Reasons For Why You Don’t Get a Job After B.Tech.

Do you know there are almost 5 lac seats for engineering in India? Let’s do some more calculations. Out of 5 lac seats, a few of them would be left vacant. Some of those who join the college may drop out while leaving the course mid-way. A lot of them would go for higher studies – maybe MBA or MTECH. Now, the remaining would look for a job. What about you? Would you look for a job after B.Tech.? If you would, you will be competing with at least 4 lac students. Let’s talk just about your college’s placement drive. There would be at least 400 students who would be sitting in the same job on the same day with almost the same credentials as yours.

“Why should I employ you?” This is probably the first and most important question that an employer would ask you. Why should he select you even when he has so many choices? Why you?

Unemployment in India is one of the major concerns and many reasons are cited by people just to describe why the unemployment rate in India is so high. A very big lot of qualified and still unemployed people are Engineers. We spend lacs of rupees on an engineering degree and what do we get?

Have you ever wondered why it is so? Why don't you get a job after B.Tech.? Let me help you out to answer the ‘Why’.

Note that this post is even helpful for the students who are currently preparing for their campus placements and who want to ensure that they get a good job after they finish their degree. Keep reading.

1. You don’t have experience: This would sound extremely absurd to many of you. How can you get a work experience when you are studying in college? Moreover, there isn’t any time to work. You stay in college till 4:30 PM. It’s insane to expect you to work after college. But if you really want a job, you have to work. A work experience is the biggest thing that counts while seeking a job. As a fresh pass out, it is acceptable that you haven’t worked in big companies but it is not acceptable if you haven’t worked at all. Moreover, you have a golden opportunity of 6 months internship which only a few of you would use. Others would just regret. Also, I would suggest using every summer break to go for an internship so that you have more experience. I recently reviewed a book which is all about interning abroad in summer and you should definitely read that book for more insights on this subject.
2. You don’t know the basics: Getting good marks in exams certainly, don’t matter and many of you would interpret this fact as ‘Studying in college does not matter’. Well, maybe it doesn’t but only if you want to be unemployed. If you want a good job, you need to be really good with the basics of your field. Hiring an engineer is not cheap for a company and if they are paying a good price, they want an intelligent and skilled person, of course. So, make sure you prepare your basic subjects well. You don’t have to learn everything – just the important topics from your basic subjects. Ask your college professors if you have no idea about the basic subjects in your course.
3. You are aiming too high: If you ask people of my college, everyone would say he wants a job in Google or Microsoft but none of them would be able to answer this question affirmatively: do they really deserve to be in a company like Google or Microsoft? All of them think a package of 3-4 lacs per annum is just too less. If you, as a fresh pass out think the same, you are probably making the biggest mistake of your life. Yes, we were taught to aim high in schools but there was also an obvious lesson that required us to start from the zero/ground. So, even when you should totally aim for the moon, it’s still fine if you end up in the sky in the beginning.
4. Lack of Passion: It is actually true that passion drives your life. If you are not passionate enough for the job you are applying for, the chances of you getting that job are none. You won’t be able clear those interviews until and unless you really want that job. You need to love what you are doing and what you want to do.
5. Lack of preparation: Let’s assume you are good with basics and technical skills. Now comes the most ironical but truthful part. If you are not well prepared for your interview, chances of you getting the job are null. Many hirers complain about lack of interpersonal and professional skills in fresh college graduates. I remember, once our communication skills teacher asked us to come in formals the next day and every single girl in my college looked as if she came to a prom night. Many college graduates don’t even understand what formal wear is. And such people seriously don’t deserve a job. Do they? Do you?
   
