PLACEMENT TRAINING

         Arjun R Pillai
ABOUT ME

 Working with Infosys Ltd. as an SAP Consultant in BI/BOBJ
 6 Years of IEEE volunteering at various offices at national and
 international levels
 International Speaker for IEEE – Handled a number of sessions
 inside and outside India
 Currently working in the Asia Pacific Committees for Student
 Activities and Humanitarian technology
 Winner of IEEE Asia Pacific Larr y K Wilson award
 2010, Outstanding volunteer award of IEEE Kerala Section 2009
 and appreciation certificates from IEEE HQ
GROUND RULES BETWEEN US.. 

 The session will be an interactive one. So please feel free to
 talk.
 Ask questions whenever you feel like. Please stop me
 whenever you have a question/query/argument etc.
 You are here with a purpose. So am I. Get maximum out of
 me. Ask more and you will get more.
 I might not be able to switch to Tamil.
 There are information being passed to you. So please take
 note of them.
HEAR FROM YOU!!!

 How many of you are very clear about your strengths?

 What about your weakness?

 How many of you are very serious about Job, higher
  studies, Entrepreneurs?

 How many of you are very sure to clear the placement drives?

 What are your expectations from this session?
THIS WAS A MAN WHO

failed in business at the age of 21 ;
was defeated in a legislative race at age 22;
failed again in business at age 24;
overcame the death of his sweethear t at age 26;
 had a ner vous breakdown at age 27;
lost a congressional race at age 34;
lost a senatorial race at age 45;
failed in an effor t to become vice -president at age 47;
lost a senatorial race at age 49; and
was elected president of the United States at age 52.
                 This man was Abraham Lincoln
EVERY SUCCESS STORY IS A STORY OF
             GREAT FAILURE
 One day a par tially deaf four year old kid came home with a
  note in his pocket from his teacher, "Your Tommy is too
  stupid to learn, get him out of the school." His mother read
  the note and answered, "My Tommy is not stupid to learn, I
  will teach him myself." And that Tommy grew up to be the
  great Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison had only three months
  of formal schooling and he was par tially deaf.
 In 1914, Thomas Edison, at age 67, lost his factor y, which
  was wor th a few million dollars, to fire. It had ver y little
  insurance. No longer a young man, Edison watched his
  lifetime effor t go up in smoke and said, "There is great value
  in disaster. All our mistakes are burnt up. Thank God we can
  star t anew." In spite of disaster, three weeks later, he
  invented the phonograph.
                      What an attitude!
SWOT
 You must identify and keep
  up to date a detailed listing
  of your:
   S trengths
   W eaknesses
   O pportunities
   T hreats
 Keep this list confidential
  even secret
 But, be sure to write it on
  the back of your eyelids!
  Update it regularly
ACTIVIT Y – PREPARE YOUR SWOT

   Take 5 Minutes for each.
   Form a Table and note down your points.
   After writing Read through them for 5 Minutes
   Some Hints:
     Strengths and Weaknesses tend to describe the
      PRESENT situation
     Strengths and Weaknesses are typically INTERNAL to
      you.
     Opportunities and Threats tend to describe the
      immediate FUTURE
     Opportunities and Threats typically EXTERNAL to you
     Strengths and Opportunities are POSITIVE Factors
     Weakness and Threats are NEGATIVE Factors
•Committed                                                   •Website designs
•Compulsive                                                  •Good Documentation
•Strong follow-through                                       •IEEE
•Articulate
•Writes well
•Balanced work-life perspective
•Multi-interested
•Ambitious




                                              Opportunitie
                                  Strengths
                                                   s




                                   Threats    Weaknesses

•Lack of Job opportunities                                   •      Lack on Interpersonal
•Time pressure                                                      skills
•The multitude of everyday                                   •Can be impatient
 demands                                                     •Time pressure
                                                             •Do not handle multiple
RESUME WRITING
A RESUME

   is the first meeting between you and the employer.
   tells a great deal about you.
   gets you the interview.
   is your calling card, so remember that “First impressions are
    lasting ones.”
   Convince employer that you are worth an interview
   Keep as brief as possible without sacrificing essential
    qualifications (Less than 2)
   Balance in Information and presentation
   You achieve the greatest possible positive ef fect when you
    share the right information in an easy -to-read format that
    looks professional!
   The resumes for professional should be mostly of
    Chronological type
RESUME DO’S

