I suppose you mean to say you want a career in Finance, which if true - then good focus at 21.
Get a job anyway immediately after graduation, try not to leave gaps in your career. You're young, your mind is fresh and body willing, so work and study for your CFA Level I. Get employment, hopefully in a financial services institution or an IT or other company servicing financial clients or a BPO having a large client base of financial institutions and learn the ropes where / when you can. Work there while preparing for your CFA.
If you're pretty determined to get into a financial career, then target a specific Masters in Finance in 2011, like an M.Sc in Corporate Finance / Financial Economics / Econometrics and or Decision Sciences. UK Schools like LSE, Cass (City U), Imperial College, ICMA Reading are known as very good training grounds for early career finance aspirants. Those Masters degrees along with a CFA which you will gain while working in the future (next 3-4 years) should set you up well for a finance focussed career.
Develop employable skills alongside your finance & quantitative skills and experience. Learn a language (like French, German etc..) and make yourself attractive to your future employer.... think long term !!!!
Good luck
First off thanks for the quick reply ....that was pretty damn fast . A M.Sc in finance ?? i checked the websites of those universities that you mentioned and most of them are pretty good . I have a few more questions if you don't mind. a) whats the diff between a M.Sc in finance and a Mba in finance ?? can i do my mba after i finish the masters course ?? b) Most of the these universities offering these courses ask for some knowledge and a decent background in finance . Will me clearing cfa lvl 1 be considered for this ?? c) How hard is it to get admitted into these universities ?? As i told you my gpa from my engineering is pretty low
Hi baccardisprite, I have gone through most of the posts within this forum....Awesome work sir!!! I would like to introduce myself as a B.E. Electrical, passed out in the year 2003 and since then working which makes my work-ex to 6 yrs...Out of 6 years....I have 1 year experience in Project Execution, 1 year in Sales,4 years in Product Development (Switchgears)...(Out of the last 4yrs, 1 yr I was in the Middle east).All the experience has been gained in 4 different companies and the companies are well known and market leaders in their respective fields....and about my academics...I can say I was an above average person with 79% in SSC & HSC and 65% in B.E. Now seeing the lucrative options and avenues that open up after doing MBA, I am looking forward to a program which would benefit me to help encash my previous experience and help me grow faster in the Industry.....(Although excelling will depend on my likings and my dedication towards work, but I am looking forward to a right platform (Right Univ) through right means MBA/MSc,etc..).....Will my expereince in different fields and differenct companies be of any disadvantage to me in getting into some good Univ??? I am planning to give GMAT by March 2010 and will be aiming at 700+.....Considering my experience... I feel operations,SCM,Marketing are the fields that I should specialize into....I would like to have ur comments/suggestions on the same plz....Request to please suggest some B-schools/Univ with good ROIs and giving special consideration to expereince and that to in the field of Core Engineering........
Thanking you.....
Awaiting your reply.....
I can't comment on your career choices, one would expect that you make those choices before asking advice on how to execute on those choices. SCM, Marketing, Operations... too diverse - choose Marketing or SCM / Operations going forward!! You'll be unable to articulate your need for an MBA (or the timing ffor one) unless you're very clear on what your career objective is, and clearly articulate why an MBA helps you get there.
You can't do both functions - even after a Masters degree, you'll need functional management experience before you move into a General Management / Leadership position. So make a choice. With 6 years experience, you shouldn't be asking anyone for an opinion there.
Come back with a decision, get a 700+ GMAT and ask me again!
First off thanks for the quick reply ....that was pretty damn fast . A M.Sc in finance ?? i checked the websites of those universities that you mentioned and most of them are pretty good . I have a few more questions if you don't mind. a) whats the diff between a M.Sc in finance and a Mba in finance ?? can i do my mba after i finish the masters course ?? b) Most of the these universities offering these courses ask for some knowledge and a decent background in finance . Will me clearing cfa lvl 1 be considered for this ?? c) How hard is it to get admitted into these universities ?? As i told you my gpa from my engineering is pretty low Thanks immensely for your help and advice
a) A typical M.Sc Finance program focuses on Finance in both core & elective modules. An MBA's core subjects are broader (accounting, marketing, strategy, operations....), as are the elective options. Please do more research to find specific answers yourself. These are available on the websites, you just have to look deeper.
b) Yes
c) IF you have a good GMAT, pass the requisite English Language test (if they want one), and most importantly - articulate your need for the program clearly and succintly - you will get at least a call to interview. Don't worry about others, worry about putting your best foot forward.
