Students’ Speak: Success is measured by others, but satisfaction comes from the heart

The entire placement process and journey of an NITK, Surathkal student in a nutshell.

At NITK, we have student placement coordinators who help the placement cell to carry out the placements and internships. There are about 150 student placement coordinators in a year, and about 100 internship coordinators. The placement cell contacts the companies and gives the contact details of the HR to the student coordinators. The student coordinators then approach the HRs for cut-off criteria, package negotiation, eligibility criteria, eligible branches and other things. Also, student coordinators search for company details and contact information and give to placement cell head to request them for coming for on-campus recruitment. The whole process is coordinated and monitored in a website portal (known as IRIS in NITK). Rest of the students have access to the portal and they can check for the companies coming for the interview, what is the package and what are the eligibility criteria, and then apply to seat for the campus placement process.

I have had an interest in aptitude from my school days. I love to solve puzzles and can solve 3X3 Rubik’s cube in less than two minutes. There are multiple websites having aptitude questions which helped me in preparing for aptitude tests. Speaking and listening are one of the major skills needed to crack any group discussion and interview. We used to have mock group discussions, interviews, which helped us prepare for the placement process. I used to present seminars and sessions on a few subjects (Business intelligent software like Tableau, SAP) which helped me gathering the ability to speak with confidence and also nurtured my storytelling abilities.

Apart from gathering knowledge about course subjects, knowing the company and the profile for which we are applying is also required. At the time of the interview, I was asked questions based on my previous work experience, internship and the certifications that I have done. Nothing was asked out of my resume.

Just keep in mind to add all the details you are confident about in your resume. Do not add fake information to boost your resume. It could land you in trouble. Always remember, that the interviewer knows more than you, so don’t try to play around if you don’t know. Try to show interest in knowledge gathering and should have the passion to learn more. An MBA student must have qualities like fluency in speaking, presenting, should have proper body language, confidence and attire. The feeling that someone should have to speak with you is you are capable enough to take responsibilities. MBA’s are supposed to be managers and they are supposed to be leading a team/firm. So, that quality should reflect from your personality, your posture and your behaviour. Studying case studies and make presentations, be very fluent with MS office tools, and reading books are mandatory. Reading books and having book reviews help us in getting a great amount of knowledge in a small amount of time. Lastly, don’t be sad if you fail in one interview. There are many companies, try harder and learn from your mistakes. And also, don’t get jealous of seeing your friends’ package. Always remember, success is measured by others, but satisfaction comes from the heart. It’s up to you, whether you want to be successful in someone else’s terms or satisfied with your own terms.

My Placement Story

I am currently placed with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Bengaluru, as a SAP Functional Consultant with a package of Rs 7 lakh per annum. Before joining NITK for MBA, I was working with Capgemini, Hyderabad, as an Associate Consultant (Software Developer role), with a package of Rs 4 lakh per annum. The two-year MBA course at NITK cost me around Rs 3 lakh,  including hostel and food. So, looking from a point of return on investment (ROI), I am satisfied with the package I got at TCS. The highest package offered to my class was Rs 8 lakh per annum by Deloitte. The average package offered was Rs 4.5 lakh per annum.

About the Author:

Rishav Saha is a student at National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal pursuing MBA. He describes himself as an ENFJ personality who believes in working hard to get success, loves photography, swimming and trekking. He has a working experience of over three years and has completed his Bachelor in Technology from Government College of Engineering, Berhampore.