Dealing with Campus Placement Pressure

With the final year of college only months away, the pressure of placement began to build in my head. Terms such as “job security”, “company profiles” and “CTC” were becoming a large part of my Google’s search history. And I don’t just speak for myself, but for every student who at one point faces these months every year, with everyone at their own levels of aspirations and anxiety. I write today not to address a particular company, job or profile, but to address the whole campus recruitment procedure in general. Here is my take on HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF for one the biggest responsibilities of your life – your FIRST job.

1.     Ask the RIGHT Questions
 It’s needless to say, your seniors and college faculty are the ones who will give you their first hand experiences. If you want to really DIG DEEP, go beyond “how much money do they offer?”, and start asking these questions –

a.    What companies come to our campus, and WHEN?
Since many colleges offer a single-job policy, it’s important to sit for the RIGHT companies. Rushing into decisions might get you a job, but might not get you one that you truly deserve.

b.    What profiles are offered by each of these companies?
You might hear huge names like Google and Microsoft, but you need to know what kind of work they’re asking you to do. For example, there’s no point sitting for a business analyst profile if you intend to get your hands on coding.

c.    What are the LOCATIONS?
If you’re someone who easily gets homesick, or in contrast, want to head out and explore a new city, learn what options you will potentially be offered. Right now you might THINK you’ll go for anything, you just care about the job, but in actuality, locations are what often make or break the whole deal.

d.    What is the growth rate of the companies?
Your career is yet to begin, so there’s no point in moving towards a company that might seem to offer a relatively good package now, but has slow growth in the market.

e.    What is the growth rate for the individual at the company?
If you’re truly up for some WORK, you’ll want to look for companies that offer lots of projects, challenging work, lots to learn, but at the same time, giving you space to breathe and go at your pace. People with even a year of experience are capable of saving you from their mistakes.

2.    Google It
Now, it might seem something not even worth mentioning, but many of us don’t even realize the masses of information that is placed on the internet for us to consume. Here are the top 4 websites I want you to checkout –

a.    Quora, a great community to find answers to just about all your queries

b.    Glassdoor, goes into the details of company-wise profiles and have some GOOD advice to share from the employees themselves

c.    LinkedIn, where you should build your virtual resume and a lot of contacts, that will help build your professional network

d.    YouTube, which you should now use to explore about interview experiences, tips and tricks, lectures on various topics of your field, etc.

3.  READ and SAVE
To be honest, I’ve never been this grateful for blogs before, but it was in this phase that I found the smallest forums and blogs my biggest saviour. BOOKMARK everything as you go, or take notes of the things you WANT to remember, because over the months to follow you’ll have SO much to remember that you’ll end up forgetting half the things you found, or HOW you even got to them!

4.    Understand the Placement Process
There are multiple rounds of screening, each requiring its own set of skills as you go. So make sure you understand what each round is about, how many potential rounds you’ll be driven through, etc.

5.    Work on Your Resume
Focusing on your field, start browsing through various resume samples, understand the keywords and pointers you can add to make your resume a HIT, and take the time to frame and reframe your resume to look clean and concise. Take a look at the ebook “The Google Resume” by Gayle Laakmann.

6.    Work that Mind
Apart from your field skills, every company wants people who have the ability to work out puzzles, logical reasoning, and solve aptitude. Here are some reference books I would highly recommend –

a.    Useful sites – lumosity.com, pagalguy.com

b.    Brain teasers – “Puzzles to Puzzle You” by Shakuntala Devi

c.    Quantitative – “Quantitative Aptitude” (R S Aggarwal)

d.    Verbal and Non Verbal – “A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning” (R S Aggarwal)

e.    Logical – “The Great Book of Puzzles and Teasers” (George Summers)

Here are the technical books and reference sites I studied from –

Useful sites – geeksforgeeks, stackoverflow

1.  Crack the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann
2.  140 Google Interview Questions
3. MCQ’s in Computer Science by Timothy J Williams
4. Data Structures and Algos Made Easy by Narsimha Karumanchi

NOTE : I downloaded free ebooks for many, and bought/borrowed the rest.

7.  Work SMART, Not Just Hard

Try and work with yourself to device plans to study. Do what helps YOU. Things that worked for me were -

a.    Discussing my progress with a friend I can trust and can truly compete with.

b.    Reminding myself that myself that only 15% (3-4 hours) of the day was work, the rest was still for my leisure. It made me feel bad when I couldn’t even give that insignificant 15%, thus keeping me going.

c.    Unlike many students who chose to study one thing a day, I studied a little of everything everyday – some apti, some tech, some coding, some vocabulary, etc.

d.    Making milestones. Having short-term, day-to-day based goals makes things on the long run possible.

e.    Use POST-IT notes that plan your work schedule, topics to be covered, etc. Cross out something once you’ve achieved it. Within days, you’ll start seeing crosses which will motivate you to move forward faster.

