And now for the denouement

Updated on: Tuesday, December 20, 2011

For engineering students in the State, the exam season is over and they will enter a new semester by the dawn of the New Year. Colleges under some universities have already started the new semester.

For the final-year students, major recruiters have come and gone and their final semester should see some staggered placement opportunities here and there. And for the batch graduating in 2013, the coming six-month period is going to be crucial with respect to how things turn out when companies come visiting in August-September 2012.

How the placements for the 2013 batch will go will depend on the economic conditions prevailing at that time and the response of the companies to that scene. Nevertheless, based on the past trend, unless something really bad happens, things are going to be business as usual at the campus drives. If everything should go well, the planning has to start now. At the individual level, quite a few things have to be done. First, one should be clear about what one wants. There are students who are in a dilemma as to whether to go for a job or for higher studies. Many students doing courses other than in information technology (IT) have a conflict in their minds as to whether to be choosy about their core sector jobs, which are fewer, or go for IT jobs that are more easily available.

Never be under the impression that these issues will get resolved themselves with passage of time. You will have to work towards clearing this fix. Confusion in the mind will only pull you back and hinder you from giving off your best. In a competitive forum, that will surely work against you.

If you are to do well during placements, prepare for the tests and the subsequent rounds — be it interview, group discussion or something else. Do research on the recruiters and their recruitment process. You will understand that aptitude tests are going to play a pivotal role there. Doing well in those tests requires a good amount of preparation.

Recruiters typically test the students' quantitative, analytical, verbal, and technical proficiencies through the tests. Understand your present level in these areas by taking an assessment test. If you are falling short of the required performance level, you should take proactive steps to bridge it through preparation or training. Six months will be required to bring about a marked change in performance.

From a college point of view, now is the time to review and put things in place for the next placement season — be it with respect to planning which all companies to target, understanding how the next batch of students is like, assessing their readiness for placements, setting realistic expectations based on past experiences, planning the training programmes, doing a handholding activity for weaker students, updating the student databases, and so on. This is the time to start focussing attention on a bright placement for the 2013 batch, though the responsibilities and duties towards the final-year students are far from over.

As one television commercial goes, “Failing to plan is like planning to fail.”

The author is a Partner in Konfidence

And now for the denouement

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