Parv Agarwal
Electrical engineering
PPOs
Samsung Semiconductor India R&D Center- Bangalore
Interviewed by:
Somya Maheshwari
Internships
PPOs
20th September 2020
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Why PPO?
Any tips for securing a PPO?
Summary of the specifics.
Importance of good relations within the company?
Criteria used while handing out PPOs?
How did you stand out among your colleagues?
Policies regarding PPOs?
I had made up my mind to work in the core semiconductor sector already by the end of my third year. So a PPO at SSIR was one of the best options for me in India. Few overseas offers were available in placement season which can be considered ‘better’ in terms of salary but I gave them up for PPO because (1) I really enjoyed the team and work at SSIR (2) Overseas offers involved uncertainty because of Covid and I had to give up an already existing PPO to even try for them.
Try to get a very clear idea of objectives of the project you get and keep a weekly track of them. Keep good communication with your mentor/manager as per the requirement. Presentation of your work is the most important part, so try to present your project in the best way possible. Most companies have an interview/test lined up at the end of the internship for awarding PPO, so you should start preparing for the same well before time.
PPO process at SSIR involved two interviews, one technical and one HR.
By seniors I assume you mean mentor/manager.
Yes, a good relationship with seniors is very important as they are the ones who give feedback and recommendation for you to higher management. Sincerity and work quality are of course more important but you can't get through with them alone.
Yes, a good relationship with seniors is very important as they are the ones who give feedback and recommendation for you to higher management. Sincerity and work quality are of course more important but you can't get through with them alone.
In my case, apart from your technical skills:
(1) Your communication with the team which includes timely updates, willingness to do more and feedback from your mentors(most imp).
(2) Outcome of your project, does it meet the initial goals?
(3) Also depends on the stage your company and that particular team is in. For eg luckily SSRis team in which I worked was looking to expand so they had a positive outlook towards awarding PPOs but there was a fixed ratio of people they considered for PPO
(1) Your communication with the team which includes timely updates, willingness to do more and feedback from your mentors(most imp).
(2) Outcome of your project, does it meet the initial goals?
(3) Also depends on the stage your company and that particular team is in. For eg luckily SSRis team in which I worked was looking to expand so they had a positive outlook towards awarding PPOs but there was a fixed ratio of people they considered for PPO
In my project, I not only met the initial goals but also presented innovations from my side to improve the project even further. Being a research oriented organization SSIR encouraged this by extending my internship for 1 extra month to work on the innovation part I presented. I believe this proved to be a good advantage for me.
In my case, they had a rough estimate of how many PPOs they will award which was unknown to us at the beginning. These policies may vary from company to company
