How to calmly attend and nail an interview?
Campus placement or campus recruitment drives are conducted in various educational institutes. This is for the purpose of providing job opportunities to all the students who are pursuing their particular academic courses. Nowadays, you can find almost everything on the internet. Be it courses, study materials… you have everything you need to thrive. We have many inspirational examples like Barathkumaar Ravikumaar, a 14-year-old prodigy who has completed nearly 200 online courses and working as a freelance business consultant for top overseas clients. In this highly modernized and technologically forward world, people like BarathKumaar proves that nothing is impossible if you have the zeal and drive to accomplish your goal. This COVID-19 scenario would not be a hurdle if you are willing to upskill yourself with the resources available online and offline. What role does campus placement play in a student’s life? Campus Placement offers a student with wonderful opportunities to get placed even before they complete their academic pursuits. Keeping in mind the importance of the campus placement programs, a student needs to prepare adequately for these programs and make sure that they put their best foot forward. The difference between Campus placement and Recruitment Generally, the term “Placement” is used mainly in Recruitment terminology. It is majorly used to refer to the allocation of the individuals to the right kind of job. On the other hand, campus placement is the program which is organized by the institutes and the best organization to provide jobs to students pursuing otherwise in the stage of completing the program. The major objective of campus placement is to identify talented and qualified professionals before they complete their education. Top organizations would associate with reputed college institutes to get many qualified candidates in a single place to choose accordingly as per their requirements. Things to remember while attending placement drive Campus Placement is a life turning point for every student’s life. This question matters before taking a huge step- Are you ready? If not, here are the best tips and tricks from Praveen Kumar, who worked as a Technical Recruiter at Capgemini and State Street. This way, you can always stay a step ahead of the recruitment needs. Make a solid resume- Resume is the first impression your HR is going to have on you. You have got to prepare it very well, or seek professional CV writers. Write about your academic achievements, projects, volunteering activities, and highlight your extracurricular activities. Don’t highlight unnecessary keynotes. If you are not good at a skill, never mention those in the CV since it might backfire in the interview. Introductions matter the most– You will have only 7 seconds to grab the HR interest on your profile. Hence you need not start with your school name, college name, which many of the students fail to highlight proper introduction. Always greet– This is the first sign of respect you offer to your recruiter. This is how you can greet: Interviewer: “Hi, my name is Praveen.” You: “Hi Praveen, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sanjay.” Show confidence: Your confidence should reflect on your attitude. Aparna Saraagi, Vice-President at RBS says that recruiters would not be interested in reading your autobiography. They would be interested in you and the overall value you are capable of adding to the organization. She advises the candidates not to write something which they don’t understand. She insists that the candidates should always be clear and confident that they deserve the job role in hand. Research about the company you are applying for: Many of us randomly apply for the position before researching it. This is the first mistake we commit. If you apply online or let the organizations visit your college for hire, nonetheless you need to be prepared about the company and the position. Follow the RLR policy: RLR policy means “Research, Learn and Read.” To develop an opinion about the company, read their recent blog, look at the history of the company and learn about the latest update about the company. As an HR professional, he or she will judge you based on your research about your interest level to join the company. Never say I didn’t get time to research the company. This will project a negative impression on your candidature. Don’t be nervous. Relax, and smile- A lot of interviewees look nervous during the interview. Two things will help you avoid nervousness during the interview. Smile please- A big smile always works well. Walk into the interview with that big smile on your face. It will boost your confidence for the rest of the day. It also makes you and the interviewer feel a positive vibe which will create a good feeling for the interview. Body Language matters– Your body language should emit positive energy. Walk into the room boldly. Use a good posture and sit straightly. If possible, try to put your arm on the table in a relaxed way. This makes you look more interested in the job. Never sit like you feel sleepy. Don’t lean more forward or backwards. The balanced position makes perfect posture. Be positive: Always remain optimistic about the interview. Do not let negative thoughts ruin it. Do not try to criticize or mock other candidates. Always smile at them and congratulate them if they crack the placement. It’s time for you to follow your placement goals! Do not get disheartened due to the COVID-19 scenario. When you upgrade your skill set, you are definitely going to be on the leading line. Keep learning! Keep inspiring!
