The Covid-19 pandemic undoubtedly had a substantial impact on the placement season this year. Many recruiters, big and small, have stalled new placements, deferred on previously offered positions. However, as experts at the recent Outlook India conclave themed ‘Would the Covid pandemic impact campus placement?’ reiterated – “There is no lockdown on opportunities.”

In fact, young universities like SRM University – AP, Andhra Pradesh have upped their game to harness the novel opportunities of the new world for its students. Online and remote placements are the answer this year. Remote interviews are certainly different from in-person interviews. They have their unique challenges, and hence your preparations have to be unique, and in keeping with the demands too.

Here are five steps that will help you ace online and remote placements

1. Remote interviews can be done over the phone or video calls. Either way, before the interview make sure you have picked an interference-free spot. If the interview will be held over Skype or Zoom call, ensure that the spot you pick looks professional to make the right impression.
2. Some of the interview preparations will remain unchanged. For example, you should do your research about the organization and the role. It’s also a good idea to have a printout or a handwritten version of your CV handy. Going over different tabs on your screen during the interview is not a good look.
3. It’s also important to have access to a good webcam and microphone for the interview. You might want to test the equipment before you get on the call. Be ready and in position for the interview a few minutes before the designated time. You don’t want to seem rushed when you begin.
4. Dressing up for the interview will put you in the right mindset, so make the effort even if it’s a phone interview. Pay attention to details like whether the device is charged, mute all notifications to avoid disturbance. You can put a sticky note under the webcam so you know exactly where to look and make eye contact with the interviewers.
5. Work from home is the mantra in the new world. Your online interview is the perfect platform to showcase yourself as a candidate who is accessible and responsive. Show that you are someone who revels in taking initiative, are self-motivated, and can be efficient with minimal mentoring.

These strategies formed the crux of specialized online and remote placement training SRM AP offered its students. It paid dividends as students got placed with names like VIRTUSA Corporation, AB InBev, Sahaj Soft and more. Students have bagged attractive offers and are stepping into the professional arenas in dynamic roles that can lead to rewarding careers in the new world.

Sep 30, 2020, Andhra Pradesh: First is forever, because it sets the benchmark for others to follow and beat. Not surprisingly then, all eyes in academia were trained on the placement results of the maiden batch of SRM AP, which was set up with the aim of being a world-class university. It has taken giant strides in a short span of time, raising the bar for higher education in the country. And the sensational placement results, in spite of this year’s circumstances, have taken it a step closer to cementing its place as the force to reckon with in Indian academia.

The Covid-19 pandemic has put a spanner in the placement plans and outcomes for many universities across India. But SRM AP seems to have successfully navigated through the pitfalls by taking its founding batch to their dream job profiles. Its early placement run and seamless transition to online hiring seem to have paid off. Besides dynamic profiles, the maiden placement season for the university has exceeded expectations with its highest salary package of Rs. 29.5 LPA, which was offered to Sri Ritika Katragadda by global giant Amazon.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, HealthRx (Bajaj Finserv Health Ltd., Optum Global Solutions, Sahaj Soft, Sabre Corporation, Amadeus LabsCoviam Technology, Walmart Labs, Standard Chartered, Virtusa, and L&T Technology Services Ltd are some of the top-notch recruiters at SRM AP. It’s interesting to note that several of these renowned organizations have hired multiple candidates from the maiden batch, instating their faith in the University’s programs. IT sector in India, in particular, will now see a strong presence of SRM AP graduates as they make their mark from Pune to Bangalore and Chennai.

The multi-stream research-focused university has strived to create a transformative learning experience for its students. Its collaborations with well known International universities offer students a platform to groom themselves as global professionals of tomorrow. Faculty members too have strong International exposure, which helps students gain insights into best global practices and strategies. The maiden batch of SRM AP found fantastic opportunities to put their learning into practice through internships with well-known brands and organizations.

Sri Ritika Katragadda made her internship with Amazon count and bagged the plum placement as Software Developer. And she wasn’t the only one. Several students of the maiden batch bagged PPOs and placement cum internships, which speaks volumes about their training at the University that has led to a smooth transition from the classroom to boardrooms. They will now start their careers as Software Developers, Software Engineers, Solution Consultants, and Technical Support Engineers etc. charting their way to professional success and becoming glorious ambassadors for their university. As the first among equals!

