Beware: Free advices and unsolicited "gyaan" here!!

Two disclaimers:

1. Opinions here are very contextual and cannot be generalized!!

2. If u feel that i sound like a "know it all" while reading this, please excuse my tone of writing! I have tried to avoid it, but found it very difficult to do so!!

When i write this, the suits have been packed and put aside, the folders have been put back in the suitcases (where they belong) and the tension in PRM 29 is even lower by BHUTAN's standards!!

But assuming that you would be reading this at the time of your placements... U wud be generally jittery ,looking for quick fix solutions and "to the point" advice!! so i would try to make it that way..!!

so let me start by talking abt the ppts!!

first thing, try and attend all the ppts even when not made compulsory by the PC!! It so happened in our batch that the largest recruiters like BASIX and Govt. of AP were also the ones who gave the best pre placement talks!! Trust me on this..based on the ppt alone u wud decide whether to go or not to go for the orgn.! and if u are able to decide where not to go, that would be a huge benefit on the final "chaos" day!! SKS lost out this year just because of the ppt!! So try and be there!! Ask uncomfortable questions in the ppt abt salary, growth prospects, future outside the orgn..especially when the presenter wants to avoid them!! Use dummy candidates to ask them, if u feel that u can loose out on the impression front!! this would be the last time where u cud ask them!! dont end up asking them in the interview!!

Make ur preparation, as well as CV, customised to the organisation. Perspective building courses like CAC, RSP, DTP are best studied in their terms only!! Last minute studying wont do much good. So what can one do in the last 10 days?

Know abt the organisation where u want to apply!! and know it like the back of your hand!! one can gain amazing amount of confidence for the interview just by doing that! try relating the work of organization to the concepts of academics!! Just to give an example-if applying for ITC, agribusiness has to be relooked in the light of ITC and its requirements!!

Now, let me conclude by saying what happened in the ITC interview with me. The reader can then himself take what he wants to take from it!!

GD- Very general, does not need factual knowledge. It was a case where there is a plane crash and people are trapped in a forest! The group has to prioritize 15 items given in the list according to the groups need!!

so we all know that one has to speak and let speak in a GD! Dont end up forgetting this, which is very likely to happen!! and try to make headway in the group by being flexible! Dont be rigid!

Interview- Brush up all your projects like that of MM, finance, MC , MTS ,OTS and FW!! questions are bound to come up from them!! try to give in key learnings and insights when asked abt them! go into the details of things. Just to give you an example I was asked to name the constituents of an organic fertiliser, which was used in my MTS project!! obviously i did not remember it! then he told me to find it out using any means within 10 minutes!! so do carry a phone.

ITC people are somehow very fond of opinions and one is asked to give them on a variety of topics like politics of Narendra Modi, growth in Bihar, impact of NREGS on agriculture, organic farming and its effect on food productivity and environment etc.

They also asked abt the experiences of organising events like MILAAP, UDAAN etc. Usual suspects like strengths and weaknesses questions were there.

A few good questions like-

1. what do u feel abt the placement policy of IRMA of inviting maximum number of companies on the first day? how would u change it for better, if u feel so?

2. (this was the first question) what should be the strategy of a company like ITC for placements in IRMA? shd we take written and then give results in the end, or shd we also give spot offers? do u think we have changed our strategy today?

3. what will be your strategy as a student in such a scenario? (this was asked twice once at the start and once at the end)

4. what are your main take-homes from the example of e-choupal and the ppt given by sivakumar?

5. if a farmer is asked by a loan officer to give him a bribe, what would u do as an area manager?

In the end, i would again reiterate that please dont take it as a complete set of questions. Based on your context and CV, they may be different. But the undertone behind the questions remain the same!!

I believe this post of mine would be of some help to u guys in future!! In the end, it would boil down to maintaining ur composure!! and some very "in your face hard-selling" to the interviewer!!

- AMAN JYOTI