The Ensuing Saga of an Experience Letter!!
While sifting through my documents, I realized that I was missing an experience letter from my first employer, lets call them ABC Ltd. I decided to contact them to try to get an experience letter. I knew it wouldn't be easy because it has been nearly a decade since I left the job and the organization has undergone some changes since then. Nevertheless I had to give it a try.
I messaged my then boss(Contact 1) at ABC Ltd in Facebook asking him if he can help me. My ex-boss didn't work there anymore but gave me the contact number of one of his friends/peers(Contact 2) who did. When Contact 2 didn't pick up my calls for three to four days, I decided to present my case through an SMS hoping that if I tell him the reason for my call and how I got his contact number, may be he would answer my call. So after sending the SMS, I called again. And sure enough he picked the call this time. I asked Contact 2 if he could give me the contact number of the HR personnel to get an experience letter. He gave me Contact 3's mobile number saying that he is the Network HR, the right person to help me. Although Contact 3 did pick up at my very first try he was seemingly bewildered when I told him that I was referred to him by Contact 2. He revealed to me that he was not part of Network HR and directed me over to Contact 4, who in turn gave me the number of Contact 5. Now at this point, I hit a roadblock because Contact 5 never responded to my calls even after repeated attempts for days.
This was beginning to look like a wild goose chase. I didn't know where to turn to because it has been two weeks since I started out on this mini-adventure of calling strangers (who by the way were less than polite, short or even rude) and I was right where I started, but with a bunch of fruitless contact numbers and the experience letter still miles away.
I considered reverting to my ex-boss, Contact 1 but decided against it because I didn't want to seem pesky and also I doubted if he could be of much help any further.
Ultimately once again I went back to good old Facebook. I scanned through my friends list for possible candidates to reach out to. After some contemplation, I identified a handful of promising ex-colleagues from ABC Ltd and serial-messaged them one after the other. Contacts 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 responded almost immediately. All of them except Contact 6 had moved on to other companies. Contact 8 said that she had lost connections with ABC Ltd and so couldn't help. Contacts 6, 7, 9 & 10 said they would try to see what they can do.
I was starting to feel desperate and helpless but still held on to the hope that one of these four contacts may prove to be fruitful.
A couple of days later I pinged them for updates. Contacts 6 & 7 said they were still waiting for their connections to get back(I could empathize with them on the waiting part, cos I was doing the same thing! ), while Contact 10 gave me Contact 11's number. I instantly grabbed this small tip, and set about making calls again.
What was supposed to be Contact 11's phone, was answered by Contact 12, who, to my dismay, told me that there was no such person as Contact 11 in their entire team. Anyway he was kind enough to hear me out and directed me to Contact 13. Contact 13 passed on the numbers of Contact 14 & Contact 15. My plight was that of a football being tossed about aimlessly. By now I had been tossed about enough times to come to expect it. When I called a number I was certain that I was about to be tossed over to the next. Upon calling Contact 14, her line came up busy indefinitely. So I was left with no choice but to call Contact 15. To my surprise, he picked up almost immediately. When I told him what I wanted, all the time expecting to be given the next door for me to knock at, to my surprise he asked me a few questions regarding the particulars of my employment at ABC Ltd instead. This gave me a tiny ray of hope that I may after all not be running in a hamster wheel. Instead of the curt response of "Our department doesn't deal with this", I finally sensed understanding, an endorsement from this person. And in concurrence, he asked me all the right questions. They were relevant to my situation. His questions were acknowledgement that I have come to the right place. This was it! Or at least I thought it was. But once again my ray of hope was stifled with yet another phone number for me to call. Contact 15 assured me that this was the guy I was looking for. Although a little crestfallen, I was relieved to hear that. After all these weeks of calling these seemingly endless contact numbers, this was encouraging.
Without wasting any further time, I eagerly called Contact 16 hoping that this was the last person, I would have to ever call for that elusive experience letter. But my eagerness was quickly met with disappointment. Contact 16 didn't respond. Surely, there must be some mistake. I tried a second time. No response again. I tried again and again and yet again, but with the same result. My disappointment turned to confusion. Why is this happening now? Did I come this far only to be stopped abruptly in my tracks? A few minutes ago, I was so sure that this was the person I was looking for, but now I wasn't so sure anymore.
So I called Contact 15 again and this time he gave me the mobile number instead of the desk number. Again I called Contact 16. Once, twice, thrice.. no answer.
The next day I called again. Still nothing. I called from a different phone, sent an SMS, but all to no avail. It was frustrating to say the least! I was on tenterhooks, out of patience, despondent and above all fed up! Here I am, doing this crazy ritual of picking up the phone everyday to listen to strangers be surly and blunt and everything else in between only to arrive here to be met with brazen indifference! Nevertheless I pursued this for a couple of days.
Finally one day I gave up - at least for the time being. So once again I spoke to Contact 15. I couldn't believe that I called him to ask for some one else's number! After being tossed around from one phone number to another for more than a month now, one would presume that the last thing I needed was yet another phone number. But yet, here I was desperate, helpless and at my wit's end, begging him for that very same thing! But to my chagrin, once again he assured me that this was THE guy.
