Did you remember to...
Parasvil and Tannishtha bring you two checklists which should help you as you enter the final stages of apping/placements
- Prepare your SoP (Statement of Purpose). Get feedback from seniors and Professors.
- Collect your transcripts from the academic section. Make sure you go before 3:00 PM on any given day. It costs Rs. 400 for every application, in addition to Rs. 100 per copy of the transcript, so decide the number of copies of the transcript required in advance keeping in mind that some Universities ask for two transcripts
- Create logins for each University and check their Checklist.
- Decide on which three Professors you will be asking for recos (Recommendation Letters) a month in advance at least. Make sure that you remind your Professors so that your recos reach in time.
- Make an excel sheet with exactly what needs to be sent to which college – résumés, personal statements, essays and so on. Note the different deadlines for filling in the online application form and sending the supplementary material by post (transcripts and so on).
- Some colleges require personal essays. Make sure that you write a draft of the essay yourself before showing it to a friend for the final coat of polish.
- Check which courier service you will be using, and whether you will send your documents along with someone else’s. Leave enough margin for delays.
- Send your latest CPI (after the 7th/9th semester) if possible.
- Also, send a copy of any paper you may have had published.
- Make sure all your scores (GRE/TOEFL/AGRE) are sent well in time. Contact the ETS for this.
Pre D- day
- Make groups to practice guesstimates, case studies, behavioural interviews and group discussion. A group of size 3 - 4 is optimum. One of the students can act as an interviewer while one is the interviewee. The others will be observers and will give important feedback on the responses and behaviour of the interviewee. Pay attention to feedback!
- Know your résumé's minutest details and be prepared to be quizzed on the same.
- Practice standard HR questions (HLPQ.doc, a compendium of standard HR questions which you can easily find on the LAN, should be useful).
- Placement tests: Practice data interpretation, quantitative problems and reading comprehension/verbal ability skills, depending on the type of company.
- Make sure you have/borrow two pairs of ironed formals, polished shoes and a matching pair of socks.
- If you are planning to have a hair cut, have it a week before the placements begin.
- Know every detail of the profile and the company you are interviewing for, and prepare accordingly.
On D-day
- Be presentable, bathed, shaved and well rested (very important, since you might be facing multiple interviews back to back).
- Carry water and some light food like a pack of biscuits.
- Carry paper, pencil, and your mobile phone (but don't forget to switch it off/silence it during interviews. DO NOT put it on vibrate mode)
Parasvil Patel and Tannishtha Sanyal are final year students of the Electrical Engineeering and the Aerospace Departments respectively. They can be contacted at parasvil@iitb.ac.in and tannishtha@iitb.ac.in respectively.