The English Press Club sat down with Chandrahari Singh Chauhan, the semester one Summer Internships (SI) Coordinator of the Placement Unit (PU), to gain an insight into the ongoing SI season.

Chandrahari started by listing the reasons students apply for SIs. He remarked that while students were mainly drawn by the stipends, they applied for the chance to participate in their field of study. He added that many students usually attend top-tier universities to get good placements, and an SI is one of the first ways to do so, as some companies come for SIs but not placements. Additionally, students aim to secure Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) at their companies of interest.

Chandrahari then explained the process of sitting for an SI placement. He illustrated that the companies that come for SIs hold a pre-placement talk, where they detail the roles offered and their expectations from the students. These sessions help clarify doubts regarding the selection process and the specifics of the roles offered. Students then submit their applications to the PU through Superset, a software used by universities to automate placements and by companies to hire graduates. The companies then shortlist students based on different criteria, such as CGPA and branch. The shortlisted students are made to take online assessments for further selection into the interview stage. The interviews are scheduled at the start of the odd semester each year, wherein the finalised students are offered packages by the companies.  

Chandrahari shared that around 900 students sit for the SI placements, and around 200 students are selected. Advising on the required preparation, he said that it all came down to two things—role specificity and skills. One must research their role of interest beforehand and form an idea of the kind of individuals the companies look for. Then, they must attend the pre-placement talks to gain further clarity regarding the job. Skills are another area of importance. Students must build up skills to develop their resumes to have a better chance of selection. One can also contact those employed at the company to learn about the answers and attitude expected.

Chandrahari highlighted the roles offered in such internships—including quant, supply chain, data analysis, management, and more. When asked if BITS faced any difficulties in inviting companies for the SI season, he denied it, noting that the institute, especially the Pilani campus, enjoys a strong reputation. He added that since the university has two placement seasons, companies could seek to hire in either of them. Some companies, such as trading and quant firms, had been more demanding when approached but ultimately agreed to come.

It was observed that most roles offered during the SI season were geared towards the IT sector, and relatively few core-sector opportunities were in the mix. He explained that there had been a boom in the CS and IT sectors with the developments in AI, leading to the creation of new technologies. This produced more opportunities for students in these areas. Hence, such companies approached premier institutes like BITS for such roles. Regarding the lack of core-sector roles offered, he clarified that while companies in these fields do come for SIs (e.g. Godrej), they do not necessarily offer roles related to their domain of expertise, because the expectations for core roles had exceeded what students had been prepared for during their undergraduate years.

Another observation made was the absence of consultancy firms in the SI offers. Chandrahari clarified that fewer roles were offered, rather than a complete lack of them, due to the distinction of background. He elaborated that recruiters at consulting firms would prefer an individual who has developed an IQ for the field over one who has not. He added that an undergraduate engineer would require time to develop the analytical and problem-solving mindset typically expected in consulting roles. He mentioned that legacy firms, such as BCG and Accenture, still approached BITS with consultancy roles.

Chandrahari shared that the current SI season looked promising, but did not comment further as it was still in the early stages. He hoped that a larger variety of firms would approach BITS, that more diverse roles would be offered, and that the companies the institute had maintained a relationship would continue to recruit students from campus. He remarked that the season had been more hectic than usual, given the delays caused by unfortunate incidents at BITS Goa during the previous semester.  

A common query among the applicants was regarding the significance of the training points awarded by the PU. Chandrahari answered that the existence of the points system was necessary to uphold the discipline in the SI system. Each training session held by the Placement Training Unit (PTU) teaches the students about the types of roles in the market, how to apply for them, develop necessary skills, create resumes, and more such things. Such teachings prove important, as they would be applicable during the interviews and online assessments. The PU also would not want a damaged institute-firm relationship and hesitancy in recruiting students from campus due to unruly behaviour or other avoidable factors. Hence, the training sessions. 

Commenting on the importance of pre-placement talks, he said that the big firms (e.g. quant companies) are sometimes very hesitant to come again for hiring interns from any college, saying that they would come back if they feel like it. He informed that this was indirectly a ‘no’ in the HR language. Hence, the pre-placement talks come in handy to create a sense of desire in students to apply for firms that are important to the institute to maintain future placement relationships.

Reflecting on his time as the SI coordinator, Chandrahari said that it had been pleasant. He expressed that although it was very hectic and demanding, he learned a lot about the placements and internship processes. He said, “I believe at the end of the day it’s a job that I thoroughly commit myself to because we are trying to help students and there is a great sense of pride in doing that.”

On a parting note, Chandrahari offered some advice to the students sitting for the SI placements. 

He said that if an individual received an SI offer, they should utilise their time in the internship wisely, by networking with their fellow interns and superiors to learn about their roles and grow. If the students perform well and give their full efforts, the chances of securing a PPO increase vastly, hence providing a backup option if placements do not work out. He encouraged that even if one did not receive an SI offer, the world does not end.  The probability of getting an SI is around 20% but this process helps the students become better equipped to handle the placement season and PS2.