The internship season this semester saw a 60% increase in the total number of offers compared to last year. The average stipend offered this year was around ₹75,000, an increase of 19%. The English Press Club interviewed Jays Jose Thomas, the Internship Season coordinator, to know more.
From the IT Sector, which accounted for more than 90% of the total offers, the campus hosted D.E. Shaw and Sprinklr for Day 0. Both companies offered ₹2 lakhs per month as a stipend. As Google was offering ₹54 lakhs as their PPO (Pre-Placement Offer) package, it was hosted separately before Day 0 and was open for everyone. Day 1 companies included Goldman Sachs, AppDynamics, Cisco, Uber, Arcesium, Microsoft, and Flipkart amongst others. Most of these companies are expected to offer PPOs of at least ₹24 lakhs.
With respect to the ET Sector, the PU (Placement Unit) hosted companies such as Google Hardware, Texas Instruments, and Western Digital. Jays noted proudly that this was the first year that Google Hardware made an offer at BITS Pilani. There was a 60% increase in the number of ET firms hosted this year, which Jays attributed to the marked increase in the talent of the students in the sector.
Coming to the Core sector, Hindustan Unilever, which generally only recruits from IIMs and top IITs, came to Pilani for the first time. It offered a stipend of ₹1.5 lakhs, and its final PPO package is expected to be ₹27 lakhs. Other firms hosted included Bajaj Auto, Exxon Mobil, and JSW Steel Ltd. Jays said that more core companies like Schlumberger are expected to come in the second semester. Across all sectors, there was a 46% increase in the total number of companies hosted this year.
Comments On This Semester’s Season
Jays said that companies complained about a lackluster talent pool in the IT sector. This resulted in a decrease in the number of offers from companies like Goldman Sachs and Microsoft. The overall increase in the number of offers given was only a result of the boom that the industry is enjoying at the moment. Feedback from the companies in the core sector revealed that while BITS students have industry exposure, they are woefully underprepared in terms of core knowledge.
Commenting on the complete lack of non-core companies in the internship season, Jays said that PU policy mandates that everyone who accepts an offer from the internship season has to go for PS-II in the second semester. He cited constraints from the Practice School Division as the reason behind this rule. Since most non-core companies come for placements in the second semester, someone interested in the sector would be unable to sit for the placements in their desired companies, should they accept an internship offer. However, a few finance companies like Futures First, Axis Bank, and Oliver Wyman will be hosted for internships next semester.
On PU Policy
Speaking about the process of calling companies, Jays explained that he started pitching to companies to come for internships in July. He first approached all the ‘legacy’ recruiters: companies that have been coming to campus for a long time and enjoy a healthy relationship with the PU. He then reached out to companies that advertised openings online. Jays said that Day 0 companies offered a stipend of ₹2 lakhs, while Day 1 companies offered stipends anywhere between ₹50,000 to ₹1.6 lakhs. To be classified into Day 2 and Day 3, companies had to offer stipends between ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 and around ₹35,000 respectively. He added that the stipend is not the only criterion for the segregation of companies into various Day cycles; the final PPO and the relationship of the company with the PU are also considered.
When asked to comment on the PU’s policy of debarring students from sitting for other companies should they accept an offer, Jays said that their final aim is to get students a job, not just an internship. Should a student back out after accepting an offer, if the company finds out that the placement team gave the student a subsequent opportunity, they might not visit the campus again. This is especially true for companies in the Core sector; Honeywell chose to visit Goa campus, but not Pilani, since in the past students have refused to join after accepting offers. He further added that the PU allows for ‘dream attempts’ during the placement season only as that is the final opportunity for students to get a job on campus. For the internship season, students still have placements to look forward to. However, for companies in the same Day cycle, the PU asks students to create a preference list. Aspirants are given the liberty to sit for a company even after accepting an offer, provided that the company in question is higher up in their preference list.
Responding to some students’ complaints about the lack of time between the opening of applications and the deadline to apply, and the release of interview shortlists and the scheduled time of the interview, Jays said that the delay is always from the company’s side, not the PU’s. Aspirants are also directed to keep all of their details and the resume updated on Superset (the web application used by the PU) so that they can apply on short notice without a hassle.
Tips For Students
Jays mentioned that companies are increasingly shifting to the internship model, since, unlike placements, the talent is not divided into two semesters. Based on the companies hosted last year, the probability of scoring a PPO through internships is close to 70%. In the IT sector, students are advised to focus on their coding skills and technical knowledge of the relevant courses, such as Networks, OS, and DSA. Most ET firms do not have a test and primarily rely on resume shortlisting, so projects are of paramount importance. Core companies require candidates to be very well-versed with courses like Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer. A common mistake made by dual-degree students is mentioning courses unrelated to the company that they are applying for in their resume. This can lead to their rejection in the resume shortlisting round.