Placement Predicaments

A prominent MNC has recently recruited nearly one hundred and seventy students in our college even before we completed completed our third year. The recruitment drive has then (i.e., nearly two months back) disrupted our academic schedule. And as the recruitment was conducted just a couple of months before our exams, it affected our semester end scores.All the same, we weren't really concerned as we already got placed. But a few days back, i.e., a month or so, we were told by our Placement and Training cell that all our placements are cancelled. And this was confirmed by the company through mail. To say that this shocked us would be an under statement. We broke down completely. The Company told that since some irregularities and unethical practices were found to be followed in the recruitment drive, they need to re-assess us. And they sent us an e-mail stating the same. And a couple of days back, they sent another mail giving us details of where and when the next drive is being held, to which we are expected to attend.

The same happened with nearly one thousand students who were also recruited by the same team. (The figure is approximate, but not too wide off the actual figure.) It is rumoured that the Recruitment team took bribes. Some rumours were that the HR team was bribed. While the two statements apportion the guilt between the two guilty parties viz. the college managements and the Recruitment team, in a different manner, they had the same effect on us. They just meant that all our efforts went down the drain. For one thing, the swiftness with which the company has reacted after knowing the truth and the way our college training & placement cell has pulled all stops to ensure that the effect is mitigated are commendable. But still the fact remains that affected students are still heart broken and a some are still depressed. We have lost precious chance of being recruited into two companies which visited our campus after the first company but before the news broke out. It means so much to us.

Luckily, I'm one of the very few students who were able to make it to another company recently. But there still are about 150 students who haven't been so lucky. And this brings me back to the question which I have raised in my previous posts"The season has begun....." and "To hell with this lab work......". Indeed, the whole affair has answered my question partly. The question is:
Should the campus recruitment drives begin in pre-final year itself?
My answer is : NO.

Here is why: To begin with, the whole drive has disrupted our schedule in the pre-final year, a very crucial one in one's academic life. And the result of such drive, either being placed or being rejected distract students from studies. They effect our performances so much as proved in our case.

Is there any solution? I think so. I think colleges should frame a placement policy just as they frame their quality policies. In this, they should consider all possibilities and should ensure that students aren't affected by the whole recruitment drives. Best of all, the placements should not commence till the end of first semester of the final year. And colleges, instead of messing up everything in the end regarding the students' communication skills and language skills, should chart out a program right from their first year to ensure that they are employable by the time they graduate. And companies should also join hands with the academia to ensure the same.

And last but not least, the academia should go beyond the IT field regarding placements. It needs to make sure that the students are knowledgeable and employable in core fields too. While I'm not particular about this, I have friends who long to work in REAL JOBS as they consider It jobs as too unreal. I don't share their views but I wish they get what they want. Next I would like to blog on my placement.