Don’t Let A Lack Of Exposure Shackle Your Dreams

Name: Niharika J Gupta
College: IIT Roorkee
Degree: M.Tech. in Nanotechnology
Dream Companies: Intel, IBM, Texas Instruments

Niharika is an M.Tech. student of IIT Roorkee currently specializing in Nanotechnology. She developed an avid interest in the VLSI and Nanotechnology while completing her undergrad degree in ECE from a college in Bangalore and thus sought to leverage the IIT brand to further her academic journey in the domain.

“Big companies like Texas Instruments and Intel didn’t come down for campus placements to my undergrad college”

says Niharika, sheepishly. However, she didn’t let her lack of exposure in her undergraduate degree come in the way while applying to Internships and Jobs during her M.Tech. Niharika, determined to acquaint herself with how giants like Texas Instruments recruit, decided to take up the Job Coach Programme. Job Coach is a comprehensive placement training programme offered by TapChief to prepare for the recruitment processes of top companies in India.

Her choice of a Career Coach on TapChief couldn’t be better, Gunvarun Singh. Gunvarun, an Analog Design Engineer at Texas Instruments, has trained and helped various students achieve their Career Aspirations in the Electrical Domain on TapChief.

The soft-spoken Niharika, immediately perks up when asked about her training on TapChief. Here is our conversation with Niharika about her experience with Job Coach Program:

Can you tell us what led you to take up an M.Tech in the Nanotechnology Domain?

Niharika: A couple years into my undergrad degree (Niharika graduated as an EC Engineer from Bangalore), I had decided to go for higher studies. I developed an interest in VLSI and Nanotechnology, and decided to go for an M.Tech. in Nanotechnology at IIT Roorkee, because it would give me a chance to do my masters from an IIT.

And why is that?

Niharika: The answer to that is simple. While I still maintained an avid interest in VLSI, Nanotechnology was what was being offered by IIT Roorkee. I knew that the IIT brand would give me access to bigger and better opportunities than my undergrad college in Bangalore could.

Alright, that sounds fair. When did you first hear about TapChief and what made you sign up?

Niharika: I first heard of TapChief from my university mail. I immediately checked the website out and realized that the main source of all career advice on TapChief were real, working professionals currently in the industry. I figured

“Who better to teach me than someone who is already walked a career path that I want to”

and thus I signed up.

That’s great to hear Niharika. Can you tell us a bit about the Career Coach you chose and what you liked best about him?

Niharika: I chose Gunvarun Singh, an Analog Design Engineer working at Texas Instruments. Choosing him was a no-brainer for me the moment I saw his profile, it was exactly what I wanted for myself.

Analog Design Engineer ✔️️
Experience in the VLSI domain ✔️️
Worked at Texas Instruments ✔️️

Once my training sessions started on TapChief, I realized that Gunvarun was extremely down-to-earth and knowledgeable, yet professional. He was extremely patient with me throughout the whole training process and humoured all my doubts and queries. I am glad I chose him as my coach.

Coming to your Training Sessions. What was your favourite part of the training on TapChief?

Niharika: The training type I chose on TapChief consisted of 4 sessions. Starting from an intro sessions for Career Counselling and Resume Building to my final sessions for Interview Preparation and a Mock Interview.

While I did find all of these sessions extremely helpful, my favourite part was the feedback Gunvarun gave me.

The feedback? Can you elaborate on that?

Niharika: Yes, the feedback. The feedback that Gunvarun had to give me was invaluable. Because,

He was someone who had been through the recruitment process before and knew exactly where I had scope of improvement.

He was a working professional, he could gauge where I’d fall short on the job and could do better, then.

After my feedback, I have the kind of validation that most students don’t. Now,

“I am confident about my strengths and aware of weaknesses in a way, that I have never been before. As a result of my feedback, I now know my exact next steps to land my Dream Job”

Woah! Well, apart from the feedback, what would you say is Gunvarun’s biggest contribution to your placement preparation?

Niharika: I received the feedback towards the end of my 4 sessions, however what puts me in a position to use this feedback the best, is the resources that Gunvarun shared with over the course my sessions on TapChief. Whether, it was over a session or via chat, he would make it a point to share study materials and resources relevant to my training all the time. I really loved that, as someone who has an avid interest in the domain…

“I always had the right study material and resources to refer to throughout my training”

Alright, then. One final question. Would you recommend TapChief to your fellow batchmates and if yes, why?

Niharika: Yes, I definitely would. TapChief didn’t let my lack of exposure limit my career opportunities. I believe that students should take the Job Coach program up to validate their preparation and find the direction their placement preparation should take.

We decided to turn the tables a bit and ask Gunvarun what he thought about Niharika and her training on TapChief. Here is what he had to say,

“She was very enthusiastic in knowing about the TI placement process and also about the kind of work freshers are allotted in the semiconductor industry. I was highly impressed by her curiosity and eagerness to learn.”

Looks like Niharika is going places, and Team TapChief wishes her the best in all her endeavours. TapChief has been helping thousands of students overcome hurdles to achieve the career aspirations they dreamed of. Know more about how we can help you land your Dream Job →Sign up now