Mr. V. Balaji Shanmugham is a Head of Placements department in the PPG Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Chennai. He did M.E in Computer Science and Engineering. Later, he completed his Ph.D. His interested areas include IOT, Wireless and Sensor Networks, Ad Hoc Sensor Networks, and Cloud Computing. He has more than 11 years of experience in the education sector. 

PPG Institute of Technology

Being a Head of placements Department, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

“Maintain a database, provide regular inputs on market, seminars and conferences for pupils”

As a Placement Director, I used to arrange interview facilities and written tests halls at the campus. I always coordinate for smooth functioning at various locations such as interview halls, written tests halls, canteen etc. My duty is to proactively identify learning needs, opportunities of pupils and make full use of available earning opportunities. We collect appointment letters or correspond to obtain them once the interview is over. Some other duties are inviting industry professionals to share their expertise with students through workshops and seminars. Maintaining an updated database, job profile, recruitment and a database of final year placement eligible students are other responsibilities. Provide regular inputs on market/industry expectations to the students through placement coordinators. We provide industrial exhibitions, fairs, and seminars to promote useful interactions with the industries. All these help students and faculty gain a broader perspective and give them a chance to live in a global context. 

How do you tend to establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty?

“Treat everyone equally, use team activities and Team-Building games for critical thinking”

We will increase interactions between students or teachers in person, online, and through digital media. Our campus accepts everyone no matter how quickly or different they may seem. We treat everyone equally regardless of their background, personality, or interests. It assists us to develop an environment where everyone feels welcome and comfortable. Faculties talk to students through face-to-face and online. We always conduct team activities and group building games for critical thinking. Games are fun and improve learning outcomes among students. Additionally, we create activities that let every child shine and opportunities for students to show off their talents and genius throughout the year. Some kids love to draw while others love to speak publicly. Students shouldn't always have to be in their preferred sweet spot, but they should have ongoing chances to show their talents. 

What are the best practices offered by the placement cell to the students which help them gain necessary skills?

“Organize seminars, workshops, and industrial knowledge for students”

Resources in the placement cell must be dedicated and well recognized to help the student to equip themselves with essential skills. They get industry knowledge, tips to crack the recruitment process and landing up their dream jobs through placement cell. We organize Seminars and Workshops from well-known training organizations. Moreover, we browse our ideas and try a few out of these. There is a rising need to measure students' progress and success in the classroom. Teacher evaluations measure student growth in the beginning and end with standardized tests. These tests give teachers and parents a clear understanding of the students' learning throughout the entire year. 

How do you strategize the curriculum and get updated to make it befitting for the students?

“Develop plans, identify resources and needs of students”

We focus on objectives, and student needs from the campus. Our campus develops experiences that meet objectives and identify resources. We collect and devise materials for pupils. Develop plans, methods, processes and create a great experience to students. 

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How do you help your student to cope up with the competition being so high in the outside world?

“Encourage learners, conduct competitions, and motivate the students”

We encourage learners to compete against themselves. Competition doesn't mean setting yourself above another person. Pupils need to be transparent about competition performance. Our campus makes competitions about more than winning one trophy. We create a culture of cheerleading and good sportsmanship. Our campus encourage competition through sports, contests at schools, and pitting kids against each other. It will get the best exam results or the most stars at the end of the term. One of the challenges for the teacher is to find ways to encourage a high level of motivation outside of the classroom. Teachers know that a student’s motivation can make the difference between a successful learning experience and failure. Motivation to learn is vital as the actual imparting of knowledge. However, it’s challenging to motivate students who grow up in a world. We try our best to achieve high value on academic achievement.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/ programs to enhance the skills of the students?

“Training, cultural and sports activities are available for pupils”

Extracurriculars offer a channel for applying academic skills in a real-world context. We provide opportunities to students to apply their academic skills in a practical setting. Most important extracurricular activities are those that you've demonstrated a true passion for. There is no single activity that holds more importance than another. Admission officers want to see evidence of leadership, commitment, and enthusiasm. Students who participate in extracurricular activities get better grades. They learn how to manage time, organize, and improve their confidence. All these skills are useful in any situation. From improving their minds to learning, and manage their time better can help students succeed in academics.

