The
Indian Institutes of Management
(
IIMs
) are shifting their focus from short-term job
placements
to enhancing students’ long-term employability, as they aim to prepare themselves for the future. The institutes are exploring various options to equip students for a rapidly evolving job market, including increased interactions with
recruiters
and industry experts to understand their requirements, workshops, external mentoring, student profile mapping, and soft skill courses.
Institutes acknowledge that they have faced challenging placement seasons in the past and will continue to experience them in the future. This realization has prompted them to adopt a different approach to tackle the emerging scenario and better prepare students for the dynamic job market.
According to an ET report,
IIM Kozhikode
has established the CARE office this year, an initiative by director Debashis Chatterjee, to focus on improving students’ employability rather than solely targeting immediate job opportunities. The office provides a platform for long-term
career
development through three functions: Corporate Access, Corporate Readiness and Corporate Engagements.
The Corporate Access cell facilitates students’ understanding of sectors and roles through workshops with industry leaders, bridging the knowledge gap between students and industry needs.
The Corporate Readiness cell focuses on candidate profile development through one-on-one coaching and personal branding workshops.
The Corporate Engagements cell aims to build sustainable relationships with recruiters, led by a designated professional supported by a team of 5-7 professional recruitment managers currently being hired by the institute.
Prof Rajesh Srinivas Upadhyayula, dean (programmes) strategic management at IIM Kozhikode, explains the need for change, “In the last decade, batch sizes have doubled but the process hasn’t changed.”
He emphasized that the job market is becoming increasingly unpredictable, requiring multiple career paths and a different approach to engaging with recruiters. The focus is on identifying and addressing gaps to enhance students’ long-term career prospects.