The wunderkind universe
No shortcut to hard work Is there a formula for success? Naturals Salon & Spa CEO CK Kumaravel, part of the panel launching Whizz Kids shares one to becoming a genius with the crowd of students and it includes focus, daily improvement, and time. The businessman adds that Hasini’s success lies in the fact that she has helped others excel. Eliciting laughs from the audience, Kumaravel says, “Yesterday’s success will not get today’s applause, what are you doing today?” He points out there is a need to see many more young neighbourhood role models. Beseeching the audience to read more books, CEO of Emerald Publishers Olivannan Gopalakrishnan says “Go beyond your academics and read 10 pages of a book. You’ll change at least one per cent. One year later, you will be enriched and five years later, you’ll have such wisdom.” He laughingly guaranteed that the students in the auditorium would be grateful for this event if they followed his advice. Winds of Change Narrating his harrowing story from being a dropout to being an IRS officer, K Nandakumar says there are manidhaars all around us who want to help, and determination counts. A talented singer, he serenades the crowd with Netru Illatha Matram (What is this change which wasn’t there yesterday?) proving that anyone can change, if they put in the effort. He adds that any remarkable book which draws tears from the writer will inevitably draw tears from the reader. A book cannot be just about writing, says chairman of Ethiraj College for Women VM Muralidharan. “It’s the ability to be where you need to be and evangelise information…Every seed can be a phenomenal plant and a tree. But it’s those times when we give it the right prop,” he shares. He stressed the need to be conscious of improving every day, and constantly being inspired. Dr Shravesh, 9-year-old marathon runner Having conquered over 7,000+ km till now, he went from taking his first steps to running at the age of three. Dr Sharvesh has participated in over 142 marathon events, 178 virtual marathon events, and 68 ultra-challenge running events. The child also earned an honorary doctorate from the Shree Rudraksha Arts and Dance University. 1. ShaRvanth S 13-year-old author This Class 8 book wizard has his nose in paperbacks and loves to explore the world of technology. The teenager, who has read over 300 books, is a content writer at First Steps and Wizkidscarnival. At the age of 11, he penned his first detective novel The Abysmal Thief and Other Stories. Book recommendations: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, Hardy Boys by Edward Stratemeyer 2. Vaimithra Chandrasehar 14-year-old author The student of the Saveetha Pupil Eco School wrote her first collection of short stories Take a Break at the age of seven. Since that tender age, she has authored four books and the third book was nominated for the Author Elite Award. Her craft is not restricted to words as she dabbles in theatre and music production, painting, and crochet. Book recommendation: Eat That Frog: A Practical Approach to Reaching Your Goals by Brian Tracey 3. Hayan Abdullah 11-year-old chef Helping his mother in the kitchen, the Class 5 student unlocked a passion for the art of cooking at the age of three. As a 5-year-old, Hayan started a YouTube channel called Hayan Delicacy. By the age of 9, he set a new record in the Asian Book of Records and Indian Book of Records for cooking up 172 dishes in around 60 minutes. Book recommendation: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey 4. Hasini LakshmiNarayanan 14-year-old author, public speaker This self-proclaimed hyperactive teen launched ‘First Step’ an organisation that deals with youth empowerment three years ago. The lockdown spurred her creativity promoting two books: First Step and Whizz Kids. How do you manage time: Hasini admits that time management is still a question in her books but her line of thought is to prioritise what you want to do. Book recommendation: You Too Can by Prakash Iyer and Ikigai: The Japanese Secret To A Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. 5. Keshika Manohar a 14-year-old entrepreneur & emcee With her lockdown project, K’s Kitchen, Keshika delivers sumptuous cakes and goodies to your doorstep and runs a YouTube channel. A glance through social media influencers’ posts shows a knack for dappankuthu and a love for animals. She is the founder of Heaven for Animals (HFA) which feeds almost 4,000+ stray dogs daily, apart from conducting free vaccination. How do you manage academics and leisure: Keshika shifted from the CBSE syllabus to NIOS open schooling and this allows a more flexible schedule. 6. Vinusha MK 13-year-old baker The Class 7 student of the Ology Tech School believes that desserts served with delight can enlighten any soul. Apart from establishing ‘Four Seasons Pastry’ at the age of nine in 2019, Vinusha is a reader and enjoys drawing. Always curious about the entrepreneur, aims to conquer the baking world, and for her brand to emerge as the number one brand. Book recommendation: The Curious Marketer: Expeditions in Branding and Consumer Behaviour by Harish Bhat 7. Krithik Vijayakumar 17-year-old roboteer With his company Futura Robotics, Krithik teaches young students about robotics and technology. With an eye for research and an aim to make concepts easier, he is rebuilding products that are complex in the market. The CTO at First Step is a roboteer, coder, and Android app developer. How do you manage academics and leisure: Studied in school and did extracurriculars at home or during holidays 8. Barath Kumaar TR 16-year-old digital marketer The Sivakasi native runs a young digital marketing firm and has completed over 200+ courses including ones from IBM and Google. He has also delivered over 50+ coaching classes in his school. He has crafted an app similar to that of Amazon, one place for all needs. Book recommendation: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits &
T.R.Barath – Appreciation
T.R.Barath Kumaar (born on April 19, 2006) of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is appreciated for achieving the ‘Best Freelance Digital Marketer 2023 Award’; ‘Outstanding Young Achiever Award’; ‘Business Entrepreneur of the Year 2022’ by We Care Media; authoring a book titled ‘Unleash the Power of LinkedIn’ and receiving a certificate from ‘Fox Story India 50 Aspiring Authors and Researchers’, at the age of 17 years and 3 months, as confirmed on August 3, 2023.
