Senior Says…

Guest: K. V. NIKHIL

ECE (15R11A0485), 2019 Pass out

Back-end developer at Cognizant.

1. What was your experience like at the college?

a. Hmm…to put it in a couple of words- “Chaduvu takkuva, entertainment ekkuva”- Our college was a great hub for communication. Entertainment hub compared to other colleges. Not so strict.

2. How was your major related to your current work?

a. Honestly, nothing is related. My major was ECE and I am internet developer over here. I hope that is self-explanatory.

3. Which departments within your organization tend to hire (interns/entry-level)? Is there someone in the departments you would recommend students to contact?

a. Well, most of the “Programmer Analyst” positions in my organization are filled with fresh graduates. It is important to share a good rapport with your company’s HR. Therefore, I would recommend building contacts with your company HR. Never hesitate to contact them.

4. What type of professional development/ongoing training is available?

a. Programming training (like stack development) and soft skills training are mandatory for fresh graduates. However, most of this is not from the basics because you are expected to learn a minimum amount of these in college.

5. What do you wish you would have known as an incoming freshman?

a. I wish I would have known more about the importance of mastering a programming language or at the very least advanced coding in JAVA/PYTHON.

6. What would you look for if you were in the position to hire new graduates from Geethanjali?

a. Let us see…I would look lots of practical exposure. If the student were an ECE Major, then I would go for their projects. I also appreciate originality. Many ECE students do not have a background in programming (like PHP). I really believe in genuine work and honesty.

7. If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently?

a. (Laughs) I would definitely concentrate more on my JNTU exams!

I also regret not playing much sport because although I had the spirit, I was not able to find a good community that shared similar interests…So I would definitely try to play more sports regardless of finding a community.

8. What does an engineering student need apart from the curriculum? Could you recommend something that helps in professional development?

a. Concept Application, Business English Communication and Team-Management skills.

Organizations have a position called ‘POC’-Point of contact- this requires excellent team management and social skills. I highly recommend students to be self-dependent for jobs and self-development.

9. How did this institution make you a better person, other than academically?

a. College taught me time-management skills. I was a member of DoPY and PIRATES so I learnt lots of organization and management skills in order to keep up with my schedule.

I was not much of an extrovert. Events like VAISESHIKA and BHASWARA helped me step out of my comfort zone and improve myself a lot in areas like presentation and public speaking. So, I am really grateful for that.

10. What is the most probable job that one can expect after graduating? Please elaborate on this.

a. An average graduate (until 2019) can expect one of the three positions- Marketing Sales-Executive/ Software Engineer/ BPO. Very few companies come with core-related jobs in mind.

You can expect a salary package ranging from 1.8 LPA to 3–4 LPA. The highest salary you can expect can range between 7 to 12 LPA. It must be noted that all of the high salary packages mentioned can be through off or on-campus interviews.

11. What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to get a successful placement?

Coding, Aptitude and communication skills play lead roles in successful placement. I would be lying if I said CGPA does not matter. A decent CGPA plays a significant role in successful placement. As for character, most companies prefer extroverted and sociable people who can balance both their personal and professional life.

12. What do you think are the greatest advantages that students have in this period of COVID-19? What suggestions would you give to students who are graduating amidst this crisis?

a. Time. Great advantage. If someone is preparing for MTech/MS, this is the best time to get into the zone and prepare as much as possible.

b. For graduates who incline towards job searching, this is the best time to take up new projects/courses and develop your resume. The oncoming year will definitely have many vacancies so utilize this period to define yourself and find something that sets you apart.

13. What does a workday look like for you?

a. I work for 9 hours a day. A lot of time was used for commuting in the past but after the onset of the pandemic, it is just 9 hours. My job involves troubleshooting and maintenance of code so I have to be very meticulous. I spend my after-work-hours building my skill sets.

14. What do you enjoy most about the work you do? / What do you enjoy least?

a. Haha…well, it has been 9 months since I joined and I really enjoy the office atmosphere. It is so different from college! My workspace always gets me into the zone and I am fortunate to have pleasant colleagues. Most of the organization has a flat-type management structure so I do not have to bother with power plays. My superiors are very considerate of me.

b. Enjoy the least huh…I do not enjoy commuting to work. It takes up a lot of time and is very tiresome.

15. Any college expectations/myths about placement/job that you want to debunk?

a. Everyone just assumes competitive exams are so easy! I have heard the “One year of preparation…and DONE!” dialogue so many times!

You need lots of focus and preparation and you HAVE to start early. Practice makes perfect.

Another assumption is that CGPA is everything and if you excel in the academic syllabus, you will have a great life. This is nowhere near the practical knowledge companies demand so you have to explore and develop your knowledge in many concepts. This will help you with your competitive exams too.

Please go and give lots of off-campus interviews. Do not wait for the college to serve you jobs in a plate. Be independent.

16. Many students face the dilemma in their 3rd year- job or higher education. What is your response to this dilemma? Any recommendations?

a. I cannot be the judge of that as everybody has different priorities. However, I would definitely recommend students to go for higher education if they have the chance. It will give you lots of financial development in the long run and improve your career.

I also recommend students to not run in multiple directions. I have seen students prepare for GRE, GATE, CAT and GMAT-ALL AT ONCE. This is impossible. Please make up your mind and select one.

Also, please invest yourself in resume building. A job right after college can help you with your higher education SoPs (Statement Of Purpose) too.

17. We mostly hear about the Dos for a successful college life/good placement. What are your most important Don’ts?

a. Oooh…good one! My most important Don’ts would be:

Don’t always sit in class and keep studying like a school kid. Explore and learn. Use the library as we have tonnes of material there. Participate in lots of extra-curricular activities, workshops and internships. Companies love those.

Don’t leave backlogs to breed. Clear them as soon as possible. In fact, try to avoid them. A job may or may not but higher educational institutions definitely consider those.

18. What do you wish you had known when you were starting college or were in college?

a.Hahaha… I was one of those kids who joined college under the influence of Happy Days. Believe me when I say it was a rude shock! I really suggest being grounded and focusing on yourself.

I also wish I would have known the importance of the resources provided. Books are very costly outside. I took our library for granted!

Participation and organization in/of lots of activities gives you lots of advantage. Never forget that. I wish I would have known that.

Timing is one of the most important factors in order to maintain a successful college life.

19.In your opinion, what should be the main goal/milestone of a student for each year of the college?

a. Use your First Year as much as you can. Work hard, play hard. That is the most you are going to get. A good GPA here will compensate for your grade decline, if any.

Second Year is where the interlinking of subjects begins. Focus on gaining lots of conceptual knowledge. Participate in college events.

Third Year is the right time to search for practical knowledge/ applications of your core subjects. Start your mini-projects and plan your major ones. Go out for workshops. Think about what you will do after college.

Fourth year is the last so focus on interview skills and projects. Be ready to step out and pursue what you believe in.

20. What do you think about connecting with alumni? Does our college have an alumni association?

a. Networking is fundamental. It helps you easily accomplish many tasks that normally need preparation-financial and personal. There have been many cases of alumni staying abroad helping their juniors with accommodation and finance, or Alumni hiring talented juniors or recommending them for higher studies.

We do have an alumni association; (smiles) I am actually the joint secretary of the association now. Our association was always present, but it was never officially established.

We finally managed to make it official last year! Our main intention is to keep a track of all the alumni and make sure to maintain healthy connections with the college and students.

ALUMNI ARE IMPORTANT

21. Thank you so much for the interview! We loved the opportunity and look forward to such discussions further.

a. The pleasure was all mine! I am happy that I was of any help to the students. I would love to discuss more again sometime!