Thaindian News

Chandigarh, March 3 (IANS) A job fair at Panjab University starting Friday will, for a change, provide a platform for students from arts and non-vocational streams - besides those from more sought after courses - to interact with prospective employers.

In times when the focus of leading companies and university authorities remains on getting job placements for professional courses like management, engineering and others, Panjab University is all set to change the trend and has invited leading corporates through the Mega Job Fair from March 4-6.

The varsity, one of the oldest universities in India which was set up in 1882, will for the first time see all of its 75 teaching and research departments conducting student placements under a common platform.

“Students from management and engineering departments always get good placements. But now we want students from other departments like Hindi, Sanskrit and political science to get good jobs too,” vice chancellor R.C. Sobti told IANS.

“With giants like IBM, WIPRO, ICICI, Toyota, Ranbaxy and Indigo Airlines confirming participation in the job fair, we are expecting good placements for our 10,000 outgoing students this year,” Panjab University placement coordinator Manu Sharma told IANS.

Nearly 50 leading companies are expected for the job fest.

Our student organisers from the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) have made a web-portal to monitor database of large number of students.

“Students from different departments have uploaded their resumes on it. The companies have also uploaded their requirements, mode of short-listing, and salaries offered on the same portal,” Sharma said.

The UIET has also set up a help desk at the university’s Students Centre for taking queries from the students regarding registration for the job fest.

“I could not find any suitable job placement for me during the campus placements held in the department last month. I am looking forward to get good opportunities for me at the job fair,” Maneesh Kumar Singh, an eighth semester student from UIET, told IANS.

Officials dealing with the job fest say that over 1,500 online registrations have already been made and more are expected in the coming days.

But some in the university’s student community say that more could have been done to attract more students to the unique job fest.

“It is appreciable that the university has come up with this mega job fair for all the departments but the organisers did not publicise it properly,” said Kunal Verma, a final year student from department of economics.

“The student organisers could have pulled out promotional rallies around the campus or should have sent letters to the chairpersons of all departments.”

“I got to know about the job fair preparations through a friend of mine from UIET. He told me that a group of students in UIET had volunteered for organising the job fest,” Tejveer Kalra, a second year student from University Business School (UBS), told IANS.

(Ritika Jha can be contacted on ritika.jha3@gmail.com)