Placement War Vs Kurukshetra War

It is the time of year when companies come to campus to recruit students.  Every day, there is a company in campus categorized as Indian, MNC, Dream, Product driven, Service driven, BPO, Marketing, etc. 

There is a whole lot of students ready to face the process of tests, Group discussions, Interviews – both technical and HR.   The preparation for this day started when they step into the portals of the institution.  They see and hear about placement from multiple sources.

So, when they step into the final year, they know time has come.  It is here that they know battle is imminent.  They have been preparing, honing their skills – technical and communication, all to face this battle.  Just like how in the days of the Mahabharata, warriors prepared themselves.

Each warrior, whether a foot soldier, on horseback, chariot or the mighty elephant hones their skills and picks their weapons.  They also know their strength and weak spots, just like the mighty kings and warriors.

In every batch of such students there is an Arjuna, a Karna, a Bhima, a Yudhishtra, a Nakul, a Sahadev, a Duryodhana, an Ashwathama as well as any other warriors famed in the Mahabharata.  These are the students the rest of them look upto.  They know that these warriors are the best fit to win the battle.  Each of them builds their battle plan.

On the opposing side is the company that comes to recruit.  They need to win this battle too.  Given the talent pool, they need to win the cream and they know that their offer has to be better than any other.  They also have to evaluate and check each student and pick the right fit for the job.  If they don’t, they might win the battle of numbers in the placement season, but loose in profits in the near future.

So, with two sides, trying to match each other and create a WIN WIN, each comes up with a battle plan and a battle formation.  Here is where the formations in the Kurukshetra War come into the picture.  The formations mentioned in the Kurukshetra war are:  Krauncha Vyuha (Heron formation), Garuda Vyuha (Eagle formation), Mandala Vyuha (Galaxy formation ), Vajra Vyuha ( Diamond or Thunderbolt Formation), Makara Vyuha (Crocodile formation), Ardha Chandra Vyuha (Half crescent formation ), Shakata Vyuha (Box or Cart formation),  Sarvatomukhi Dand Vyuha, Suchimukha Vyuha (Needle formation), Chakra Vyuha (Wheel or Discuss Formation), Padma Vyuha (Blooming Lotus Formation), Sarvatobhadra Vyuha (Safe from all sides), Nakshatramandal Vyuha (constellation formation), Kurma Vyuha (Turtle formation), Trishula Vyuha (Trident formation), Oormi Vyuha (Ocean formation) and Sringataka Vyuha (Horned formation).  For each of these formations, one has to use a counter formation.

On the company side, the battle formation is in the mode of tests – type of questions, complexity, differentiator, the GDs and interviews.  The formation varies either by college, by course of by batch.  On the student side, they try to find the formation the company is planning to come up with and build a counter formation to win over.  The students check their strengths and weakness, trying to maximize strength, minimize weakness and outmaneuver compatriots to get to the list.

Every day, a new company walks in with their own formation.  Every day the students prepare and change their attack plan accordingly.  A Vajrastra from one side must be tackled with an equivalent or more powerful astra.  Choice of a weaker one can leave one wounded, humiliated or totally defeated.

Some days it clicks, some days it is just misses, some others total disaster.  Like the initial days is a string of misses, till a point when the student thinks that this is it, they are finished, defeated and then as if on last breath, they plunge the knife that much stronger thinking there is no tomorrow.  That day it clicks and from depths of defeat they fly up and up, on the wings of glory and there is a horde of friends to carry them and give them a victory lap.

Once in a way, you come across warriors who handle the attack so well, pull down every wall and obstacle as though made of cardboard, companies left astounded that a warrior such as this one exists.  It makes all around such a warrior take pride in being part of the group, happy that there is a warrior whose name they know will keep the flag flying high, the flag called ‘Pursuit of Excellence’.

Placement time is thus like the Kurukshetra War.  Just that it is not exactly eighteen days, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. No winners, no loosers either.  Each side trying to maximize their gain.

Check this link for formations used in the Mahabharata: http://mahabharata-research.com/military%20academy/vyuhas%20-%20the%20strategic%20formations.html