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WHAT THE COMPANIES HAD TO SAY
Most companies have given positive feedback about students this year, but there are a few opinions we can take note of and work on. Tata Consulting
Engineers was one company that was rather miffed that students took very little interest in the placement test and that a large number of blank answer sheets
were turned in. Tata Motors was disappointed at the low awareness about the automobile industry among students sitting for placements, and said that students
must be more knowledgeable to stand a chance of making the job. Cairn Energy complained that students’ competence in the field of electrical engineering is
very low, but Ahmed assures us that the new course structure will remedy this issue.
We assimilated data from
the last four semesters
and found that the percentage of students placed
in each discipline varies
rather irregularly. The percentages of some disciplines are still slightly feverish. Calling more companies over can only do so
much as increase your
chances, says the Placement Unit coordinator in
this regard.
This is the graph that your mother wants you to see.
Cutting it along the imaginary perforations, pasting it
on the walls of your room and observing it religiously
is known to bring about good results in the near future. Incongruities do occur every now and then.
While a Japanese company, Hikari Tsushin, offering
jobs worth INR 23 lakh to five and six pointers does
seem like a violation of logical methods on the surface, some people will argue that a person’s CGPA is
one of many criteria that must be taken into consideration during his recruitment.
HOW TO MAKE THAT JOB
Based on recurring trends, number crunching and feedback from companies, the PU coord had a few tips he wanted to share.
cut-paste onto a senior’s CV, since the format is fixed anyway, choosing
your words carefully and personalizing your bio-data is a huge step towards a good placement.
CGPA
Awareness
Take a look at this year’s statistics and let your jaw drop as you try to assimilate the plain truth that you have been trying to elude from day one –
chances of getting placed and your pay package rise exactly as the CG
does. Ahmed explains this trend by pointing out that the CG is the only
uniform parameter companies have to evaluate on a student’s capabilities,
and will fall back on it. The notion that companies don’t prefer to hire
people with incredibly high CGs is an absolute myth, he saying, “Why
would any company not want a 9 or 10 pointer? Some firms even make
this their sole criterion – they will hire the applicants with the top 10 CGs
and there is absolutely nothing you can do to help this.” Such absurdities
apart, Ahmed mentioned that a substantial number of companies do have
CG cut-offs for allowing people to sit for recruitments.
Knowing every detail of the fundamentals and applications of one’s discipline, being well-informed about the company whose test you are taking
and being generally aware about goings-on in the rest of the world are very
important too. General aptitude is often tested via logical reasoning.
CV
Ahmed also tells us that a resume is a big deal. Although it is common to
Soft Skills
Companies are increasingly using group discussions as a methods of
screening these days, and here, your ability to put information and ideas
across to others is tested as much or more than your technical skill. Shyness is not an excuse at all, Ahmed says, and confidence is highly valued.
‘It’s obviously an art to impress someone in ten minutes,’ Ahmed says, and
if you can do this, you wield a powerful weapon.
He signs off on another note altogether, though – This is only your first
job, and neither this nor your college defines your career. That’s your and
your responsibility alone.