Engineering Campus Placements

I have done my B.Tech. from VIT University, Vellore Campus in Electronics and Communication Engineering with Specialization in Internet of Things and Sensors (2021 batch). With this article I hope to provide the readers with an understanding of how the campus placements work, and give them some technical and miscellaneous tips which may be helpful during their placement season. This article has been written from the point of view of placements in software companies and those focusing on core companies should scroll down directly to the Interview and Miscellaneous tips.

The selection process for most of the companies contains one or more rounds of screening tests followed by a coding round and one or two rounds of interviews. Some companies skip the coding round and conduct interviews directly after the screening tests. A few companies conduct a case study or a group discussion round before taking the interviews. The screening tests mostly include questions on verbal ability, aptitude and the basics of DSA. Some tests may also have MCQs based on C/C++/Java, HTML and SQL output and syntax. Screening tests of few companies also have questions on the basics of OS and Computer Communication. In the coding round which may follow the screening test, generally we are given the choice of using any programming language from a wide range of commonly used languages. The interviews generally consist of a technical interview and an HR interview.

Some Technical Tips :

1. Pick any coding language you are comfortable with and start practicing coding questions. I recommend HackerRank, GeeksforGeeks, InterviewBit and Leetcode for this. Understand the logic behind the solutions of these questions.

2. Develop an understanding of some basic data structures like stacks, queues, linked lists, graphs and trees and how to implement them in the coding language of your choice. Also look up some common algorithms and understand the logic behind them. All this will be of great use during the interview.

3. Look up basic SQL syntax. I suggest w3schools for this. This will help in screening tests.

4. If you have time, study the basics of OS and Computer Communication. If not just go through the Sanfoundry MCQs on OS and Computer Communication for screening tests.

5. Understand the OOPS concepts well, they are very commonly asked in technical interviews.

6. You should also have a very basic idea of the C, C++ and Java syntax.

Some Interview Tips :

1. Make sure that you have in-depth knowledge of each and everything mentioned in your resume. 

2. Mention your best projects, internship work and research work (if any) in your resume. It is a bonus if the projects mentioned are of innovative nature.

3. If you have a resume filled with good projects; most likely the interviewer will ask more questions on the technicalities of these projects, thus focusing on stuff you are more comfortable with.

4. Don't forget to mention your hobbies and favorite subjects in your resume. Also give a couple of extracurricular activities a mention. 

5. While giving your introduction, mention your favorite subjects; and while talking about your favorite subjects casually mention your projects. This will steer the conversation towards your favorite subjects and your projects; and into familiar territory for you.

6. If you are asked a question to which you are absolutely sure you don’t know the answer, tell the interviewer so without wasting any time.

Some Miscellaneous Tips :

1. The placement season generally starts in July and goes on till March. So don’t get too upset if you don’t do well in initial tests. It’s a long battle, and you should aim for gradual self-improvement as you have got 9 months of opportunity before you.

2. Getting placed late doesn’t mean in any way that you have to settle for a lesser CTC. Multiple companies with amazing CTCs come for recruiting later in the season as well.

3. Aptitude and verbal ability can be easily improved by practice. Practice the content given by your college placement team. 

4. For those who are from non CSE backgrounds and are more or less new to coding, start with the basic syntax of any language. I suggest you go with Python. You can go through some important DSA and OOPS concepts superficially later. 

5. Some software companies take the branch of the student into consideration while conducting the interviews, while some software companies don’t have much technical screening rounds or coding rounds. Students from non CSE/IT backgrounds who are not proficient in coding concepts have a good chance to get into these companies on the back of their aptitude and resume.

Note : All this has been written from the author’s personal experience and the actual processes may differ according to the company. You can contact the author for any feedback, doubts or suggestions at his Instagram handle or send him an email.