What it is

Engineering Physics refers to the combined disciplines of physics, mathematics, and engineering. The field seeks ways to apply, design, and develop new solutions in engineering and holds promising career prospects for interested graduates of science or engineering.

One of the biggest advantages of Engineering Physics is that unlike traditional engineering or science disciplines, it does not restrict itself to one domain. The focus is on applied physics covering highly specialised fields such as quantum physics, materials science, applied mechanics, electronics, nanotechnology, microfabrication, microelectronics, computing, photonics, nuclear engineering, biophysics, control theory, aerodynamics, energy, solid-state physics, and others.

The focus on coming up with integrated solutions sourced from multiple specialities ensures that the solutions thus derived are more optimal, effective, and efficient. The cross-functionality also serves as a bridge for the long-standing gap between the theoretical and practical sides of science and engineering.

Who is it for

As stated, graduates of science or engineering can look to specialise in Engineering Physics. Scientists looking to move beyond theory, or engineers looking to create real solutions to tangible problems using theoretical rigour find this field exciting.

Career prospects

Qualified engineering physicists fit in into opportunities within high technology industries some of which are in emergent domains. Broadly speaking, the roles span research and development, design, and analysis. The industry will depend on the engineering specialisation that is selected, i.e. mechanical, computer, nuclear, aerospace, etc.
Engineering Physics is well poised to grow as a segment specifically because of the many emergent sectors in which it has application as well as the technological progress in the last decade that has created entirely new industries. Some of the key areas that will see job growth are discussed below.

Agro Physics

The pressures of a growing global population and the need for sustainable agriculture are going to [belatedly] lead to science and engineering playing a larger role in how we grow crops. Agro Physics is an evolving field and it involves the study of materials and processes in the sowing, harvesting, and processing of agricultural produce.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence or AI refers to machines that mimic human cognitive functions such as learning and problem solving. This exciting field is growing by leaps and bounds and holds great promise in automation of many processes besides an exponential growth in processing capacities.

Biomechanics

Biomechanics involves the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of living systems. The field touches applications such as aerodynamics, orthopedics, locomotion, pathology, oncology, among others.

Bionanotechnology

Bionanotechnology refers to the combination of nanotechnology and biology. Here, bio systems within nature are used as inspiration for creating new nanodevices or nanoparticles. Nanomedicine is the obvious field that is looking to benefit from the progress made in Bionanotechnology, while agriculture is another sector that will see application of new solutions.

Composite materials

A composite material is made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components. The objective could be to make the composite lighter, stronger, harder, softer, resistant, flexible, rigid, etc. While composite materials have existed since ages (concrete and steel are composite materials!), limits in development of new materials are constantly being pushed through progress in Engineering Physics.

Machine learning (ML)

ML is a subset of AI and refers to algorithms and statistical models that computer systems use to perform a task without any instructions input by human operators, relying on patterns and inference instead. ML is beginning to find application across many sectors including primarily Economics, Finance, Forensics, Medicine, Search Engines, etc.

Microfabrication

Miniaturisation of various devices (think about the first cell phones and compare them with devices today) has led to the need for Microfabrication, which is the process of fabricating miniature structures of micrometre scales and smaller. Progress in material science, nanotechnology, and other fields has led to growth in possibilities in this field.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale. Apart from medicine, Nanotechnology holds immense potential for multiple industrial sectors such as defence, textiles, food packaging, sports, construction, and energy. The fruits of the research conducted in this exciting field over the years is only just beginning to be realised.

Neural engineering

The human neural system is an extremely complex arrangement linking the brain with the rest of the body. Neuroscience is still making tentative progress in understanding how this system works and this pace has quickened lately thanks to the improvement in imaging systems. Neural engineering is a discipline within bioengineering that uses engineering to understand, repair, replace, or enhance these complex neural systems. Aspects such as Neuroimaging, Neuromechanics, Neuromodulation, Neurorobotics, and Neuroregeneration hold great promise for patients who have been resigned to living with neurological disorders.

Robotics

Robotics is the true combination of Computer, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering with Physics. While Robots have existed since many decades now, the application across more sectors, the sophistication of the robotic systems, and their efficiency are being enhanced through the many technological developments. This will lead to productivity and efficiency gains across multiple sectors.