Dejected students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi seem to be relying on off-campus modes to land good jobs. Many have been left without any satisfactory offers this placement season. Does that mean a simple BTech degree will not suffice anymore? Do these students need to take the common admission test or CAT exam, or apply for specialised courses to make their CV more attractive? These are the questions plaguing the disappointed students.
Although students do admit that the undergraduate placements were better than the postgraduate and PhD placements, the pressure has mounted on them to bag attractive offers at the 2024 placements.
Two phases of the placement are already over, in December and February. The third and final phase is to take place in May. Most of the rejected students have already started applying for jobs via online platforms. The desperate ones have been seeking referrals from seniors and peers. Some are reportedly thinking of adding to their existing skills and taking additional courses.
The firms that participated in this year’s placement season appeared to be in search of specialised skills and were hiring in small numbers, as per media reports. The hiring numbers have reduced probably because many companies have realised that they overhired in the past, especially during the pandemic. With fears of recession looming large, employers are also being extra cautious. Some of the prominent brands that participated included Ola, Goldman Sachs, Texas Instruments, Bajaj Auto, Air India and Microsoft.
In the first phase of the placement drive, in December, about 1050 pre-placement offers (PPOs) and job offers were made. About 50 international offers were also received from 20 participating organisations from the US, the UAE, the UK, Japan, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
The students reportedly seem unhappy with the salary packages offered to them, and feel their preparations for the placement have gone waste.