Alright, you heard the pre rec talk last Saturday and have been attending events from all these clubs for over a year now. Now, the time has come for you to showcase your drive, interest and passion to join them. Pulse NITK proudly releases this article in collaboration with all the six exclusive clubs in NITK – ACM, IE, IEEE, IET, ISTE and Rotaract NITK. The objective of this article is to help drive away any confusion you may have regarding any of the clubs and the general recruitment procedure as a whole. The procedure for the clubs varies by a great extent and we recommend you check out their individual websites and social media handles for the same. However this article tends to outline the general flow of procedure and also features some of the questions and comments answered by the clubs directly. So read on, and kiss your doubts farewell!

  1. Alright, what are exclusive clubs? Why should I join them?
    Exclusive clubs refer to those clubs established in NITK which have rich culture and tradition tied to them. These clubs all intend to promote various aspects of a students life in college ranging from bolstering technical and soft skills, improving teamwork, incentivizing junior senior bonding and above all else to have fun! An executive club is different from other clubs in the sense that you are allowed to join only one of the six of them (we know a lot of you can swear by your time management and multitasking abilities, but the rule stands to ensure there is no conflict of interest at any given point in time). These 6 executive clubs differ in their prime objectives and activities yet they focus on serving their members and showcasing their efforts by performing events, presenting projects, heading initiatives and making a difference both inside and outside NITK.
  2. Do I have to join them?
    Joining exclusive clubs does not factor into your degree nor is it a mandatory component of your college life. It is a purely optional choice whether one intends to join an exclusive club or not. That being said there are many benefits of joining them as stated in the previous question. If you believe that you can or wish to derive these benefits by other sources, no one will stop you. You have the power of choice.
  3. How will I decide what is the best club for me?
    Each and every single club has its own set of strengths which it promotes and endorses. The idea is to figure out which one will help you grow and contribute the most. Try to talk to seniors you know, seeing the social media handles and websites of each or reviewing the pre recruitment talk on YouTube. All exclusive clubs are chapters of the official larger organizations located with presence either across India or across the world. Feel free to check out their websites to get a deeper understanding and appreciation of the larger organization as a whole, its aims and motto.
  4. Please tell me briefly how the whole procedure goes.
    As mentioned before the procedure varies not just across clubs but also across SIGs (Special Interest Groups, a fancy term for the various divisions which work side by side in a club). But here is the general procedure and an outline of what you will experience if you opt to sit for club recruitments.
    • Register on the websites or Google forms of the clubs you wish to join. You can register for all 6 if you like.
    • Participate in the Round 1 of each of the clubs you opted for. This could be a take home assignment, a test, a case study presentation or something similar as the club deems necessary.
    • If you successfully clear Round 1, Round 2 is usually an interview or a take home assignment with an emphasis to test your knowledge. This knowledge can be related to your interests, enthusiasm, technical skills, prior experience, familiarity with tools and so on. 
    • Clubs may/may not have a Round 3 which is yet another interview which possesses the same structure or format of Round 2.
    • The final Round is a HR Round interview. Here you are judged based on whether or not you would be the right fit for the club. Multiple questions regarding your personal interests and passions can be asked while also asking you about your Order of Preference. (We’ll come to this in a little bit)
    • All the clubs sit and discuss amongst themselves to ensure that the candidates are allotted based on their preference and order of priority. Results are usually declared less than one week after the last club completes its HR round interviews.
  5. What happens if I am shortlisted for the HR interview of more than one club?
    As I mentioned before, you can join only one exclusive club. If you are shortlisted for more than one club, you need to provide an Order of Preference, an order of the clubs you would like to join starting with the one which you are most eager to join and ending with the least. During HR rounds, clubs will ask you your preference order in the event that you were shortlisted by multiple clubs. You have to ensure you mention the same order to all the clubs in their respective interviews. When the clubs get together to determine which club selects which member, your order of preference will help resolve any forms of conflict and ensure you are allotted to the highest club in your ranking.
  6. What happens if I want to change my order of preference?
    Don’t worry, you are allowed to change your preference order before a particular deadline. Please remember to notify and inform each of the clubs once you make a change. The student council will circulate a form to fill your final order of preference after all HR rounds are complete. After this stage however, you cannot change your order. This becomes your final order.
  7. How can I prepare for the exclusive club recruitment procedures?
    There is no prescribed “syllabus” for any club. Check out each of the club’s social media handles and websites to learn about their procedure of recruitment and what they expect you to know. Feel free to also approach them directly to ask about the various clubs and necessary information. One tip though – relax. No one expects you to know more than any first year student should have a basic knowledge of. This isn’t a test of your ignorance but merely a procedure for you to identify and test your strengths and weaknesses.
  8. Is my life ruined if I don’t get an exclusive club?
    Short answer – No. Multiple seniors from college have not been a part of any exclusive club and have succeeded in getting admits to top universities, work in prestigious firms, start companies and become prominent individuals. Check out the article titled “Exclusive Clubs – An Alumni Perspective” featuring Philip Mathhew, an alum from NITK who elucidates why he chose not to sit for exclusive club recruitments and why not getting into one is clearly not the end of the world.

