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LATEST
NEWS |
10th
March 2010 / Times of India / Bangalore Edition
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 Recruitment rush in, recession woes out
College Placement Cells Show Signs Of Recovery
Bangalore: The spring has ushered in good times, and not just for the IIMs and engineering colleges. Even conventional degree colleges and training institutes in Bangalore are elated as companies have once again started recruiting in large numbers.
Most colleges say there are no signs of recession in the recruitment scenario. In fact, some of the vocational training institutes confirm that “times have never been so exciting”. Companies, nowadays, approach colleges with the number of students they need, even before courses begin. Sample this: retail giant The Loot has already approached Focus Edu Care, a training institute, with a demand for 600 candidates from the next batch. Classes are to start there in March.
Companies now brief educational institutes about job requirements, and the kind of candidates they are looking for. The training modules are then customized according to their requirements. “This will reduce the burden on companies having to train new intakes,” explains Richard Andrew, vicepresident of Focus Edu Care.
MORE INTAKE
In almost all colleges, the recruitment process is expected to continue for another couple of months. In fact, the regular ones are welcoming more students compared to previous years.
Says Eashweran Iyer, director, placement cell, Jain College: “Last year, the process seemed a lot stricter. The standards might have been set high by the companies; they were taking fewer students and had made it clear that only those serious about joining them should appear for the tests. However, things are on the brighter side now. They are taking more students.” So far, Jain College had 65 companies on the campus this year.
Placement officer of NMKRV College S Anil Kumar agrees: “Last year, only 50 students were placed. This time, already 45 students have got jobs. Another one month is left for placements to close.”
PACKAGES IMPROVE
College officials say there has been an increase in pay packages offered to students. The hike ranges from Rs 2,000 for some to 20% for others. “This is a big jump, a sign that the bad times are over,” adds Eashweran.
However, the packages vary with streams and the type of jobs. On an average, science students are being offered between Rs 1.6 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh; commerce students between Rs 1.8 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh.
PREFERRED COURSES
This placement season, commerce students are in great demand followed by BBM and B Sc students. Among the art courses, journalism seems to be the favourite pick. The openings for content writers, corporate HR and in mass media are high.
PRE-PLACEMENT MOOD
The pre-placement scenario in colleges appear healthy too. “Last year, Goldman Sachs wasn’t even taking students for internship. It’s different this time, and the company is recruiting students directly too,” says Prof G Rajeshwarishe, placement officer, Mount Carmel College.
However, companies have clearly spelt out that students shouldn’t appear for tests unless they are actually interested. Colleges also do not allow them to take more tests if they’ve confirmed joining one company.
STUDENTS CONFIDENT
Colleges say students this year are more confident about they being absorbed by some company or the other. In fact, a few colleges like NMKRV are training students on how to face group discussion and interviews. Personal and corporate grooming sessions are also being conducted to ready the freshers for the corporate world. “We started the training programme at a time when students were finding it difficult to get into companies. The results are good as can be seen by the numbers,” adds Anil Kumar. |
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