Great work!! I really liked the effort that you have put in... I am a B.Tech in information and communication technology and currently working in an MNC in a technology consulting profile... I graduated in May' 09... However I don't intend to stay in technology consulting and want to move on to firms like BCG, Mckinsey... Keeping this in my mind I have the following options:
a.) prepare for CAT '10... get into an IIM and 2 yrs down the line hope to get into one of these firms.. b.) go for an MS in International Business or Management....
I would like to know how do these 2 options comapre.. and while I have heard of HEC and Grenoble for their MS in IB programs, I would like to know of some more options where a similar course could be undertaken...
hey awesome post..thanks..i got to know about Mlog from MIT from this..turn out that one of my seniors is doing it right now....i am a marine engineer and intend to pursue it after some years of work ex and a top mba so as to not specialise immediately..i believe it would help since I am directly in the core industry of shipping.. however like u had mentioned if i did want to go for the MBA, am not sure of the kind of electives i would have to opt for...would appreciate it if you could shed some light on the same..thanks
Assuming career goals are in the Operations / SCM / logistics / planning space - electives would center around strategy, advanced cost management, process mapping / excellence, technology and ops management. Normally offered by those b-schools affiliated to a university that also has a strong Engineering school.
Great work!! I really liked the effort that you have put in... I am a B.Tech in information and communication technology and currently working in an MNC in a technology consulting profile... I graduated in May' 09... However I don't intend to stay in technology consulting and want to move on to firms like BCG, Mckinsey... Keeping this in my mind I have the following options:
a.) prepare for CAT '10... get into an IIM and 2 yrs down the line hope to get into one of these firms.. b.) go for an MS in International Business or Management....
I would like to know how do these 2 options comapre.. and while I have heard of HEC and Grenoble for their MS in IB programs, I would like to know of some more options where a similar course could be undertaken...
Option 1 Stay in your current job for 4-5 years, acquire skills, experience (preferably client facing) and career progress (to project or team lead roles). On the way develop some client valued skills like speaking a foreign language up to at least business conversational level, thereby increasing your attractiveness to a future employer.
Option 2 If you're in a tearing rush, then CAT, IIM / XL / JB etc.. - you'd necessarily have to be Top 5% in your class.
If you have started working after college, I personally always recommend option 1.
Forget HEC & Grenoble for now and go for one of the above.
I am a B.Tech in CS and currently working @ Barclays Capital, NYC in IT Have 5.5 years of workex. GMAT 680, TOEFL:109.
My question is I am trying to figure out courses in Public Relations/Marketing in US. Although I don't have a concrete plan after the Masters but I will try to look for doctoral opportunities.
What are the options you would suggest beyond MBA?
P.S. If the course considers GMAT instead of GRE I can apply Immediately.
I m new to PG. I recently gave my GMAT and I am looking to apply for B-Schools abroad.
I have around 4.5 yrs of work profile in Technology Consulting with good international experience. My GMAT score is 770 (Q51, V44, AWA 5.5) and acads are also pretty good during graduation - 4.31/5.00 from a premier institute in India.
My question to you PG gurus is that how do I get info on - which B-School is good for what aspect of MBA like Finance OR Consulting OR Marketing....I am interested in Management Consulting though.
Any related information on that or any links to outside websites....it will be great and ofcourse very helpful to me.
Thanks for all the great work you're doing. This is the probably the most useful and enlightening thread on PG (according to me). No wonder u were voted 'guru'. I need some advice from you...
My profile is BE, Electronics and Telecommunications, Mumbai University (only 60% overall) Work ex: 1.5 yrs total (past - 9 months in marketing, current - 9 months in financial services) Just sat for the CFA L1 exam in December....think i might pass (fingers crossed).....I want to go for MS in Finance (either US/UK)....planning on taking GMAT in 2 months time....do u think I can get an admit to LSE MS Finance or do u have any other suggestions???
Firstly - I believe you're underestimating the skills and value a CA brings to the table, secondly if you worked your articleship full-time i.e worked with clients and got paid a salary for it (even a low one), then it's experience, period. Don't let anyone try convincing you otherwise. Finish your CA - get employed with a proper accouting / advisory / financial firm, work for 2-3 years, then think further on what you want to do. In this time, learn a foreign language and develop critical skills, career progress and a bank of achievements all employers will value later on.
