It takes a good deal of perseverance to step into a prestigious B-school. The journey begins with a series of examinations, rejections, interviews, long days of anxious wait, rejections, and finally a ray of light in the form of admission. Then, you incur a massive loan and step into a B-school. For a newbie who does not know the workings of a B-school, it might be a daunting atmosphere within the campus. But the school has other priorities. The school fights to maintain its spot in the ranking tree. The prime indicator of ranking is that of
placements. The often asked question by aspirants is about the placement scenario in B-schools. No time is given to students to get acclimatized to the B-school atmosphere before SIPs are thrown into the mix. Is it fair to students?
Few days into the journey, realization dawns upon the student. There is way too much to do here. The workload, the committee work, exams, and internship preparations threaten to drown you. But it is not all that bad. The experience is quite enjoyable with the right kind of people with you. It is in the aspect of
Summer Internship Placements that schools are unfair. Why is it so?
CV preparation – The exercise is pretty easy for that group who have enough to fill the one-pager. There are a group of students who find it hard to find important points to create a one-page CV. Those caught in the crosshairs compare themselves with their peers. There is the constant anxiety of doing something on campus to fill those last few lines on a CV.
The validity of CV points – Every single student has been a convenor of an event during their undergrad. It makes one wonder if all the convenors in the country are in B-schools. If these points are empty shells, then what is the purpose of having them?
Placement Season – The one-pager is fabricated, and people start preparing for interviews. The sheer multitude of companies that visit the campus is overwhelming. Students are bombarded by countless companies, their selection processes, and interviews. The first few processes are done diligently, with care. Beyond the tipping point, the processed is mechanized with the constant filling of assessments with a hope that a shortlist arrives.
Shortlists – The synonym for disappointment. Shortlists turn believers of the system into atheists. Those expected to make the cut sometimes do not make it. Months of being bent over a laptop screen, trying to squeeze the maximum out of your life into a CV seems futile.
GD’s/Interviews – The ultimate test of endurance ends with this process. Multiple interviews lined up on a single day is unfair. A lot that happens in those few days is left to chance. The calibre/skill of a candidate takes the back seat in the mad rush to wrap up the process.
Halfway through the process, people start praying for the end. It does not matter for the student what the outcome of the process is. Any result seems like a welcome relief at the point. To sit through this daunting series of events where the outcome is a mixture of chance and luck is unfortunate.
To be pragmatic, this system of placements is not going away any time soon. The mental constitution of the students, the pressure and anxiety that students go through falls far below on the priority list. ‘X institute completes placement in record Y days,’ is what schools want. It has become a measure of success. But, it comes at a cost.
The article presents a specific POV of looking at placements. In the end, it is half and half. One half of the student community is satisfied with the result while the other half is not satisfied. On the positive side, the experience and sense of community that you get during the process are undeniably unique. It is as if an army of alien recruiters invades your campus and the student community unites to save itself.
The season of SIP placements is around the corner. There is a dream company, profile, or job that one aspires for. Give the very best that you can at this juncture with a pragmatic outlook at the outcome. More importantly, look out for one other during the season. It is a complicated process. By the end of it, you will have memorable experiences to share and laugh about on a pleasant summer day.
In sum, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.