6. You are not applying for enough jobs: You have a dream company and you have applied for it. What if you don’t get the job there? What would you do? Stay jobless after B.Tech.? Or you can simply apply for some other job. Can’t you? It is seriously absurd to rely upon one opportunity. Didn’t any one teach you about grabbing each opportunity you see in front of you? Sit in as many interviews as you can so that, at the end, you have at least one good offer letter in your hand.
7. You use Facbook, Twitter instead of LinkedIn: Getting a good job is all about connections. How many good connections you have? How much time do you spend on Facebook and Twitter? Habit of spending time on such sites doesn’t really help while job seeking. What helps is websites like LinkedIn. Get active on LinkedIn as it’s one of the most-used professional networking sites on the internet. You have to be there!
8. Global Economic Slowdown: I didn’t really want to include this in the list but for the sake of information I had to. Though I believe slowdown doesn’t matter unless you are talented enough, still a large number of graduates stay unemployed because of this reason. You might also use this reason to shield for the shortcomings you have and blame it all on government.

My motive of writing this isn’t to offend someone or make someone feel low. I want you guys to understand what’s wrong so that you can try to correct it before it gets too late, so that you definitely get a job after B.Tech. Good luck 

Jobs That Pay $150k a Year, And The Skills You Need to Get Them

So you want a job that pays $150,000 a year? Sounds bold, out-of-reach. But, as we like to say here at LinkedIn, it’s closer than you think.

Recently, we compiled a list of the highest paying jobs in America. On that list were several jobs LinkedIn Learning courses can prepare you for, with a plethora of organizations advertising those exact job titles on LinkedIn.

So, here are four job titles that all pay at least $150,000 a year, on average. We also linked to all the open positions on LinkedIn for that job title, as well as the LinkedIn Learning courses that’ll help you get those roles.

1. Director of Engineering

Average US Salary: $164,000 a year

Director of Engineering Jobs on LinkedIn: 800+

LinkedIn Learning Courses That’ll Help You Get the Role:

Director of Software Engineering

• Technology Officer Career Guide
• Transition from Manager to Leader
• Becoming a Good Mentor
• Government Project Management
• Transitioning from Waterfall to Agile Project Management
• Data Engineering Essential Training for Data Science

Director of Mechanical Engineering

• Zoon Engineering: Project Management
• Rapid Prototyping for Product Design
• SOLIDWORKS 2017 Essential Training
• AutoCAD 2017 Essential Training
• Learn Fusion 360: The Basics

2. Director Product Management

Average US Salary: $160,000

Director of Engineering Jobs on LinkedIn: 400+

LinkedIn Learning Courses That’ll Help You Get the Role:

• Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization
• Creating a Marketing Growth System
• Developing Executive Presence
• Building High-Performance Teams
• Creating Customer Value
• Finance for Non-Financial Managers

3. Senior Software Engineering Manager

Average US Salary: $155,000

Senior Software Engineering Manager Jobs on LinkedIn: 300+

LinkedIn Learning Courses That’ll Help You Get the Role:

• S.O.L.I.D. Programming Principles
• Becoming a Good Mentor
• DevOps Fundamentals
• Foundations of Programming: Open Source Licensing
• Docker: The Basics
• Foundations of Programming: Design Patterns

4. Global Marketing Director

Average US Salary: $155,000

Global Marketing Director Jobs on LinkedIn: 90+

LinkedIn Learning Courses That’ll Help You Get the Role:

• Advanced Branding
• Building Your Marketing Technology Stack
• Marketing Tips
• Danny Sullivan on SEO
• Leading a Marketing Team

