Ask Sameer Kamat | Author of 'Beyond The MBA Hype'

sir
i am attaching the links...of the website from where i have read reviews....
:

Thanks, Shubham. I had read these earlier.

The first review is awesome, comes straight from the heart, as the founder of that site is not a professional book reviewer. He's just shared his own experiences, perspectives and the mistakes that he went through as an Indian student in the US.

He feels many concepts in the book apply to MS and PhD students as well.

- SK
prats92 Says
thankyou sameer sir for ur valuable suggestions can u please suggest on how can a person get a break in an industry in which he/she wants to work but the companies do not recruit at the campus..

If you've picked up a copy of the book, it's got a whole chapter (called 'So what's your goal?') dedicated to alternative means of getting what you want without an MBA - knowledge, career change, networking, money. So won't go into the details here, but you can leverage resources available outside your campus to do so.

For starters, check out the various networking opportunities, available online and in person, to get a foot in the door. You may not get what you want in the first attempt, but gradually you would be able to push the door and get access to more opportunities.

- SK
jeewant Says
I can wait and gain relevant experience till the time I become eligible for the GMP and IIM PGPX programs, but I fear that by the time I become eligible, my current GMAT score might expire, or would be on the brink of expiry- giving me just one attempt to make or break the deal.

You don't need to put your entire plan on hold. Go ahead and apply to your first choice of schools. If you don't get in, then you still have the others where more experience is needed.

My reason for doing MBA is solely to cut this time short, ...and do something for my own (this is undecided, though there are certain ideas I have up my sleeve).
Cool. Now roll up those sleeves and start giving shape to your ideas.

- Having trouble with your sleeves?

Hi all,
BCA(final yr-correspondence) .As of now ,I've only 52%(This is what i hate about myself )

Planning to prepare very well n bring up the percentage to 60%

2003 -10th -88%
2005 -12th -70%
2006 -National Diploma in Computing(New Zealand)
One yr fast track program.
2007apr-2009july-Computer Technician(New Zealand)

Back to India

2009 -BCA 1st yr
2009Oct-2010sep -Senior Support Engineer(KPO industry)
2011 -got married,Unable to continue night shift job.

Due to family problems,thinking of giving CAT,XAT exam for 2013 intake

So what is the best thing to do between nov2011 and apr2013?

How to improve my chances of getting into b-schools?

Should I work as a hr executive(Only recruitment jobs are available) and do post graduation diploma in HRM(again correspondence)Any other options for me?

Reasons to do MBA:
1 My aim is to become a CEO oneday.

2 Good job n salary

Preferring MBA in HR / finance / Operations.

You don't need to put your entire plan on hold. Go ahead and apply to your first choice of schools. If you don't get in, then you still have the others where more experience is needed.

Cool. Now roll up those sleeves and start giving shape to your ideas.

- Having trouble with your sleeves?


Hi SK,
Got another query- I got my official report today and got 6 on 6 on the AWA with 700 OA. Do AWA scores actually count, and does getting a perfect score on the AWA improve my chances of scoring a call?
Regards
Jeewant.
Ewwreka Says
I'd been waiting since a LONG time for someone like you.

Haillaah...senti dialogue! I have convinced my wife that you meant that in a brotherly way.

I think I got too excited to see someone who's actually been through an MBA abroad and not like the life 2yrs later.
Well, it wasn't exactly like that. Yeah, to some extent, I did get disillusioned by corporate life. But that was after spending many (MANY) years in it. But enough of my story, let's move on to yours.

I checked out your other posts as well and I see a lot of pent up frustration building up in there. So first things first, release some of that pressure by listening to the Frustration Release Song. Go ahead, sun lo pehle, we'll wait for 2 mins for you to get back.

Feeling lighter? Good, now with all the negativity gone (temporarily hi sahi) we can get a little more objective. CheckEETS has shared his thoughts (thanks dude!), so I'll take up a few points from this and your other post.

top 75 of the world (in any case they are better than the IIMs, the best here)
I would disagree with that statement, buddy. Apne IIMs are way better than many of the 'ranked' schools abroad. Our regular 2-year programs don't figure in their 'global rankings' due to methodology related technicalities (i.e. the parameters that they choose) rather than the quality of our desi programs.

do i stand a chance in any of the good b-schools of the world, or should I just gamble my 60K.
Never consider a bschool investment as a gamble. It is an investment, so think like an entrepreneur. That way you will always find ways to re-coup it.

