Some Quotes

The Guardian: With the economic downturn, there

will be an even greater focus on those who attend university, as the market concentrates on graduates to become its future leaders,.. .increased competition means that graduates now need to come equipped with more than just a solid academic record, with extracurricular activities and work experience among the desirable attributes. Jennifer Potter, a recent graduate from the University of Glasgow, said: The old clich that says a degree is not enough couldnt be truer. While my degree has helped me get to the interview stage on numerous occasions, I feel that a greater amount of practical experience would have given me the edge I needed to secure the job I want. I cannot express just how important it is to gain practical skills and experience throughout your university career.

Some Quotes from Employers

Richard Freeborn, recruitment manager at HSBC, says: "We always look at our graduate recruitment numbers from the point of view of our needs for future senior managers, six or eight years down the line."Employers will be looking for confident, motivated and well-rounded graduates in what is already a competitive marketplace," she says. "University presents an opportunity to develop, but now more than ever, this development should not be limited to academic ability. Engage with employers make sure you attend careers or recruitment fairs on campus or nearby. Do your homework. The more you know about the jobs market the better," it advises. Network, network, network! It is surprising how many people find jobs through contacts they have made.

Need For Placements During Recession, Especially in Under Graduate Colleges

Anju Prasad Placement Cell St. Marys College

KEY MESSAGES
1. Attempt to make the 10 commandments of graduation explicit. 2. Come to terms on the home truth of the placement process. 3. Understand the anatomy of criteria for placement segmentation (iceberg) 4. Crisis Management for placements without a systematic process will always have knee jerk outcomes without a carefully thought out strategy.

5. Highlight the need for senior educationists to learn, unlearn and relearn through a couple of focused reading recommendations-FDP

The 10 Commandments of Graduate Education

1.To continuously engage with industry throughout the year on all areas : summer projects, internships, consulting, research, training, manpower assistance and placements.
2. Help students to become industry ready employment / entrepreneurship. 3. Create an innate curiosity in them to continuously LEARN, UNLEARN & RELEARN 4. To have a broad outlook on possibilities as per industry dynamics and not be governed by dogmas / beliefs / past records BLANK PAPER

5. To ensure that the teaching and visiting faculty are at industrys cutting edge at all times.

The 10 Commandments of Graduate Education

6. To ensure that student choices of industry fitment is made on career potential and choices that could emerge in 5 years and not immediate salaries / current perception of scope. 7. Concept as advocated by Malcolm Gladwell in his path breaking book Outliers the 10000 hours hands on experience rule . (INTERNISHPS) 8. Counsel students to manage the highs and the lows and most importantly, the benefits of lows

9. The search for roles that offer experiences which hold the potential for learning and creation of new choices and possibilities in the long run
10.Educationists must lead industry practices

Before commencing on the commandments, let us try and come to terms on the Home Truth for Placements.
Placements are the outcomes of a year long customer relationship and value driven engagement process with industry. While the true value of CRM is not visible during a boom, it is the critical differentiator during a slowdown. To understand placement philosophies, it is important to understand the culture of each organization and drivers to fresh talent recruitment and tailor your offerings accordingly Once the decision making process of the organization is mapped, the educationist needs to chalk out strategies for each organization , it seeks to woo. It is important to have a segmentation and a pecking order in terms of organizations and strategies thereof.

Commandment 1
Continuous Engagement with industry
Short Projects - Marketing Research / Data collection / Sales / analytical projects Faculty industry connect to understand business dynamics and once brand is established consulting engagements Customized research / case study documentation for companies Management Development Training and Faculty Development Internship collaborations Assist in talent search among senior alumnus and people for short focused assignments Invite industry middle managements for guest lectures Understand profile of required people and competencies Cash in on the relationship through Final Job Placements

Commandment 2
Help students to become industry ready
Training students on specific competencies as part of the curriculum Strong sharing of real projects done by students Build Secondary research capability on sectors among students to ensure that they are fully updated on industry dynamics Get a larger number students into each program. Experts from academia and industry to assign projects / lectures in each subject.

Commandment 3
Create innate curiosity to learn and discover
Expose students to best in class research work and seminars Reward originality and be severe on cut and paste Encourage super specialization in area of interest for each student Encourage students to write thought leadership articles in areas of interest Ensure faculty are trained in the consultative/ collaborative teaching approach.

Commandment 4
Develop a broader outlook beyond salaries / roles and past records Help students understand broad competencies at different levels in organizations and grass root experience to build such competencies Get students to focus on possibilities and not the salary on offer Get the students to understand that past reputation with specific sectors would not matter when the economy shifts gear Help students develop both an eagle and a worm view on issues.

Commandment 5
Ensure that the teaching and visiting faculty are at industrys cutting edge at all times.

Harvard best practice of updating a third of the syllabus every year Invite people from best in class organizations to speak on domain Sponsor faculty to top development seminars which industry participates in Get faculty to industry forums CII, Nasscom, FICCI etc.

