Queer Sentiments followed during Job Interviews

Interviews give jitters to some while some relish the challenge. But, in India, like something straight out of a Bollywood flick, you see youngsters doing queer things to bring them good luck. Prostrating in front of a deity, applying tilak, and asking for the blessings of parents, wearing the lucky shirt, or even giving alms to a beggar - job aspirants do silly and weird things to bring them good luck and secure a job. This behavior may seem normal to most of us, but when seen from an outsider’s point of view, they sure are queer.

Here is a list of a few of those odd things job aspirants do before facing interviews or before joining an organization.

Nazar Utara:

This is actually a copy/paste from a Bollywood movie! There are some who would want a “Nazar Utara” before going to a job interview. The concept is to either put a black smear on the subject’s face or to keep a diya in a plate and move it clockwise and anticlockwise thrice! This is supposed to keep all the ill fate away from those about to go for an interview. Like a warrior about to go for a battle the subject gets the vijay tilak and then goes to the interview. Here, mostly mothers are culprits! They want the best for their children and they go over the top!

Nail Or Hair Cutting:

One would imagine in the case of a man that he would get a good shave and look trim for the interview. Our group of elite people think otherwise. They would not cut their nails, they would not have a haircut and they would not remove the facial shrubbery. Why? cause it brings bad luck!

Lucky Dress:

Is there anything like that? In fact, this is the most popular fad! Some even avoid black dresses as it is supposed to bring bad luck, and is a symbol of mourning. Now, there is an exception here. Some people wear black dresses on Saturdays as it is supposed to keep the planet Saturn’s evil eye away. In some instances, people tend to believe that a particular suit is lucky as it “helped in getting a job,” and after years of dissatisfaction in that job realized that it was actually the bringer of bad luck! Sorry for that!

Lucky charm:

You don’t need to search for this! The market is so full of lucky charms like horseshoes, an image of Ganesha, AUM symbol, knotted threads, beads and a compendium of other items that are supposed to bring in good luck. If these things were to bring good luck, then wouldn’t it be a good idea to wear them all! Beats me.

If you think that these things actually don’t work, then you have made a great misnomer. There is proof that these things work. Exactly! Now, there is no occultish drift here.

When researchers at University of Chicago conducted a social experiment in a corporate set up, they found that people who indulge in these sentiments actually perform better. On a sunny day, at the Academy of Management, participants were asked to sing with a karaoke machine. Surprised at the request, many participants got nervous, but a few of them who sprinkled salt, doodled on it and counted five were better performers. Voila! They lost their nervousness and stress!

We know that we live with sentiments and trivial superstitions. People about to face interviews, or those about to join jobs, it’s good to beat stress, but not so cool to get carried away by these sentiments. Doing a good preparation, dressing appropriately, and carrying oneself confidently wins more interviewers than lucky charms!