Opportunities to enter the industry

The placement process at engineering colleges across the City has been on in full swing ever since the beginning of the second semester.  Students have been involved in preparing for group discussions and interviews, attending workshops and taking courses to help them master the process.

While a few lucky ones have already been placed with the companies of their choice, there are still some students who are still on the lookout for employment opportunities. And although, most of the engineering colleges are scheduled to resume classes only in the first week of February, these students are still neck-deep in preparation.

At Reva Institute of Technology and Management, the students have been going through this process for a while now. The college did everything it could to prepare the students to face the companies that visited campus. In fact, the management organised workshops that guided the students in tackling every step of the recruitment process.

Kundan, a final-year student, explains, “We had pre-placement preparation for about six months. This was quite comprehensive — we were guided in terms of the aptitude tests and comprehension. Our college has a tie-up with a particular institution and teachers from there came to help us. All the arrangements were made to prepare us.”

Dijin, another final-year student, belongs to the lucky section who has already been placed with the company of his choice. Excited about the prospect of working in the coming year, he says, “I have been placed as a business analyst with a good firm. I had been looking for exactly such an opportunity. In this sort of job, one has to interact with clients, meet new people and learn new things — it’s not just about sitting at a desk and coding.”

He recalls preparing extensively to sit for the various stages of recruitment. “Our college gave us extensive training — there was one course six months before the placement process began and then another one later. In addition to this, I also helped organise our annual fest, ‘Revamp’, and I felt that that really helped me gain confidence. It taught me how to handle stress, which came in handy when I was sitting for my interviews,” adds Dijin.

Not all the students have been placed yet, though. Some are still waiting for the company of their choice to visit campus.

Shailesh Kumar Mishra, also a final-year student, says, “I’m interested in getting into development,
so I’m waiting for such a company to come to recruit. As of now, many technical support companies have come, but I didn’t want to sit for them. Our placement coordinator has been giving us tips on how to handle the interview, which I hope will be helpful.”

On the whole, though, the students feel that the number of companies visiting the campus has reduced in this year.   

“Currently, the market is bad for placement. Companies are being choosy and picking very few people. However, according to our placement coordinator, five to ten more companies will be coming before the February,” sums up Dijin, on an optimistic note.