• Building Creative Organizations

Difference Between CTC and Take Home Salary Explained

Ankit Sharma, 22, an engineering graduate, was happy as he got placement through campus interview and was offered a salary package of Rs. 3.6
lakh annual CTC (cost to company). From the first day, he started planning how he wanted to spend his first salary. But his excitement was
dimished when he received the much-awaited pay slip.
Before joining a workforce, many generally have a misconception that the actual take home salary is same as CTC. But in reality, there is huge
difference between the two.
Why CTC is different from pay slip
When Ankit rechecked the details he found that there are many components in CTC which he won't receive. The HR department at his new office gave
him the break up and said that his maximum entitled limit was only Rs. 22,491 a month where according to the CTC offered, he thought it
would be Rs. 30,150. It was explained to him that the employer's contribution to provident fund was part of the CTC but not of his
salary.
The same logic is applicable for the company's contribution towards employees' medical insurance as well.
Income tax and professional tax also got deducted from Ankit's CTC. He would get Rs. 22,491 only if he touched the maximum limit of overtime and
upon submission of medical bills worth Rs. 15,000.
Break-up of CTC and tax liability is given below:
Component of salary Amount (Rs.) Taxable amount
Basic salary 2,40,000 2,40,000
House rent allowance 60,000 36,000
Conveyance allowance 8,000 0
Entertainment allowance 6,000 6,000
Overtime allowance 6,000 6,000
Medical Reimbursements 10,000 0
Gross salary 3,30,000 2,88,000
Medical insurance 3,000
PF (12% of basic salary) 28,800
Total benefit 31,800
CTC = gross salary + benefit 3,61,800
Break up of take home salary:
Deductions/take home salary Amount
Tax (10% of taxable amount) 28,800
Employee provident fund (12% of basic salary) 28,800
Professional tax 2,500
Total deduction 60,100
Gross salary 3,30,000
Net salary (gross - deduction) 2,69,900
Monthly take home salary 22,491
Components of salary
Basic salary: Basic salary is the core salary and it is the fixed part of the compensation package. A number of other components are calculated
in the basic salary. Generally, the basic salary depends upon the employee's designation or grade.
Allowance: Different types of allowance is given to employees such as house rent allowance (HRA), leave travel allowance (LTA), dearness
allowance, convince allowance, city compensation allowance and children's education allowance.
Perquisites: It is basically different facilities such as rent free accommodations, car facility, interest subsidy on loan, reimbursement on
medical bills and club facility.
Contribution to provident fund: Contribution to the provident fund is mandatory for Indian companies. Twelve per cent of the basic salary gets contributed from the employee for PF and another 12 per cent by the employer. So 24 per cent of the basic salary gets deducted. Reimbursement: Sometimes employees are entitled to many reimbursements such as medical treatment, newspaper, phone bill etc. One would not get the money in salary but funds will be passed against submission of such bills. So these are not included to the monthly pay slip. Most of the cases, an upper limit is there for each category. Life and health insurance: New joinees get excited when they come to know that their organisation is taking care of them and paying the premium of their life and health insurance. But in reality, it is included in the CTC. Transport facility: Getting a car from office may sound really good but actually, transport facility or pick-and-drop facility is also a component of the package. The interest-free car loans are not actually free. Subsidised meals: It is true that really there is no free lunch. Free lunch, subsidised meals from office canteen, food coupons even the tea or coffee come with a price tag to the employee. Rent of the office space: It is surprising but true that sometimes the rent of office space (the space in the employee's cabin) is borne by the employee in his CTC. Making the most of your CTC One has to understand the basic difference CTC and take home salary: CTC = Direct benefits + indirect benefits + saving contributions Whereas, Take Home Salary = Direct benefits - employee PF - other deductions if any - income tax While negotiating with a new employer, one should try to increase the direct benefit part of CTC. For instance, if an organisation is offering transportation, which is an indirect benefit, the employee should try to get it as conveyance allowance which is a direct benefit. Negotiation can be done to convert the subsidised meals to food allowance again to convert indirect benefit to direct benefit Many organisations offer ESI benefits for employee's health. But there are only few ESI (Employee's State Insurance) hospitals where the facility is available. If the employee is offered medical reimbursement, it benefits him more. One can also ask for family health insurance and medical reimbursement instead of the employee alone. Even if the total coverage or the maximum limit of reimbursement is the same for individual or family, it will minimise expenditure. House rent allowance gives some tax rebate. Up to a certain limit, conveyance allowance is tax free. So this is a must-include in the compensation package instead of a pick-and-drop facility. Before accepting an offer from the new employer, you should try to know the company policy. The tax liability of allowances and perquisites vary from one company to another. Conclusion Take home salary can also be increased with the help of proper tax planning. If a person invests Rs. 1.5 lakh in tax saving instruments under Section 80C such as PPF, Equity-Linked Saving Scheme (ELSS) etc., then he/she can save tax. Although this would not alter the CTC, the take home salary will be increased.

