Jobs rained on 402 aspirants at a daylong placement fair at Magadh University (MU) on Monday.

The dreams are not yet over for another 4,200 short-listed aspirants. Around 17,000 applications were received at the counters of 28 companies at the fair organised by the university bureau of the sub-regional employment exchange, Gaya.

Himanshu Shekhar was one of the lucky ones to have landed a job in Gaya, his hometown. Flaunting a masters degree in fashion management from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai, and almost eight years’ experience, Himanshu was working in Mumbai at an annual package of Rs 4.2 lakh. He opted for an area sales manager’s job with Ghaziabad-based New Unicare Health Solutions Private Limited at an annual pay of Rs 1.8 lakh plus travel allowance (TA), dearness allowance (DA) and incentive. Himanshu said: “The bigger incentive for me is the chance to stay in my hometown.”

The winner of the day, however, was Deepika Rupa. She bagged the post of human resource manager with New Unicare Health Solutions Private Limited at an annual package of Rs 2.04 lakh plus TA, DA and incentive. Rajnish Sharma clinched the sales executive’s job for Rs 1.44 lakh plus TA, DA and incentive.

MU vice-chancellor (VC) Nandjee Kumar inaugurated the fair in the examination hall at the varsity’s Bodhgaya headquarters. Later, he distributed appointment letters to the selected candidates. Companies would hold interviews of the shortlisted participants subsequently.

Career counselling services were also offered to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants. Rima Banerjee, a BTech in electronics and communication said: “Around 400 of us got vital tips on how to prepare for the exam at the counselling session.”

Employment exchange deputy director S.S. Tripathi said: “The job fair is being organised at the initiative of labour resources department principal secretary Subhash Sharma. Twenty-eight firms from Gaya, Patna, Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), Delhi and Mumbai set up their stalls at the fair. A similar fair would be organised at Veer Kuer Singh University, Ara, on September 25.”

Atlantis Group of Hospitals, State Bank of India (SBI) Life, DAV Public School, Gaya, Vivace Technology, Hero Motor Corporation Limited, ICICI Prudential and HDFC Life were among the prominent companies at the fair.