People pursuing graduation in Management seek admission in top-notch schools. Their perception of a well-paying corporate placement at the end of the program makes them chase a premier B-school admission.

A student’s B-school selection is hardly random. Aside from learning from the leaders and qualifying themselves to work in a corporate setup, a management graduate’s prime goal is to clinch that hot seat in a leading organization. However, do companies feel the same too?

Perhaps the jury is still out on the employer’s perspective about the B-school from the prospective employee’s graduation. This article addresses the industry’s stand on the school choice for an MBA program.

Busting common myths

Anyone who graduates from an Ivy league school can make his resume stand out. Nevertheless, an MBA program does not come with a dream-job guarantee. Admissions and career counselling experts say that top school graduation yielding big-time job offers is a myth. They affirm that regardless of the program or college, there are many ways to make a person’s job application catch prospective employers’ eyes.

Premier schools flaunt an alumni grid from leading corporations. Thus, graduating from such schools grants a person access to the cream of organizations. Companies scout future workers from ‘feeder schools’ or ‘core schools’ whose alumni have proven themselves as productive employees. 

A student can look for schools that have attracted top offers. The best ROI comes from bagging high salary offers. However, the student must comprehend that this is just one advantage and not a ticket to the top place in the corporate world. Many people from lesser-known schools have earned reasonable offers too.

The school one attends matters in a broad sense. Employers who recruit on merit would pick up graduates from both famous schools and those not well-known. Recruiters do not turn down meritorious applicants from any school. However, the candidate from lesser-known schools must work harder to prove his merit.

When does a school’s name matter, and when does it not? 

It is crucial to grasp what the company needs in an applicant. The candidate must ensure he fulfils the criteria for recruitment. Expectations depend on the employer’s requirements.

Some sectors may conduct their headhunting only in top schools, while others may be open to any school. Sectors like banking, private equity, consulting, and finance have picked up employees from esteemed B-schools.

Technology-based firms are not picky about the schools from where they recruit. A talent acquisition expert looks for skillsets in program management, cross-functional leadership, and data visualization. The tech industry enlistment is usually need-based, and they do not go on a hiring spree.The finance sector begins enlisting well in advance and visits campuses for the purpose. Depending on the job one seeks, one may enrol in schools that draw those job offers.

Burnishing the resume

Anyone who has not attended a leading school must highlight his skills, experience, and knowledge in the resume. Much material can make up for the lack of an impressive college name.

Focusing on academic and professional achievements can gloss up the application. It is pivotal to customize one’s resume to the organization one seeks. A standard application may not pass muster for a creative role. One must use innovative ways to project the application to attract the employer.

Prepare well for the interview

One must be aware that a good resume is like an appetizer, while the way one comes across in the interview matters more than the application. Engaging with the panel in addressing their questions and turning the session into an interaction rather than a question-answer session is the key to landing that perfect job.

All the best!

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