The following section features some FAQS directly from each of the Exclusive clubs. Check out all the questions of the various clubs you wish to appear for.

ACM NITK

  1. Can I join multiple SIGs after getting recruited?
    Yes you can! We have six SIGs in total, and you can join how many ever you like.
  2. Is each SIG’s registration form different?
    Yes. You have to fill a separate registration form for each SIG you wish to sit for. All links are found on our website. Our website link is on the page’s bio.
  3. Do I have to sit for all SIG recruitments or once in the club, can join any SIG freely?
    Once you join the club, through the recruitment process of any SIG, you can join how many ever SIGs you like. It isn’t needed to sit for all SIG recruitments, but only those you are interested in.
  4. Is ACM recruiting for third years?
    We shall be recruiting third years as well! However, since the club already has a decent number of third-year members, we shall be looking forward to welcoming a greater number of second years.
  5. What is the deadline to register for all ACM SIGs (Special Interest Groups)?
    Registration for all SIGs close on Monday, the 27th of September at 12:00 Noon.

IE NITK

  1. What does the entire recruitment process look like?
    There are 3 broad steps to the recruitment process. 
    1. Registration and Application: (Before 24th September, 11:59 PM)
      • Register on our website using your nitk edu ID.
      • Verification link will be sent to the registered email.
      • After verification, fill the application form with the SIGs of your interest.
    2. Written Test: (26th September)
      • After the deadline, you will be added to a whatsapp group for further communications regarding this.
    3. Interviews
      1. Our members will contact you regarding the interviews after you qualify the tests.
    4. All updates regarding your application status will be updated on our website, so do be on a constant lookout to avoid missing any updates.
  2. What are the activities an executive club conducts?
    IE’s foremost priority is always the growth and development of its members from the inside. There are multiple internal events such as the Brown Bag series, Diffuse, Group discussions, KEPs and stress busters such as chill sessions, interactions all throughout the year. For non-members, IE conducts multiple technical and fun events. Our flagship events are Enigma, King of The Hills. We also have Visionnaire, Spark, Samwaad and multiple workshops and webinars scattered all around the year. We also work on numerous technically challenging projects spanning multiple fields of the latest innovative technology.
  3. What benefits do I get by being part of IE?
    Aside from the obvious technical benefits like projects, you also get to experience enriching conversation and a means to network with people of similar interests. IE has the power to change your life. You can read about how it has helped our past and current members, here https://ie.nitk.ac.in/ie-stories/
  4. Can I participate in projects conducted by other SIG’s / switch my SIG later?
    IE gives its members the freedom to join multiple SIGs once they are inside the club despite their primary SIG remaining the same.
  5. How many projects can I do in the club?
    Being a part of the SIG entitles a member to the ability to participate/join the projects. You can see some of our members doing 3 projects in different topics at a time.
  6. Is there a limit on SIGs that we can apply for?
    To not overburden the candidate during recruitments, we restrict the applicants to not apply for more than 2 Main SIGs and 3 Auxiliary SIGs. Once a student joins the club through any SIG, they are part of IE. They can join any SIG and explore their interests without any tests or other barriers.
  7. What’s the culture at IE?
    Our main priority is always our members. Any events that we do are to encourage our members and increase bonding between ourselves while gaining experience. At no point will you find any of our members being overburdened with work they cannot handle.
  8. Describe IEs alumni network?
    IE is one of the oldest clubs at NITK. It has a great alumni network who love IE and are always amiable to it’s juniors.Our most recent Alumni are placed in companies like Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Goldman Sachs, Exxon Mobil, Garrett, Walmart and many more. Many of our Alumni have also gone abroad for MS in UCLA, Maryland, UPenn, UC San Diego, and other top universities.
  9. When is the last date to register?
    Last day to register for our application is 24th September, 11:59 PM.

