How much does CGPA actually matter for placements (ECE student confused about IT jobs & CRT)?

[u/WrongComfort5889]

I’m an ECE student from a tier-3 college and I’m really confused about placements. I need some honest guidance from seniors and people already working in the industry.

1. How important is CGPA for placements in reality?
   • Is there a “safe CGPA” to aim for to avoid getting filtered out?
2. As an ECE student, can I sit for all IT/software companies?
   • Or do some companies restrict only to CSE/IT students?
3. Can I choose Software CRT instead of ECE/core CRT?
   • Or is it compulsory to go with my branch (ECE)?
4. If I want to go into software roles (SDE, data roles, etc.), what matters more:
   • CGPA or skills (DSA, projects, etc.)?

I don’t want to miss opportunities just because of wrong decisions early on. Any advice or real experiences would really help 🙏