How to get a Job B.Tech Freshers

How to get a Job B.Tech Fresher?
This question comes to every student pursuing B.Tech so, the answer to this in simple step is

first, your overall Percentage which will satisfy your eligibility criteria It should be above 75% then,

Secondly,

Start practicing General Aptitude daily the Aptitude Involves

Quantitive Aptitude

Verbal Reasoning

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Logical Reasoning

Puzzles

This all could be done by practicing from the Books like Arihant, RS-Aggarwal,Magical Book for Quicker Maths And also by Practicing from online Sites Like , etc,

Thirdly,

Start Revising your core subjects regularly and if you want to join a software-based company then Start CodingFrom I-year onwards Now the Base Programming Language is Java

and start coding on Online platforms like

Leet Code Career Cup

And Strong knowledge of Computer Science Core subjects like :-

Data Structures using C and Java;

Database Management System and its tool MySql;

Software Testing;

Software Engineering;

Computer Networking Basics

ie all the Layers and their functions;

Fourth,

Technical Interview Face-to-Face in this the set of Five to six questions are asked

1. Your Technical skills and Basic Questions on that.

2. About Your Project and your involvement in that.

3. Any Two-Coding Questions

4. Any Two-Theory Question From Core Subjects

5. Why should I Hire You?

Fifth,

HR Interview in this Logical Maths Questions are asked or Any Question related to your Interest or your Hobby.

THIS IS THE whole Process to get the Job in a Software-Based Company.

10 Scariest Horror Stories

1. "The Trains" by Robert Aickman

Virtually unknown in the U.S. outside a small coterie of dedicated fans, the British writer Robert Aickman (he died in 1981) is a virtuoso of the sophisticated “strange story,” as he dubbed his tales. The scares in an Aickman story come not from gore or violence but from the way he perversely bends reality right before your startled eyes. Not just once but again and again—and still again, all in the same story. In this little masterpiece of Gothic indirection, two young women stranded on a walking trip in the north of England seek shelter in a remote Victorian mansion adjacent to a train track. There is a handsome host, a menacing servant, a mad aunt who died mysteriously, even a murder, but all this is beside the point. The real scares come from the trains that scream loudly past every few minutes on this “main, important line” in the middle of nowhere and their unseen engineers, who always wave at girls. Curiously, the trains pass by less often on the third floor than on the ground level. As a child, it should be noted, Aickman liked to invent imaginary kingdoms complete with meticulously constructed railroad schedules.

2. "Three Miles Up" by Elizabeth Jane Howard

One of the greatest English ghost stories ever written, this acutely observed, utterly terrifying tale is tied for first place in my affections—and perhaps appropriately, because Howard, better known for her realist novels of upper class English life, was briefly Aickman’s lover in her younger years. Together they produced the joint collection We Are for the Dark in which this tale appears. Two feckless young men rent a narrowboat for a holiday on the inland canals of England. The journey takes a left turn after a violent fight and they acquire an enigmatic young woman companion as the canal stretches on, and on, and on, until—.

3. "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H. P. Lovecraft

My all-time favorite Lovecraft story. A young man on holiday takes an unplanned detour to a seaside New England town saturated with the smell of fish. (Said to be based on the real fishing town of Gloucester; Lovecraft not coincidentally loathed that smell.) With glimpses of strange misshapen folk in alleys and doorways, he gradually learns the town’s secret: the infamous “Innsmouth look” shared by the town’s inbred inhabitants—flat noses, bulgy eyes, rough skin. Possibly a tad too long and featuring one of those irritating characters who delivers truckloads of information in an impenetrable dialect, it’s still a masterpiece of atmospheric horror.

