Placement Season!

Placement season is one of the nervous times for all students. There is a lot of joy, disappointment and ecstasy involved during this time. I thought I would make it easier by specifying few guidelines to follow to land in a good job. 

In the recent past I have got calls regarding placements. I will try to answer all of them in the best possible way. 

Placement training is usually given before the commencement of the actual placements. This is kinda warm-up which would ease a few nerves. Try attending all the sessions if possible. I understand that few of you would not be able to attend all the sessions due to internship or any other reason. In that case make sure the questions are collected, solve them in free time which would be useful later.   

Firstly, you must know that it is a long process. It might take a few days or weeks or even months to get the first dream job! Patience is the key during this period. Luck plays quite a bit of role to an extent, so don't worry a lot when you see other friends get placed before you. After all 'Perseverance leads to success'.

The placement process happens mostly this way: there is a pre-placement talk given by the company. It is then followed by technical and/or aptitude written rounds depending on the company's job profile. The candidates short listed are called for the first technical interview. There could sometimes be a Group Discussion round before the interviews. There could be one or two technical interviews. In worst case even 3!! The technical interviews are followed by a managerial round and later a HR round to wind up things. This is a little specific to the circuit branches. There is often a coding round for software profiles. The duration of the interviews can range from few minutes to a couple of hours too!!  Few companies announce results the same day whereas some announce a while later.

Now coming to the preparation! Starting the preparation early will help a long way. Dedicate 1-2 hours each day for solving technical as well as aptitude questions. There are various websites which give aptitude questions, solving them is a good practice. Technical concepts are very much related to the syllabus of the corresponding branch. So revise the concepts studied in the previous semesters. In case the interviewer asks questions related to concepts not studied by you, you can tell it was not a part of your course. You will not be penalized for it. However, answering the other known concept related questions becomes important. Self confidence in the interviews is a crucial thing. Have trust in your answers and back it up with appropriate reasons. The interviewer might try to trick you. Be courageous and face it accordingly! 

Searching about the company profile at-least the previous day is important and can come in handy in the HR round to create some good impression. Make it a must to attend the pre-placement talk. Do not take it lightly. Many crucial things are told including the profiles offered and the pay! Make sure you go in formals for the interviews. That includes shoes and belt for sure! In case you are a day scholar, keeping a pair of clothes in your friend's hostel room can be helpful. This is particularly for the guys! Decent and well dressed clothes should do for the girls.    

Finally, try keeping in touch with the concepts at all times. Relax, stay confident and give it your best shot! 

BEST OF LUCK!