Employers always value education, experience, and applicable skills.
All the best.
This is the first time I have seen somebody saying that CA articleship is considered as work experience... Till now everybody from coaching classes, seniors to experienced professionals have been saying that it is not workex... Perhaps the coaching classes dont see many people like us... Can u just confirm if it is counted as work ex or if u know somebody on PG who has already used his articleship experience to get into an MBA prog abroad...
I am a graduate from IITK and about to start my first job in a start-up company(KPO company,my profile related to IPR).
My query is what kind of work experience is considered excellent with respect to admission to MBA-abroad/MS/IIMs etc.
1.Is the number of years considered? 2.Amount of responsibility? 3.Salary Growth or learning? 4.Continuity in job?(ie not changing jobs) 5.Any other.
My second query is :
Can you suggest a way by which I can do some of the maths courses like linear algebra,probability and statistics, Multivariate Calculus.I did these course during during my engineering(biotech) but my grads are not good.Is there a way i can redo these courses from a reputed institute India or abroad along with my job.I can do them through youtube but i intend to get a certification or some way to show my excellence.
This is the first time I have seen somebody saying that CA articleship is considered as work experience... Till now everybody from coaching classes, seniors to experienced professionals have been saying that it is not workex... Perhaps the coaching classes dont see many people like us... Can u just confirm if it is counted as work ex or if u know somebody on PG who has already used his articleship experience to get into an MBA prog abroad...
Just to clarify, it's a personal opinion 😃 based on 2 things:
- did the person work full-time during articleship i.e was this a minimum 5 days a week, 8 hours a day job? did the person have a proper job description and relevant responsibilities and achievements? Would the person be able to quantify such achievements on his / her CV?
- was the person paid a salary?
If answers to both are yes, then the person can claim this as full-time work experience in the context of admission to a school.
The assumption is also that the person completed a first degree, which is a more important and relevant requirement for admission to a program abroad. In other words, the larger question is whether / not the adcomm of the school considers a CA as equivalent to a first (Bachelor's) degree - I have seen that they don't.
My advice would always be to validate the same with the adcomms of a b-school before being 100% sure. Write to the adcomm and get a written response back.
I am a graduate from IITK and about to start my first job in a start-up company(KPO company,my profile related to IPR).
My query is what kind of work experience is considered excellent with respect to admission to MBA-abroad/MS/IIMs etc.
1.Is the number of years considered? 2.Amount of responsibility? 3.Salary Growth or learning? 4.Continuity in job?(ie not changing jobs) 5.Any other.
My second query is :
Can you suggest a way by which I can do some of the maths courses like linear algebra,probability and statistics, Multivariate Calculus.I did these course during during my engineering(biotech) but my grads are not good.Is there a way i can redo these courses from a reputed institute India or abroad along with my job.I can do them through youtube but i intend to get a certification or some way to show my excellence.
thanks
Yes from 1 to 4. Number of years has some co-relation to career progress, skill development and achievements over a period. Fresh out of Univ, it takes 4-5 years to get some tangible and quantifiable achievements under one's belt - like promotions, employee awards, achievements valued in $$ / INR terms, responsibility, leadership (of whatever kind)... Yes continuity matters as well - as it tells people a few things - not least your ability to stick the course, face challenges and maximize existing opportunities alongside looking for new ones.
For the additional courses, try looking for Distance Learning / Part-time certificate courses in College level Mathematics offered by a major university near you. Try the Indian Statistical Institute (campuses in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and more recently one in Chennai I believe).
Another (& more expensive option) is to look for on-line courses offered by major universities in the US (these are called "on-line extensions"). These offer credit & non-credit courses in various subjects including mathematics, calculus and econometrics. Here's an example - Online Courses ? UC Berkeley Extension. I don't know of anyone doing these out of India.
What does a cgpa 7.5/10 of IIT converts to cgpa out of 4....does it make 3.0/4.0....or is there a difference?
I don't know.
Given the high number of applicants from India, adcomms around the world are quite familiar with the grading used by Indian colleges / universities, so they would have an internal system to compare you to your peers and internationally.
