An Ultimate Guide for your Internship/ Job Preparation.

Are you going to apply for internships or jobs? Are you still confused about how to make a strong CV? Don’t worry; this blog contains answers to all those questions you have in your mind and many more that might come later. This blog contains all the required information from the people placed in leading companies. Let’s get started without any further ado. Do read the blog completely to get a detailed idea. It is going to be worth it.

You can classify your journey from being a novice to getting a job in your dream company into three steps. Skill building, Reaching the Employer and Selection Rounds. Let’s dive deep into each topic and get a clear understanding of every aspect of the process.

Step 1: Skill Building (Resume Building)

Firstly you would need to identify the profile you want to prepare for, which can be done either by doing a self project or a short term course about it. Once you select the field you like, the skill-building part comes. So let’s talk about How to Build a Resume?

When it comes to building a CV, we all get stuck. We don’t realise that it is of immense importance and it has to be up to the mark. A strong CV should have at least 5 of these eight things.

1. Technology Skills: Anyone will hire you because they need you and you have the skills they are searching for. So having an idea about the job description and requirements is of utmost importance so that you can work on your skillset. Then you need to work on your communication skills, various programming languages(C, C++, Python, etc.), frameworks, courses, etc., as these are essential requirements standard for most of the roles. Start your coding journey with Algozenith.
2. Corporate Internships: Having prior experience in the corporate world is what we should aim for, not just to mention in CV but to learn how things work in reality and the requirements of the companies. You can work on your skillset and then apply for an internship in startups. Startups are the best in terms of the learning experience and the flexibility available. It’s the best place you should go for internships.
3. Research Projects: If you have worked under a Professor on a topic related to your field, it will be of great importance. It adds a lot of value to you as well as your CV. To get a research project, you need to connect to people working in your field. We will discuss it in the next section of the blog.
4. Foreign Exposure: If you ever went out of India for an internship or study purpose, that experience is given a lot of priority. Foreign exposure changes our thought process, even how we look at things, making us different from others.
5. Position of responsibilities(PORs): All the companies require people who work best in teams, who know how to manage things and the importance of every team member. So having prior experience of that kind is what many companies search for. So PORs can be useful here. If you have that’s fantastic but if not don’t worry you only have to choose five.
6. Extra Academics: A sound mind resides in a healthy body. I know it’s an old saying, but it still works. When you are healthy, mentally and physically, you can work at your full potential and use all the opportunities that come your way. So go for sports whether you mention it or not, it is always advisable to keep yourself involved in at least one sport. Get involved in different events and take part in them. Extra-Curriculars like singing, dancing, etc., act as a major stress buster.
7. Certifications: There is always an option to go for recognised certificates in your field, so having that in your CV is something you can think of. Ex- Kickstart ranks for SDE roles, CFA or FRM for Finance profiles.
8. Case competitions: Competitions measure our all-around performance and give us a chance to work on skills in which we are lagging. It checks our speaking skills, teamwork, management skills, work efficiency, problem-solving skills etc. So do participate in as many competitions as you can. It is going to be worth it.

And in the end, you might be thinking about CGPA, so obviously, you have to maintain a decent CGPA. It sometimes acts as a screener if there are many applicants for the Job. It also tells about your management skills, how well you managed academics, and the preparation required for the position. So having a good CGPA is always a plus. The range for a decent CGPA varies for every profile, so it would be of great help if you stay in touch with your seniors.

The idea is not to do things to mention those in your CV but to be aware of the time available and do things that will add value to you and get reflected in your CV. In this way, you are smartly building your CV after knowing your interests so always be clear on the things and ideas you follow.

These eight comprise most of the things people mention in their CVs. You can work on any five of these to make your CV a strong one. Now let’s talk about another step in our job hunt process where you have built your CV.

Step 2: Reaching the Employer

When you have prepared yourself according to the Job description, the next step is to reach the employer to show them that you are the right candidate for the position. So let’s look into this. You can contact your employer through the following ways:

1. Seniors and Alumni: You can always reach out to your seniors for any advice, and sometimes if you have the right skills, they can refer you to people as their referrals can make your life easier. So feel free to reach out to people but in a decent way.
2. Startups: Many people leave their jobs to work for startups and get the experience they want. So considering startups is always a good option. You can reach out to them and showcase your skills to get hired.
3. Networking groups(Linkedin): You can reach your employer from various networking sites (ex- LinkedIn) where companies post their vacancies. In that case, you can reach up to them and apply for the position.
4. Cold mailing: It is one of the trending ways to reach your employer where you can interact with the person and convince them that you are the right fit for the position through your words. Cold mailing has become one of those things which everyone should know.
5. On-Campus Placement: This is one of the easiest ways to secure a job where companies come to your college to hire students. There is nothing easier than this if you are searching for a job. So give your best, prepare well and do not take anything easy.
6. Pre-Placement Offer(PPO): Many companies take an interview at the end of your internship period and analyse your performance, and then if they find you suitable, they will hire you. This is another amazing way companies hire candidates.

Now when you have reached to the employer, the next step comes is

Step 3:Getting the Job

Different companies have different procedures to shortlist candidates. It is always best to know about the process beforehand. For that, you can check the testimonial section of “AlgoZenith”, where you can get all the information about the selection process of every company of different fields. Basically, each company has a combination of these things:

1. Resume Shortlisting: You need to be very careful while making your CV and follow all the guidelines so that your resume gets shortlisted. Just give attention to small details and make a CV keeping in mind the requirements of the companies.
2. Placement tests: These are the tests companies take to evaluate your skills. They check if you have the required skills for the job or not.
3. Technical Interviews: It comprises one or two interview rounds in which the interviewer evaluates your technical and problem-solving skills along with how you look at problems and how you tackle them. Whether you do things in a structured format or not.
4. HR Interview: The interviewer tries to know more about you and your thought process and if you will be an asset to the company or not? So prepare well and stay calm during the interviews.

So this is all you need to know if you are searching for a job or preparing for it. Remember that “Everything is going to be fine and better than your expectations. It’s all a matter of time. Just stay calm, determined and keep working hard” That’s it for this blog. Hope to see you at the next one.

If you liked it do check out our series on Finance blogs where we have briefly described What is Finance and Why is it important? then we gave a detailed description of the Top 5 Career options in finance in India. and also of What does a financial analyst do?. And to know about best resources to learn about finance check out the Top 8 Skills required for a career in the Finance industry along with best resources available.