Placement is a dynamic process in any management college managed by a specialised body run by students and faculty collaboratively.
The placement process is not a one-day process, but can take up to a year or more.
It is a multi-stage process, properly coordinated and supervised by experienced people in any college, as it is the most important outcome any student wants to get from the investment they make in their degrees.
Why is the Placement Cell Important?
Every college has its own placement cell, which looks after all the placement as well as internship activities of the college.
The placement cell consists of the students only, but is supervised by a faculty member.
Final year students are generally the heads of different departments in the placement cell, whereas second year students are taken as placement coordinators.
The following are the important functions performed by the placement cell in a college throughout the year-
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The placement cell prepares a list of prospective companies that can be attracted to their college to offer opportunities to the students.
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Next, they reach out to those shortlisted companies to maintain a connection.
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The placement cell prepares the list of eligible students who wish to sit in the placement process.
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The placement cell calls for CV vetting and documentation from all the eligible students to maintain their database.
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The placement cell of every college also maintains relationships with alumni of the college.
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Not just the final placement opportunities, a placement cell in a college also attracts internship opportunities for its students.
What Is The Final Placement Process?
The following are the step-by-step procedures in the on-campus placement process-
1. Reach Out
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Either companies reach out to the placement cell or the members of the placement cell reach out to the companies in order to invite them to present placement offers to their students.
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The placement cell coordinates with the designated recruiters of the companies and knows about their requirements in detail.
2. Pre-Placement Talk
- Pre-placement talk is conducted by almost every recruiter to orient students about their company and the positions they offer.
- Students are informed about all the communications regarding the schedule of the pre-placement talks by the placement cell.
- It is a session that is around 1 to 1.5 hours long.
3. Application Stage
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After conducting preplacement talks, companies open up their application forms from a specific date.
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Students who attend the pre-placement talk and get interested in applying for roles fill out the application form.
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The application forms may contain questions like personal information, educational information, and some questions that can be used to eliminate students.
4. Screening Test
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Generally, the recruiters conduct a screening test to further screen the eligible students who possess sufficient aptitude.
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A screening test is designed by the companies and sent to the placement cell.
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The placement cell sends the test credentials to the students and asks them to appear for the test within a specific deadline.
5. Group Discussions
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The company shortlists students based on performance in the screening test and communicates the results to the placement cell.
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The placement cell of the college further informs the shortlisted students about clearing this screening test and gives information about the further process of group discussion.
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In a group discussion, students are divided into groups of 5 to 6 people, and they are allotted a specific topic to think about for 2 to 3 minutes. After that, they are allowed to speak up and discuss the same topic.
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The group discussion process is supervised and analysed by the recruiter.
6. Personal Interview
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Personal interviews are the final stage of the placement process.
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Students in the qualifying group discussions are informed about their interview schedules through the placement cell itself.
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Generally, slots of 30 minutes are given to each student.
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Interviews can be conducted in 2 to 3 rounds as well, depending on the company.
7. Final Offers
Once the interviews are conducted, the company shortlists selected students, prepares a list, and forwards it to the placement cell.
Students are given a timeline to either accept or reject the offer extended to them by the respective companies.
Students accepting the offer must sign an offer letter or give their confirmation within the timeline to confirm things.
8. Onboarding
After students are allotted the final offer letters, the role of the placement cell almost finishes.
And now the students and companies go on developing and maturing their work relationships.
