PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) are companies that are owned by the government either fully or through a majority stake. Most of the PSUs are involved in industries that require massive investments and are necessary for public welfare, such as the Oil Industry, Banking, Power Industry etc. Examples of popular PSUs are IOCL (Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.), BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd.), ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.) etc.
Get an Overview of the Government Jobs in India.
How often do PSUs recruit?
Unlike other entry – level Government jobs, PSUs do not follow a fixed recruitment policy. When and how many candidates are hired by a particular PSU solely depends on the number of vacancies for that year. It is very possible that a PSU which is hiring candidates this year will not hire any fresh graduate for the next 2 years due to a lack of vacant positions.
Find out how recruitment into the Central's Government's Grade A posts are carried out through the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
However, this should not be a major cause of concern due to the vast number of PSUs in India. It is assured that some or the other PSU will be recruiting graduates in the year you complete your Bachelors degree. Additionally, you can always start working at a private organization and wait for a vacancy to come up at the PSU you wish to join. The added work experience might even increase your chances of getting the job!
Find out what it is like to be Working for the Government.
Find out about the Top 7 Fixed Hours Jobs.
Do Graduates from all fields get jobs at PSUs?
Almost all PSUs need graduates from various fields to carry out daily operations, even though the number of vacancies can differ depending upon the nature of the company.
There are more likely to be vacancies for Chartered Accountants rather than Engineers at a PSU like State Bank of India. However, the case might be opposite at a PSU like Indian Oil Corporation. Do keep in mind that this does not mean that Engineers will not be required at State Bank or Chartered Accountants will not be required at Indian Oil. However, SBI will require Chartered Accountants much more than Engineers, and the IOCL will require many more Engineers than Chartered Accountants.
Generally, graduates in professional fields like Medicine, Law, Accountancy, Engineering and Management are required across all PSUs, though in varying proportions.
What are the Job Roles and Responsibilities?
Graduates are generally appointed (as per vacancies) to posts that are executive in nature and you will be responsible for carrying out various tasks as per the directions of the senior level officials in the company. The kind of posts you are likely to get include Engineering Executive Trainee, Assistant Executive Engineer, Management Trainee, Accounts Officer, Medical Laboratory Officer, Scientist, Systems Officer, Engineering Trainee etc.
As a fresh recruit in a PSU, you will generally start off as a Trainee and undergo paid professional training for a short period of around 6 months – 1 year. You would then be put on ‘Probation’ for another period of 6 months – 1 year after which your job will be confirmed, provided you have performed satisfactorily. Many recruits are made to sign service bonds after the completion of their training which binds them to that particular PSU for a period of 2 – 3 years.
Find out how the Central Government recruits candidates into entry and lower level posts through the SSC and the Combined Graduate Level Examination.
Advantages of working at a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU):
PSUs offer lucrative pay package (starting salaries), often higher than equivalent private sector positions. In addition to the salary, there are many other monetary benefits of working at a PSU, such as free medical insurance, retirement benefits, easy to get loans, performance based incentives etc.
The biggest advantage of working at a PSU is the tremendous job security that a Government Job offers. In an unstable economic environment, it is an invaluable asset to know that it is highly unlikely that you will lose your job, even if the economy goes through a difficult phase.
Find out how recruitments into the State Civil Services are carried out.
Working at a PSU also provides employees with great growth opportunities. As compared to the private sector, the path of getting a promotion or an increment in Public Sector Undertakings is more transparent and reliable. It is assured that if you work hard and meet targets, you will grow as a professional within the ranks of the company due to regular promotions and increments.
Socially, working at a PSU is considered to be very reputable as you are working for the Government and serving the nation. Additionally, as a PSU employee, you might get frequent opportunities to travel for work around the country and interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
How to get a job at a PSU?
Most PSUs choose to recruit candidates through 3 ways: By conducting their own examinations, by short listing candidates on the basis of their GATE scores or by recruiting candidates from the premier institutes in the country such as IITs and the IIMs.
1. Through Competitive Examinations
The most popular method of recruiting candidates used by PSUs is to conduct a competitive examination to recruit candidates. The competitive examination is generally used as a short listing tool and only the candidates who qualify in the exam by scoring above the minimum criteria (depends on number of vacancies for that year), are asked to appear for the next stage of assessment, i.e. a Group Discussion and a Personal Interview. The candidates who perform the best in the Group Discussions and the Interviews are the ones who are hired.
Some PSUs include an additional short listing step, where they ask candidates to send their applications along with their Resumes first. Only the candidates whose Resumes are up to the mark and who meet the eligibility criteria are asked to appear for the test/exam. Subsequently, the candidates who are the top performers in the test are asked to appear for the discussions and interview, following which a select few are hired.
Even though the eligibility criterion for these competitive examinations differs from company to company, most companies require applicants to be in the age group of 21 – 30, whereas some accept candidates till the age of 35. Also, you would generally be required to be a graduate in a field relevant to the vacant position you’re applying for.
2. On the basis of GATE scores
For positions that require technical knowledge, several PSUs select candidates on the basis of their GATE scores. Candidates are required to first appear for the GATE examination, and considering the vacancies for that year, a qualifying score is determined. Only the candidates who have scored above the minimum criteria in the GATE examination can apply. The applicants who have secured the required marks are asked to appear for Group Discussions and Interviews on the basis of which they are either hired or rejected.
You might come across some exceptions to the above method, in which a particular qualifying score is not determined by the PSU beforehand, and all candidates who have qualified in the GATE examination are eligible to apply. However, in such cases, only the candidates with the best scores are asked to appear for the Group Discussions and Interviews.
Some of the PSUs that are expected to recruit engineers using their GATE scores are:Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
National Fertilizers Ltd.
Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd.
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd.
NTPC Ltd.
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
Vizag Steel Plant
GAIL (INDIA) Limited
Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd.
Mazagon Dock Limited
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO)
RITES Limited
National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC)
RailTel Corporation of India Ltd.
Telecommunications Consultants India Limited
3. Direct Recruitment from Top Institutes
Another popular way through which PSUs recruit candidates is by visiting the campuses of premier institutes like the IITs, IIMs, IISC etc. during their campus placements and offering jobs to final year students who they consider to be suitable candidates.
Keep in mind that getting a PSU job is through this method is not easy, as getting the entry into such institutions is very competitive. However, it can be a realistic option for you if you’re extremely intelligent and willing to study hard.
4.Applying Directly to the PSUs
Given below are the links to the ‘Careers’ section on the websites of some of the PSUs in the country. You will find the current job openings and vacancies of these PSUs listed on these websites. To know about the current job openings at any other PSU, you should go through its website’s careers section or look for ads in popular newspapers and online job portals.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) | |
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPC) | http://www.bharatpetroleum.co.in/General/CR_Career.aspx?id=4 |
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPC) | |
State Bank of India (SBI) | |
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) | http://www.ongcindia.com/wps/wcm/connect/ongcindia/Home/Career/Recruitment+Notices/ |
Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd. (BHEL) | |
Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) | |
GAIL (India) Ltd. | |
Union Bank of India | |
MMTC Limited. | |
NTPC Limited. | http://www.ntpc.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=239&Itemid=77&lang=en |
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited. | |
Punjab National Bank | |
NMDC Limited. | |
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) |