How are things any different from Here, India?
The basic elements don't change much. If you plan and time your move well, you can do well in India and abroad. There are uncertainties in Indian and abroad. In India, you are a citizen and ask you to leave the country. Outside that's the additional stress.

When it comes to work content, for the first few years, you will have to do grunge work no matter what industry you work in. There is no escape. Along the way, many will get frustrated and give up, or do something drastic like quit their job without knowing what next. Those who stick through it and come out from the other side will have better options.

General gyaan: When it comes to key career or personal decisions, never take them when you are emotionally psyched up. Put them on the backburner, let the steam off (gaana kaisa laga?) and come back to address the original dilemma.

Happy to continue the discussion.

- More senti queries? -->

Hi Sameer

I am interested in the FPM/PhD programs. Have you helped any candidate get into a top PhD management program?

Thanks!

bigMbigBbigA Says
All the schools that I have looked at seem to ask for references from current supervisor. In my case, this is not possible because my manager WILL NOT support me with my MBA plans

Hi Triple Big,

It is not unusual for bosses to not support their team member's MBA plans. Some are mature enough to look at the bigger picture and realise that losing their employees to higher education institutions is better than losing them to competitors. Others take it more personally and go out of their way to make life difficult if you don't 'comply' with their grand gameplan for you.

But I swear on my life, my education, my family and everything I know, that this is completely true, 100%.
Alright alright, we believe you. Chhote se professional maamle mein, let's not drag family members ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

So point number 1. Don't get stressed out about the fact that 2 guys in the whole universe aren't supporting you. Seek out those who are aware of your contribution to the company.

The only reason why I have still have a job, despite a 40% workforce reduction...I have worked smart and hard and long hours. Moreover, I have forged good working relationships with my peers who have recognized my talent and have supported me.
Now we are talkin'. I'm sure, in your day-to-day working, there have been others you've been interacting with (bosses from other teams, clients, one of those guys who thought you shouldn't be in the 40% to get laid off) who respect your contributions as well as your personal aspirations.

Explain your choice of recommenders to the Adcom again in your application, if you are feeling paranoid. But just be careful not to use the tone/words that you've used here. Be professional, be objective. Show them that you are mature enough to look at and present adversity in a balanced manner.

I feel I'm stuck! I know I have the skill, the passion and attitude to become a great MBA candidate.
Going for an MBA is YOUR decision, not your bosses. If you are convinced about it, go ahead and apply with recos from folks who support you. Don't worry about their designations. If some schools are being rigid about their guidelines, find others who are more flexible.

- Bigg Boss issues?
CheckEETS Says
--> my "OMG, I'll study abroad" euphoria has been replaced by the "OMFG, I'll be studying abroad. hope things turn out ok!"

CE bhai, with that statement, you have captured the mix of paranoia, spirituality and optimism pretty aptly :-)

Then again, this was addressed to Sameer. So I'll shut up now.
You don't have to, sirji. In fact, I should thank you for being the first one to share your views openly here.

This thread is meant to be a discussion, not a monologue. So, anybody who has views to share, please jump in.

- SK

Hey MartianOnEarth, cool user name and seems like you did come up with a saleable name for your book too. Nice! I like what you are doing.
Quick small question's first.

1.) Do you think your MBA played a role in pushing you to do what you are doing right now?
2.) Had you not done MBA, would you still be doing what you are doing?
3.) And probably even as well as you are doing it right now?

Now, about me and something I have been confused about for a long time.
Quick overview about me :
Working for 4.3 years as a Software Engg -> I gave my GRE last year -> applied to MISM -> got into CMU last year -> during writing essays, realized I actually want to do an MBA + I had the exp -> fortunately most T20's started accepting GRE -> applied to four Univ's with GRE this time -> got into Olin as of now, waiting for others.

