… A stepping stone to success
Come September 30th and IIT Kharagpur will be witnessing its first ever fest exclusively for career counseling, Careerz’05. An initiative of the students of this fine institution, Careerz promises to bring a much needed breath of life to a perennially fractured and often neglected aspect of college life, that of carving out a student’s destiny after he or she leaves the protected confines of the campus to face a ruthless, unforgiving professional life.
Choices matter. And making the right choice can sometimes get excruciating, especially when young people are surrounded by a media ruckus of such epic proportions. Volumes of stuff is written about every possible job, every possible career. But how many of us know the real story? How many of us can actually prove that a particular career is good, bad or simply inaccessible to us? Careerz is an attempt to answer these questions. It is a tool to empower students of IIT Kharagpur with the capability to make the right choice.
Careerz will be held from 30th September, 2005 to 2nd October, 2005. Over the course of these three days, IIT Kharagpur will be hosting a plethora of powerful personalities, each of them stalwarts in their chosen career. They will be sharing their thoughts on the present career choices available to students and will be giving invaluable tips on how to be a success story in that particular field. The inaugural evening will be graced by Mr. Sandipan Deb, an absolute legend in the field of journalism, and an IIT Kharagpur alumnus to boot. He is presently the Managing Editor of Outlook Magazine, and the editor of Intelligent Investor. The recently released and hugely successful book “The IITians” was authored by him, which makes him just the right person to talk to in case you’re an IITian and want to be insanely successful.
Next up, a pep talk for all would-be entrepreneurs in KGP. TIETS, IIT Kharagpur will be organizing a talk on entrepreneurship for those who have innovative ideas but don’t really know how to make them money spinning ventures. Given the intellectual density of the campus (and the resulting explosion of ideas), it promises to be an event worth waiting for. This will be followed by a seminar on GRE and GMAT examinations by The Princeton Review. With a substantial number of graduates and post graduates opting to work abroad, and specifically in the US, in research areas, top experts from the the leading education and career counseling group, The Princeton Review, will be doling out test taking tips and valuable data on registrations and application procedures as well as decisions regarding which colleges to choose and which to ignore.
And before we forget, there’s a Personality Development Workshop like no other as well. The No.1 Indian Company in career training and HR solutions, Chennai based Ma Foi Academy shows IITians the skills needed to succeed in the corporate world. A comprehensive psychometric test conducted online will be followed by a workshop, in which skills such as resume writing, interview skills, among others, will be polished. However, with Careerz putting major emphasis on personalized and interactive workshops rather than the usual sedate lecture, a PDP for so many students will require time. With this in mind, the PDP will start earlier and will be culminating on 2nd October. Registrations will start from this week itself, so keep your eyes peeled for more information.
But before all of you start to think that’s too much career counseling even for super brains like us, wait, there’s more. A completely interactive session with some acknowledged experts on the CAT examination is sure to capture your interest. Dr. Prakash Apte, Director, IIM-B, will be flying out to IIT Kharagpur to share his pearls of wisdom with IITians, many of whom are no doubt already dreaming of that elusive call from the premier management institutes of the country. From preparation for the entrance test to the skills required to succeed in the ultra tough Group Discussion and Personal Interview, everything will be covered in depth.
And last but definitely not the least, the jewel in the crown. Off the Beaten Track, a workshop on alternate careers is sure to lure those of us who would like to chart a different course, maybe something a little less traveled. Eminent personalities from fields ranging from advertising to the Armed Forces will be retelling their own stories and giving advice on how to pursue such careers after college life. Prof. Soumitro Banerjee, recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for outstanding Indian research, will be interacting with students on research opportunities in India.
All in all, an event you definitely don’t wanna miss. So gear up for an exciting and intellectually stimulating weekend with plenty of perks to look forward to. And keep watching the notice boards for further information on the fest. Here’s to a successful career for every KGPian !!!
