Hacking Campus Placements

Campus placements have started and I have attended the placements process, both from college and a few good startups off campus. It was tough initially, but I finally got offers from two companies, one of which is Mu Sigma. And it seems like I have learnt a lot about how placements and job interviews work during this period. So I decided to jot down the general preparation tips & tricks that will help you crack these placements.

Note: Campus placements in general are going to be a bit tighter than the previous years given the current economic situations and the general slow-down in hiring. Only the best of the best will have the chance at grabbing the jobs and that means, the ones who start preparing earlier will be ahead of the competition. If you're in your third year, it would be immensely helpful if you start preparing now. And for the record, getting placed from campus is much easier than off-campus and your best chance for a job. If you've any doubts or questions, please visit syedmisbahahmed.github.io.

Important note: This is going to be a long read. I didn't want to write another skeleton post which states outlines while missing out essential information. Grab a cup of coffee, and read on.

First off, let's get a few things straight.

• Placements/ Interviews can’t be cracked without preparation. I cannot stress this enough. You can be very good in your academics or technical stuff, but that’s not enough. You should be interview ready. You have to prepare for it very thoroughly.
• CGPA/Aggregate doesn’t matter. If you can cross the minimum cut-off required by the company (say 7+ or 65%/70%). Once you cross that threshold, everyone have equal chances to get the job. No one cares if you’re a 9 pointer/topper or not.
• Interviewers look for co-working skills. All they want is to hire someone they want to work with. A good mix of intelligence and communication skills go a long way.
• Placement statistics. Don’t worry about the CTC you see in Indian media about IIM/IIT grads getting Rs. 60L+/$100,000 packages. It doesn't paint the whole picture. They don't tell you that all this CTC includes stocks, bonuses and loans. These numbers are not adjusted for PPP, so don't worry about them. Your purchasing power varies by county. Here is a PPP Salary Calculator you can use to estimate how much your salary in another country will be equivalent to in India. 

This post will be divided into five parts.

1. Profile Building
2. Resume Writing
3. Aptitude Preparation
4. Interview/GD Preparation
5. Hey, I'm still not placed. Why?

Profile Building

This section will focus on your profile building. A lot of students make the mistake of thinking that their profile/resume does not matter at this stage. Newsflash, they do matter. So make sure you've a very good profile and a well-written resume.

In general, this is what a resume should contain.

Assuming that you are in your 2nd/3rd year at college, there is still time to improve your potential resume. And this is how you go about it.

1. Educational profile: Although I do agree with the fact that your marks don't really matter in the end, try and get marks so that you satisfy the eligibility criteria of 65/70%. You're talented, but talent won't get you anywhere if you don't have access to a platform to showcase your thing. A good coursework history provides you that platform. Getting good grades matter in that context.
2. Academic achievements: 
1. Can you take up some professional courses and certifications on Coursera/Code Academy/Udemy? Do it. 
2. Can you take up a voluntary project under a professor? Do it. 
3. Can you work/partner with a fellow student/professor/RA on a research paper or article in a reputed journal? Do it.
3. PoRs: 
1. Be involved in as many clubs/organizing committees as possible. 
2. Volunteer for social causes and NGOs.
4. Internship: 
1. Have an internship where you have a specific and clearly laid out set of responsibilities and deliverable 
2. Get a letter of recommendation / endorsement from your direct manager. 
3. Clearly ask for the measurable impact of your work in terms of business efficiency, revenue/cost impact, process improvement, increased outreach etc.
5. Extra curricular: This is probably the easiest part. Any hobby/interest that you have, you can and should nurture it.

• Like writing? Start your own blog or start writing for a website. 
• Like painting/sketching? Get a place at an art gallery. 
• Love coding? Design a good app or website.

A word of caution about your hobbies: Do not lie. If your interviewer is good, he/she will recognize your lie. Secondly, your hobby should actually be an hobby. What is a hobby?
Well, "watching movies" is not a hobby, if you are not aware of the current movie releases, some famous directors, their movie making style, some basic movie genres, and who played who in some famous movies. When I mentioned "blogging" & flight simulation" as my hobby in Mu Sigma, I was asked about the last blog post I wrote and a couple of questions related to flight simulation. So you need to fully prep your hobby. "Watching TV", "playing cricket", "shopping" and "photography" do not qualify as hobbies unless you are really passionate about it and you can show that you've done something tangible. However, you should be able to bring your interviewer around. Whatever you do, don't fake it. They know.

Warning: Keep a written/online verifiable record of everything - from school certificates to course completion ones. When you put something down on your CV, make sure you have the data to back it up. If not, call up your school/college/organization to get it.

Resume Writing

Okay. So you've worked hard to build your profile. Now is the time to design a kick-ass resume. Before we start, you should know this. Recruiters do not read your resume; they do a 15 - 30 second "spot check" of your resume, so keep it simple and awesome.

