"Every day, I wake up and spend my time applying for jobs. These days are getting harder, and sometimes I've found myself struggling with negative thoughts, which I'm even afraid to express openly."
"I lost my father six months ago in a sudden road accident, and he was the only earning member, and all the responsibilities came on me. A job was the ultimate need."
"Ten rejections later, I saw some hope at the end of the tunnel."
MUMBAI: These are glimpses of interviews with IITians who failed to get a job last year, and then bagged an opportunity this year because of mentorship, which built their confidence, "added structure to their thoughts" and helped them break free from 'the imposter syndrome'-a psychological condition of self-doubt.
More than 200 IIT students from marginalised backgrounds have thus secured jobs after they received free mentoring through a programme designed to empower them. Called 'The Mentor Circle', it was initiated in May 2023 and gives essential guidance, skill development, and networking opportunities to students who "often face significant barriers to entry in the competitive job market," said Dheeraj Singh, an IIT Kanpur alumnus, who designed it.
From 2023 batch, 20 secured jobs through off-campus opportunities, thanks to the mentorship. 140 were similarly placed from the class of 2024. In the ongoing placements, 52 students who were undergoing mentorship have been placed.
Singh, lead mentor and founder of Global IIT Alumni Support Group, said, "We are thrilled to witness the transformative impact of this initiative. By providing students with necessary support and resources, we not only help them secure promising careers but also contribute to a more inclusive and equitable future." The programme provides personalised mentorship, skill development workshops, mock interviews, resume reviews and networking opportunities.
"In first year, I had six backlogs. It was a tough journey all through the BTech programme. Instead of completing my course in four years, I took five years. During campus placement, I sat for 9 interviews, I got shortlisted in two, but never got a final call. I moved out without a job," said an IITian who graduated last year and got placed after undergoing the mentorship programme. "There were so many errors in my CV. No one had pointed that out until I went through the mentorship programme."
Another candidate, a 9.25 CGPA scorer from a top IIT, graduated last year without a job. Despite doing master's and acing technical interviews, he failed to impress HR heads. But a few months into the free mentorship programme and he is now working with an MNC.
"Most of us crack the technical tests. But it is tough to crack questions from HR team. During the mentorship and mock interviews, I faced some interesting questions and I could crack the interview. What also happens at an institute like IIT is that it is highly competitive and students don't ask questions because of peer pressure. But one can be frank in the mentoring sessions," said another student who bagged a job this year.
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