Shreyasi Mahanty can’t wait to join AkzoNobel. That it is a leading Dutch multinational company is just one reason, the other important reason is that this IIM-Indore alumnna holds her placement dear to her heart, for the dedication and hardwork invested in it throughout the year
“I have been recruited by AkzoNobel in the sales and marketing domain. Initially, I would be working as a management trainee, where I would be exposed to the various departments of the company and gain cross functional training. Then, at the end of the training period, I would be allocated the final role or position.” Shreyasi, who is always on the lookout for an opportunity to learns and grow, shares with us. “The package will be very much at par with what the alumni of IIMs usually pocket,” she drops a hint.
At the moment, she is basking in her achievement, “I am extremely satisfied with my placement. AkzoNobel is a global brand with operation in over 80 companies and has a strong foothold in the Indian paint industry as well. Further, the role offered to me suits my interests and ambitions since it offers me an S&M role in an FMCG industry which is what I always aspired for!” Shreyasi is certainly one of those fortunate few, who know what they want in life and settle for nothing less.
B-School is a tough nut to crack (and let’s not even get started on the IIMS), but joining one pays off in the long run, “Preparations for placements begin as you enter a B-school. The first step for any placement process is to be shortlisted by a company. This depends on how you build your resume. All top B-schools provide us with ample opportunities to create an impressive resume, either through extra-curricular activities, competitions or academic excellence. So it is an added advantage to have a variety of achievements on your resume, which gives you an edge over others on the shortlisting process,” Shreyasi accentuates the importance of a good resume, which is often overlooked by placement candidates. Now we know what sets apart an excellent business school from an average one.
“Next are the pre-placements talks. These sessions help to understand a company’s goals and what they are offering. Further, this helps in deciding whether it is in alignment with your interest areas. Being attentive in these sessions might help you answer questions regarding the company in the interview process.” She also tells us how to score brownie points, “Keeping up with the current affairs and forming an opinion on important issues in the news is necessary.”
“Preparing the generic HR questions that are a critical part of every interview definitely helps you tackle these seamlessly during the actual process. Other than that, having primary knowledge about the industry you are applying to also helps,” she makes a valid point that cannot be questioned.
“The recruitment process begins with being shortlisted for a company followed by some intermediary processes, which could be an aptitude test, group discussion etc. followed by multiple personal interview rounds. For Akzo- Nobel, we first had a group discussion round followed by a PI round.” No prizes for guessing that “the group discussion was based on a current topic.”
Group Discussions (GD) often prove to be Achilles’ heel for many students facing the placement challenge. Shreyasi offers an advice that is worth considering, “The key to clearing any GD is to come up with new points which add direction and perspective to the discussion.”
As for the interview, Shreyasi clearly nailed it. She says, “For the interview, I was asked mostly situational question based on sales and marketing followed by generic HR questions. I believe the interviewers were looking for someone who could give quick answers and solutions as well as have logic to back up their own statements. Also, confidence is essential in clearing interviews and that is what worked for me.”
Shreyasi is just the right mix of confidence and calmness, no wonder then that she kept her focus and never lost her cool even once during the placement season that can prove to be very trying at times. Let’s hear it from her, “Placement processes are long, tedious and the competition is always fierce in any top notch B-school. Everyone is ambitious and focused hence, it is necessary to believe in yourself, set your priorities and decide which domain or position role you would want to work for.”
“There are a lot of processes happening simultaneously and hence it is necessary to keep your calm, stay focussed and believe in yourself.
I had been working on building my resume throughout the year and I was thoroughly prepared for this crucial time of the year. This gave me a lot of confidence to be able to secure a placement which would suit my interests,” She certainly knows how to chase her dreams!
“If you had to give three most important pieces of advice regarding placements, what would they be?” Shreyasi answers without a moment’s hesitation, “Top B-schools always strive for 100% placement. Hence, just getting a job should not be your only goal, it is more important that the job suits your interest, the job environment is favourable and the work gives you the zeal to excel in future.” Well said!
Placement processes are long, tedious and the competition is always fierce in any top notch B-school. Everyone is ambitious and focused hence it is necessary to believe in yourself, set your priorities and decide which domain or position role you would want to work for
by Namrata Gulati Sapra
