I know Srinjoy Santra (सृंजय साँतरा) personally; we’re batchmates, good friends and we’re colleagues in HighRadius! He has almost covered everything that you need to know( refer to his answer[1]) about placement preparation.
Besides that, I’d like to cover the Group Discussion and Interview part.
After you’re done with the written and Coding round some companies call you for group discussion.
- Try being fluent with English. If your spoken English is not so good or you’re kinda introvert and prefer silent and shy during group discussion I can bet you’re not gonna clear it.
1) So from the very first year keep some time for yourself to work on your English.
2) Try watching every English movie and web-series without subtitles. This will help you prepare your ears for English.
3) Try being interactive from now onwards. I’m not telling you to be extrovert, but at least be an ambivert, be co-operative. Whenever you get a chance to represent your department or represent your class don’t miss that, this will help you build a good grip over fluent and spoken English.
4) KIIT CAAS Department sometimes organizes some events like ‘Mock GD’ or ‘Mock PI’s…do not miss them. They will help you figure out your weaknesses and where you’re lagging.
- Build problem-solving and analytical-thinking skills. In most cases, Group Discussions includes case study analysis. In that case, the panel gives you a paper where some details about a particular case are written and you, in a group, has to discuss it and fetch the conclusions.
1) Start making a habit of reading the newspaper and keep yourself updated with the latest national and international facts, not only in your domain but also in other domains as well. For example, ‘Google releases a new product’ or ‘Petroleum price in India drastically decreases’ etc. After some days try to think of your own about what will be the consequences and effects of such international and national events.
2) Start listening more and speaking less! Case studies(also interviews!) are not only about conclusions but also about your approach to solve a problem. If you have a good habit of listening to other people’s solutions then only you can fetch out the jewel ones.
After you clear the Group Discussion. Personal Interviews come. In case of PIs there are mainly 3 stages. Technical-1, Technica-2, HR. Or sometimes Technical, Managerial and HR. Here are some tips to crack your interviews.
- Be comfortable with the panel. The person who will be taking your interview is also a human being! Just imagine like you’ve met an old friend after a long time, and he/she’s very curious about you. Remember, they’re here to select you, not to reject you.
- Be honest but not an open book. When you put your resume in front of the panel and they interact with you for a few minutes, they know almost everything about you they need to know. Trust me! In case you face a tough question try solving that fast instead of giving up. In most cases, they need your approach only.
- Avoid bluffing. Really not recommended by me! Instead from now onwards build good projects and skillset but don’t lie on your resume. If you lied on your resume then you have to lie in the interview as well and that’s pretty risky. They’re pretty much smarter than you can ever imagine.
- Introspect. Some common questions that are asked in an interview are ‘Tell me something about yourself’, ‘What are your weaknesses’, ‘What are your strength’, ‘Why do you consider yourself fit for this job’, ‘What are your hobbies’ and lastly the most popular ‘Do you have a question for us!’ They all are tricky questions and a wrong move will put your whole game in trash. So give yourself enough time to search on the internet on how to face this kind of questions. In most cases, the answers vary depending on who you are and for which job role you’re applying for in which company.
Keep in touch with seniors and communities. Keep in touch with Professors of your department and KIIT T&P and CAAS. That’s all.