Now, the confusion part :

My immediate plan after MBA is to work for a few years, develop a network and some core business functional skill. Then, start something of my own.. for the longest time I wanted to start something in IT, but looking at the number of IT start-up's that are going down the drain within 1-2 years.. I am rethinking my "game plan".

So, I have two options in front of me right now :

1.) Go for the MBA, spend almost 50-60 lakh. I will be funded by family so no issues of loan. With this option, I get time to think, explore and understand what I would like to own as my own. But, 60 lakh gone, 2 years gone, mostly .. the enthusiasm to start something of my own will also be gone. (God knows, when I look at some Sector heads in company who come to talk, I feel with an MBA, I will become someone like them.. and that scares the hell out of me! Don't want to be so boring, run of the mill, charts, figures and graphs guy). But well, will have MBA to my credit.. will earn decent amount. If I start a business later, will know the basics of finance and management so that will always help.


2.) Chuck MBA, use those 60 lakh here to start-up something. May be as small as a bloody Subway franchisee. I don't know if people learn a lot out of running franchisee's, but I believe it grooms a person quite well to understand basics of running a store. I can continue with my Techie job here, recent offers have made me realize I can earn quite well with strong technical skills too. And then, few years down the line, quit the job, utilize the experience I'd gather while running a franchisee and start something bigger.. ok, this is where I start getting vague and loose focus on this option.

I know there is no straight answer to my ramble, but just wanted to know your opinion on my options and thought process.


--> MBA (especially a European MBA) is >>> stressful than IT work
CE


Hi,

Great discussion here. But,I was little worried seeing this. I was preferring a phroen MBA as I thought it would be more relaxed than Indian ones. Less competitive, less credits and all. But, looks like I am mistaken here especially about european schools. I am targeting oxford and cambridge this year.

any confirmation or clarification on why a european mba end up being more stressful than IT work?

cheers.

Scrapped out??????????

sood26 Says
Hi Sameer paaji, I am in the IT consultancy industry, working in India for US-India Deloitte...

Sat Sri Akal Sood ji,

Welcome to PG and congrats on the first post. Also thanks for choosing this thread to break your silence :-)

...even though the work done in India is important, yet, it is outsourced from mainly the US, so why not go to the US, ... added benefit of a better quality of life.
Why not think bigger and aim for doing something in India that can re-create the same quality of life here? Why not outsource something from here to the US? It isn't theory, I know someone who experimented with it idea and achieved a fair bit of success. More on that story later, if another related question comes up.

Funda is, jo baahar ho sakta hai, woh yahaan bhi ho sakta hai. Gotta have some sar-firey dimmag wale to challenge the status quo.

given that I'm only starting off with my career what are some of the pitfalls I could be wary of ?
The biggest risk is to start looking at the whole international MBA in a formula driven manner and end up with a profile that looks more like a caricature-of-a-wannabe applicant rather than a really strong (all-natural, no steroids) candidate.

Take it easy. Keep an eye on the objective, but don't get over-obsessed with it. Have some fun along the way.

- Fireworks exploding in your head?
sulzirsha Says
Scrapped out??????????

Wasn't 'scrapping' an Orkut concept? :-)

Hi all,
BCA(final yr-correspondence) .As of now ,I've only 52%(This is what i hate about myself )

:

Hi Sulthana,

I didn't mean to snoop around, but I did check your earlier posts to get a little more insight into your motivations for pursuing an MBA.

You said - 'Even though I loved being a techy,Im not satisfied with that.'

Though you've mentioned that your long term plan is to become a CEO, would it be a correct assumption that you are basically looking at the MBA as a tool to change your career path?

A few points for you to think about:

- You've listed 3 apparently disconnected fields (I'm discarding the niche overlapping roles here) - HR, finance, operations. I don't know you as a personal, but in general terms it would be usual for anyone to do equally well in each of those fields. So you'll have to narrow down upon one.

- If you move into any of these, you are essentially discarding many of the skills and knowledge you've gained from your earlier acedemic degrees and professional stints in technology. Equivalent to resetting the clock! Not that it's good or bad, but just something for you to keep in mind.

- If your earlier grades have been below par, then are you sure you'd be able to manage the tough workload of a good MBA program? Or are you just pushing yourself into a similar situation again?