Exasperated, I ploughed on and continued my mind-numbing ritual of telephoning numbers - only it was the same number this time - over and over. I called Contact 16 a bunch of times every day. This was the new ritual I performed. I had little choice but to. What I was dealing with here is one stubborn jackass! I was incredulous, livid! Was this jerk that busy?! What kind of an imbecile ignores so many calls? How can a person be so callous, irresponsible?! The impunity, the audacity! Simply unbelievable! I was furious! Then anger turned to pity, because I pitied this person. He probably gets hundreds of calls in a day, so much so that he is indifferent to his core. He just doesn't give a damn, who it is, or what it is that they want. He is unimaginably more fed up of answering calls than I was of calling him. His sad, pathetic life had an ugly menace to deal with - calls. And this is how this genius chose to deal with it - by giving it the cold shoulder.
But I wasn't ready to call it quits yet, not after making it this far. I would stop calling for a few days and then again one day decide to call from my mobile, then landline, then my hubby's phone then SMS and repeat all this a couple of times over. I was getting a practical lesson on various types of skull drudgery one can preoccupy oneself with. The past one month had been a crash course for me on how one can mentally torture oneself with undiscovered miseries! And now, this new travail went on for yet another!
In the end I decided that no matter what, I will put this persecution to an end ! I had an ingenious plan, which was to call and call and call and not stop ever. I was determined! After all what use are the bright new skills I learned in the previous two months if I couldn't put them to good use when I needed them the most! And so I called and called and called and called again. And lo and behold! After the twentieth call(and not a call too soon), I finally, FINALLY get a response in the form of an SMS! Never before have I been so thrilled to see an SMS! In the SMS he was asking for my employment particulars. I sent them in reply, to which this schmuck replied back asking me to send him an email with all details and that he shall look in to it the next day cos, he was in training today! Oh like that explains it! As if this was the answer to my unasked question. As if this was the reason he couldn't answer my zillion calls over the past two months, both within AND outside office hours! That this dim-witted, dope of a person was apparently in perpetual, continuous 'training', 24/7 for the past 7 weeks!! Like if he wasn't in 'training' he would most certainly be answering calls! Baloney! Anyway I did what I had to and sent the email with the details he asked for.
I am still not any closer to attaining that experience letter, but I am pinging him for updates on regular intervals, just to revise the hard-earned skills I attained on my mind-numbing lessons over the past weeks! If not my mind may just get sharp, God forbid! And like expected, I still don't get any replies. Oops I forgot! That's right, may be he is in 'training'!
In the end one day, I shall execute my ingenious master plan once again. If it worked once, it should work again.
I messaged my then boss(Contact 1) at ABC Ltd in Facebook asking him if he can help me. My ex-boss didn't work there anymore but gave me the contact number of one of his friends/peers(Contact 2) who did. When Contact 2 didn't pick up my calls for three to four days, I decided to present my case through an SMS hoping that if I tell him the reason for my call and how I got his contact number, may be he would answer my call. So after sending the SMS, I called again. And sure enough he picked the call this time. I asked Contact 2 if he could give me the contact number of the HR personnel to get an experience letter. He gave me Contact 3's mobile number saying that he is the Network HR, the right person to help me. Although Contact 3 did pick up at my very first try he was seemingly bewildered when I told him that I was referred to him by Contact 2. He revealed to me that he was not part of Network HR and directed me over to Contact 4, who in turn gave me the number of Contact 5. Now at this point, I hit a roadblock because Contact 5 never responded to my calls even after repeated attempts for days.
This was beginning to look like a wild goose chase. I didn't know where to turn to because it has been two weeks since I started out on this mini-adventure of calling strangers (who by the way were less than polite, short or even rude) and I was right where I started, but with a bunch of fruitless contact numbers and the experience letter still miles away.
I considered reverting to my ex-boss, Contact 1 but decided against it because I didn't want to seem pesky and also I doubted if he could be of much help any further.
Ultimately once again I went back to good old Facebook. I scanned through my friends list for possible candidates to reach out to. After some contemplation, I identified a handful of promising ex-colleagues from ABC Ltd and serial-messaged them one after the other. Contacts 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 responded almost immediately. All of them except Contact 6 had moved on to other companies. Contact 8 said that she had lost connections with ABC Ltd and so couldn't help. Contacts 6, 7, 9 & 10 said they would try to see what they can do.
I was starting to feel desperate and helpless but still held on to the hope that one of these four contacts may prove to be fruitful.
A couple of days later I pinged them for updates. Contacts 6 & 7 said they were still waiting for their connections to get back(I could empathize with them on the waiting part, cos I was doing the same thing! ), while Contact 10 gave me Contact 11's number. I instantly grabbed this small tip, and set about making calls again.
