If pre-placement offers (PPOs) of last year were indicators of tough times lying ahead for the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), this year they seem to bring good tidings. PPOs, which are placement offers made before the first day of placement in a campus, seem to be showing signs of resurgence in the economy as well.
Finance and marketing, sectors which were low key during placements last year due to global recession, have come back to offer jobs to IIM students through PPOs. Last year, the erstwhile highest recruiter finance, had seen a decline in number of offers through PPOs. However, things are turning buoyant again at IIMs as far as PPOs are concerned. For instance, major firms like McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, BCG and HUL have already made their presence felt at the IIM-A.
“PPOs start streaming in, beginning from the period when internships end till the beginning of lateral placements next year. We would be unable to quote on the exact number so far since we are bound by institute’s policy. Major firms from all sectors like McKinsey and BCG from the consulting domain, HUL from Marketing, Goldman Sachs from BFSI and Microsoft from the Systems sector have already made generous offers,” said sources in the placement committee at IIM-A.
Seconding it is IIM-Kozhikode (IIM-K) where several students among the 268 strong batch, who had been to summer internships this year, have come back with offers from the likes of Edelweiss, Future First, and ITC. “This year things are improving already in PPOs and we hope the trend will continue till final placements as well. While last year over 90 per cent of students accepted offers made to them in PPOs, this year we believe more accept such offers,” said a placement committee member.
At IIM-A, last year companies mostly from consulting and systems had made offers during PPOs. In all, the number of PPOs at IIM-A was around 52 last year. Similarly, sources at IIM Bangalore said that finance and marketing companies have made offers this year to students, apart from firms from consulting and systems sectors. Last year about 40 PPOs were made at IIM-B, sources added.