8.    Work on Your Self-Development
Take a look in the mirror and start thinking about the physical things you’d like to improve about yourselves. Even the smallest improvements can make all the difference in your personality and build your confidence. For me, it was things like –

a.    Grow out my shabby nails

b.    Stand straight (I tend to shrug since I’m tall)

c.    Don’t move your hands too much or act fidgety

Furthermore, work on things like your vocabulary, group communication and fluency in speaking English. Download the app called “MAGOOSH VOCAB for GRE” if you’re looking for some (1000, to be precise) of the most common (yet somehow uncommon to most of us Indians) words that aren’t just necessary for GRE, but for ANY course requiring English proficiency.

Another thing I’d like to advice is – CONTROL THY JARGON. In situations where you have developed a reflex to use inappropriate words like “shi*t” or “f**k”, it’s time to understand that these break the first rule of professionalism – sophisticated speaking.

9.    Learn to Accept Failure
I was blessed to get placed in the first company I sat for, however, I also see peers breaking down and going into absolute depression as they see themselves still struggling after months. Here are things you need to know –

a.    The number of companies that come to your campus is only a small FRACTION of some of the best in this country.

b.    Don’t waste time being morose, start applying for companies OFF CAMPUS.

c.    We all make mistakes, but you’ll succeed only if you learn from them. If you’re being rejected one company after the other, there’s a possibility that you’re making those mistakes more than once.

d.    Even if you start losing confidence, set a standard for yourself from the start, and do NOT resort to compromising to anything less. NOTE: Please set a realistic standard only after you truly self-evaluate.

10.  Start Preparing for the Interview
Don’t neglect your final round. Because while some companies have gaps between the various rounds, there are companies who wind up everything within a day. There are DOZENS of HR questions that you can easily screw up if you don’t go prepared for. Here is an article I really liked http://m.timesofindia.com/business/india-business/14-tips-that-are-designed-to-help-you-succeed-in-interviews/articleshow/39176273.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral

These are probably just some of the things you can do, and there’s a lot more you should! So get right to it folks, all the best! J

The People of Kashmir

During a week's stay in Kashmir, we hired a local taxi driver who was kind enough to keep us filled on what Kashmir is really like, what its people go through, and how the heavenly place often becomes unbearable. I'm going by what he told us when I share the information, as well as some of my own speculation, so bare with me if I'm factually lagging behind somewhere. Anyhoo, here goes, to the people of Kashmir! *raising a toast*

The Way the Locals Speak
Along with a very soft-spoken and delicate accent, the first thing you'll notice is that the multilingual Kashmiri people tend to ask everything in a negative-interrogative way when speaking in Hindi. For instance, if our driver would want to know if we'd like to stop for lunch, his question would precisely translate to - "You don't want to eat, right?". To make matters more confusing, they expect the answer as "yes", in return, which would have logically meant we DON'T want to stop, but....aaah well, I'm still confused when I think about it!

It had me and my family in stitches the first couple of times, but it's a head's up for tourists - don't get the locals wrong, that's just the way their Hindi rolls out! :)

The General Attitude of Vendors
When vendors approach you, they will make shameless attempts to blandish you into buying their products. Whether in an attempt to soft-soap you by lovingly calling you "didi" or "sahab", or spreading out their entire range of products right in front of you with a clever dialogue claiming "you don't have to buy anything, just check out my collection".

At Dal Lake, where a vendor convinced me and my

parents to get pictures clicked, all dressed up in the 

ethnic Kashmiri dress. Aah, what a delight!

To be honest, we did get carried away and purchased quite a bit of Kashmiri jewelry and winter-wear! You will realize that people in Kashmir are very dedicated and hard-working, they will not steal from you, but try to fleece your money with your consent.

The Will Power of The Local Kashmiri
One day as we were driving out of Srinagar, we noticed that the shops were closed, for a local protest. It led to a discussion where the taxi driver shared how the people are so used to living under our hostility that they are capable of stocking their homes with food and basic amenities for the span of a whooping 6 months!! He even mentioned a curfew that lasted so many months, and the fact that schools are shut down for such long periods. You and I can only imagine the effect of such extremity!

No Cinema, No Threat
Because of the high alert zones in Kashmir, even the state's capital Srinagar doesn't have a theater to watch movies at! As a resort to gain entertainment by some means, the locals are accustomed to watching pirated movies. *ahem*

Free Weapons
Up till the early 2000's, weapons were sold openly in the local market, and there was no concept of licenses or no-loaded weaponry, because of which thousands of hand guns were sold off, and are still being confiscated till date. Our driver testified that the Indian government has spent money like water, to bring peace into the terrorized state. With every word he spoke, my goosebumps magnified!

High Patrolling
There are armed gunmen at every second step of the way, always on the lookout for local conflict. Though tourists are normally not harmed, the locals are always in the loop when it comes to trouble. He mentioned that there isn't one day when someone is shot down!

Closed shops, patrolling and empty streets

are a part of the daily life of Kashmiris!

Just after that, noticing how we all became perturbed, he brightened the mood by talking about how after an accident, people in Saudi Arabia first embrace each other thanking that they both came out alive, and then head to court to handle the situation professionally. Even though I had no clue if it was true or not, all I could say at the moment was - faith in humanity restored. :)

King-Sized Living
The one thing that amazed me about the city of Srinagar was its gigantic houses, which were no less than the definition of modern palaces! And there weren't just a few of them - almost ALL of them were generously invested in, built over large plots and spaced out liberally. And the taste in which they were built? Simply awe-striking!

