Burning midnight oil to chase big day-dreams

It is gruelling on both sides of the table—even though the balance of power has shifted from recruiter to applicant amid a shortage of talent to feed growing economies.

But with some interviews stretching up to five hours in a tightly-controlled area that’s off limits to everyone excepts job candidates and recruiters, the days can be stressful.

Over the last few days, the Mint team of staff writer Aparna Kalra and photographer Madhu Kapparath got unprecedented access to the students who let them in on closely-guarded private moments.

Already business savvy in many respects and especially during the day, many of them still remain students at heart, shedding the public persona even as they fight rising tension and stress with yoga, late-night sports, mock interviews or simply chilling out in hostel rooms that moms anywhere in the world would frown upon.