   Target your qualifications for a specific job
   Keep it to two pages or less
   Label your second page
   E-mail – keep it professional
   No errors
   Pleasing layout
   List relevant education/work history
   include some “attitude” in your resume –
       Team Player
       Involved with -
       Contributed to –
       Served on –
       Volunteered to –
RESUME DON’TS

 Avoid abbreviations and acronyms
 Never use pronouns such as: “I”, “me”, “my”, “our”
 Never type - use a laser jet printer
 No fancy fonts, binders, layouts
 Avoid lists of boring sentences, Photographs, detailed
  Personal, family or health information
 Folded resume
SECTIONS OF A RESUME

 Header – Name, Address, mail id and phone number
 Objective –
    company’s perspective
    “To attain a web application programming position where knowledge of Java and the
     Struts framework will add value the overall development process.”
 Education
    Your education details in the latest first order
 Honor s/Activiti es
    This section should scream “I am a leader”
    Awards, leadership positions, volunteer activities, NSS etc
 Work Experience
    In case you have some.
 Relevant Cour ses
    Don’t include everything. Include the relevant ones only
 Skills
    Technical skills: Embedded system programming, Micro processor
     programming, Windows, Linux, Oracle, Java etc. etc
 Projects
    Explain the projects you did during your academic days.
Prepare a
ACTIVITY:   resume for
            yourself
GOOD EXAMPLES
BAD EXAMPLES (1)
BAD EXAMPLES (2)
APTITUDE & VERBAL
             TEST
ABOUT THE TEST

 Usually the first level
 More of common sense questions and 10+2 mathematics
 Some type of questions:
   Aptitude questions – Simple interest, profit and loss, time and
    work, probability etc
   Data interpretation – Table, bar, pie charts
   Verbal Ability – Comprehensions, ordering of words, Sentence
    correction, spellings, Selecting words etc
   Logical Reasoning – Number and pattern series, Logical problems
    (A is taller than B, B than C etc)
 R S Agarwal – Quantitative Reasoning
 R S Agarwal – Verbal Reasoning
 Further reference – Sakuntala Devi
GROUP DISCUSSION
WHAT IS A GD


 The term suggests a discussion among a group of persons.
 The group will have 8 & 12 members who will express their
  views freely, frankly in a friendly manner, on a topic of current
  issue.
 Within a time limit of 10 to 20 minutes, the abilities of the
  members of the group is measured.
 Usually the second level
 Used for mass elimination
 Communication and Group Discussion skill are two relevant
  soft skills that are must for software testers.
 Communication with dif ferent people like team
  members, managers and customers – very important these
  days
WHAT SKILLS ARE JUDGED IN GROUP
                 DISCUSSION?

   How good you are at communication with others.
   How you behave and interact with group.
   How open minded are you.
   Your listening skill.
   How you put forward your views.
   Your leadership and decision making skills.
   Your analysis skill and subject knowledge.
   Problem solving and critical thinking skill.
   Your attitude and confidence.
DO’S AND DON’TS OF A GD

   Keep eye contact while speaking
   Initiate the GD
   Allow others to speak: - identify who is supporting your views
   Speak clearly
   Stick to one particular opinion
   Make sure to bring the discussion on track:
   Give a dif ferent dimension to the discussion
   Positive attitude:
   Speak sensibly – Less time doesn’t matter
   Listen carefully to others – Critical listening
   Formal dressing:
   Be accurate as much possible and do not bluf f
   Summarize
EXAMPLE TOPICS

   Is Indian cricket Shining
   Mobile phones / Internet – a boon or nuisance
   Students focusing on software industry -good or bad
   Need to change our education system
   Child marriage
   India 2020
   Daughters are more caring than sons
   Influence of western culture in Indian Universities
Let’s do a
ACTIVITY:   mock GD
INTERVIEW
ABOUT AN INTERVIEW

 Interview = A meeting with an objective
 Employer’s objective is to find the best person for
  the job
   Employer: reviews candidate’s experience and abilities
      Can you do the job? (skills, abilities, qualifications)
      Will you do the job? (interest, attitude & motivation)
      How will you fit into the organisation? (personality)
 You: impress employer and assess position on offer
     What does this position offer me?
     How does it fit with my career plans?
 Congratulations - you have passed the first hurdle
 You must prove that you are the most suitable
  candidate for this position
PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

  Review own skills, experiences and qualities
    Check CV
    Anticipate questions and identify relevant examples
    Prepare key selling points
  Research organisation
      Websites, reports, articles, company literature, etc
      Contacts with knowledge of organisation or sector
      Relevant articles in the press
      Personal visit or telephone call
  Research job and occupational area
    Job description – or similar
    Current issues
  Prepare your questions
  Practice
WATCH THE BODY LANGUAGE

First impressions very powerful
Allow time to relax
Dress appropriately
Entrance, introductions & handshake
Smile and make eye contact
Be aware of own movements
Watch body language of interviewer
TYPICAL QUESTIONS

 About you
     Tell me about yourself - Bring me up to date with your CV?
     Why did you choose that particular degree programme?
     What experience have you had that is relevant to this post?
     What would you consider your major achievements to date?
 About the job
     What interests you about this job?
     What do you know about this organisation?
     What other options are you considering?
     How do you see your career developing – 5 years?
     If you were Head of Department, what would be your priorities?
 General knowledge
   What do you think of the Government’s policy on college fees?
   What’s your opinion of the Ryanair bid for Aer Lingus?
YOUR ANSWERS

   Listen carefully, seek clarification
   Illustrate answers with real examples and evidence
   Be positive – constructive criticism
   Keep answers specific and succinct
   Take time to respond
   Be alert to interviewer ’s body language
   Speak clearly, smile and show enthusiasm
   Know what you want to say, and find the opportunity
INTERVIEW MARKING SHEET

Name                   Mark-max 100
Communication Skills   Max 30
Problem Solving        Max 20
Team Fit               Max 20
Relevant Experience    Max 20
Project Management     Max 10

Total Marks
WHAT CREATES A BAD IMPRESSION

   Poor personal appearance
   Negative attitude – evasive, using excuses
   Lack of interest and enthusiasm
   Lack of preparation
   Poor knowledge of role
   Failure to give concrete examples of skills
   Over emphasis on money/rewards
   Lack of career plan
Mock
ACTIVITY:   Interviews
THANK YOU           Any
rarjunpillai@gmail.com   questions?
    +91 -8754 483436