Given the option, if I were in your shoes, I would seriously consider getting an HR job (and recruiting is a pretty standard role to begin with) i.e. deferring my MBA plans by a year or two to see if I really like the field and would be happy to invest 2 more years studying and preparing for an extended role in this discipline.

Pros: Try before you buy.

Cons: Clock reset.

I don't think the CEO chair with your name on it will have to be empty for too long if you perform well. Anyway, if you are having fun doing what you want to do, getting the (two priorities you've listed) salary and designation you want is only a matter of time.

- Never heard of Orkut? -->
jeewant Says
I got my official report today and got 6 on 6 on the AWA with 700 OA. Do AWA scores actually count, and does getting a perfect score on the AWA improve my chances of scoring a call?


Jeevant, congrats on the perfect score.

But IMHO, take that with a pinch of salt. When you are competing with another equally strong candidate who more or less matches you on the overall GMAT score, your profile, your goals...yada yada, then the AWA score may tilt the scales to some extent.

AWA score do count. I've known cases where a low AWA has been cited as a reason for rejection (this was for a very selective school that looks for reasons to kick out people rather than get them in), but haven't come across any Adcoms saying - 'Dude, the competition was tough this year, but your AWA saved the day for you.'

So in your situation, from this point onwards, I'd place more emphasis on the essays.

- SK

Hi,
First of all,thank u very much for the great answer.Your assumption is perfect.Trying to reset

My interest is to develop my career in Hr field.(Don't have much knowledge abt finance n operations.any how,i have so much time to decide).
MBA is something that I love very much after my 10th std.
Got job as a recruiter.
My CAT score will let me knw,whether i'm prepared for the two years studies or not.

The story below is one of the major reasons ,why i wanna opt for MBA:
I was under a bad management couple of years ago.It's a small company and the branch manager was not at all good enough to manage the company.Though he is technically sound,didn't know how to deal with his employees and grow the business,which led to a serious prob.

I was just 21 at that time and understood the root cause of the problem,why the company was going to get shut down.It's all bcuz of my manager's Wrong decisions,Bad attitude n communication skills,etc.,.Tried explaining it to him few thngs,b4 it reaches a bad situation,no use.

Proprietors of the company came from australia(head office) and all the employees had undergone 1to1 session with them(to interview technically and also to get some suggestions to save the company).After my 1to1 session,they stopped the interview conducted for technicians and started conducting for managers.My higher officials thanked me personally n got my salary raised(to help me in getting my residence in NZ),since their issue got resolved.Branch manager bcame technical manager n shifted to workshop.

My higher officials r smart,bt they want thngs to b done in a cheaper cost.Cheaper salary=inefficient manager who has neither MBA nor managerial skills.

I took this incident as an inspiration n not as over-confidence.

Felt like, i should develop my skills by getting the right education.

Money n designation is very much important .Another important thing for me,is the job satisfaction.

Thought of getting some suggestions from experts and found the right place n right person.
Thank You very much for your 'precious time',in helping me to shape up my mind.

Hi Sameer

I am interested in the FPM/PhD programs. Have you helped any candidate get into a top PhD management program?

Short answer - No, we haven't (talk about transparency!).

We do get the occasional call from curious (as opposed to serious) PhD applicants who want to know what the whole admissions consulting buzz is all about and why people are now willing to seek professional advice for something that was being managed independently for all these years.

Our desi bhai bandhu are gradually waking up to the concept of MBA admissions consulting thanks to forums like these.

For many non-MBA degrees (like the PhD), the competition and the application components (essays/SoP, resume, recos etc) are pretty much the same. So I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before Indian candidates realise the value of good professional advice :-)

What research area and univs do you have on your list?

- SK
Nice! I like what you are doing.
Quick small question's first.
:

'Quick' might not do justice to them as I could spend the whole day answering each one, but we'll go by your guidelines and stick to small answers.

toMBAorNoToMBA Says
1.) Do you think your MBA played a role in pushing you to do what you are doing right now?
Yes, it did. My pre-MBA research about bschools and the application process helped me locate a niche that needed to be filled. The success of getting a strong MBA brand on the CV and managing a complete career transition, helped in demonstrating that I had developed an approach that could be customised to help others. But frankly, it wasn't a pre-planned move that was finalised in a structured manner.

2.) Had you not done MBA, would you still be doing what you are doing?
No. My current role involves helping others crack the MBA application process. If I hadn't done it myself, it would be difficult to prove to others that I had the skills and knowledge to help them do the same. But beyond the initial credibility, it comes down to whether you can deliver.

3.) And probably even as well as you are doing it right now?
What I am doing now has very little to do with what I learnt in the MBA program. It has more to do with what I did before and after the program. The MBA did help in moving into my immediate post-MBA job (in Mergers & Acquisitions). But in both cases, having a strong brand helped.
Point is you need to figure out how much you are willing to invest to get that label.

when I look at some Sector heads in company who come to talk, I feel with an MBA, I will become someone like them.. and that scares the hell out of me!
With all due respects to your Sector heads and their technical/managerial brilliance, your statement gave me a sense of deja vu :-)

Coming back to the main quesions, you are one of the fortunate ones. Financing the MBA is a HUGE problem for lesser mortals like me. So in your case it is more about the best use of time, than finances.
You might be underestimating the effort to run a successful franchise. Apart from the initial fillip that your business gets by 'buying' a piece of an existing established brand, the rest of the struggle will be exactly the same as opening your own independent business.

Let's come back to your original objective.

My immediate plan after MBA is to work for a few years, develop a network and some core business functional skill. Then, start something of my own.. for the longest time I wanted to start something in IT, but looking at the number of IT start-up's that are going down the drain within 1-2 year
If that's the case, I'd say go ahead with your MBA and use the 2 year period to work out the details for the business you want to run.

If IT is what you are comfortable with, stick to it. Just because there are thousands of failed IT stories doesn't mean your venture will have to go belly up too. The 'trick' (if I can call it that) is to find your niche and iron out as many issues ('risk mitigation' they call it) as you can think of before you take the plunge.

If you have a copy of 'Beyond The MBA Hype', turn to Chapter 6 which talks about the skills required to be successful in business and why an MBA degree cannot give you many of those. Be aware of those points before you start the program, so you can have a plan to fill the gaps in other ways.

Congrats on the Olin admit. Just out of curiosity, what are the other schools on your list?

- Subway Fan

Thanks for your input, gave me some data to process.



Congrats on the Olin admit. Just out of curiosity, what are the other schools on your list?

- Subway Fan


Thank you again!
Other schools :-
1.) Tepper
2.) McCombs
3.) Flagler
Sat Sri Akal Sood ji,

Welcome to PG and congrats on the first post. Also thanks for choosing this thread to break your silence :-)

Why not think bigger and aim for doing something in India that can re-create the same quality of life here? Why not outsource something from here to the US? It isn't theory, I know someone who experimented with it idea and achieved a fair bit of success. More on that story later, if another related question comes up.

Funda is, jo baahar ho sakta hai, woh yahaan bhi ho sakta hai. Gotta have some sar-firey dimmag wale to challenge the status quo.

The biggest risk is to start looking at the whole international MBA in a formula driven manner and end up with a profile that looks more like a caricature-of-a-wannabe applicant rather than a really strong (all-natural, no steroids) candidate.

Take it easy. Keep an eye on the objective, but don't get over-obsessed with it. Have some fun along the way.

- Fireworks exploding in your head?


Hi paaji,
Sat Sri Akal, thanks for your reply!

I am little wary of feeling into the "start-up" temptation because starting from scratch might be very challenging and I might burn out facing all those challenges than making use of my potential. Anyways, kudos and respect to those who can take it upon themselves to start something really meaningful here in India itself.

On the second point you make, that's a very insightful point. It is really very confusing, if i want to get into a good b school, i'd have to make sure that i show those competencies on my profile, yet make sure that i dont sound a cliche B-school applicant. I think right now my work is going good and I have received some heartening feedback, so I guess I should continue building a good brand for myself at work place and keep an eye out for my ojectives.


Thanks a lot Sameer Paaji for you're insights. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