Experience Sharing: Mapping Student work and study with Tech Companies

It all starts from Day 1

On 22 January 2026, I joined 54 of my classmates at PCPS College for a focused two-hour career session titled “Preparing Students for the Real World: LinkedIn.” The event, coordinated by Rishika Dahal, ran from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and was facilitated by Mr. Niraj Shakya, Head of People Operations at Tekkon. Sitting in that hall, I realized quickly that this was going to be much more than a standard “how to make a resume” talk; it was a reality check and a toolkit all rolled into one.

From the outset, Mr. Shakya made a point that stuck with me: academic knowledge alone isn’t enough anymore. Employers are looking for signals beyond grades, how you present yourself, the projects you build, how you communicate, and whether you can grow. That reframing changed how I thought about everything I’d done so far and everything I plan to do next.

Learning 1: Personal Branding

One of the session’s major highlights was the idea that personal branding starts long before graduation. I used to think branding was for established professionals, but Mr. Shakya explained how recruiters often check a candidate’s online presence before an interview. That made me uncomfortable in a good way. I reflected on my digital footprint and realized that I have the ability to shape it intentionally.

We walked through practical steps to build a student-friendly personal brand: craft a concise headline that shows what you’re learning and what you want to do, write an authentic summary that tells a story, and be consistent across profiles and posts. Authenticity and clarity not pretending to be everything was the recurring advice. Small edits in my LinkedIn headline and summary felt like low-effort, high-impact changes I could make right after the session.

Learning 2: LinkedIn More Than Job Hunting

Mr. Shakya reframed LinkedIn for us: it’s not just a job board it’s a networking, learning, and portfolio platform. That was a lightbulb moment. He encouraged using LinkedIn to share project updates, write short posts about what you learned, ask thoughtful questions, and follow industry people and companies. Instead of waiting until graduation, he suggested we treat LinkedIn as a living résumé and a place for continuous learning through LinkedIn Learning and community posts.

Practical tips we got: use project highlights to show what you built, get at least a couple of endorsements for key skills, and reach out politely to alumni or professionals for informational chats. I left planning three LinkedIn posts I can publish over the next month about projects I’ve done.

Learning 3 :What Employers Actually Want

The session didn’t glorify technical skills at the expense of everything else it positioned them alongside employability skills. According to Mr. Shakya, technical ability opens the door, but things like problem-solving, adaptability, communication, and a learning attitude keep you in the room. Employers value people who can accept feedback, adapt to new tools, and collaborate.

That emphasis on mindset was freeing. If I don’t know everything now, what matters is showing curiosity and the ability to learn. I made a note to take on small stretch projects and to seek feedback actively so I can demonstrate that growth mindset in interviews and on my profile.

Learning 4:Roadmap for IT Students Projects, Portfolios, and Internships

For those of us in IT, the walkthrough of career paths and entry-level roles was incredibly practical. Mr. Shakya outlined typical entry roles and the skills that help you land them, but what he kept circling back to were hands-on projects, internships, and portfolios. Real work, even tiny apps, scripts, or contributions to open-source speaks louder than theoretical coursework.

I left the session planning an achievable project roadmap: a short web app for my portfolio, a GitHub repository with clear README files, and applying to at least two internships that give me mentorship and review. He also recommended mentorship and online courses for consistent upskilling, which I’ve already bookmarked.

Learning 5: Soft Skills That Matter Day One

The final portion focused on workplace soft skills: professional communication, time management, work ethics, and maintaining a positive attitude. Mr. Shakya emphasized that punctuality, respectfulness, and dependability are integral to one’s professional brand, just as much as technical competence.

I realized being reliable, responsive, and respectful in group projects is practice for the workplace and something to highlight when describing teamwork experiences on LinkedIn or in interviews.

Takeaways and Next Steps

• Update my LinkedIn headline and summary to reflect my interests and recent projects.
• Publish 3 short posts in the next month sharing what I’m building and learning.
• Data Privacy: Continuous data access increases exposure to misuse.
• Create a small, demonstrable project for my portfolio and push it to GitHub with a clear README.
• Apply to internships and reach out to at least two alumni for informational chats.
• Practice time management and ask for feedback in group work to build my growth narrative.

About Author

I am Aashika Shrestha, a Level 5 student at PCPS College, currently pursuing a BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering. My academic interests lie in building intelligent systems, robots and IOT however I am highly interested in field of event management and writing. I am also a part of pcps innovators community

I am grateful to PCPS College for giving me the opportunity to write this blog and explore new learning experiences. This experience has helped me develop my analytical thinking and motivated me to continue learning and growing academically.

About PCPS Opportunity

PCPS Opportunity is a dedicated PCPS initiative that creates and showcases opportunities for students, faculty, and the wider college ecosystem. Through PCPS Opportunity blogs, the PCPS college shares experiences, insights, and achievements that bring real-world perspective and support learning and growth. PCPS opportunity also provides platform for Students to connect with potential jobs and internship.