Placement training

  • 1.
    PLACEMENT TRAINING Arjun R Pillai
  • 2.
    ABOUT ME  Workingwith Infosys Ltd. as an SAP Consultant in BI/BOBJ  6 Years of IEEE volunteering at various offices at national and international levels  International Speaker for IEEE – Handled a number of sessions inside and outside India  Currently working in the Asia Pacific Committees for Student Activities and Humanitarian technology  Winner of IEEE Asia Pacific Larr y K Wilson award 2010, Outstanding volunteer award of IEEE Kerala Section 2009 and appreciation certificates from IEEE HQ
  • 3.
    GROUND RULES BETWEENUS..   The session will be an interactive one. So please feel free to talk.  Ask questions whenever you feel like. Please stop me whenever you have a question/query/argument etc.  You are here with a purpose. So am I. Get maximum out of me. Ask more and you will get more.  I might not be able to switch to Tamil.  There are information being passed to you. So please take note of them.
  • 4.
    HEAR FROM YOU!!! How many of you are very clear about your strengths?  What about your weakness?  How many of you are very serious about Job, higher studies, Entrepreneurs?  How many of you are very sure to clear the placement drives?  What are your expectations from this session?
  • 5.
    THIS WAS AMAN WHO failed in business at the age of 21 ; was defeated in a legislative race at age 22; failed again in business at age 24; overcame the death of his sweethear t at age 26;  had a ner vous breakdown at age 27; lost a congressional race at age 34; lost a senatorial race at age 45; failed in an effor t to become vice -president at age 47; lost a senatorial race at age 49; and was elected president of the United States at age 52. This man was Abraham Lincoln
  • 6.
    EVERY SUCCESS STORYIS A STORY OF GREAT FAILURE  One day a par tially deaf four year old kid came home with a note in his pocket from his teacher, "Your Tommy is too stupid to learn, get him out of the school." His mother read the note and answered, "My Tommy is not stupid to learn, I will teach him myself." And that Tommy grew up to be the great Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison had only three months of formal schooling and he was par tially deaf.  In 1914, Thomas Edison, at age 67, lost his factor y, which was wor th a few million dollars, to fire. It had ver y little insurance. No longer a young man, Edison watched his lifetime effor t go up in smoke and said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burnt up. Thank God we can star t anew." In spite of disaster, three weeks later, he invented the phonograph. What an attitude!
  • 7.
    SWOT  You mustidentify and keep up to date a detailed listing of your:  S trengths  W eaknesses  O pportunities  T hreats  Keep this list confidential even secret  But, be sure to write it on the back of your eyelids! Update it regularly
  • 8.
    ACTIVIT Y –PREPARE YOUR SWOT  Take 5 Minutes for each.  Form a Table and note down your points.  After writing Read through them for 5 Minutes  Some Hints:  Strengths and Weaknesses tend to describe the PRESENT situation  Strengths and Weaknesses are typically INTERNAL to you.  Opportunities and Threats tend to describe the immediate FUTURE  Opportunities and Threats typically EXTERNAL to you  Strengths and Opportunities are POSITIVE Factors  Weakness and Threats are NEGATIVE Factors
  • 9.
    •Committed •Website designs •Compulsive •Good Documentation •Strong follow-through •IEEE •Articulate •Writes well •Balanced work-life perspective •Multi-interested •Ambitious Opportunitie Strengths s Threats Weaknesses •Lack of Job opportunities • Lack on Interpersonal •Time pressure skills •The multitude of everyday •Can be impatient demands •Time pressure •Do not handle multiple
  • 10.
  • 11.
    A RESUME  is the first meeting between you and the employer.  tells a great deal about you.  gets you the interview.  is your calling card, so remember that “First impressions are lasting ones.”  Convince employer that you are worth an interview  Keep as brief as possible without sacrificing essential qualifications (Less than 2)  Balance in Information and presentation  You achieve the greatest possible positive ef fect when you share the right information in an easy -to-read format that looks professional!  The resumes for professional should be mostly of Chronological type
  • 12.
    RESUME DO’S  Target your qualifications for a specific job  Keep it to two pages or less  Label your second page  E-mail – keep it professional  No errors  Pleasing layout  List relevant education/work history  include some “attitude” in your resume –  Team Player  Involved with -  Contributed to –  Served on –  Volunteered to –
  • 13.
    RESUME DON’TS  Avoidabbreviations and acronyms  Never use pronouns such as: “I”, “me”, “my”, “our”  Never type - use a laser jet printer  No fancy fonts, binders, layouts  Avoid lists of boring sentences, Photographs, detailed Personal, family or health information  Folded resume
  • 14.
    SECTIONS OF ARESUME  Header – Name, Address, mail id and phone number  Objective –  company’s perspective  “To attain a web application programming position where knowledge of Java and the Struts framework will add value the overall development process.”  Education  Your education details in the latest first order  Honor s/Activiti es  This section should scream “I am a leader”  Awards, leadership positions, volunteer activities, NSS etc  Work Experience  In case you have some.  Relevant Cour ses  Don’t include everything. Include the relevant ones only  Skills  Technical skills: Embedded system programming, Micro processor programming, Windows, Linux, Oracle, Java etc. etc  Projects  Explain the projects you did during your academic days.
