PLACEMENT PREPARATION - BASICS

All the pre-placement preparations, discussions and tension, here are a few tips you can follow.

 Deciding on the company: The most important thing to do is to decide on the companies you would like to attend. Be very careful while deciding; leave out a company only if you are confident about yourself. Make sure you know the present placement policy of our college (how many offers you can have) and decide suitably. If you are not sure of which company u would like to be in, the best thing to do is to attend all companies until you u get placed. But, it is recommended that you know about the companies that are coming in for recruitment before deciding. 

Resume: Resume is probably the most important thing you will carry with you to the interviews. The resume should be flawless. Check your resume and correct spelling mistakes. The interviewer might ask you a few questions regarding the information in your resume. Therefore, it is recommended that you are aware of what you have put in your resume. It is best not to go too far from the truth. A resume usually starts with the objective. It tells the interviewer what you strive to achieve in his/her company. State your objective clearly and precisely. Do search the net and check your seniors’ resumes to get an idea about this. Also, do not exaggerate where you should not. For example, listing Microprocessors (8085/8086) under technical skills when you have no knowledge on the architecture would give you a few negative marks. 

Achievements: Take time to think about all your achievements in life. It could be academics or personal achievements (like winning a competition) or sports. Certificates of all these might be asked in your interview. Please do not add things like- ‘I was a school topper in 9th std. Such things can not be proved, nor do they say much about you. Academic achievements should at least be from your tenth grade. 

Hobbies and interests: People sometimes get caught here. The golden rule is to never bluff. For example, saying philately is your hobby when the only stamp u ever had was the smiling Gandhi, could get you in lot of trouble. You can specify only one hobby that is truly yours, rather than mentioning four or five general hobbies. Remember the company people are not hiring you for your hobbies!! 

The D-Day: Schedule: 

1. PPT (Pre-placement talk). 

2. Aptitude/technical test (written or computer aided). 

3. GD (group discussion-optional depending on the companies). 

4. Technical interview. 

5. HR interview. (Some times both technical and HR are clubbed). 

PPT (Pre-placement talk): The pre-placement talks are very important as they give very useful information about the company such as the training period, service agreement (bond), and (the most important) pay packages! The PPT will give you a fair idea about the company (which comes handy in your interviews). 

Aptitude/technical test: Depending on the company there will be an aptitude and/or verbal and/or technical or all three. Prepare well for these tests and search the net for previous years question papers. It helps most of the times to be prepared for this kind of thing. The scores will be relative (at least in most companies), if the papers are difficult. So, give it your best shot and hope for the best. 

GD: (May or may not be present depending on the companies) GD stands for group discussion and not group debate! The content is more important than the quantity. Personally, I would say the only way to prepare for this is take part in GDs as often as you must. So, do make GD groups amongst yourselves. Remember - 

o Never look at the panelists. 

o Never get into an argument with another participant.

 o Never start of the GD if you’re not sure what the topic of discussion is. 

o Be as calm as possible. And try to look at every one who are participating as you talk. Address the group when you speak. 

o Be clear and make your point short. 

o Avoid ‘er’-ing through the points. 

Interviews: 

Greet the interviewers with a ‘good Morning/afternoon/evening’ according to the time. 

Be confident when you greet them and when you shake hands. 

Then sit down when asked to and wait for further instructions. 

Do not cross your hands or legs or any part of your body. 

Do not shake or look away. 

Maintain eye contact as you speak. 

Do not panic and bluff when asked a question. 

A simple ‘no’ would suffice if you do not know the answer. 

For those who get placed at the very first attempt, that’s good going! For those who do not, don’t get disheartened. Every one cannot be placed in the very first company they attend! Think about where you went wrong. If u feel u had given your best shot and still didn’t get placed then remember, rewards await for those who wait.