Getting a job offer in a campus placement drive is one of the biggest concerns of students in their final year of college. Unless you study at a top institute, opportunities will be fewer than the number of students. While preparing for campus placements, it is important to know what an organization looks for in a new hire from the campus. Let’s discuss how to make the best of campus recruitment.
Company Research
Start your preparation by researching the companies you are sitting for. Understand the job description properly. This information usually helps a candidate to make the right answers and frame statements based on the need of the job role. You may use the Internet for your primary research about the company. Get an idea about what they look for in a candidate and prepare accordingly. Most of the companies have a standard set of questions that they repeat throughout the whole placement session wherever they go. You may also go through review sites like Glassdoor to get an understanding of the questions asked in previous interviews.
Read the ‘about us’ page on the company website and listen carefully during the company presentations generally held before the Interview process. When you are given the opportunity to ask questions do not hesitate and show how much you are already familiar with the company and your job profile. Good questions to ask will be about a typical day at the job, about the interviewer’s job profile, what qualities they look for in a prospective employee, or something unique you noticed during the presentation.
Mention Company Project
Write briefly about your company projects in a resume and if given the opportunity explain to the interviewer later on during the actual interview and impress him. If you are any good you can easily divert the whole interview process towards your projects and questions based on them. Prepare in advance and read about your projects thoroughly. There is no excuse for failing to explain whatever you did during the time of the interview.
Make a Good Resume
Your resume is your opportunity to make that first impression. In a campus placement interview, it is crucial to make your resume appealing and easy to understand. Use bullet points to help the recruiter understand your achievements quickly. To create a job-winning resume one should make sure to add an interesting objective, academic summary, skills, work experience (internship, volunteer work) and leave enough white space to not make your resume cluttered.
Prepare for Selection Rounds
Aptitude test: Most companies that visit engineering colleges and MBA colleges opt for the aptitude test to gauge the intellect of candidates. Aptitude test is one of the hurdles that you are required to clear before you could reach the next round in a campus interview.
Group Discussions and case studies: Some companies start their campus placement interviews with group discussions and case studies. Some companies look for candidates who are comfortable in groups and can share their views confidently and get along with others without being brash or offensive. Your communication skills will come to your help here. Work on your spoken English, if required. Speak slowly and think before you make a point.
Interpersonal skills: Having good communication skills is as important as having good grades. Just having good grades without having the right personality to back it up sometimes backfires with many companies. Most companies prefer a candidate who can communicate well over a candidate with more knowledge but poor communication skills.
Dress Properly
Interviewers want the candidate to at least dress up well and come to the interview and present themselves in a nice way. Interviewers often face a time crunch during campus recruitment and under such circumstances, so the first impression matters. Dressing well doesn’t only help with leaving a good first impression but also helps in boosting your confidence. The key lies in wearing something you are comfortable with and confident in.
So, follow these tips for preparing for campus placements and get the job you deserve. All the best!
