Due to my interactions with students on a daily basis, I am aware that the moment they reach their final year of education, the next item on their priority list is getting a job. And if they get that one dream job on campus, they surely feel a different high altogether. Being employed with an IT institute and working with companies from different verticals, gives me a picture of the various basic and not so basic requirements of students as well as companies involved in the placement process. Institutes should not just promote placements but they need to help students build necessary life skills outside academics which will eventually help them in their careers.
Placements - For Students: It is important that our students work on enhancing their social and cultural skills which will help them grow in the long run. We can help our students stay calm and prepared through various initiatives such as, by conducting training for tests conducted by companies, hackathons, alumni mentorship, and counseling (both career and psychological). Having internships as a part of the curriculum helps the students get a taste of the outside world while they are still under the Institute's umbrella.
Alumni members play a vital role in helping students prepare for their future. They give a clear picture of the world outside campus and help them groom themselves where needed. Our alumni have also played a vital role in connecting with the institute with various projects, start-ups, and research collaborations. When our students move out of the campus, they still carry our institute's values in them and as alumni, they are our brand ambassadors. Their work reflects the image of the institute.
Students support each other by following the one job per student rule so that each of them gets an opportunity to be placed. They work towards helping their classmates by solving problems together, taking mock interviews, having group discussions, getting industry panelists, etc.
Placements- For Companies: We create a brochure which gives the companies a clear picture of the rigorous curriculum our students go through along with the streams, placement procedure and so on. Most of the companies look at students who are well versed with their basics and many look for those with good coding skills. The attitude of students is a priority while recruiting students and they see a culture fit as well. Companies also need to stay true to the promises made during presentations. This plays an important role in employee retention. Students play a vital role in choosing which company they would prefer for campus recruitments and that is based mostly on the feedback given to them by seniors, job description, compensation, work culture, location, and designation. Companies can arrange for industrial visits for students so that students could get a feel of the atmosphere in the company.
Ways to enhance the connection: Placements, Alumni, Outreach and Incubation are important parts of an institute. Hence synergies should be built between them and industry. The faculty, staff, students and alumni play a vital role in the same. For example: We connect with our alumni to get involved in placements, and research collaborations. We help our Innovators connect with our students and industry to work on various projects, placements, conduct accelerator programs, and connect them with mentors from the industry. We also introduce the Industry to various activities other than placements and possible areas for collaboration like research, talks, mentorship, scholarships, and sponsorship. The institute organizes open house or tech- fest along with the students and faculty and helps connect with the industry.
Along with placements, industry must play a vital role in supporting the institute with joint research and consultancy, executive education for their employees, scholarships, becoming a part of the advisory board, Corporate Social Responsibility and by mentoring our students and innovators. In this manner, employers get a better picture of the work done by the Institute and also prepare the students to be a part of the industry and their companies in the future.
The placement recipe for students involve a base of basic knowledge topped by a layer of specialization and then a layer of presentation along with good communication and confidence adds the cherry on top. As for companies, even though the compensation they offer matters; a good number of students would love to be a part of an organization which will tickle their brains and make them a part of a challenging environment which will not only help them grow as a professional but also as an individual.
Roshni D'Souza, Placement Officer, IIIT-B
Roshni holds over 9 years of experience in both structured and unstructured environment in the service industry. A dynamic Client Servicing, Business Development and Recruitment Executive focused on optimization and integration of human capital with business strategies and competencies in handling managerial assignments across the corporate sector and Education sector.
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