Pranav
How do you describe yourself as a person ? What were your interests , inclinations when you entered IIT ? After entering IIT , I didnt have any particular interests , I just planned to get a PhD or something after 5 years , so my inclination was towards research and the projects and interns that i undertook were all in one particular topic of chemical engineering , that was colloids and emulsions - I have done 2 projects in that topic . I liked to develop my resume in one direction , I was particular about entering into core engineering or do a PhD , I was not interested in going for a finance firm , hence i developed my resume for core field .
How did you zero in on the topic - emulsions and did you never have any doubts about your future plans , course of action ? After you study some of the courses , you get a basic idea about your inclinations. I liked mass transfer operations and hence i chose that field . Normally it will take you some time to know what you are interested in , but you must find out and focus on that thing . If you are interested in chemical , then core is a really good option , but if you are not interested in chemical , then you may try other options like finance , consultancy e
Why did you chose a job over a PhD ? After two of my projects i really wanted to work and gain some ground experience, PhD is not off the table , I may opt for applying for a PhD after few years .
How did you choose the companies that you were planning to apply? I was as i said interested in core , though core companies pay comparatively less than consulting or finance companies but what matters is the profile they are offering you . I chose companies on the basis of the job profile on offer .
Did you attend the PPTs and will you recommend them ? I had to attend them because I was the placement team member , but to someone i will suggest that apart from the placement rules and policy, I would have preferred if i attended only the PPTs that interested me , like I didn’t want to attend the PPTs of consultancy companies because that’s a waste of time for me , hence I would suggest other people to focus only on the ones they are interested in .
What was the shortlisting criteria for Cadbury ? Resume shortlisting on basis of CPI,technical background and a little emphasis on POR(leadership roles) GD was based on a very generic topic for a group of 10 people ( Taking the lead role did not matter here, ideas and innovative thinking were evaluated) Interview consisted of a single round comprising of HR+Technical - Both needed to prove your leadership capability, team management and technical expertise
In retrospection what do you think could have been done better ? well after attending many PPTs , I started to develop some interest and liking for consultancy . So i wasted some time for case studies and all , which i didn’t opt in the end . So I really think that time could have been used better , I advice all to really focus while in the placement season
What will your final message be to the Placement Junta in general ? Resume should reflect your personality , prepare the resume as good as you can . Highlight only the points which you can defend really well . Practice really hard and gain the confidence in the field which you have opted . Plan it properly , people in IIT have the habit to do everything at the eleventh hour which doesn’t provide the necessary confidence needed in interviews .