Bharathiar University witnessed a new trend this year, according to placement statistics. The placement drive by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which is a regular annual event in the calendar of the university, saw almost half the usual number of students participating. But it has touched a new high in terms of conversion (number of students getting selected).
Last year 11,403 students appeared and 1,163 got offer letters in the drive conducted by the Banking and Accounting Back-end Operations’ Division of TCS, which was around 10 per cent. This year 6,087 appeared and 911 were selected, which was 15 per cent. The university is upbeat about this. But this result came after much concerted efforts. Though last year 1,163 received offer letters, only 383 honoured the call letters and joined the company. Following this feedback from the company that came as a dampener to the colleges and university, the Department of Extension and Career Guidance of the university in collaboration with the placement officers of the affiliated colleges took several measures to guide the students and orient the parents.
Accordingly, students who were planning to go for higher education and not serious about joining the company were not encouraged to attend this year’s drive, and those who were not willing to work night shifts or away from home in another city were also discouraged. Parents were oriented on how all business process outsourcing jobs were not call centre jobs.
These efforts yielded results in that only those who were serious about working in the back-end services appeared for the placements, according to M. Jayakumar, Director of the Department of Extension and Career Guidance of Bharathiar University.
“Even to write the aptitude test, the university and colleges insisted on the consent of the parents. They also had to agree to let their wards join the company if offer letters were accepted. Hence, even though only 60 per cent of the number last year attended, almost all of them were career focussed and were not reluctant to work in Chennai or Bangalore. Those who wanted to go for higher education and also take the job offer were offered options to enrol in the School of Distance Education of Bharathiar University,” Mr. Jayakumar said.
Though achieving the 50 per cent target was a long way off, the university and placement officers of colleges believe that the rate would steadily increase if the ones who were serious about clinching jobs in placement drives starting taking efforts to improve their ability and skills while in their second year of study. Proposals for offering novel courses, more optional papers under Choice Based Credit System, and training teachers in logical thinking and English aptitude skills, are also in the offing.