IEEE NITK

  1. Why should I join IEEE NITK?
    • Successful alumni all around the globe and connections going as far back as 2012 studying and working in places like Stanford, TU Delft, John Hopkins University, Qualcomm, Google, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Exxon Mobil, Bajaj, TVS and more.
    • Access to the largest technical organization in the world – its resources and community.
    • Great interaction with reputed professors, young professionals and industrial experts via the Bangalore Subsection.
    • Discounts for various conferences, events, competitions and more.
    • Fully funded projects and events.
  2. What are the main SIGs of IEEE NITK?
    IEEE NITK has three main SIGs – CompSoc, Diode and Piston. Recruitments to the club are only by means of these 3 SIGs. Once you join the club however you can take part in many auxiliary and student branch chapters such as Robotics and Automation Society, Circuits and Systems Society, Industry Applications Society, Women in Engineering and many more. 
  3. Can I register for more than one SIG?
    Of course you can! However your recruitment into the club will be into the one which you performed best at and based on your preference.
  4. Can I work on interdisciplinary projects in IEEE?
    Yes you can collaborate with other SIGs to work on various interdisciplinary projects. We have had a number of projects in the field of robotics, automation and mechatronics coming under this field. This year we have a project called Anti Anti Masker, which is an inter SIG project of Piston and Diode. 
  5. Does IEEE favour student members more than non student members?
    This has been a common rumour which has been frequently circulated but IEEE NITK does not favour student members by any means. The only difference is that student members don’t appear for the test on account of them having proved their mettle by being a part of both Envision and Summer Mentorship Programs. There are many non-student members who are selected to join our club every single year.Whether you are a student member or not, rest assured you will be judged fairly. After all, every single club is hoping to get the best candidate every year.
  6. When is the last date to register for IEEE?
    Registration for all SIGs closes on Thursday, the 30th of September at 11:59PM.

IET NITK

  1. Is each SIG’s registration form different?
    Nope. While the interview process may be slightly different, there is only one single form to apply for any SIG within IET NITK.
  2. Can I join SIGs other than the one in which I am recruited, after I join the club?
    Absolutely! You can contribute to other SIGs as well once you are part of IET.
  3. Do I have to work on projects proposed by seniors or I can propose a project and work on them?
    IET gives you the freedom to choose whether to work on a project proposed by seniors or propose one and work on it. We will ensure that you are guided by capable seniors in both cases.
  4. I was a part of the IET SMP conducted during the summer. Do I need to write the recruitment test?
    If you successfully completed the SMP and received the certificate of completion, you are eligible to be called for direct interviews without going through the hassle of screening tests. Please contact your mentors to know about your eligibility.
  5. Does our branch/CGPA matter when applying for a particular SIG?
    Not at all! We don’t care about your branch/cgpa as long as you have the expected skills and willingness to learn.
  6. What are the few perks of being in IET NITK?
    You will become an exclusive member of the South Asia IET community. You can attend international seminars, apply for IET scholarships, compete in paid events like PATN and work on some innovative projects. Not to forget the fun weekend trips 😉
  7. What is the registration deadline for IET?
    Registration for all SIGs closes on 26th of September at 9:30am.

