MUSINGS
They were ready for the opportunity
This was one big opportunity at Visakhapatnam that job seekers, both freshers and the experienced ones did not want to miss, come rain or low pressure. The Hindu Opportunities Fair held here for the first time on 23 & 24 June 2007 drew a huge response despite the heavy showers that lashed the city on the opening day.
The venue was the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, a sprawling sports complex. Despite the huge capacity of the stadium it was soon packed and there were still long queues of freshers outside waiting to get in.
As this was a major job fair being held in the region for the first time, job seekers came not only from Visakhapatnam city and district, but also from Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, West & East Godavari and parts of Orissa. What was interesting to note was that some of the freshers also came from Hyderabad as they had missed out on the fair held there a few months ago. They got a second chance.
Many of them were unprepared for the rain, so they were drenched. But that did not dampen their spirits nor curb the excitement of landing their first job. The dauntless among them braved the rain holding their CVs in plastic folders or carry bags and not getting out of the line.
One glaring fact that stood out was that the boys among the freshers were boisterous and tried to bulldoze their way in despite the security men trying to regulate the crowd. The girls on the other hand were quick to follow the instructions and formed a queue which made the job of the security guys easy and to the dismay of the boys more girls got in fast. So boys please note – follow the rules always, it makes life simple and easy and at times can kick competition to the back
The rain also brought along the opportunity for friendship among strangers. Many youngsters were found sharing their umbrellas and raincoats with others to ward off the rain.
This provided a chance to strike up a conversation and gather more information about the fair and the kind of questions that were likely to be thrown at them by the recruiters.
What was noticeable was the tension and apprehension among the freshers. All of them had the same question in mind. Will I get the chance to speak to the guys on the other side of the stall? Many of them were going over through their CVs, just to be sure to answer any question without waste of time.
They were trying to figure out the questions that would be posed. Also many were debating if they should pick up the first offer that came their way.
Some of the freshers who had B. Tech degrees had clearly made up their minds. When I asked if they would submit their CVs to BPO or call centre companies, they said no. They were looking for cent percent tech jobs. “We are going to apply only for Tech jobs in the IT and Telecom companies” was their emphatic answer. But many graduates with B.Sc, B.Com degrees were ready to pick up jobs, in the BPO, ITES, insurance sector, for functions such as sales, marketing and HR. Many of them said it was the best opportunity for them to find a job right here at the fair rather than apply to different companies and keep attending interviews at far off places incurring expenditure without certainty.
The recruiters on the other hand had their hands full of CVs and anxious freshers around them waiting for a nod to get in to the interview cabins. The corporates were well prepared to handle the droves of freshers. They positioned experienced HR staff who could quickly sift through the CVs and pick out the suitable candidates. Some companies held screening tests on the spot, while others conducted interviews with short listed candidates.
The BPO and ITES companies made the largest job offerings at the fair. Tech companies held interviews for different senior positions and short-listed candidates. Some of them were asked to attend the next round of interview at the corporate head office.
When asked if the fair had helped ease the process of hiring, a top ranking call centre HR executive said,” The response to the fair is massive. We now see the need to participate in such fairs at regular intervals and at locations away from the metros, where there is a huge pool of talent to be tapped”.
Job fairs such the Hindu Opportunities Fair provide a good hunting ground for both the recruiters and the job seekers. Getting them together under one roof to quickly evaluate each other can save time, money and cumbersome travel for all parties.
K. V. RAJASEKHER
faqs@cnkonline.com
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