A letter to the Juniors

Dear Juniors,

?The placement season is about to start. I know the rollercoaster feeling that is going around in your mind.

?“Will I ever be placed?”

?“What if I don’t get XYZ that I am expecting from my future job?”

“Will I be having a good career?”

“Am I well prepared for the placements?”

“Have I started my preparation late?”

?“What is it that will help me to get that dream job of mine?”

“What if I remain unemployed?”

“Am I actually good for the role?”

If these are the thoughts going on in your mind, then do not worry. This is natural. We too were in your place last year and we had exactly the same thoughts. I remember, my mother used to take me out so that I have a change of environment but all I would talk was about my career and the placements. But now when I look back, I realize that all those thoughts never actually make sense now. I know it's easier said than done because my mom would always see “Exactly after one year, you might actually laugh at these trivial issues.” And maybe she is right, but back then those roller-coaster emotions made sense.

Fear of the unknown is a human tendency. But what matters ultimately is how you make use of it. Fear to some extent helps. When you know that stakes are high, it is natural to be afraid. But what matters is if you are channelizing your fears to ensure good preparation.

So, the important question arises – How to prepare for the placements? There is no right or wrong way to prepare for the placements. Remember, different roles and different organizations have different expectations. What might work for one person might not work for another. Some of my classmates started their preparation early by revising all the notes whereas some only focused on their soft skills. A lot of my friends in 2nd year of MBA have been pinging me to help them with the preparation. And that is why I thought of jotting it all down on how I did my preparation.

1. Make a note of all the subjects you have learned and break down the important topics. A lot of BSchools have a compendium where they have all the important topics explained concisely. Be very thorough with it. Say you are having your majors in HR, then you cannot say you don’t remember Maslow’s law or Kirkpatrick model. These are the hygiene factors, and these concepts should be at your fingertips.
2. When you prepare on these topics, also make sure to know about their application as well. It is common that while studying for exams, we overlook these. But to be industry-ready, you need to know how to put it into the application. Remember, the preparation is not just for getting that dream job but to have a career and grow into your career.
3. You may now ask, how to get to know about all the applications of concepts. Feel free to reach out to your faculty for such doubts. You can explore your very own Google – the more you research the more you understand in depth. Sometimes this research also helps you to come across the new and interesting things happening in your field.
4. Network. When I say use LinkedIn to network, I am not just talking about the job but also building a meaningful network. I used to have a notion that a greater number of LinkedIn connections = a better network. Little did I know that it’s always quality over quantity. We all have thousands of connections, but how many do we even remember? We need to be picky about our time and energy. Be clear about what you want from your network. Reach out to people who are working in the field where you aspire to be, build a conversation around the same, ask good questions you are curious about.
5. Try to get a mentor from your connections who gives a good direction to your career. Connect with people to understand what is it that helped them become successful. What are the things that they wished they knew when they started their career? A lot of you may say that we do not get responses when we try to connect with people. Always be mindful of what you message your connection.
6. Remember, never hesitate to ask questions. We all are starting our careers. It is okay to make mistakes. What matters is how you learn from your mistakes. Work on improving yourself from the mistakes and take feedback from the good connections you have built.
7. Take part in corporate & BSchool competitions. It is not always about winning. You also get to know how to solve a problem, how to come to a solution. You understand how well you can collaborate in a team by making the best use of other team member’s strengths. And because you research for these competitions, you are up to date regarding what is happening around you and how is business changing. These competitions help you to become a better version of yourself.
8. Do live projects of your interest. You might get multiple live projects but prioritize based on the quality. It is important to understand what is it that you will gain from it at the end of the day. It is always better to do one good quality project over multiple live projects just for the sake of the certificate. These certificates won’t matter when you join the corporate. What will matter is how you can make the best utilization from your learnings.
9. Never do something just for the sake of CV point. Be it a live project or being a committee member. I was a part of our college’s HR club. And it helped me build a good connection with several leaders. And I believe that being a member of that club was one of the best things I did during my MBA because interacting with leaders for various corporate interactions helped me gain a deeper understanding of the HR field.
10. Always identify one subject or topic you are genuinely passionate about. Diversity & inclusion is one such topic for me. When you are passionate about something, you will start researching it more on your own. Have opinions of your own on those topics and that comes naturally when you are passionate about that topic. When you are passionate about something, that easily shows when you are speaking about it.
11. Identify good reliable friends. This is very important to keep your mental balance intact. There will be a lot of competition but you need to have some good friends who are not just for your Bschool life but also for life ahead. It is very important to identify such friends who genuinely care for you and together you can grow.
12. And last but not least. Be confident. No matter what, you are here to learn and grow. It is okay to fail sometimes. We are all human beings after all. Be yourself. Be genuine about what you are. Enjoy the interview conversation and go with a mindset that you are meeting new people who have been industry for a very long time.

I believe this was enough of gyaan. These were some of the few pointers I had in my mind last year. I hope that it adds value to your preparation. All the best for your placements. Hoping all of you get the job you aspire to and most important, that all of you are happy doing what you do.

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Your loving senior,

Sneha

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