4. "Casting the Runes" by M. R. James

A scholar of occult lore is stalked by a sinister supernatural entity and finds the only way to undo the runic curse he’s under is to physically hand it back to the person who cast it. That’s the plot in a nutshell. But the true beauties of this great story by the medievalist and former Eton headmaster lie in the delicate satire and cautionary warning to editors the world over about the perils of rejecting angry authors (especially amateur alchemists!). I sent it once as a joke to my Harvard editor and he didn’t answer. Did that mean the tale scared him as much as it scared me, when I first read it? It was made into the Jacques Tourneur movie Night of the Demon, in which the studio famously had no patience with an invisible stalker and inserted a Muppet-like papier-mache creature to raise the stakes. (Not a bit scary, though I understand a few demented fans actually prefer it.)

5. "The Debutante" by Leonora Carrington

The incomparable British Surrealist painter with the colorful life—daughter of a wealthy industrialist, lover of Max Ernst when she was 19, imprisoned in a mental asylum in Spain, escaping to spend most of the rest of her life in Mexico—is best known for her fantastical art. She also wrote seven volumes of fiction (including the not-to-be-missed alchemical novella The Hearing Trumpet). This story, now available in a new collected edition of Carrington’s work, concerns a reluctant debutante who likes to visit a hyena at the zoo, her only friend. When it comes time for the dreaded ball, the debutante begs the hyena to go in her place, arguing that they are almost the same size, plus people don’t see well in the evening light. To disguise its face, they agree, the hyena must kill her maid and use the maid’s face as a mask—this is only, the debutante assures us, because she hates dancing so much. The hyena kills the maid, goes to the ball wearing her face, and—(Here I am trying to make up for all the other spoilers on this list, but read the other Carrington stories if you already feel this one has been ruined for you. They are also worthy—and scary.)

6. "Ancient Sorceries" by Algernon Blackwood

Only now do I realize this is the twin of “The Shadow over Innsmouth”:  A stranger journeys to a remote town where the dark secret the inhabitants hide is that they are part human, part something else. This is exactly what the Englishman Arthur Vezin  discovers in the French hill town where he is vacationing. Long ago the inhabitants made a deal with the Devil and as a result they turn into a different sort of creature at night—in this case a species more appealing to Blackwood (and to me) than fish were to Lovecraft; the “Innsmouth look” in this town is distinctly feline. Favorite tagline: “à cause du sommeil et à cause du chats!”

7. "The Wendigo" by Algernon Blackwood

Undoubtedly dated and colonial in its attitudes, this story of a cannibal Algonquin entity that embodies the northern Canadian wilderness still retains its ability to deeply scare. A hunting party of white men penetrates the virgin forest only to have their French Canadian guide swallowed up by it and spit back out uncannily altered. Favorite tagline: the guide’s disembodied wails, heard from high overhead, “Oh! oh! This fiery height! My feet of fire! My burning feet of fire!” He’s the prey of a giant moss-eating invisible creature that thumps and jumps hundreds of feet in the air, smells like a lion, and—do I need to say it?— does not wish humans well.

8. "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu

This truly subversive erotic tale of a lesbian vampire stalking her innocent prey has Le Fanu’s trademark magisterial pacing that gives the mounting horror a sense of utter inexorability. The charming Elizabeth Karnstein oh so gradually insinuates herself into the affections of the sheltered young narrator until the final consummation—with death by violence the replacement, as in most horror stories, for sexual climax. But the feeling lingers on! Besides the daring undertones for a story published in 1871, one of the great ironies is that Le Fanu originally set his story in the wilds of Ireland. His editor, however, judged that an Eastern European setting provided the right exotic atmosphere, and so County Mayo became the Austro-Hungarian province of Styria. I have always loved the vampire’s anagrammatically changing names: Millarca, Mircalla, Carmilla.

9. "A Terribly Strange Bed" by Wilkie Collins

When my university library got renovated with those space-saving accordion-style stacks on wheels that crank open and shut, it unwittingly opened up the same opportunity for murder that the Victorian Gothic writer Wilkie Collins presented in his tale of a drunken Englishman staying overnight in a room above a Parisian gambling den after he has hit the jackpot. He awakens in the night to discover the top of the canopied four poster he is sleeping in only inches above his face and still coming down. In our stacks—think vertical now instead of horizontal—when the invisible person three rows down impatiently begins cranking, only a sharp cry can avert disaster. And you know how grudges accumulate in university departments!