Planting the Seeds of Reverse Mentorship for New Growth
April 16, 2020. I connected with a young entrepreneur named Barathkumaar Ravikumaar whose profile I had seen on LinkedIn. I don’t exactly remember how I came across him, but I noted that he was 14 years old and called himself a Teenpreneur. I loved this and it sparked my curiosity. This is the power of a well-written LinkedIn headline; conversational seeds are planted and you never know in what direction they will grow. I started our first interaction unaware that one of my most interesting reverse mentoring relationships was about to germinate. Maybe that seems like an odd descriptive term, but the definition sums up the relationship well. Germination: The first visible sign in flowering plants is generally an enlargement of the seed, due to intake of water from the environment. When Barath and I met, I had no idea that it would entail being drenched from a sprinkler turned up to the highest setting. Both of us have so many ideas working at once that we have to turn down the volume. As I researched his profile, I learned that Barath began learning App Development at 10 years old. He has completed over 200 courses online at this young age. His grandfather is one of his biggest advocates and Barath has utilized LinkedIn to build a network of connections and mentors. 200 courses? At age 14? I started thinking about what I was doing at that age and felt like a slacker. To be fair to myself, I didn’t have tech at my fingertips but was intrigued about what drove Barath to do so much. Anyone who knows me is aware of my interest in students and helping them thrive so I was instantly curious. I reached out to connect about his ideas for SEO and website enhancement and found out that he had built an online portal for the teachers and administrators at his school in Tamil Nadu, ran a Computer Science Club, and delivered over 40 coaching classes. He shared that he was keenly interested in e learning and wants to build out his own “Digital Barath University.” Two of his many interests are educating students on website development and helping teachers understand tech. His teaching skills span across the generations. He offered to send me an SEO report and it was very thorough. Not only was the the report sent promptly, but he provided an overview on the different options to enhance my website. I hired him to help build out a newer version. As we worked on this together, I began teaching him about consulting, client proposals, contributed some editing for his website, and suggested content ideas. We struck up an online friendship and thus began a learning-teaching dynamic where the roles continually shift back and forth. We have enjoyed some fun moments along the way, including the realization during one of our conversations that our definitions of “collapsed” meant two different things. He meant technologically collapsed, and I was thinking literally. At first I was concerned, then I laughed until my stomach hurt. One day he messaged and asked if I would like to work with him on one of his client projects. He was building a website and needed a content writer and editor whose first language was English. At 14 years old he put together the creative team: a content writer, graphic designer, and himself as the website builder. Off we went to our Trello board communicating across the miles and smiles, sometimes at each other’s expense. I know at times he’s probably been amused by something I said. There were also moments I wondered about why he had done something in a certain way or his approach. I have to constantly remind myself about his age because it’s easy to forget sometimes. I move from collaborator to mentor in these cases. We continue to work together, and I think we have a better mutual understanding every day. Sometimes when I want to connect with him, it’s not only about the time difference. I realize he’s doing his homework, in class, or writing his exams and I shouldn’t interrupt. It’s a funny feeling. I know random things about him, like he goes to sleep at night listening to motivational talks from his idol Sundar Pichai. He has a passion for teaching everyone, and he wants to do something about helping students who don’t have access to the same educational opportunities he does. He loves India and wants to leave a positive mark on his country. He truly believes age is only a number. I do too, and together we defy putting limitations on age every day. We share commonalities and leverage differences. After our first project I referred him to a client in the US for website development and social media, and now we’ve worked together in both of our homelands. We share cultural tips and the nuances of language when we are writing copy for websites or discussing content ideas. I’m a big believer in reverse mentorship. I’ve been engaged in it many times over, and have seen that it is underutilized in organizations. Meeting Barath has been one of my most interesting experiences on LinkedIn. His favorite quote is “wear your failure like a badge of honor.” Somehow, I don’t think he’ll have many badges to wear. He will continue to plant the seeds for his success while helping others rise like the plants on his terrace. Follow Barath here: https://barathkumaar.com/
