The class of 2011 is the luckiest batch that the State has had in its engineering education history.
Enough reasons for smiles:A general estimate is that 5,000-plus students will get placed from engineering campuses in Kerala this year.

This is the placement season in engineering colleges. The final-year students are being bombarded with job offers. Students in the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, alone have received more than 1,000 offers (various newspaper reports).

A general estimate is that 5,000-plus students will get placed from engineering campuses in Kerala this year. That makes the class of 2011 the luckiest batch that the State has had in its engineering education history. No other batch has been able to garner this kind of placements. Of the eligible students, more than half will be placed. Maybe, the number will touch 75 per cent.

The companies have stipulated their minimum requirement from a candidate academically to around 60 per cent with two back papers. That means approximately 60 per cent of the final year students will be eligible. Only some batches will have this kind of luck and this batch should reap the rewards. This is a windfall and a small measure of effort will ensure a job.

What are the jobs on offer? Predominantly, these are information technology (IT) jobs. Barring a few campuses, all placements are in the IT sector. There are some colleges which have recruitments in the mechanical and civil engineering streams as well. But on the whole, about 75-80 per cent of all jobs offered will be from the IT companies.

A look at their hiring process states a lot. The hiring process is not branch specific. Anybody who is an engineer is eligible for a job in the major companies. In the second-tier colleges, all the circuit branch students are eligible - electronics and communication, computer science, electrical and electronics engineering and information technology are the most preferred branches.

A typical selection process consists of an aptitude test - a test of logical ability - followed by an interview. Group discussions have become rare. Most of the interviews are communication exercises. The reports suggest that very few questions are technical in nature. We can safely assume that the companies are looking for analytical and logical abilities and communication skills.

Candidates should, therefore, improve their skills in these areas. As such, the engineering course will help develop logical ability. But since these tests are time-based, it will be in the interest of candidates to be well prepared with the test formats.

Communication ability is very important. It is generally found that the inertia to communicate in English causes a lot of candidates to lose job opportunities. It is easier this year; a student needs to speak just that little bit of English and a job is guaranteed. So one should get rid of one's inertia to speak in English and it is possible that she gets selected. Though said easily, it will require quite a bit of change in the attitude and mindset of the student before he or she is able to do so.

Those people who are dreaming of jobs this year have a good chance, and to grab that chance, they should be prepared to work hard and familiarise themselves with the requirements and do sufficient homework.

A word of caution: There are lots of students who will clear the processes this year without any preparation. The others should not look at them and be unprepared lest they will be placed and you will not be placed at the end of the campus interview season.-hindu.com