Career fairs are an important date in the calendars of any undergraduate student. It’s the place where they will secure their internship or their very first job fresh out of university. Before the pandemic, career fairs were significant events where both undergrads and corporates could meet face to face. But given the challenges of the pandemic, the Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) shifted its Careers Day online last year. This year, IIT expanded upon this initiative by hosting the IIT Sri Lanka Careers Week. Thus, ensuring its students didn’t miss out on valuable career opportunities and corporates can connect with skilled young talent.
The IIT Sri Lanka Careers Week took place entirely on Microsoft Teams, the event saw 500+ students participating in securing their first job and 3rd-year industry placement. In addition, over 80 companies were also in attendance. Throughout the week, these companies conducted sessions where they introduced the opportunities they had available to them. On average, each session saw 200 – 250 students participating, who asked their questions at their conclusion. Among the corporates that participated in the IIT Sri Lanka Careers Week are MAS Active, Twinery, Linea Aqua, MAS Attune, IFS, Virtusa, 99X, WSO2, and hSenid Business Solutions, to name a few.
“Amidst Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, it was encouraging to witness above 80 companies participate at careers day and provide insights into internship opportunities and what it entails. In addition, alumni of IIT working in these companies being present and sharing their experience was valuable. On the whole, it was a great success, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the companies, alumni, students, and the placement team at IIT for all the effort rendered towards the success of this event,” said Dean at IIT, Naomi Krishnarajah.
Commenting on the IIT Careers Week, Lead Consultant – HR at Virtusa, Thilan Perera, said, “I think this is a great initiative, more convenient for students and relevant recruiters to connect with the students with the pandemic. Also, it’s great to see several students participating in this event.” Assistant Manager – HR at Aeturnum added, “It was a fantastic occasion to meet so many undergrads. We were able to interact and share what we could offer during the internship while how they can best use this one year tenure. It’s been great working with IIT for over 12 years, and looking forward to more.”
For undergraduate students, the university career fair is where they take their first step into the industry with an internship. Elaborating on the importance of internships, Dear at IIT, Naomi Krishnarajah, said, “The internship is an important feature for all undergraduate degree programmes at IIT. It provides real-life exposure to the world of work where students harness their classroom knowledge with practical application and skills developed in a professional setting. In addition, the internship has the added advantage of developing professional contacts in pursuing a career in the chosen field.”
By shifting the experience online with the IIT Careers Week, the institution has allowed both undergraduates and corporates to connect amidst the prevailing situation. Thus, despite the odds, it has helped ensure its undergraduates can take their first step into the industry and go on to building fulfilling careers.