Campus Placement Guide: Preparation Tips, Objective, Procedure, Skills Required & More

What is Campus Placement/Campus Recruitment?

Campus placement, also known as campus recruitment, is when companies come to your college campus, conduct interviews, and hire candidates to work in your company. These campus placements are arranged for by your college, which invites all the best possible companies to recruit from their students. The campus placements are held before the final examination. These placements benefit not only the students but also the companies and colleges.

However, as a student, you must prepare well for the campus placements. Getting the best companies for the placement drive is the primary job of your college. From there onward, you are the one responsible for what happens next. Of course, your college will prepare you, but you can still do much more. In the following blog, you will find all the information about campus placements and recruitments. This information will be your guide.

Also Read: 20 Tips to Crack the Campus Placement Interview

Types of Campus Placement

When students advance from academics to the professional world, campus placements provide various job opportunities. Here are the three types of campus placements:

On-Campus Placement

On-campus placement is when colleges bring companies to interview and hire candidates during their program’s final year.

Events for campus placement take place directly at your college or organisation. Leading corporations and official partners are invited by your school to interview eligible candidates and evaluate their potential as prospective employees. Post-interview rounds and evaluations, employers make job offers and provide detailed information about the job responsibilities, salary structure and other benefits.

Off-campus Placement:

This is where you, as an individual, will seek employment on your own. It is completely up to you to get yourself placed in a company after you have finished your education. You have to take a lot of effort but you are a lot more in control of your employment. Many students resort to this type of placement after theyve failed to get an on-campus placement. Sometimes, students may get help from their college placement cell, but this help comes in the form of only providing contacts.

Pool Campus Placement:

A coordinated effort between multiple schools or educational institutions to plan a single recruitment event is known as Pool Campus Placement. During these events, companies are invited to interview and assess students from participating colleges.

Businesses can benefit from Pool Campus Placement’s expanded talent pool, notably smaller or newly established organisations looking to hire diverse skills and talents. Their access to a more extensive network of possible employers also broadens the scope of employment opportunities for the students.

Additionally, students get the opportunity to interact with a larger peer group, improving their communication and networking abilities. Ultimately, it’s an advantageous arrangement that increases the effectiveness and inclusivity of the hiring process for both companies and students.

Objectives of College Campus Placement

The objectives of college campus placement programs are multi-faceted, aiming to benefit both students and employers:

• Provide graduates with employment prospects.
• Assign suitable employment positions to students based on their skills.
• Introduce students to a variety of professions and companies.
• Educate graduates to be employable.
• Make the hiring process easier for employers.
• Encourage the college to offer career services.
• Promote networking opportunities between employers and students.
• Build connections between industry and alums.
• Bridge the knowledge gap that exists between academia and job seekers.

Campus Placement Criteria

Company-specific criteria for campus placement vary. Common criteria include-

• While some only take 50%, many employers want at least 60% in the 10th and 12th grades. 
• In some organisations, the minimum score criteria may vary up to 75%.
• Some employers require a CGPA of 7.5 to 8.
• A candidate’s general profile, experience, medical permits, and particular work duties are instances of other variables.

How Placement is Done in College: Campus Placement/Recruitment Process

Knowing about the complete procedure is one of the best ways to prepare for a campus placement. This way, you can prepare for all the steps involved and feel more confident on the day of campus placement or recruitment interviews.

Here is the most common procedure for campus placement: 

1. Pre-Placement Presentation

This is the first part of the procedure. In the pre-placement presentation, the companies that have come for the campus placements made representations regarding their organisation. You learn about the companies, their recruitment process and the salaries you can expect. After the presentations, students are allowed to ask the representatives questions.

2. Qualifications

In this step, you will learn about the qualifications and other essential criteria companies have set for recruitment. Usually, companies interview only candidates from a particular stream of education and will choose from among them. Since colleges teach multiple disciplines, and placement drives for all fields are held together, make sure you know which companies are interested in your education.

