing Offer
My parents greeted me with beaming smiles: I’d been selected! Racing to Ashok’s house, I shared the news. Though thrilled for me, he masked his disappointment with grace. My start date? August 25, 1993—just a week away.

But there was a hiccup: my mother insisted on a family pilgrimage to Ambaji before my sister’s birthday on the 25th. With a deep breath, I dialed Mr. Rajesh Kapoor (my contact at AKRSP). To my relief, he chuckled and said, “No problem, Manish. Start on the 26th.”

And So It Began…
That job didn’t just launch my career—it taught me the power of audacity. Sometimes, applying for the “impossible” opens doors you never imagined.