Recession? Big deal!

Gutsy Som-Lalit Institute of Business Management students are selective about the jobs being offered to them
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20090217200902170243401746dee99d8)

The global meltdown and the subsequent slowdown in India have failed to cast a pall of gloom over Som-Lalit Institute of Business Management. For, its students still have the guts to be choosy about jobs.

Much before the campus selections are over, 40 per cent of its students have lapped up jobs. Had they not been selective, opined a teacher of the B-school, all of them would have been placed by now.

Several insurance companies made lucrative offers, but failed to take Som-Lalit Institute of Business Management students on board. For, they were not interested in “slogging” in the insurance sector. The beeline of companies for campus recruitment despite the economic downturn perhaps instilled confidence among the students to be selective. The encouraging recruitment trend at the institution strengthened their self-belief, said a budding manager. With eight more companies slated to visit the campus next week, they are confident about getting lucrative offers. Officials of Chandan Steel, Mas Finance, Asian Paints, Software Designer, Gujarat Heavy Chem, Syntex, HDFC Standard Life and Rasna would be weighing the potential of the B-school students next week, while 11 companies visited the campus earlier.

The package offered to the budding managers so far varied between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh per annum, identical to last year.“Axis Bank, Radio Mirchi, Vodafone, Endeavor, Iffco Tokyo, Vivro Financials, ICICI Prudential, Bajaj Allianz, Siddhi Cement, Tata Tele and Pipavav Shipyard Limited have already visited our campus,” said Dr Jagdish Joshipura, the director of the institute. “A leading company of Dubai recruited one of our students for a salary of Rs 8 lakh, while another is expecting an offer from there. Pupils are getting good offers from clinical research sector also,” a visibly happy Joshipura said.Pointing out the difference between the recruitment trend of yesteryear and this year, Joshipura said: “Several small and medium enterprises, healthcare firms, pharmaceutical companies and logistics firms visited our campus this year. But fewer private banks came.

Not a single retail firm turned up this year.” Tailpiece The director of the institute was critical about lack of interest among some of his students in venturing out for jobs. “The students will have to be open to work away from home if they want to make it big as professionals,” said Joshipura.