What was supposed to be Contact 11's phone, was answered by Contact 12, who, to my dismay, told me that there was no such person as Contact 11 in their entire team. Anyway he was kind enough to hear me out and directed me to Contact 13. Contact 13 passed on the numbers of Contact 14 & Contact 15. My plight was that of a football being tossed about aimlessly. By now I had been tossed about enough times to come to expect it. When I called a number I was certain that I was about to be tossed over to the next. Upon calling Contact 14, her line came up busy indefinitely. So I was left with no choice but to call Contact 15. To my surprise, he picked up almost immediately. When I told him what I wanted, all the time expecting to be given the next door for me to knock at, to my surprise he asked me a few questions regarding the particulars of my employment at ABC Ltd instead. This gave me a tiny ray of hope that I may after all not be running in a hamster wheel. Instead of the curt response of "Our department doesn't deal with this", I finally sensed understanding, an endorsement from this person. And in concurrence, he asked me all the right questions. They were relevant to my situation. His questions were acknowledgement that I have come to the right place. This was it! Or at least I thought it was. But once again my ray of hope was stifled with yet another phone number for me to call. Contact 15 assured me that this was the guy I was looking for. Although a little crestfallen, I was relieved to hear that. After all these weeks of calling these seemingly endless contact numbers, this was encouraging.
Without wasting any further time, I eagerly called Contact 16 hoping that this was the last person, I would have to ever call for that elusive experience letter. But my eagerness was quickly met with disappointment. Contact 16 didn't respond. Surely, there must be some mistake. I tried a second time. No response again. I tried again and again and yet again, but with the same result. My disappointment turned to confusion. Why is this happening now? Did I come this far only to be stopped abruptly in my tracks? A few minutes ago, I was so sure that this was the person I was looking for, but now I wasn't so sure anymore.
So I called Contact 15 again and this time he gave me the mobile number instead of the desk number. Again I called Contact 16. Once, twice, thrice.. no answer.
The next day I called again. Still nothing. I called from a different phone, sent an SMS, but all to no avail. It was frustrating to say the least! I was on tenterhooks, out of patience, despondent and above all fed up! Here I am, doing this crazy ritual of picking up the phone everyday to listen to strangers be surly and blunt and everything else in between only to arrive here to be met with brazen indifference! Nevertheless I pursued this for a couple of days.
Finally one day I gave up - at least for the time being. So once again I spoke to Contact 15. I couldn't believe that I called him to ask for some one else's number! After being tossed around from one phone number to another for more than a month now, one would presume that the last thing I needed was yet another phone number. But yet, here I was desperate, helpless and at my wit's end, begging him for that very same thing! But to my chagrin, once again he assured me that this was THE guy.
Exasperated, I ploughed on and continued my mind-numbing ritual of telephoning numbers - only it was the same number this time - over and over. I called Contact 16 a bunch of times every day. This was the new ritual I performed. I had little choice but to. What I was dealing with here is one stubborn jackass! I was incredulous, livid! Was this jerk that busy?! What kind of an imbecile ignores so many calls? How can a person be so callous, irresponsible?! The impunity, the audacity! Simply unbelievable! I was furious! Then anger turned to pity, because I pitied this person. He probably gets hundreds of calls in a day, so much so that he is indifferent to his core. He just doesn't give a damn, who it is, or what it is that they want. He is unimaginably more fed up of answering calls than I was of calling him. His sad, pathetic life had an ugly menace to deal with - calls. And this is how this genius chose to deal with it - by giving it the cold shoulder.
But I wasn't ready to call it quits yet, not after making it this far. I would stop calling for a few days and then again one day decide to call from my mobile, then landline, then my hubby's phone then SMS and repeat all this a couple of times over. I was getting a practical lesson on various types of skull drudgery one can preoccupy oneself with. The past one month had been a crash course for me on how one can mentally torture oneself with undiscovered miseries! And now, this new travail went on for yet another!
In the end I decided that no matter what, I will put this persecution to an end ! I had an ingenious plan, which was to call and call and call and not stop ever. I was determined! After all what use are the bright new skills I learned in the previous two months if I couldn't put them to good use when I needed them the most! And so I called and called and called and called again. And lo and behold! After the twentieth call(and not a call too soon), I finally, FINALLY get a response in the form of an SMS! Never before have I been so thrilled to see an SMS! In the SMS he was asking for my employment particulars. I sent them in reply, to which this schmuck replied back asking me to send him an email with all details and that he shall look in to it the next day cos, he was in training today! Oh like that explains it! As if this was the answer to my unasked question. As if this was the reason he couldn't answer my zillion calls over the past two months, both within AND outside office hours! That this dim-witted, dope of a person was apparently in perpetual, continuous 'training', 24/7 for the past 7 weeks!! Like if he wasn't in 'training' he would most certainly be answering calls! Baloney! Anyway I did what I had to and sent the email with the details he asked for.
I am still not any closer to attaining that experience letter, but I am pinging him for updates on regular intervals, just to revise the hard-earned skills I attained on my mind-numbing lessons over the past weeks! If not my mind may just get sharp, God forbid! And like expected, I still don't get any replies. Oops I forgot! That's right, may be he is in 'training'!
In the end one day, I shall execute my ingenious master plan once again. If it worked once, it should work again.
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