Commandment 6
Evaluate the potential in jobs / roles
Teach students to evaluate potentials in new jobs / roles as they unfurl on campus Educate them on competencies that such roles could build Show them the path of development of new competencies in a rapidly changing world.

Concept of Outliers
The 10000 hour rule Explain the limitations of geniuses The power of delegation, consortiums and team work The power of humility across life

Counsel students to manage highs and lows

How the situations turn table at different times in our lives How each of us need to work for about 50 years and the importance of staying relevant and properly priced. The strength of values The humility to accept that each of us is a part of a larger whole when on a high and to learn lessons from our lows continuously.

Search for roles offering unique experiences

Exposure to unique markets / unique sets of people or professionals Take up those jobs that no one considers special and convert it into a special one. Create our own unique value proposition

Do Not Go Where The Path May Lead, Go Instead Where There Is No Path and Leave A Trail Ralph Waldo Emerson

And Finally

Educationists must lead industry practices And the facts are..>

The placement Iceberg

Placement success is the outcome of a well executed Customer Relationship Management Strategy

10% 40% 30%

Placement Success
Institution reputation

Industry Engagement

Understand organization specific 15% Recruitment drivers Segmentation 5% and Plan B and C

Competition

Campus Recruitment

Employers

Career Fair

Why do we need a Placement Cell?

Accessibility

Special Seminars

NAAC

Data Collection

Student Outreach

PLACEMENT CELL OBJECTIVE

Wrong notion- Only inviting companies and facilitating the selection process????

Objective- Two-fold approachMaking the student industry ready

Inviting Companies and facilitating the selection process

PLACEMENT CELL CONTD,,

ONE STOP SOLUTION FOR GROOMING TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Aptitude Tests. Group Discussions. Mock Interviews. Resume writing, cover letters.

Personality DevelopmentCAREER COUNSELING

ETIQUETTE

TIME MANAGEMENT

TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES PRIORITIZATION

SECOND FOLD
Maintaining the database of all the neighboring companies, others. Communicating- Role of Academicians. Inviting the companies. Facilitating the selection process.

Seminars & Workshops Campus Recruitments Training Sessions Activities of the Placement Cell Counseling Liaising with industry Information Centre jobs, careers, courses

Frequent interaction with students

Placement Initiatives at the graduate level= ECONOMIC UPLIFTMENT!!! HOW???? 70-80s focus was on Engineers & Doctors. Teaching profession neglected. 1990-2010s focus on Management Studies. More managers but very few at the operational level. Effective networking helps balance different fields.

Being an Academician
Colleges- autonomous, own syllabus. Industry requirements to be kept in mind. Placements should not be a phase but a continuous process to boost the Employability Index. Strategic Advantage for colleges- (Quality education, pre-placement talks, training). Boost up Entrepreneurship at Graduate Level, India growing economy.

Objectives of the Placement Cell.

Should be to ensure 100% employment for their students. Should be able to provide effective contact with various companies with a view to assist the students in securing jobs. Should facilitate in the selection process with potential employers. Should be able to match the profile of the job seekers with prospective employers

Points on the Cell set up

Automate the entire placement activity for it to have a wider reach. This cell must facilitate students in planning their careers since unlike well established business schools& institutions; the students at the graduate schools are not yet ripe/mature enough to enter the world of industry in their own. The cell must establish lines of communication with prospective employers in arranging pre placement talks which must be compulsory for all passing out students. The cell must have a workable and updated data bank on organizations and other placement activities. The students must be fully involved in the placement cell organization, by having representatives.

Arts, Science & Commerce Colleges to take more initiative

WHY??????????????
Students choosy about colleges Dedicated Placement Cells in Engineering & Management Colleges Education not the only parameter for student to select college To draw good students colleges offer jobs No dedicated Placement Cell losing out on good students Students of other colleges with Placement Cell greater advantage Greater loss for the country too many unemployed graduates

INDIA CAREER PORTAL For Colleges

Customized Placement Portal that looks like college website itself Database of 15,000+ Indian Employers who can be approached Communicate instantly with students using SMS and Emails Automate & Control all Placement Activities to improve efficiency Manage all on campus and off campus events Online notice board like the physical notice board of the college

For Students
Knowledge Centre to enhance skills and career planning Career Counseling to get answers online Access to National Job Vacancy Database

For Employers
Access to connect to college from anywhere (international also) at anytime. Send requirements to college and view responses from students / placement cell

A small list of common Crisis Management practices for Placements

Expand basket of companies to medium and small enterprises Using Placement consultants. Cut out cost and effort of travel for corporates use video conferencing / Skype etc Internships instead of employment Location specific student for employment fairs through a consortium of colleges / academic institutions invite corporates Consider non glamorous traditional sectors Woo PSUs

Must remember Success is not guaranteed but helps generating some momentum

Thank You
For Your Indulgence and Patience