On 26th November, 2016 a one day Pilot Programme on the topic “College to Corporate” was organized by IIT Bombay. More than 50 students of final year from various departments (CSE, ECE, ECS & IT) along with four faculty coordinators (Mrs. Renu, Mrs. Amninder Kaur, Mrs. Poonam Yadav & Mrs. Neha Singla) attended the event. The speaker for the session was Mr. Ravi Kodukulu (Executive Director & Head, JP Morgan Chase & Co.). More than 100 Institutes from different parts of the country participated in the event. The aim of the programme was to prepare engineering students to transition from informal campus environment to a formal corporate environment. Program was inaugurated by Prof. Deepak Pathak of IIT Bombay He welcomed Mr. Ravi Kodukulu and his team from J P Morgan and inaugurated the session.

In the first phase of the session Mr. Ravi discussed the unspoken nuances and social norms that many graduates are completely unaware of the professional environment. He also explained that the budding employees, frequently face problems in preparing themselves for an interview as well as when they have to cross the bridge from college to corporate so carefully choosing a career will help the students to stay motivated and remain a star performer throughout one’s career.

He briefed that the graduates moving out from a campus and entering corporate needs to do a lot of planning. Making a successful transition from campus to corporate is the most exciting and phenomenal step in one’s life and that should be handled with utmost care. He continued the session by giving a practical example that when a new graduate enters the work arena, he is exposed to many career choices. Possessing better soft skills, requisite technical skills, effective communication skills and a winning resume will help candidate to face the interview with courage and confidence. Making a first impression as an effective contributor will make the process of transition easier.

In the second phase, he also elaborated that the students behavior, the way one dresses up, the way one carries himself are some of the personality traits that set the tone for future success on the part of the employer. In today’s competitive market these factors are very essential to get the job. It not only helps in securing a job, it also helps to build strong employability that is a necessary attribute to be successful in the chosen occupation and aids in developing one’s individuality. He discussed about STAR technique:

S- Let me tell you about a time when I had to do this in real life

T- This is exactly what I had to do and my role in it was

A-Let me tell you what actions I had to take to get there

R- This was the outcome and what I finally achieved.

Some of the strategies that student must follow:

• Developing the right attitude motivates one to be optimistic and help the person to face career challenges. There is a connection between the attitude one has today and the success one would get tomorrow.

• Try not to have over expectations regarding the job profile, remuneration and other responsibilities. Limiting the expectations can make a difference between success and failure of the career.

• Create a best impression by exhibiting the traits of dedication and accountability in the course of work.

• Each organization will have a unique and exclusive culture for itself. Understanding the culture and people associated with the corporate will help one to function within its parameters.

• Understanding the job profile will help building and mastering the skills and knowledge necessary for that particular job.

• Develop the ability to stay focused and emotionally stable irrespective of the issue or however stressful the situation may turn out to be.

During the ending session, he concluded that entering the corporate playing field provides a range of new challenges, all of which call for graduates to display accountability, professionalism and credibility. Overall the programme was very useful for the final year students as they learnt how to appear for an interview.

Video of the entire session will be available at IIT Bombay website.

Glimpse of the Program: