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MBA
61

Hi,
I really needed some advice on foreign MBA education ans such a thread is like an icing on the cake..thanks pagalguy!

Well, here's my query.

I graduated (BBA - IP University, Delhi) in 2010 and have been working with Ernst & Young GSS in a Project Management Profile since the past 7 months. I am increasingly getting impatient about my future education as I dropped a couple of Institutes last year in hopre of making a mark this year in XAT. Anyhow, studying alongside a demanding job was tough and I screwed up this year as well.

Is it better to continue my job and go for a distance learning from IMT/Symbiosis or go for a foreign MBA degree?

My options for a foreign degree are limited as Sydney is the place I want to go to. Are Australian Universities worth it?
Also, will my foreign degree be valued by Indian companies? as I dont plan on staying there for long.

I want to do my MBA in Human Resources.

Please guide me. In need of much help.

Suhani

62
TraderJoe1976 Says
Well, in the recession period 2008-2010, even the top 5 Business schools were reporting that between 15% - 20% of the MBA students were not able to get jobs. Now it is down to about 13% rate of MBA students without jobs....


Do you personally know one person who made it to Ivy league (say top 5 US schools) and returned back to India without a job. Your answers are really enlightening and their depth surprises me. r u a pass out?
63

These new visa regulations in UK is becoming a serious factor in selecting B-School
:
how it has been in previous years ? Do students use to come to India because of visa ?


In an attempt to protect the local interests, the UK immigration laws seem to be targetting the wrong category of immigrants (highly qualified and highly skilled). In fact, just about 5 years back they were actually going out to woo the top bschool grads to stay back in the UK (check out the HSMP scheme that made life easier for intl students).

I got my UK visa just on the basis of graduating from one of the schools on their top-bschool global list. This was just before the recession, so the employment scene wasn't as bad.

Hope the univs make enough hue and cry about the impact this will have on their international intake (and that's a huge proportion). Unfortunately, till then the uncertainty will continue.

- Sameer
MBA Crystal Ball
64
Hi,
I am planning to work in a str. mgmt consultancy firm, left with XL gdpi, can you tell me how is XL in this field...


You might get your answers on threads that focus on Indian Bschools, like this one --> XLRI

Good luck with the GD/PI.

- Sameer
MBA Crystal Ball
65
dcprinceicai Says
Do you personally know one person who made it to Ivy league (say top 5 US schools) and returned back to India without a job. Your answers are really enlightening and their depth surprises me. r u a pass out?


I know someone from a top 5 Bschool in the US who returned to India without a job after his OPT got over in 2010. He eventually got a great job in an Indian IT firm though.

See you have to realize that none of the grads from top bschools have a problem finding a job. The point is to find a great job. A job that will help justify the 2 years of investment (not to mention 100K+ loans). You don't want to be flipping burgers at McDonald's after that.

So try keep these 2 things separate (a) getting a job (b) getting a job you want.

Remember that these are great institutions but are not a job placement cell. They guarantee great education, excellent networks, and a chance to explore possibilities you might otherwise never know. They don't guarantee a x% increase on your pay, a job that is 2 rungs above where you are, or a switch in domain/function/industry. If your expectations from an MBA program are correct (i.e. long term) you will never be disappointed. But if you want a quick "bang for your buck" then you will perhaps not meet your expectations anywhere. There are way too many factors that are playing out here to give you any "guarantee" - global economy, government policy, corporate direction, personal background, personality traits, and above all, plain good ol' LUCK!

Arun

Ask a Consultant - CrackVerbal
66

Hi everyone,
I recently gave mt GMAT and got a score of 730 (Q49, V40) and AWA 5.5.
My profile is as below:
1. Did my B.E. (Hons) Mech. Eng. from BITS Pilani. CGPA 7.54/10.
2. Working in a top IT firm for the past 27 months.
3. I am currently working as a staff aug for an American Insurance Company based out of mid-west. The job profile involves sharing the work with the clients and involves constant communication with them.

My target schools for 2012 are the following:
1. Queen's School of Business, Canada.
2. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
3. Nanyang Business School
4. NUS
5. ISB

What chances do you think I have in these schools? Can I consider anyone of them as a safe school?

Thanks in advance,
Dewakar.

67
dcprinceicai Says
Do you personally know one person who made it to Ivy league (say top 5 US schools) and returned back to India without a job. Your answers are really enlightening and their depth surprises me. r u a pass out?


All the people who I know who did MBA from Top 5 Business Schools are doing very well in IB/PE/VC and MC jobs. They are typically earning over $400 K and will not be too worried about the MBA loans. But the Top Business schools do report quite bluntly that 13% of the MBA students do not get jobs within 3 months after graduation. I have to assume that these are the international students and that they just disappear to their home countries. I just cannot imagine an American MBA student from these Top 5 Business schools not getting a job.

Please Note: I AM NOT A CONSULTANT.
68
I know someone from a top 5 Bschool in the US who returned to India without a job after his OPT got over in 2010. He eventually got a great job in an Indian IT firm though.

See you have to realize that none of the grads from top bschools have a problem finding a job. The point is to find a great job. A job that will help justify the 2 years of investment (not to mention 100K+ loans). You don't want to be flipping burgers at McDonald's after that.

So try keep these 2 things separate (a) getting a job (b) getting a job you want.

Remember that these are great institutions but are not a job placement cell. They guarantee great education, excellent networks, and a chance to explore possibilities you might otherwise never know. They don't guarantee a x% increase on your pay, a job that is 2 rungs above where you are, or a switch in domain/function/industry. If your expectations from an MBA program are correct (i.e. long term) you will never be disappointed. But if you want a quick "bang for your buck" then you will perhaps not meet your expectations anywhere. There are way too many factors that are playing out here to give you any "guarantee" - global economy, government policy, corporate direction, personal background, personality traits, and above all, plain good ol' LUCK!

Arun

Ask a Consultant - CrackVerbal


Thanks for the generous reply. I pretty much understand what you are saying and feel in line with ur opinion except for the placement thing.

15% is a very big chunk, admission process in these colleges guarantees tht only best out of the lot moves in, grilled for 2 gud years n whatever. Cases where people are not getting right kind of jobs within 3 months is totally acceptable. However in the longer run (not exceeding some months, i think) if thy do not land into right place, chances are that thy will loose tht acquired edge.
(Placements might not be the main thing but all other are just paper work thn!!!!)
69
Hi everyone,
I recently gave mt GMAT and got a score of 730 (Q49, V40) and AWA 5.5.
My profile is as below:
1. Did my B.E. (Hons) Mech. Eng. from BITS Pilani. CGPA 7.54/10.
2. Working in a top IT firm for the past 27 months.
3. I am currently working as a staff aug for an American Insurance Company based out of mid-west. The job profile involves sharing the work with the clients and involves constant communication with them.

My target schools for 2012 are the following:
1. Queen's School of Business, Canada.
2. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
3. Nanyang Business School
4. NUS
5. ISB
What chances do you think I have in these schools? Can I consider anyone of them as a safe school?
Thanks in advance,
Dewakar.



Dewakar,

I think you have some pretty good things going on for you. A good GMAT score, great under-grad and international work experience. I would definitely recommend throwing in some of the higher ranked schools to expand your "stretch/ambitious" play.

That said, difficult to comment on safe aspect as you would make out from earlier posts. In addition to the objective factors such as GMAT and pedigree; subjective factors such as reason for an MBA, quality of work-experience and impact you have created have significant weightage. If you think you are good to great in all of these, then nothing is beyond reach :)

Cheers!
MG

MBA CrystalBall Team
70
Thanks for the generous reply. I pretty much understand what you are saying and feel in line with ur opinion except for the placement thing.

15% is a very big chunk, admission process in these colleges guarantees tht only best out of the lot moves in, grilled for 2 gud years n whatever. Cases where people are not getting right kind of jobs within 3 months is totally acceptable. However in the longer run (not exceeding some months, i think) if thy do not land into right place, chances are that thy will loose tht acquired edge.
(Placements might not be the main thing but all other are just paper work thn!!!!)


Firstly I agree that the first job you get post-MBA is perhaps the only shot you have at changing your career stream. If you always wanted to get into IBanking and you don't land an internship, and don't get placed in a bank after your MBA, then it is impossible for you to make the jump later on in you career. Secondly if you start out lower in the career rung after graduating it becomes virtually impossible to "make up" for it in the near forseeable future. You just have to hope that eventually you are able to preserve and get ahead of the guy who got an opportunity in a good year. This reality become more stark for people who graduated in 2008 to 2010.

However there is another school of thought which says that over a period of time your MBA degree will offset any financial risk as the returns are spread over a period of 10-20 years. The thinking is if that an MBA will place you in a better position in your career when you are say 45, then you would be without an MBA.

All these do bring a huge element of risk in the decision to do an MBA. Perhaps this is the reason why there are innumerable posts, and threads on this (and such other) forums which talk about "Should I apply to X school" or "Should I take up an offer from Y school". As I said before there are way too many factors which end up going into making that decision.

Arun

Ask a Consultant - CrackVerbal
71

Hi

I am originally from Delhi and currently working in London, and am looking to apply for an MBA in either Europe or the US in the next year or so. I haven't given the GMAT yet, just evaluating my options atm. What do you guys think my chances are based on my profile?
Education: Glasgow Uni, BSc (Hons)Computer Science, 1st Class Honours
Work Ex: Web Development Intern in Brazil after my 2nd year, working as an Associate-level BA in a Equities Trading Platform Development IT team in a Bulge Bracket IB since graduating for 2.5 years.
ECs: Student Rep for department for 2 years, debating and trading club member then. Do some regular volunteering at museums and fundraising work for a few local NGOs.
I am basically looking to do an MBA to get into Front Office IB; given my profile, would it be worth my while trying to get into a top B-school or should I try other routes?

Cheers
-Nit

72
Hi

I am originally from Delhi and currently working in London, and am looking to apply for an MBA in either Europe or the US in the next year or so. I haven't given the GMAT yet, just evaluating my options atm. What do you guys think my chances are based on my profile?
Education: Glasgow Uni, BSc (Hons)Computer Science, 1st Class Honours
Work Ex: Web Development Intern in Brazil after my 2nd year, working as an Associate-level BA in a Equities Trading Platform Development IT team in a Bulge Bracket IB since graduating for 2.5 years.
ECs: Student Rep for department for 2 years, debating and trading club member then. Do some regular volunteering at museums and fundraising work for a few local NGOs.
I am basically looking to do an MBA to get into Front Office IB; given my profile, would it be worth my while trying to get into a top B-school or should I try other routes?

Cheers
-Nit



Nit, the path to front-end IB (M&A;) is a usually quite straightforward once you are inside the bschool. You need to get an internship with one of the big names and then either the same bank or the other ones offer you a job.

There are two challenges in the above process. One, getting the internship and two, getting into the bschool in the first place. While your experience in an IB helps, but if you want to move to front-end from an IT role, that's a completely different ball game. The leverage of the brand name will be limited; unless you can prove that during your work, you understood concepts and even helped front-end in correcting/chaging their approach. So if you do have such a profile/experience, you can have a fair shot at this. Needless to say, a high GMAT will help your chances given the analytical nature of IB.

Cheers!
MG

MBA Crystalball Team
73

I am curious to know how strong is the PE/VC recruitment at top Indian b-schools? IIM graduates do feature in many top PE/VC firms but most have prior work experience in a related industry (IB/Consulting) before switching to a PE/VC firm. Do PE/VC firms hire directly from Indian b-school campus's?

74
lseguy Says
I am curious to know how strong is the PE/VC recruitment at top Indian b-schools? IIM graduates do feature in many top PE/VC firms but most have prior work experience in a related industry (IB/Consulting) before switching to a PE/VC firm. Do PE/VC firms hire directly from Indian b-school campus's?


Lseguy, PE firms are rare in Indian bschools, VCs are rarer. Most PE/VC firms recruit MBA grads after a few years work-ex in IB/Consulting. Having said that, there are a few firms that hire fresh from college, but not recommended as a "short-term goal" strategy.

MG
MBA Crystalball Team
75

Can someone please mention the opportunities for Consultancy in Mining and mineral industry with the names of companies involved in detail?...thanx

76

Hi,

I have found this thread to be very interesting. Thanks for starting such a thread.

My profile is as below:

Gmat 630
toefl 113
2.5 years IT work Ex
BE- IT (Mumbai University) GPA 3.58/4
Decent Extra curriculars

I am looking for a Full Time MBA program in Marketing outside India

Please suggest me universities I should be considering

Also request to let me know the pros and cons of Isenberg MBa at Umass Amherst

Thanks

77
Hi,
My profile :
Class 10: 89%
Class 12: 82%
Graduation: 8.65 (DGPA) in computer science from an average private college.
Work Ex: 2 year in IT(This I think is a very common profile for most of the candidate)
Achievement: Not great.
Extracurricular: Avg.

I want to pursue career in Management Consulting. I believe the way forward is an MBA and that from a very good college is needed if I really have to make a mark there.
In Indian MBA college context, with low score in XII means IIM-B,IIM-K,IIM-S are out of the questions. Is it possible to get into colleges like IIM-A,IIM-C,IIM-L,XLRI, FMS with such scores?
What are the foreign MBA options do I have with these profile?
Also, how can I improve on my profile?


Any suggestion.
78
abcrana Says
Any suggestion.


By seeing the academic record you have, you will actually be competitive at all the IIMs on the basis of the formula which they are using. The key is to get 99.8 percentile in CAT and then to crack the essay and the interview. This carries total 50% weightage in their formula. Your academic record is actually quite competitive based on the formula which they are using.

For USA MBA schools, the GMAT score is very important. You need over 700 GMAT, preferably over 750 (because you are in the most competitive Indian / IT / Male or "IIM" pool). You also need 4-5 years total work experience. Two years may be a bit less.

Please Note: I AM NOT A CONSULTANT.
79
lseguy Says
I am curious to know how strong is the PE/VC recruitment at top Indian b-schools? IIM graduates do feature in many top PE/VC firms but most have prior work experience in a related industry (IB/Consulting) before switching to a PE/VC firm. Do PE/VC firms hire directly from Indian b-school campus's?


I know two Wharton MBAs who joined Blackstone in India. They got starting salary Rs. 40 lakhs + bonus. You may have VERY SLIM CHANCE of getting into PE from IIM-A or even slimmer chance from IIM-B or IIM-C. No hope from any other Indian B-school. You need to get the MBA from Top 5 B-school (HSW, Booth, Columbia) in USA. Maybe LBS.

Please Note: I AM NOT A CONSULTANT.
80

Hello

I am currently a Masters Student in George Mason University in US. Interested to pursue MBA in Fall 2014. I wanted to know whether I stand a chance in the below mentioned Universities or not and since I have 2-3 years would like some tips from fellow Puys on how to make it to the top Ones. Interested Mainly in International Business.
My Profile- Indian/M/21
Acads- MS-3.5 ( Still a year to go )
Btech-64%
GMAT- Yet to give. Got 700 in recently given Mock test. Would give in my Last Semester.
Workex- Will work for 2-3 years before I apply. Mainly looking at Fall 2014, if I dont will apply again next year
Extra C A- Good but not great.

Interested mainly in Cornell,SLoan,Haas, Thunderbird,UCLA,USC,Duke,Booth.