A stronger mind, training in professional skills, wider social circle and time management skills are achieved by our students. Students who take part in extracurricular activities generally benefit from being able to achieve better exam results.

What are the challenges you faced to uplift the quality of the placement department?

“Failure of students to prepare for interviews and placements is the greatest challenge”

Campus placement plays a vital role in students' lives and many graduates find jobs through the placement services every year. The process of hiring fresh graduates is so popular despite the national lockdown and ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Companies like Cognizant are planning to hire 20 000 freshmen this year. Another study by The New Indian Express revealed that the campus placement rates for engineering students in New Delhi were the highest in seven years. Some of the key challenges they face right now are students graduating from tier 2 and tier 3 colleges have fewer companies visiting them because they prefer tier 1 colleges. More than 90% of the total graduates from these colleges make them compete for limited opportunities. Some pupils turn out to be unemployed at the end of placement sessions. Another challenge is getting in touch with more high-level companies and sending them invitations to come. Campus placement cells face a hard time achieving this aim due to outdated manual processes that most tech companies detest. The task of the Placement Cells does not end at inviting companies to direct their Recruitment Processes to Campus. They also need to make sure a seamless flow of necessary information to Students. Most of the time students fail to prepare themselves for Interviews and Group Discussions because of the lack of Information and updates from Placement Cells. We channelize all necessary information at that time. 

When you came to college, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same? 

“Offer job opportunities, personal growth and development of students”

We provide affordable quality educational services, and equip students to develop knowledge and skills in their selected streams. They can inculcate value systems, and identify hidden talents. We offer opportunities for students to realize and fulfill their full potential. It helps them shape themselves into future leaders, entrepreneurs, and above all good human beings. We take responsibility for their personal growth, development, and well-being. They seek out their connections to others, the university community,and our society. All these prepare them for a life characterized by learning, service and ethical conduct.

What are the top companies that visited your college last year? 

“Cognizant, Synopsys, HCL, Maruthi, Infosys, TCS and more companies visit our campus for placement”

Several companies in India grab our students through placements. Some of these consist of Cognizant, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Mindtree, HCL Technologies, Payoda, ZOHO CORP, Robert Bosch, TVS Motor Company and more. Most of our students get placed into above companies each year. 

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What are the interventions and approaches you bring in apart from curriculum to train the students?

“Outlines methods, techniques, cues, programs, or tasks are formulated for students”

Some of the strategies in the curriculum outline methods, techniques, cues, programs, or tasks that enable the child to successfully complete a specific goal.

College Staff have a difficult job tasked with guiding and molding the future leaders of their nation towards academic excellence. They must have systems in place that support students in making positive decisions. When effective behavior supports and interventions are in effect, educators can discourage and prevent disruptive behaviors. Academics are prioritized over negative and problematic behaviors. Educators can focus more on teaching and less on dealing with unruly or negative behaviors within their classroom. Students learn best in environments that are academically focused and devoid from negative behaviors. These allow teachers to focus more on educating and less on dealing with disruptive or negative behaviors within their class room. Educators typically know their students very closely and continue to learn about them through observing challenging behaviors within their classroom. Proper observation gives educators insight into how to deal with each individual student’s unique needs. Behavioral challenges are often a form of communicating and can give school staff vital information to support a particular child. Some examples of useful interventions include building relationships, adapting the environment, managing sensory stimulation, changing communication strategies, providing prompt, and reteaching processes, and developing social skills.

What valuable advice would you like to the students to have a prosperous career ahead?

“Be a lifelong learner, and improve your professional skills”

Start thinking about what you really want. Imagine an ideal life and set that as your goal. It's easier to live a life when you know exactly what you desire. Be a lifelong student and the best piece of advice I have ever heard is to be a lifelong learner. No matter where you are in your career, keep learning new things. Your skills will last longer than your title. A study by LinkedIn found that 89 percent of professionals believe that skills are more important than job titles.