3. Written Examination

Once you know the companies you will apply to, you must attempt an aptitude test. The test may vary based on the positions you are applying for, but a few tests are specific to education streams. For example, during engineering placement drives, the Wheebox Graduate Employability Test is the standard test that most companies use. This exam tests coding skills, math skills, English language skills, and critical thinking skills. Similarly, there are other tests for other disciplines.

4. Group Discussion

This round has not been conducted a few times, but many companies use it to filter candidates. A group of students is created that is moderated by a judge. A common topic is given for the group to discuss. Once the discussions begin, students are judged on their knowledge, communication skills, confidence, leadership skills, and listening and retaining capabilities. The latest news and current affairs are discussed in the GD round, so you need to brush up on your knowledge.

5. Technical Knowledge Interview

This interview will check your knowledge of the subject you are studying and other crucial technical knowledge that will be connected to your profession. This round is primarily conducted in a one-on-one setting. Still, if many students and interviews need more time, they may conduct interviews as a group.

6. Formal Interview

This is the final part of the procedure – a formal interview. In this round, you are judged for your confidence and abilities. You can even term this interview as your job interview. If you have done internships or worked on real industry projects, it will help you do well during this interview. In this interview, you will most likely know if you have been selected.

7. Post-Placement Discussion

You will get an offer letter and a post-placement discussion if you have cleared the formal interview. You will be given guidelines and be told about the joining procedure. You will also be told any other important information you need to know.

 Tips for Campus Placement Preparation

Now that you know about the stepwise procedure, it is time you know how to prepare for campus placements.

Here are a few tips you can use to prepare for placements and get the job you want in the company you wish to: 

1. Know your Stuff

This is what recruiters will be looking for. It is one thing to clear your exam with excellent marks but another to know your stuff at the drop of a hat. So, you have to know about your education and should be able to talk about it whenever asked.

It also helps to have a favourite subject. It becomes easier to learn and even recall. So, if you have a favourite issue, make sure you are an expert on it because it is likely that you will be asked about it during placement.

2. Aptitude Tests

You will be taking an aptitude test set by the company. And since you know about it, you can prepare by taking online aptitude tests. Many websites with strict aptitude tests can help you get the hang of aptitude tests and do well. Use your free time to do these freely available tests.

You can look for tests based on your educational discipline and start preparing. For example, if you are an engineering student, there are aptitude tests for engineers. You can look for management aptitude tests if you are a management student. And these tests are pretty easy to find online.

Aptitude Syllabus for Campus Placements: 

The aptitude syllabus for campus placements typically includes the following subjects and topics:

3. Write & Speak Well

Work on your English speaking and writing skills. In India, English is the official language businesses communicate. Therefore, to increase your chances of being selected as a candidate, work on your English writing and speaking skills. Recruiters will test both of these during your interview.

Always try to converse in English with your friends and family. Read a lot of books, magazines, and newspapers. This will also help you increase your vocabulary. Also, get into the practice of writing a journal. Many talented candidates even get rejected owing to poor communication skills, so take this seriously.

4. Brush-Up Technical Knowledge

If you are getting educated in a technical discipline, brush up on your technical knowledge and skills. In campus placement interviews, a lot of importance is placed on technical skills, and you will be mostly grilled about your technical knowledge.

Keep reading and updating your technical knowledge. Practical work is the best way to do this. More than anything else, this is what recruiters are concerned with. If you can display your technical knowledge and skills, you are bound to get selected for a job.

5. Mock Interviews

One of the most nerve-wracking parts of the placement process is the one-on-one interviews. Campus placements are probably the first time you are facing an interview. Therefore, it is pretty natural to be nervous. But there is a way you can deal with your nerves and do well in the discussion – mock interviews.

Many colleges conduct mock interview exercises to help their students prepare for placements. Make sure you are a part of them. You can also practice mock interviews with your friends to train. This will genuinely help you.