I wouldn't recommend to convert - just state that your GPA was 7.5/10, and leave it at that.
wel i hv been follown dis thread frm a long time. wantd ur opinion on smthng....plz go through my profile..
i hv done bcom wid 54% dis yr 10th wid 70% 12th wid 76% cleard 3 papers of NCFM pursuing BS(finance) frm ICFAI (distance)
i gave CAT last yr nd scored around 85%tile ...which was not to my expectations... so i decided to gv it anothr shot.....bt dis yr again i wil b gettn smwhr around 85
in the mean time....im also doin a job as a buss dev. executive wid a educational firm...
now my query is dat ...m lukn to do mba frm sm top level collg. wid specialization in finance... bt my percentile in CAt wil not b dat much...
infact ...i was consisdern sm abroad options ...bt evry inst. requires atleast 3 yr WE
i hv gone through sm student profiles of leadin institutes like nanyang , nus ,hec ,....many othrs....
wat i wantd to ask dat should i 1)change my job ...nd find sm job in fin sector....nd do cfa...den gmat 2) or, take admsn in sm decent collg through cat...gt sm gud WE...nd do specilization in finnance frm abroad 3) or sm othr suggestion frm ur side..!!
I am a B.Tech in CS and currently working @ Barclays Capital, NYC in IT Have 5.5 years of workex. GMAT 680, TOEFL:109.
My question is I am trying to figure out courses in Public Relations/Marketing in US. Although I don't have a concrete plan after the Masters but I will try to look for doctoral opportunities.
What are the options you would suggest beyond MBA?
P.S. If the course considers GMAT instead of GRE I can apply Immediately.
wel i hv been follown dis thread frm a long time. wantd ur opinion on smthng....plz go through my profile..
i hv done bcom wid 54% dis yr 10th wid 70% 12th wid 76% cleard 3 papers of NCFM pursuing BS(finance) frm ICFAI (distance)
i gave CAT last yr nd scored around 85%tile ...which was not to my expectations... so i decided to gv it anothr shot.....bt dis yr again i wil b gettn smwhr around 85
in the mean time....im also doin a job as a buss dev. executive wid a educational firm...
now my query is dat ...m lukn to do mba frm sm top level collg. wid specialization in finance... bt my percentile in CAt wil not b dat much...
infact ...i was consisdern sm abroad options ...bt evry inst. requires atleast 3 yr WE
i hv gone through sm student profiles of leadin institutes like nanyang , nus ,hec ,....many othrs....
wat i wantd to ask dat should i 1)change my job ...nd find sm job in fin sector....nd do cfa...den gmat 2) or, take admsn in sm decent collg through cat...gt sm gud WE...nd do specilization in finnance frm abroad 3) or sm othr suggestion frm ur side..!!
First, I'd like you to write in proper English. SMS syntax is for teenagers, and I'm sure you've outgrown those. Please also consider that I am 34, and it takes me 😃 longer than most to decipher a message like yours.
How old are you? how many years of experience do you have?
With whatever I "can" understand from your post, I would suggest - completing the ICFAI Degree (it's a proper degree so finish it), try getting a job in the financial sector, gain experience (and finish at least 2 levels of a CFA while at it), gain career progress, knowledge and skills and go for an MBA / M.S in finance abroad.
baccardisprite ! I am a B.Tech in CS and currently working @ Barclays Capital, NYC in IT Have 5.5 years of workex. GMAT 680, TOEFL:109. My question is I am trying to figure out courses in Public Relations/Marketing in US. Although I don't have a concrete plan after the Masters but I will try to look for doctoral opportunities. What are the options you would suggest beyond MBA? P.S. If the course considers GMAT instead of GRE I can apply Immediately.
With 5.5 years, you're probably close to 30, so make sure you have a concrete career plan before you make the choice to apply anywhere for anything :-).
I admit to having very little knowledge about marketing / PR specific programs in the US. However, I could suggest a way to search for, research and analyze programs:
1. any of the major universities in the NYC area should have well regarded Marketing / Communication / PR specific programs (obvious due to location).
2. Other locations with Universities that have good marketing / communication programs would be LA, SF, CHI, BOS... all major centers of Journalistic publications, major media & advertizing specific corporations.
3. Purchase the latest version of US News & World Report's guide to "America's Best Graduate Schools", and look for universities offering Masters / Doctoral programs in Advertizing, Marketing / Mass Communications, Public Relations and Journalism.
