Books to Read for Placement Prep

Winter is coming, and so are Placements! To prepare yourself for the battle, here is a list of books I have read, and books recommended by our experienced alumni and fellow Jokars. No list is perfect and I don’t believe this one is too. However I am confident that all these books have some takeaways that will help you get your dream job.

1. How to Interview like a Top MBA by Dr. Shel Leanne– this book presents a set of the best practices to be adopted during an Interview and is a recommended read for all MBAs. In addition to providing insights into what headhunters from top companies look for in a candidate, this book has sections that provide inputs regarding how to answer a variety of seemingly harmless but important questions, help you demonstrate your fit for a particular role, address weaknesses etc.

2. Case in Point by Marc P Cosentino – this is a popular read for anyone aspiring for a role in consulting and contains common consulting questions, sections on estimation and many sample cases.

3. Cracking the PM Interview by Gayle McDowell – this is a useful book for students aspiring for product management roles in top tech companies . The book includes chapters on behavioral, product, estimation, and coding questions.

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – this book is a self-help book, and can help you develop valuable behavioral and people handling skills.

5. What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles – even though this book is more appropriate for career changers rather than for students appearing for campus placements, it contains some important takeaways on career planning, networking, and other interview tips.

Here are some additional books for Jokars fixated on PM and Consulting roles

1. The Case Study Handbook by William Ellet - improves your case analysis skills

2. Case Interview Secrets by Victor Cheng - practice for consulting interviews

3. Decode and Conquer by Lewis C Lin - helpful for PM interviews

4. Swipe to Unlock by Mehta, Detroja, Agashe - for tech from business PoV

5. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman - good resource for UX-ers

6. Hooked by Nir Eyal - another resource for UX-ers

7. Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug - a third resource for UX-ers

Jokars aiming specifically for PM, Consulting and GenMan roles will find this article more useful. Having said that, I am sure these books will offer every student tips that will prove quite useful down the line. And even if they don’t, what’s the harm in reading a book?

Good luck for your placements !!