No dedicated placement cell means you build the machine. This is the complete guide — who does what, how the season runs, and every step from zero to offer letters.
When a college has no dedicated placement office, final-year students form a committee that does everything a placement cell would — outreach to companies, CV coordination, interview logistics, and offer tracking.
Every email to a company, every JD you receive, every interview slot you schedule — you are the face of IIT Patna's MBA program to the outside world. The committee's professionalism directly shapes company perception.
The committee works with companies on one side and students on the other. Getting eligibility right, CVs submitted on time, and students showing up prepared — all of that is your responsibility.
Everything you document — company contacts, email templates, interview formats, what worked — becomes the institutional memory that the next batch inherits. Good committees leave things better than they found them.
Recommended committee size: 10–14 students across all roles
Elect or nominate all six role leads by end of June. Aim for 10–12 students total. Announce publicly within the batch so everyone knows who to approach. Hold a single kickoff meeting to align on expectations and set a shared calendar targeting Jan–Mar 2027 placements.
Coordinator + batch voteCreate a Google Drive folder with clear sub-folders: CVs, company contacts, JDs, outreach logs. Set up a master student spreadsheet. Create a committee group (WhatsApp or Slack) separate from the batch group.
Database manager + coordinatorResearch 60–80 companies suited to MBA hybrid profiles. Segment by sector: consulting, BFSI, operations, marketing, tech. Prioritise companies that have previously hired from IIT campuses. Add alumni names wherever you have them.
Corporate outreach teamAnnounce the deadline — by July end. Share the standard template. Run two review rounds with written feedback. Maintain a final approved CV bank. Do not submit any CV to a company that hasn't been reviewed.
CV review lead + database managerSend personalised cold emails with the placement brochure attached. Use alumni for warm introductions wherever possible. Follow up every 7 days. Log every response — positive, negative, or no reply — in the shared tracker. Don't count on a company until they've confirmed a JD.
Corporate outreach teamBegin by August. Weekly aptitude practice, mock GDs with real topics, and at least 2 alumni-led mock interview sessions before the season peaks. Track attendance — students who skip prep consistently tend to struggle in interviews.
Prep & training teamFor each company that confirms, collect the formal JD including CTC range, role, location, and eligibility cutoffs. Hand it to the database manager immediately. Send shortlisted candidate lists within 48 hours of receiving the JD.
Outreach team + database managerSchedule PPT sessions, written tests, GD rounds, and final interviews for Jan–Mar 2027. For hybrid batches, confirm whether each round is in-person or virtual well in advance. Send reminders to students 48 hours before. Assign a committee member to stay with each visiting company throughout the day.
Logistics team + coordinatorRecord every offer as it comes in. Follow up with companies on pending decisions within 5 days. Target 100% placement before Sem 4 ends. Compile the final placement report — % placed, sectors, average CTC, company names. Archive all documents, email templates, and contacts in the shared drive for the next batch.
Coordinator + database managerForm the committee by end of June, assign roles, set up all shared tools, create the student database, and begin building the company target list.
CV collection and review happens in parallel with the first wave of company outreach. Prep sessions begin for the batch.
Follow-ups bear fruit. JDs start coming in. Eligibility shortlists are prepared. Pre-placement talks are scheduled.
First companies begin visits. Final mock interviews and GDs. The database is fully locked and ready for rapid shortlists.
Companies visit (in-person or virtually). Written tests, GD rounds, and interviews run back to back. Goal: everyone placed before Sem 4 ends.
Chase pending offers, compile the final placement report, and hand over all documented materials to the next batch's incoming committee.
CV submissions, feedback, and batch announcements should work through shared docs and email — not just in-person meetings. Students not on campus need the same access as those who are.
When a company confirms, immediately clarify which rounds can be virtual. Many companies will accommodate video GDs and first-round interviews. Don't assume in-person only.
Record GD and mock interview sessions so students who couldn't attend live can review them. This is especially important for students with work commitments on weekdays.
One shared Google Drive, one master sheet, one WhatsApp group for the committee. When students are distributed, confusion spreads fast if information lives in multiple places.
Hybrid MBA students often have jobs or family commitments. Give at least 72 hours notice for any interview that requires travel to campus — not 24 hours.
For virtual interviews, remind students to test their connection, background, and audio beforehand. A technical failure during a final interview looks unprofessional to the company.
The committee turns over every year. At the end of the season, do a proper handover meeting — not just a folder share. Walk the next batch's coordinator through what worked and what didn't.
Some students will already be placed or won't want to participate. Log opt-outs in the database from day one so shortlists to companies are always accurate.