CAMPUS PLACEMENT

Born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Aakriti grew up with a pocket full of dreams. Her life revolves around her family and friends, who have always supported her through thick and thin. “I believe it’s only your loved ones who are willing to motivate you when you least have faith in yourself. They know your strengths, and will go to any extent and push you to achieve your goals,” said a proud Aakriti.

A night owl

Up until the boards, Aakriti wasn’t that studious but she always managed to score well. What’s with being a night owl, we asked? She shyly smiled, while saying, “Studying in the morning or afternoon isn’t my cup of tea. It’s not that I haven’t tried it. But I never got the expected results until I started studying at night.” She continued, “In the night, there is no chaos. It is peaceful and my mind grasps everything. I prefer studying a night or two before the exams. This has indeed got me good marks.”

With this, what she wants to showcase is, students should try everything, and settle for things that work the best for them. For instance, if studying in the morning or for that matter any time of the day, helps them sail safely to the shore, they sure must go ahead it with. After completing her BE in Computer Science, she moved to Pune to chase her dream.

Talking about the game-changing moment in her educational journey, she said, “It wasn’t that I did not score well, but I did not take studies seriously. But after my board’s score, I realised I could do much better. Plus, seeing that I did not live up to my parent’s expectations, I was unhappy. Since then, I pulled up my socks and made a conscious decision to take my studies seriously.”

Aakriti with her father Madan Mohan Shrivastava

Flying high

Her purpose to coming to Pune for pursuing her Master's in Systems was backed by a firm purpose. “I wanted to learn more and gather as much knowledge as I could. In fact, after my graduation, I had several offers in hand but I rejected them as I wanted to soar higher in the sky. And that would be possible only if I gained more knowledge. I was clear about what my majors would be. As my graduation was in the technical field, I wanted to continue the same.”

Positive affirmations and journaling

Life, at times, can be tough. And things might not work in one's favour. In those times, keeping faith and believing in yourself will help you to stay afloat. So, how do you keep the stress at bay and stay motivated, we questioned her. "Journaling helped me to stay focused on my goals. It assured me that all the things that I wanted will be achieved. Positive affirmations boost your confidence, keeps negative feelings at bay, and enhances your confidence. All this will go in vain if you don’t work hard. And I never shied away from giving my 100 per cent. This helped me achieve my goals."

Placement ready

Aakriti was active when the placement season started. She stayed abreast with the latest industry trends and other technology updates. Talking about the campus placement experience, she said, “As I majored in Systems, our internship lasted for over three months. Hence, our placement started a bit later. And by then, 30-40 per cent of my batch was placed. This kind of added to the pressure but I was ready to face any challenge.”

She gave appeared for interviews for 2-3 companies but owing to technical reasons, she wasn’t able to get through it. But when Navneet Education Limited came in, she knew that her chants and hard work were going to show their charm.

“The whole process was a great learning experience. Four of us were selected for the GD round, and for me, it went well. Two of us were asked to come for the next round in Mumbai where we had to give a presentation. We had to skip our internal exams to go to the next round. I had a smile on my face throughout the final round. It felt right, and I knew I was going to get through. And I got through.”

It’s been two years since she is working at Navneet Education Limited as their Project Coordinator. She learns new things each day, and she is happily adding value to her knowledge. In the coming years, she envisions pursuing her PhD in Project or Program Management depending on the opportunities. Before she signed off, she smiled while saying, “No matter what life throws at you, keep that smile on your face intact.”

Tips to prepare for campus placement:

Be confident: All you need in life is confidence and determination, and then success is for sure. Believe in yourself no matter what others say. And if you don’t do so, it will be tough for you to sustain yourself in the campus placement rounds, the corporate world, and life. Just keep saying this to yourself-I can and I will.

Continue striving: Life is not always easy. But to make it simple, all you have to do is keep fighting the odds. Stand up for yourself, even if you are alone in the battle. Carry the attitude of ‘fighting back’. If you don’t take a stand for yourself, people will always pull you down. Never let that happen.

Always work hard: There is no shortcut to success. It is a key to everything in life. I know campus placement rounds are difficult, well so is the corporate world. Keep your goal in sight and give your best shot.

Be aware: Group discussion is one round where you can showcase your knowledge, speaking skills, and other virtues to the fullest. Understand the topic, and even if you don’t have much knowledge about it, try to correlate it with whatever you have learned so far. Be polite and confident while you answer.

Keep your loved ones closer: Through all this, you’d always want someone who believes in and supports you no matter what. Your friends and family are the ones who will motivate you and have your back. Take inspiration from them to reach new heights of success.