6. Develop Marketable Skills

In the competitive professional world, just knowing about your subject is not enough; you need other skills and knowledge that will protect you as a well-rounded candidate worth employing.

Presentation skills, email writing skills, and public speaking skills may be expected from an MBA student, but imagine an engineer having these skills. Similarly, if an MBA student knows programming languages and coding, it will instantly make them stand out. These are the skills you should acquire to give yourself a better chance.

7. Improve General Knowledge

General knowledge matters a lot. You will automatically do well in the interview and group discussions if you have good general knowledge. Good general understanding also portrays you as someone aware of your surroundings and knows what is happening in the industry.

To increase your general knowledge, you need to use the internet. Read up on all the latest national and international news and news related to the industry you hope to work in. Also, read the newspaper. Get into the habit of it. It will increase your general knowledge and chances of getting hired during campus placements.

What is Important for Campus Placement?

One of the most essential things for campus placements is confidence. Be confident in your abilities and all the preparation you have done. You are going to do well. And even if you don’t get into one company, you can get into another good company. Be positive and have a positive attitude throughout.

Best Sites for Placement Preparation

You can always find a lot of help online regarding placement preparation. There are many websites you can check out. But not all of them will be helpful.

Here is a list of the best sites for placement preparation that you should visit.

• Geeks for Geeks – https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/ 
• Experts Global – https://www.expertsglobal.com/ 
• My AMCAT – https://www.myamcat.com/ 
• Engineering Eckovation – https://engineering.eckovation.com/

Best Mobile Apps for Placement Preparation

There’s an even more convenient way to prepare for your placements than internet website applications – mobile applications. Today, there’s an app for everything. So, why not an app that will help you with placement preparation?

Here are some apps for aptitude tests you can download.

• Quantitative Aptitude Formula
• Smart Think Aptitude Test
• GATE Aptitude
• Pocket Aptitude
• Learn Aptitude

Skills Required to Crack Campus Placement

You also need to have or acquire specific skills to do well in the campus placement drive. Start working on these skills early on, and keep working on them. These skills will also help you get a campus placement offer and also help you a lot in your personal and professional life. You can learn more about all these skills in the previous blog and what are the skills needed to get placement on campus.

On-Campus Placement Vs. Off-Campus Placement Vs. Pool Campus Placement

As you must have read above, there are three types of placements: On-campus, Off-campus and Pool Campus.

Here is some information on their main differences to help you judge which form is better and more suited to you. Each has its distinct characteristics and advantages. Here’s a comparison among them:

Related Blog: Off-campus Vs On-Campus Placements What Is The Difference

Common Mistakes to Avoid During Campus Placement Process

Campus placement participation can be stressful and confusing, resulting in several things that could be improved. One might considerably enhance their chances by being mindful of these mistakes. The following are significant mistakes you should steer clear of-

• Absence of Preparation: Poor readiness for interviews, group discussions, and aptitude exams.
• Neglecting Soft Skills: This refers to ignoring interpersonal and communication skills.
• Narrow Job Focus: Missing out on possible possibilities by restricting applications to a few firms or positions.
• Neglecting Company Research: Candidates will be prepared for interviews when firms are adequately researched.
• Understating Presentation: Ignoring the significance of a well-groomed CV, business casual, and appropriate interview attire.
• Disregarding Feedback: Ignoring criticism received during assessments or simulated interviews results in missed possibilities for growth.

To Sum Up.

Campus placement is one of the most critical steps in your career. A Good post can mean starting at an excellent salary in a company where you will learn a lot. Therefore, use all the information above and prepare for your campus placements. Be confident and optimistic, and you are sure to do well.

Suppose you are looking for a college or institute that will teach you well and ensure you have excellent campus placement. In that case, you should get in touch with ASMs IBMR. This unique institute has had a 100% placement record since its inception. It has also placed its students in the country’s best and international multinational companies. Get in touch today with their counsellors to know more about their placements.