Managing Hopes
Sai Dinesh
Former General Secretary, CCD
Placements is the buzzword of the campus when it comes to the penultimate semester of your engineering life. For one semester, you almost forget how much fun the previous three years of campus life was. From the perspective of a coordinator and student representative, I have come to understand the process to be a test of perseverance, patience, humility and composure more than intellect. Yes, your CPI does matter and so does your understanding of the courses. But before you start panicking about how high or low they are, you need to spend a considerable amount of time in self-assessment. What do you want?
At this point, many of us make the mistake of assuming that the job we secure on campus is the job we would be doing for our entire life; some of us also imagine ourselves retiring with the same profile that we started off with. But it is the 21st century and people face no problems in switching careers, thanks to eLearning and MOOCs. In fact, cross disciplinary experience is a bonus due to the immense overlap among various fields. So my personal advice would be not to think more than 5 years ahead. It’s okay to switch careers later if you aren’t satisfied.
The Placement Team puts its best effort to call bigger and better companies every year. While the team members might get an additional point on their resume to flaunt around; they also devote a considerable chunk of their time and energy to serve the campus and its graduating batch. So make sure you cooperate with them and give positive criticism in case you would like to, rather than resorting to counterproductive rants on social media or in person. We at CCD gather feedback not only from the recruiting companies but also from the students appearing for placements and from our seniors working in various corporate sectors. Depending on this feedback, soft-skill development sessions and other general fundae sessions are conducted. It is utmost important to attend these sessions and pick up some points that would give you an edge over the others in the final showdown.
With all the cut-throat competition and fast paced life, it’s not going to be easy. It will be a test of temperaments, friendships and fortune (unfortunately luck does play its role at times :P ).
I loved working for the CCD because I felt responsible and satisfied that my work would create a difference in so many people’s lives — I get to play a role in helping everyone launch successful careers. My work also plays a crucial role in shaping the image of IIT Guwahati among various MNCs and corporate giants. All in all it was a roller coaster ride which changed my perspective about many of my peers. Many people I classified as ‘ghissu’, ‘maggu’, ‘khadoos’, ‘selfish’ stood there in chilling Umiam corridors prepping their peers for their interviews and helping them land the job of their dreams.
Finally, I also request and appeal to you all to not get disheartened if the results are not in your favour. Remember the ‘fortune’ part of my monologue? It’s going to be fine.
We are all made for different things, to achieve different goals and to make a difference in our own ways. Always have a plan B ready and remember that you are among the few brightest minds of India. You proved yourself to come here and you will fare well wherever you go from here.
Maybe your story is just a little different; maybe the universe wants you to do the hiring instead of getting hired; maybe you are going to serve the nation or make a difference to the society in your own unique way. So just “Keep Calm, Explore and Hustle!”
Peace!
