Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

For a job, all the way from Land of Liberty

Dennis Marcus Mathew

He sure made heads turn at the job fair. But Robert Ward from the US had a job on hand. That of finding employment for himself

AMERICAN IS ON THE LOOKOUT: Robert Andrew Ward checking out employment scope at the job fair.

HYDERABAD: From Silicon Valley across the seas to Cyberabad for a job. As Robert Andrew Ward, with his flowing tresses, shining beard and a towering physique, made way through the multitude of jobseekers at The Hindu Opportunities Fair here, eyeballs popped and jaws dropped. "An American looking for a job here in Hyderabad?" The disbelief continued, jealousy gripping a few, as Ward walked out of Cognizant stall, all smiles with an offer to join the company. This man from the Land of Liberty sure made heads turn, and twist, at the job fair that had over a lakh job aspirants from across the south.

And Ward himself? "Overwhelmed, in one word." "I moved in here a month ago along with my wife who works in Microsoft. I got to know about the career fair and decided to try my luck. Well, I attended one interview, at Cognizant, and spoke to a few others. Might be lucky with Cognizant, they said they will call me back on Monday."

Learning Hindi

The software programmer, who has a "pretty diverse background in information technology" in several countries, laughs as he says English is one of his strong points while applying for a job. "And I'm trying to learn Hindi by attending classes three days a week." "The fair was a great experience. I have never seen an event on such a scale anywhere in the world. Apart from sheer numbers, it was also about a wide variety of companies looking for diverse and specific skills at the same place. Great for both employers and candidates," he avows.

Residing near Hi-tec City, Ward hopes he can gel with the techie crowd soon enough. "I will have to make a lot of adjustments and learn a lot. That's why myself and my wife are learning Hindi," he smiles again.

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