TIRUPATI: An interesting trend is witnessed in campus recruitment drives at colleges and universities for the last couple of years, with IT companies showing more interest in recruiting talented undergraduates, irrespective of their discipline, rather than limit placements to only engineering students of computer science and related subjects.
It is attributed to the changing mindset of IT company managements, which are now focusing more on retaining the employees recruited and trained by them, rather than lose them to competitors.
Irrespective of your qualification, when you enter an IT company, they impart training to you according to their requirements and in their products.
They spend considerable effort and money on training and do not want that investment go waste.
However, those with technical qualifications are more likely to quit sooner because they generally have wider options, triggering yet another recruitment cycle. “Now, companies prefer to recruit students from other disciplines,” says Tulasi Krishna Kumar, placement officer at Yogananda Institute of Technology and Sciences.
Even if the candidate is an IT student, the recruiting company has to train him/her because the present syllabus in engineering colleges is not up to date and fresh graduates are way behind the requirements of IT companies, says Kumar.
Undergraduates with science and commerce, or even arts background in some cases, are being recruited by IT companies.
Another reason is that companies can pay them less. The company also feels more assured of retaining them as they will be trained particularly in the company’s own product. Students get selected based on their passion for the job, soft skills and adaptability. Knowledge in computer science would only be an added advantage. While those with BTech/ MCA expect 30,000 and above as starting salary, those from non-IT branches are ready to work for less, between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000. “It is true. Companies are now focusing on recruiting students form non-IT disciplines,” says Katyayani, professor of management sciences and also the placement officer at Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam.
Those from non-IT disciplines are engaged by IT companies in non-technical fields like BPO, marketing, HR etc. “Now a days, IT companies, which happen to be the major recruiters in any campus recruitment drive, are taking a multiprofessional approach. A non-IT graduate with IT skills has a chance now to show his mettle and progress in technical side too. Those with limited skills will be engaged in a work best suited to them,” she says. “Basically it is soft skills and attitude that matter in campus recruitments. We got nine students of BSc and BCom final year securing jobs at different companies like WIPRO, Tech Mahindra and I Gate and we are expecting some more recruitment as HCL will be conducting a campus driver in February first or second week,” says Ramani, placement officer of TTD-run Sri Padmavati Degree and PG College.
She emphasises the need for students to improve their communication skills and pay attention to personality development issues, which improve their chances of recruitment. Nagendra Prasad, former placement officer at SVU Engineering College, also agrees. Companies are looking for professionalism and adaptability in candidates, rather than professional qualifications, he says adding, “Though you are just an undergraduate from commerce background, but good in communication skills and sharp enough to grasp concepts and know how to respond to given problems or situations, then you are the one IT companies are looking for.”