The Hindu : National : A windfall of jobs at a Kerala event

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 27, 2006

National

National

A windfall of jobs at a Kerala event

G. Mahadevan

Opportunities meet aspirations at the two-dayThe HinduJob Fair

Photo: S. Mahinsha

JOBS GALORE: Job seekers queue up at The Hindu Opportunities Fair in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Thiruvananthapuram: Opportunities came face to face with aspirations at the two-day The Hindu Opportunities Fair that concluded in Kerala's capital on Sunday. And for many, it was game, set and match at the end of the day.

Some 185 firm job offers, close of 900 short listings and the promise of `we will consider you' to hundreds of candidates: there could not have been a more fitting conclusion to an endeavour that sought to showcase the job market — shorn of all its enigma and mystique — to the trailblazers of tomorrow.

This, it did, for more 24,000 aspirants who turned up at the specially air-conditioned indoor auditorium of the St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School in the heart of the city over the two days. For many, it was a life-changing event.

Cognizant, the main sponsor of the Fair, was also the main job provider, snapping up 44 candidates. Another 42 were taken on board by SlashSupport India. Soon 25 candidates will find themselves on the payrolls of Convansys India and 23 will be working for ISG Novasoft Technologies Ltd.

Patni, one of the associate sponsors of the Fair, took in 12 candidates, while Iridium gave the nod of 11 aspirants. SunTec Business Solutions, another associate sponsor, took in five.

Personnel mobbed

But this is just the story of the `firm' offers. US Technology Resources, based in Technopark here, whose personnel were virtually mobbed by `freshers', took in close to 3,000 resumes and gave written tests to 650 candidates and short-listed 40. There are indications that the company plans to give firm offers to as many as 25 candidates in the coming days. The company also has its eyes on 10 of the 300-odd `laterals' who dropped by at its stall.

WINS Infotek has eight job offers in the making. The stall of network Systems and Technologies Private Ltd (NeST) sported beaming faces too; the company has short-listed 150 candidates. Allsec Technologies Ltd has short-listed 159 while Wipro BPO Solutions is looking at 50 candidates as future employees. ATOS Origin Middle East short-listed 50 candidates and HCL, more than 20.

For many companies the second day was a windfall in terms of experienced candidates. The Human Resources Manager of NeST, S. Sandhya, was evidently pleased when she pointed out: "I was even able to find candidates with five and even six years of relevant experience."

There was cause for celebration at the SunTec stall too. The company could lay its hands on 280 `right' resumes. Many of these are expected to be converted into jobs.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail