Placements: the barometer of a college’s efficiency, the test of an institution’s brand and the face of the B-school that draws in its candidates. With the season of placements fast approaching, there is quite a flurry in the minds of students — a rumble on the inside telling them ‘This is what you came for and now is the time to put your foot on the throttle’.
When I first joined college, I never really thought of placements, even though that was one of my main criteria for selecting colleges. During the management programme, I had the time of my life meeting new people, getting used to volatile schedules and just living the awesome life.
Over time, that got institutionalised in my system. A routine that was not a ‘routine’ made me stay in college from dawn till dusk. So much so, that I coined a term for myself — ‘The Day-Hosteller’!
But after all the fun and frolic, we know that now, the time to truly prove ourselves has finally arrived — when even the smallest habit like daily sessions of newspapers, preparing PowerPoints, public speaking trials and case study analyses, pay rich dividends.
Under the spotlight
However, if there is something that it truly worth preparing for the most, it is the answer to the vaguest question in the history of interviews: Tell me about yourself.
It may sound clichéd, but fact is most of us know so much about world leaders, business tycoons and economic empires that we fail to know about ourselves!
I am pretty sure your preparations are going splendidly well but if there is something I would like you to take away from this piece, it is that you must spend time getting to know yourself, the person you are. Not only will this boost your confidence in interviews and show you areas of improvement, it will also help you realise whether you fit in the role or the organisation that comes knocking on the doors of your campus.
At the end of the day, only when you are in the environment suited to your way of working can you grow and shine.
So do whatever it takes. Ask people what they think of you or just have a cup of coffee with yourself, so that when you sit in the interview, you can set the tone and the pace and know for sure that, in that moment, you’re your best and most positive self.
All the best for placements, everyone. Blossom where you’re planted!
(For more videos on how to appear for placement, visit our Placement Prep Section and visit our YouTube channel here .)