He added that many Kashmiri NRI's come around the year to simply stay in their houses for a while and head back out. Being a Delhi-ite you begin to envy such comfort. But then you stop yourself, remembering, it comes with a price.

The Mughal Effect
You'll notice the roads are very well built, in Kashmir, except sometimes, you'll see enormous trees standing almost stray, in the middle of nowhere. When questioned, we learnt that these trees mark the period of the Mughal Dynasty, when maple trees were imported into the region by the rulers. Unlike many humans who have chosen to ruin nature for their temporal greed, the Kashmiris have chosen to let these majestic and historical marks pertain. In return, the maple trees beam down on Srinagar, blessing it with shade and shelter.

My dad standing next to a massive tree!

The Value for Education
As I had mentioned previously about dominant curfews and closed schools, it inspired me greatly to see that even then, the people chose to put their money into raising their children with whatever education is available. From the driver (who has two daughters), to the hotel manager, and from the horse guide to local vendors - I met many like-minded people who believed in the power of education, that too for both their sons and daughters!

The Muslim Wedding
An absolutely stunning thing I learned about Muslim weddings of the area was the minuscule amount that people chose to spend on weddings, and preferred to give to their children for their marriage instead. Furthermore, people who celebrate in a hotel are considered cheap, as the true essence of weddings lies in families gathering up at home and having a gala time with home-made delicacies and homely celebrations.

This down-to-earth practice is the complete opposite to weddings here in Delhi, where often, it's all about the gifts exchanged, money ploughed and dines-and-decorations.

And to think, these wonderful people live only miles away. I learnt a lot on this trip, and hope you will be just as marveled as you take a peak of what the people of Kashmir are like! Stay tuned for more of my unforgettable memories. :)

Home Remedies for the Common Cold

Hello, my fellow sneezers!

You'll probably see a dozen posts on curing the common cold, and I've seen them too over the years! So I won't be repeating (I hope not) anything, and it's genuine advice from one cold-nose, to another. :)

NOTE : I am no doctor/nurse/brand-endorser. I swear by all the products I am using in this post!

WARNING : I'll be brutally honest about mucous and puke. Don't be disgusted, it happens to everyone, it's natural!

SORE THROATS 
1. A for Alex - the GO TO cough drop for a sore throat! It's over the counter, and though more expensive than Vicks, you'll actually feel a significant difference. Stock your kit with these!

2. Sucking on 'Mishri' - Sugar lumps or rock sugar. Whenever you're developing a hoarse voice or need something to sooth your throat, even better than candies or too many lozenges, suck on a couple sugar lumps.

3. Spiced Water - not literally. But bring out that thermos flask, and add some boiled drinking water into it. Add 2 green cardamoms. Sip small quantities.

FEVER
I have had SO many medicines that I'm beginning to feel that over-the-counter medicines don't work on me anymore. So I've been having this - Giloy Ghan Vati. 2 tablets, 3 times a day. It's not immediately effective like crocin. But this ayurveda medicine takes away the weakness and fixes up your immunity, plus it's safer. You can Google more of its goodness.

Tip No. 1 - I learned this recently. If you use a fan, keep it on low. And if you're using the air-con, the right temperature is 25. Furthermore, if you're using the two devices together, it's better to have the fan at bare-minimum, or you'll have a stuffier nose. Don't ask me why, I just know it's true for me!


RUNNY NOSE
Tip No. 1 - Instead of going all sophisticated with Kleenex, use a hand-sized towel to blow into. Or even better - blow at the bathroom sink (yes, Indians are more comfortable at it).
Tip No. 2 - DON'T BLOW YOUR NOSE TOO HARD. It's going to be make you dizzy, and can pop your brain vessel! No jokes!
Tip No. 3 - If your stuffed, don't blow. Steam. When you're runny, only then blow. And for heaven's sake, don't suck it in! :/

CHEST CONGESTION
Tip No.1 - If you're coughing a lot while in bed, stack up a couple of pillows. You won't feel as agitated.
Tip No. 2 - Don't have rice. I've always been told it makes cough worse. Again, don't ask me why!
Tip No. 3 - Do at your own risk! In the morning, stand at the bathroom sink before you do anything else, and cough your lungs out (not literally). You'll get rid of a lot of built-up congestion, and it'll lighten your chest when it's all out. And let me just put the idea out there - you could use your toothbrush to poke at the end of your tongue/throat to help the stuff come out.

SOME OTHER TIPS
Tip No. 1 - If you're coughing too much, avoid eating heavy meals. I've often ended up vomiting it all out.
Tip No. 2 - Don't swallow mucous. It can make you nauseous.
Tip No. 3 - No matter how tired or energy-less you are, take a quick, warm shower. Take my word on this one. Why? Because I'm not afraid to admit I don't shower more than once in 24 hours. *wide grin*

That's all buddy. Hope this post helps.
Take care! :)

Note: Image courtesy - 'google images'.