Step 1: Do's and dont's 

• One Page resume: If Elon Musk can have a one page resume, you sure can. It looks a little silly to see someone just out of school with a two-page resume.
• No Objectives: All an objective does is state, in a wordy way, what position you're interested in. The company already knows that because you applied for a particular position. At best, it'll just waste space. At worst, it'll limit you since it'll exclude other positions that might have been interesting to you. 
• Use a template: Unless you're great with design, you probably shouldn't be creating your own resume template. It'll most likely look sloppy. Use a template, You can just choose a tool you want to use (like Google Drive), and search for some templates. eg. Creative Templates
• Use Columns / Tables: You should use Columns/Tables to keep Data organised and this makes it easier to read and saves space. Just make sure to hide the borders afterwards. 
• Use Formatting: Use Bold, Underline, bullets to highlight important content accordingly, It is very important to have some hot points in resume and more important to be able to highlight them. In my case, the Products I contributed to and their links are of high importance so I chose to annotate them with Underline [Please avoid using many colors]
• Choose a good tool: In my case I prefer Microsoft Publisher, which has good templates for resumes. 

Step 2: By now you should have, a template, a tool and a basic mindset of how your resume will look. Let's dig deep on what you should write in:

• Summary (This plays a big role in great resume): First, nix the objective statement. It is almost impossible to write an objective statement without either telling the hiring manager something they already know or focusing on what you want to get from a job. Both are things you should absolutely avoid in a resume.
  
  Instead, use a summary statement which is 2 to 3 lines, and catches your reader's attention. eg.

• Final year undergrad with 10 months of volunteer experience. Trained professionally in TCIL with an emphasis on assembly line automation. Completed projects in digital image processing and have good programming skills. Experienced with sensors and transducers. Commercial flight simulator pilot and avid blogger.

• Be More Specific: Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished, For example: 
• A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting. 
• B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales.
  Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer's attention. 

• Proofread: Yourself, ask others to proofread for you, make sure you don't have typos and you should be good to go.
• Upload it Online: I host my resume at my own site and forward link to it to everyone, which I keep on updating with same name, so wherever somebody opens that links gets my latest résumé. Also, it comes in handy whenever you need to get a hard copy printed urgently.

• Generate a PDF: If you send your resume as an attachment, make sure you create a PDF version of the same. To know how to do this in word, go through this link.

• Name it properly: Ready to save your resume and send it off? Save it as “Syed Misbah Resume” instead of “Resume.” It’s one less step the hiring manager has to take. 

You will need much more than this to get a good resume.The best way is to prepare multiple copies and ask for feedback from competent people. You can go forward with 2-3 templates and take suggestions on which to go forward with, etc.

Here is an example of an excellent resume. Link

Apart from this, you can also look at my resume on my website @ syedmisbahahmed.github.io.

Aptitude Test Preparation

This is where the largest elimination happens. A lot of engineering students fear the aptitude tests. But the fact is that there's nothing to worry about because it's *VERY EASY* to crack aptitude tests. All it takes it practice! Just keep on practicing and in a month or two - you will solve all the aptitude questions like a pro. Don't expect to master the aptitude skills in just a week or two. There are 3 sections in any aptitude test.

1. Quantitative Aptitude.
2. Logical Reasoning.
3. Verbal.

QUANT: Only 1 book RS Agarwal. This book is indispensable for aptitude exams. No other book will clear you concepts as profoundly as this one. Many times, questions are asked directly from this book (with same numerical values). An alternative version of this book is available on IndiaBix.com. I would suggest using IndiaBix instead of the book since there are too many repeated problems in the book.

Always keep in mind that not all the topics within Quant are equally important. Lay more emphasis on topics like :-

1. Time & Work.
2. Number Systems.
3. Probability, Permutation & Combination
4. Time & Distance.
5. Percentages & Ratios.

LOGICAL: As such, I didn't refer to any book for this section. But if you want, you can practice using IndiaBix Logical section.

VERBAL: This section becomes the Achilles heel for most students. And the sad part is that there is no quick solution to this. For this section, read as much as you can. Reading will improve your comprehension and also vocabulary.Like it or not; but the Indian job markets demand people who can speak and write correct English. Unfortunately - very few people pay attention to their communication skills. If you think you need to sharpen your English speaking / writing skills; then NOW is the time to do it. It's going to help you in your entire career. Trust me, a lot of people unnecessarily get rejected because they can't communicate or express themselves.

IMPORTANT

• www.indiabix.com: Make this website your bible. This single source can place you in multiple companies. It contains interview experiences, previous placement papers, section wise questions and what not. Every resource you require is there on this website.

• Apart from this, use www.testpot.com to practice tests with time limit. Time management is very crucial. Also, some companies use sectional time and marks cutoff. So ensure that while practicing questions, you do not use your time saved in one section to cover up lost time in another section. That's not gonna happen in real exams.

