As a human resources professional, I was overwhelmed when I met aspirants at Prince Bhavani Engineering College, Chennai, who were eager to learn how to start their careers in the competitive job market. Thanks to our IMPACT team, along with AVTAR, for organizing a wonderful event with students, who were curious to know what the market expects from fresh graduates.

Together with our leaders, we met final-year and pre-final-year students preparing for their placements, both on and off campus. Colleagues from KBR spoke about topics related to engineering, oil and gas, petrochemicals, fertilizers, industrial projects, artificial intelligence in oil and gas projects, and other interesting subjects.

I was the last speaker to address the audience. My topic, as per the agenda, was career guidance. Coming from a recruitment background and having been involved in several projects early in my career, I could anticipate what human resources professionals like me might typically say to students. However, I wanted the session to be interactive rather than a monologue.

During the session, I covered the following points:

1. Know yourself and decide on a career path – I challenged the students to decide what they want to pursue after graduation: opt for post-graduation or take up a job.
2. Explore your options – I explained how to discover opportunities on and off campus, how to network with alumni, and how to be active on professional networking sites like LinkedIn.
3. Build skills and competencies – I emphasized the importance of internships, online certification courses, and academic projects.
4. Crafting a resume – I spoke about the importance of precision, avoiding unnecessary information and duplication.
5. Preparing for recruitment and selection – I advised them to practice aptitude tests, prepare for group discussions (especially on current issues), refresh their basics, and participate in mock interviews.