ISTE NITK

  1. Am I allowed to be a part of multiple SIGs in ISTE?
    Yes you are! You can apply for multiple SIGs in ISTE(make sure to fill each SIGs registration form), you will however get in only through one SIG. Once you get in, you can join other SIGs that interest you as well. 
  2. Do I need to be an expert in any topic to get into ISTE?
    We understand that you all are barely into your second year and hence would have limited knowledge in any domain. What we expect from you is to be strong in your fundamentals and show an ability along with an interest in learning.
  3. Can 3rd years be recruited into ISTE?
    Definitely! We do consider exceptionional 3rd year candidates, although the majority of our recruits comprise 2nd years.
  4. Do I have to pay to be a member of ISTE?
    Our membership is completely free. At no point during your 3 years in the club will you have to pay any amount.
  5. What do I do if no project that the SIG I am a part of has to offer interests me?
    You can always propose a project of your own and we will ensure that you will be guided by capable seniors for the same. Some SIGs have skeletal projects as well which are basically structured projects without any members which you can join. Skeletal projects have been created to help 2nd years who want to head projects do so with a good structure and outline. 
  6. How will I know if I have been selected for the next round?All selected candidates will receive both an email and a whatsapp message regarding your promotion to the next round.
  7. What do I do if I am facing any issues with regards to my nitk.edu account?
    We require all candidates to use their nitk.edu throughout the entire process, however if you are facing or do run into any issues, do inform the points of contact for each sig you are applying for or inform any of the admin core members.
  8. When is the last date to register for ISTE?
    Registration for all SIGs closes on Saturday, the 25th of September at 11:59PM.

Rotaract NITK

  1. What makes your club unique?
    Rotaract Club is the only exclusive club of the institute that’s a sole socio-culturally orientated club. The club conducts various events over multi-faceted disciplines – Social, Cultural, Arts, Media and Literature – and has therefore established itself as the only club to be conducting events across all domains for students and club members alike. 
  2. Do I have to join a particular SIG?
    No, Rotaract doesn’t offer any particular SIGs. Instead you’ll have the freedom to join some of the initiatives that’s undertaken by the club that includes Rotalks, RoTech, RoTutor, Social Initiative Projects (SIPs), Humans of Service (HoS), Roto-Assist, Roto-Blogs and the activities hosted by the club that includes Panache, MHA Week, Headstart, Verdict, orphanage visits, the Annual Charity Play, the Karavali Marathon and many more.
  3. Is there any new initiative that your club is planning to bring forward to us?
    Yes, this year, your batch onwards, we have a new initiative called RotoCreate. An environment just for creative people to collaborate, harness and build their creative skills. You will have the freedom to innovate within RoTalks Format and Editing, SIP Design, Comics and many more. We are also looking to host Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro Workshops. This initiative will certainly benefit those who want to exhaustively explore their creative side at NITK Surathkal. 
  4. Will there be any technical projects?
    Despite being the only non-technical exclusive club of NITK, the Rotaract Club encourages innovative technical projects pertaining to the domains of social welfare which led to the initiation of RoTech, the technical wing of the club. We have two ongoing projects, that is Blind Assistance System and Vertical Assistance Wind Turbine. There’s scope for you guys to innovate and suggest new ideas that have a social impact and are free to work on them for the duration of your time in the club.
  5. How will being a member of your club assist me in the future?
    By joining Rotaract, you’re not just joining a volunteer group, but an international community. Rotaract is affiliated with Rotary – one of the world’s top service clubs – and having that on your resume and college essays sets you apart from the competition.  It adds value and diversity to your resume which aids in placement as well as masters applications, and gives an alternative to the technical aspect of the resume which is already done under your engineering course. With over 1.2 million Rotarians around the world, chances are that your interviewer is one of them. Employers know that Rotaractors are hardworking individuals with a passion for service and those are exactly the sort of qualities they’re looking for in their recruits.
  6. When’s the last date of registration?
    Last date of registration is 24th September 2021, 11:59 PM.

We wish all the students the very best of luck for their club recruitments! Despite healthy competition between each of the six exclusive clubs, they all have rich history and a lot of extremely accomplished and talented alumni and members. At Pulse, we also take this opportunity to wish all the exclusive clubs a successful recruitment season and hope that they continue to contribute to the college and grow in a fashion similar to the one they have demonstrated in preceding years.