Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Placement Officer: Mr Vishwa Kumar Interview

Mr. Vishwa Kumar has been working as the Placement Officer at Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is a seasoned professional and a driving force behind successful career transitions at Chettinad School and as the Placement Officer, he plays a pivotal role in connecting students with rewarding opportunities and bridging the gap between academia and the professional world. Also, with a wealth of experience in the realm of placements, he brings a unique blend of expertise and dedication to his role. And his commitment to nurturing talent and fostering industry connections has made him an invaluable asset to both students and the institution. His strategic approach involves understanding the individual strengths and aspirations of each student, creating a personalized roadmap for their career development.

Being the Placement Officer at Chettinad Academy, what are your key responsibilities towards students?

As the Placement Officer of our Chettinad Academy, I act as a bridge between students and industries. And to be more specific, I am mainly responsible for providing required training programs to students and making them fully ready to confidently face the actual interview process. Apart from this, a series of mock tests and mock interviews are conducted under my personal supervision to hone both technical and soft skills of students. Last but not the least, I keep track of all the updates related to placements appropriate to the profiles of each aspirant and provide resources and activities to facilitate their career planning and placement process.

How do you establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty of your Academy?

For the purpose of maintaining a healthy relationship with the students of my institution, I regularly interact with them on an individual basis as I believe my undivided attention is very crucial for them to express their needs and problems. I also often tell them stories and experiences of their seniors and our Alumni so that they can learn from it. In addition to this, I encourage them to have a positive attitude towards life and its goals. And when it comes to my fellow faculty, I maintain a very good connection with all of them too and we all work as a team to facilitate and support the students in every way possible.

How do you bring in a practical and industry oriented approach towards subjects?

In order to enforce an industry oriented and practical approach towards subjects, we have allotted a dedicated mentor to each student to guide them about the latest technologies and trends of the corporate world. Apart from curriculum, we organize events such as Symposiums and technical, non-technical contests for students to enrich their overall learning experience, knowledge and give them much needed practical exposure. 

Also, from the first year itself, our students take up internships every semester in various departments to gain first-hand work experience. Lastly, we motivate them to develop socially beneficial and Innovative projects based on their domain of interest and appreciate the best ones with attractive prizes.

What approach have you adopted to prepare students for the highly competitive world?

As we are living in a highly dynamic, unpredictable and competitive world, preparing students for this environment has become more important than ever, hence I provide comprehensive career guidance to them so that they can understand the importance of various specializations within the medical field. And my guidance especially involves one-on-one counseling sessions to identify students strengths, interests, and career goals. 

Apart from this, I regularly update students about the latest trends, emerging technologies and requirements of the medical field and the evolving healthcare landscape to ensure that they are well-informed and can adapt to the dynamic nature of the profession. Then there are internships and clinical exposure for them to get practical knowledge and it not only adds value to their resumes but also helps students build a strong foundation for their future careers.

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Which extracurricular activities are organized by your Academy to enhance the skills of students?

As we strongly believe that along with the finest quality education, co-curricular activities are very essential for the holistic development of students, therefore we regularly engage them in a wide variety of programs and events. First and foremost, we have enabled Japanese language courses for first year students and it acts as an added advantage for them during placement. 

Apart from this, an annual event called Symposium is conducted by us and third year students of every department to help them teach how to organize and manage both big and small events in a real-world scenario. Then there are Ecube and Societal Beneficial Innovation’ events for the students to showcase their unique talents. Last but not the least, AMCAT test series are undertaken by our students which helps them in clearing the entry level aptitude examinations.

When you first joined the institute, what was your vision for it and how are you trying to achieve the same?

As each student has their own unique talents and interests, so when I joined the Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, my goal was to ensure that students receive all kinds of facilities, opportunities and support to hone their skills. In addition to this, I aspire to enable the students to gain exposure to various job opportunities available in the world and further develop their skills in the domains they are interested in. And to fulfill these goals, we regularly invite renowned companies from budding startups to Multinational organizations for our campus placements.

How does your college enhance the faculty skills and prepare them as per industry standards?

Although all our teachers are highly educated and experienced in their respective fields, with changing trends, technologies and needs of the industrial world, they also need to upgrade their skills. Hence our institution regularly arranges guest lectures for them and they even attend various kinds of workshops to update themselves about the latest industry standards and share the knowledge with the students. Then there are COE bonds that our college has established with top tier companies to enhance the skills of staff members with appropriate training.

What do you see as the greatest strengths of your college and how can it be enhanced?

The college's greatest strength is undoubtedly its students as they are the driving force of all our practices and activities. Apart from this, our staff guided by the strong ethos of the institution add to the robustness of the college. And in my opinion, these strengths can be enhanced by consistently supporting both students and teachers and helping them achieve greater successes by fine tuning them in the right path.

Any valuable advice which you would like to give to students for a prosperous career ahead?

I would like to advise my dear students to give their best in whatever work they do, be it a simple test or a major project. Because honest efforts and a never-stop learning attitude will help them achieve great success in the long run.