10. "Shambleau" by C. L. Moore

Technically science fiction, this tale of an interplanetary Medusa by a pioneer female sci fi writer sees Moore’s recurring hero, the space cowboy Northwest Smith, save a raggedy girl from an angry mob. When, with echoes of Prospero and Caliban, he claims her as his own, the mob melts away in contempt and disbelief. That should have warned him! Smith doesn’t get turned to stone; what follows instead is seduction and lurid, gooey sex. Worth the price of admission alone, this over-the-top denouement would surely have sent the squeamish Lovecraft, himself a tentacle guy, screaming into the night.

                       

HOW TO CONCENTRATE ON STUDIES

   

Here are some effective tips that will surely help you to concentrate while studying:

• Find Your study Space – The choice of study space can affect your level of concentration. Choose a study environment with minimum distractions, clean, organized and good lightening, this will help reduce distractions. Especially for girls, don’t study in a room where there is a mirror. Nothing distracts a girl more than a mirror in front of her.
• Turn off Your Cell Phone – Cell phones are the biggest distraction for today’s generation. Keeping it beside you will create an urge to check it every minute just to have a look at your timeline. Moreover, seeing the pictures of others make you feel that their life is more interesting than yours and hence you lose interest in studies.
• Take Regular Breaks – Sitting for long hours in the same place makes you feel like you are studying, but the fact is, you will just sit idle and stare at the book. Go outside and take a brisk walk, it will make you to return to your task refreshed and recharged. You will now focus more creatively.
• Eat Healthy – A healthy diet not only helps in concentration, but also have various benefits in your life. Eat food that is rich in all the necessary nutrients including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins. Avoid excessive intake of tea and coffee.
• Set Goals And Reward Yourself – Set a time limit before you start, for example : “I will finish chapter 3 in half an hour”. By setting this goal your subconscious mind will focus on completing the task within the time. Moreover, set a reward for yourself every time you accomplish a goal.
• Also, find out some tips that will improve your communication skills  and help you to communicate effectively in all aspects of your life, from your professional life to social gatherings and everything in between. You can never become super concentrated in your activities within a day. Keep practicing all the above mentioned tips and improve your concentration titan.

               

Motivational Stories    

Motivational stories have the ability to lift us up, make us smile, encourage, motivate, and teach us valuable life lessons. Here are some motivating stories that will hopefully help you spark that motivational feeling. They give us an empowering sense of hope, that if ‘he/she’ can do it, so can I.
Throughout history, people have used inspirational stories to teach, encourage, and inspire in hopes that the listener will use it as a stepping stone and as an example to live a better life. Some will make you think,, some will make you cry. Hopefully, some will give you that motivation to go for your dream.

The important thing to remember when reading these inspiring stories is that when you get that feeling of motivation, where you want to do something, do something. Nothing is more of a waste than to be inspired and motivated and not take any action. Your life will only change as a result of taking focused action. An inspirational story is nothing if it doesn’t cause you to do something or at least make you believe in yourself a bit more. Hopefully, these inspiring stories will change your life in some way.
If you have an inspiring story you’d  Enjoy these motivational stories!

To A Child – Love is Spelled T-I-M-E

What Is It?









The Story of the Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.
Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.

---

I came across this story somewhere…
Untitled
This is from an old story, back in the ’30s, in the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less. A 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
“How much is an ice cream sundae?” the little boy asked.
“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins he had. “Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.
By now, more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing very impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry. As she wiped down the table, there placed neatly beside the empty dish were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae because he had to have enough money to leave her a tip.

---

Boy Giving Blood
There was a story of a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a disease and needed blood from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,
“Yes, I’ll do it if it will save Liza.”
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.