  • 15.
    Prepare a ACTIVITY: resume for yourself
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20.
    ABOUT THE TEST Usually the first level  More of common sense questions and 10+2 mathematics  Some type of questions:  Aptitude questions – Simple interest, profit and loss, time and work, probability etc  Data interpretation – Table, bar, pie charts  Verbal Ability – Comprehensions, ordering of words, Sentence correction, spellings, Selecting words etc  Logical Reasoning – Number and pattern series, Logical problems (A is taller than B, B than C etc)  R S Agarwal – Quantitative Reasoning  R S Agarwal – Verbal Reasoning  Further reference – Sakuntala Devi
  • 21.
  • 22.
    WHAT IS AGD  The term suggests a discussion among a group of persons.  The group will have 8 & 12 members who will express their views freely, frankly in a friendly manner, on a topic of current issue.  Within a time limit of 10 to 20 minutes, the abilities of the members of the group is measured.  Usually the second level  Used for mass elimination  Communication and Group Discussion skill are two relevant soft skills that are must for software testers.  Communication with dif ferent people like team members, managers and customers – very important these days
  • 23.
    WHAT SKILLS AREJUDGED IN GROUP DISCUSSION?  How good you are at communication with others.  How you behave and interact with group.  How open minded are you.  Your listening skill.  How you put forward your views.  Your leadership and decision making skills.  Your analysis skill and subject knowledge.  Problem solving and critical thinking skill.  Your attitude and confidence.
  • 24.
    DO’S AND DON’TSOF A GD  Keep eye contact while speaking  Initiate the GD  Allow others to speak: - identify who is supporting your views  Speak clearly  Stick to one particular opinion  Make sure to bring the discussion on track:  Give a dif ferent dimension to the discussion  Positive attitude:  Speak sensibly – Less time doesn’t matter  Listen carefully to others – Critical listening  Formal dressing:  Be accurate as much possible and do not bluf f  Summarize
  • 25.
    EXAMPLE TOPICS  Is Indian cricket Shining  Mobile phones / Internet – a boon or nuisance  Students focusing on software industry -good or bad  Need to change our education system  Child marriage  India 2020  Daughters are more caring than sons  Influence of western culture in Indian Universities
  • 26.
  • 27.
  • 28.
    ABOUT AN INTERVIEW Interview = A meeting with an objective  Employer’s objective is to find the best person for the job  Employer: reviews candidate’s experience and abilities  Can you do the job? (skills, abilities, qualifications)  Will you do the job? (interest, attitude & motivation)  How will you fit into the organisation? (personality)  You: impress employer and assess position on offer  What does this position offer me?  How does it fit with my career plans?  Congratulations - you have passed the first hurdle  You must prove that you are the most suitable candidate for this position
  • 29.
    PREPARATION IS THEKEY TO SUCCESS  Review own skills, experiences and qualities  Check CV  Anticipate questions and identify relevant examples  Prepare key selling points  Research organisation  Websites, reports, articles, company literature, etc  Contacts with knowledge of organisation or sector  Relevant articles in the press  Personal visit or telephone call  Research job and occupational area  Job description – or similar  Current issues  Prepare your questions  Practice
  • 30.
    WATCH THE BODYLANGUAGE First impressions very powerful Allow time to relax Dress appropriately Entrance, introductions & handshake Smile and make eye contact Be aware of own movements Watch body language of interviewer
  • 31.
    TYPICAL QUESTIONS  Aboutyou  Tell me about yourself - Bring me up to date with your CV?  Why did you choose that particular degree programme?  What experience have you had that is relevant to this post?  What would you consider your major achievements to date?  About the job  What interests you about this job?  What do you know about this organisation?  What other options are you considering?  How do you see your career developing – 5 years?  If you were Head of Department, what would be your priorities?  General knowledge  What do you think of the Government’s policy on college fees?  What’s your opinion of the Ryanair bid for Aer Lingus?
  • 32.
    YOUR ANSWERS  Listen carefully, seek clarification  Illustrate answers with real examples and evidence  Be positive – constructive criticism  Keep answers specific and succinct  Take time to respond  Be alert to interviewer ’s body language  Speak clearly, smile and show enthusiasm  Know what you want to say, and find the opportunity
  • 33.
    INTERVIEW MARKING SHEET Name Mark-max 100 Communication Skills Max 30 Problem Solving Max 20 Team Fit Max 20 Relevant Experience Max 20 Project Management Max 10 Total Marks
  • 34.
    WHAT CREATES ABAD IMPRESSION  Poor personal appearance  Negative attitude – evasive, using excuses  Lack of interest and enthusiasm  Lack of preparation  Poor knowledge of role  Failure to give concrete examples of skills  Over emphasis on money/rewards  Lack of career plan
  • 35.
    Mock ACTIVITY: Interviews
  • 36.
    THANK YOU  Any rarjunpillai@gmail.com questions? +91 -8754 483436