AIMETC Helped Me Become A Confident Public Speaker: Varun Vij

Varun Vij is currently working as an E-commerce Project Manager with Paxcom India Pvt. Ltd. He did his MBA from Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus (AIMETC), Jalandhar in 2013-15. In this interview, he shares his experience of the corporate world and discusses strategies to ace campus placements

How did AIMETC prepare you for the corporate world?

I can’t thank AIMETC enough for grooming my personality. Prior to my stint in AIMETC, I had a fear of public speaking, but I became the lead anchor at AIMETC due to constant support, guidance and encouragement from the faculty. I used to host all the events that were held at AIMETC. This took my confidence to the next level and helped me to prepare for Group Discussions and Personal interviews. The faculty also trained me on how to face personal interviews during campus trials. I also share great rapport with the current Director of AIMETC, Dr. Rajesh Bagga. In fact, after all these years, he still remembers me fondly. 

Tell us about your placement experience?

I did my internship at Asian Paints during my second semester and found that working environment there was quite conducive. I made up my mind that when Asian Paints visits our campus during placement drives, I will surely throw my hat in the ring. Unfortunately, I couldn’t crack the written test for Asian Paints, but as they say everything happens for a reason. After that, I got selected in two companies, Alembic Pharmaceuticals and Godrej Group. Upon deliberation with my teachers, I decided to go with Godrej Group as Area Sales Manager. I worked with Godrej for around two years before joining Paxcom India Pvt. Ltd as Project Manager.

What is the key to crack the campus placements?

First and foremost, you should have very good general awareness.  Next is Group Discussion. It forms an important stage of selection process in top companies. It’s important to organize your thoughts before you speak. Candidates make the mistake of speaking over each other. In Group Discussion, you are not only being judged on the basis of your knowledge and communication skills, your mannerisms and etiquettes are also important.  Remember, it is a discussion and not an argument or debate. When it comes to facing Personal interviews, honesty is the best policy. The interviewer has tons of experience, if you lie you will certainly be caught. It’s also important to have a firm grip on the facts and concepts concerning your field.

What are the biggest lessons learned from the corporate world?

Be prepared to face extreme pressure. During my stint with Godrej Group, I used to work 12 hours a day and during month-end closing process I used to sit till 2 am in in the office. I once even missed celebrating Diwali with my family. Anyhow, it developed me and paved the way to my learning and growth in this industry. I would say there are no shortcuts to success. You have to go through the hard grind if you have to climb up the ladder.

“Go and grab a job in Sales to know what pressure is. Students must be prepared to work under immense pressure. Keep in mind that every job has targets.”