Interview Preparation
If you've followed my advice up till now, you will definitely get to the interview round. There are generally 2 rounds of interviews, one technical and one HR. Before we start, let me state this: Dress properly, and groom yourself. Don't go into the interview room looking like you just woke up. Use this guide to get an idea of what and how to wear in an interview. For girls, a churidar/salwar suit is usually fine, provided you carry it properly.

Also, apart from the following, it's a good idea to go through your resume once before the interview and scan for any possible questions that you think may be asked related to your resume. For eg, about internships.

Technical

• Core(EC/EE/ME/IT): If you're good at your core engineering subjects, then cracking the technical interview won't be a problem. Most circuit branches will have 3 to 4 very important subjects. Brush up on them and you'll likely be fine. Remember this: For fresh recruits, recruiters are looking more for attitude and aptitude, rather than specific knowledge which would probably be part of the training/assimilation program later anyway. Subject matter expertise is teachable, attitude isn't.
• Software Tier 1/2: If it's a Tier 1/2 company, the questions asked depend on the job description. In general, you need to do brush up data structures, algorithms and any one programming language. For a list of algorithms and DS you should know, refer to the post Algorithms 101 in my blog. If you've a github profile or have contributed to OSS, mention that on your resume as well. Use Ambition Box to get an idea of the questions asked in a specific company. And prepare accordingly.
• Mass Recruiters: Getting placed in a mass recruiter is like firing a gun in the dark. It may or may not hit the target. The result depends almost always on your luck. Prepare yourself well, and show that you're interested in programming. Have one or two projects which show your interest in it. Know basic searching and sorting algorithms. Above all, exhibit an attitude of being able to pick up anything fast. 

A note about mass-recruiters

Even though TCS, Infosys, Accenture, Wipro, L&T Infotech etc are all MRC's, there is a stark difference between them. 

• Accenture, TCS & Infosys have an absolutely shitty selection process. They do not care about getting the best talent. They just have a number in mind. By chance, if you get rejected here, don't give a a rat's ass about it.
• L&T Infotech and Wipro have a much better recruting process, which ensures that only the best get in. GD's, case studies and multiple rounds of interviews are the norm here. If you want to go for MRC's, try these two companies. Although the training at Infosys is better, no two ways about it.

HR
HR rounds are typically easier than technical rounds. This is more of an elimination round than a selection round. Many times, overconfident candidates get rejected in HR interviews - something that shouldn't happen to you. So take the HR interviews seriously!

1. Before anything else, know the company and the job description inside out. Don't just go through the wikipedia page. Use youtube and the company's social media presence to research it thoroughly. You can get one or two solid points which you can answer for the "Why this company"? question. 
2. Here are some questions asked in HR interviews. Link to FAQ. Prepare the answers to these questions according to yourself. I cannot post my answers to these questions owing to privacy issues. But if you want them, I can privately share them. 
3. Prepare general puzzles asked in interviews. Link to puzzles. If these are not enough, use App store/Play store to search for apps, there are tons of them available. Use any one. 
4. Know the trick questions. Don't mention that you want to go for higher studies or anything. GATE/MS are killer words, mention them and you're done. Here is a list of trick questions that might be helpful. Link
5. There is no step 5. If you've done all the above, know that you'll get the job easily. Be cool, calm and confident. And for God's sake, smile. 

Hey, I did all of this, but I was still not placed?

Tough luck, buddy. But I will tell you a secret. Campus placement process has a huge luck factor. Likability is also a big factor. There are a hundred reasons why you may not have been selected. I will list some of the most common ones. 

• Some companies have weird rules. For example Microsoft & Accenture (which is one of the top-notch employers for CS / IT students) is known to be biased towards female candidates. Female students often have lesser rounds and they pretty much have a reservation :P. True Story. 
• Companies often don't care about hiring the best. The are usually satisfied with the general student quality in the campus. They want to hire 10 people that's it. They do not want to put in extra efforts to hire top 10 people. 
• Some times a student is unable to market his / her skills in interviews well. While they are talented and deserve a lot more but they usually lack presentation skills. They may be nervous or they might lack interview experience. They might try even try to act over smart. That may not be their day. If you feel that this was what led to your disqualification, take a friend's help. Give mock interviews to him and ask him to point out mistakes. Then rectify those mistakes. 
• Crappy interviewer is also another factor. A lot of alumni comes back to their campus and may be bias with their judgement. I know some people who were interviewed by their "well-acquainted" seniors for placement and then successfully got the job even though I think there were better deserving candidates. 
• Lack of credentials - Some times a lot of students don't get noticed because they didn't do any good internships or do not have good percentage. 

Likability and luck will only give you a kick start. Nothing beyond that. No successful person was successful just because he was lucky although luck may have helped him/her at some point of time. People will not like you if you are not doing your part well. Talent also is good only for short-term achievements. It is hard-work that will make you successful in the long run. Hard work can single handedly take you from nothing to everything with zero luck. If you try a good number of times you will eventually crack it with no luck.

Lastly, the world is unfair. But don't make the mistake of believing that it's unfair only for you.