saurabhindia001 Saysi am not opting for hults mba its a masters in international business course MIB
Again, best to ask the other Hult attendees. "I" have very little knowledge on this school aside from the fact that it seems to be building a reputation.
All the best
Baccardisprite
Hi all,
I am right now working with Steel Authority of India Ltd. as a junior manager for the last 3 years. I am planning to write Gmat in june end.
My profile is as follows:
10th: 80%
12th :60%
Btech : Electrical Engg. frm JSS ATE NOIDA( A Private institution of UP Technical University) securing 70% aggregate.
Passed out in 2007 and straightaway got selected in SAIL by all India exam route, and joined in Bhilai Steel Plant( a flagship unit of SAIL .
I joined Blast Furnaces (Electrical Maintenance) as a Junior Manager. The Blast Furnace is the heart of an integrated steel plant persons in this field will acknowledge the above fact.
I have served in various sections of the department which includes
* technical jobs i.e supervision of maintenance activities for electrical equipments in the area, which includes working with the latest electrical installations viz. automation systems(PLCs and Drives), switchgear, basic electrical installations and have also been involved in commissioning of a couple of projects for increasing productivity of Blast Furnaces.
*Apart from that I was the part of the planning team of the electrical spares management systems for Blast Furnaces, where I had to handle ERP(user end). Indent making and Reviewing Budgetary offers being the major areas of work there.
So, all in all had a chance to study the technical aspect both from a site manager's viewpoint as well as a planner's viewpoint (for maintenance of spares)
* Dealing with people has been one of the major thrust areas of my job as while working in this profile you have to supervise around 50 people at one go.
Dividing them in groups, measuring each person's strengths and allocating him the right job at the right place is a crucial thing here. Its a 24 hour running plant so a halt in production for a few minutes causes a loss of lacs of rupees.Hence you have to be very careful while allocating jobs, as per the technical acumen of people below you.
I left SAIL in 2010 and joined CCAP(CRISIL certified analyst program), which is a 2 year course and after that I would be getting a profile of credit analyst. The course is on the lines of a MBA Finance and has an interesting part attached to it. It is actually a joint effort of NITIE and CRISIL, where the students work for four days at CRISIL and on weekends they study at NITIE.
I am into the CRISIL Research (The market research wing of CRISIL , which tracks around 65 sectors). My job includes demand supply analysis on the basis of dealer interactions, price tracking and analyzing respective trends sectors such as automobile(Commercial Vehicles, Two wheelers, Cars, Tractors etc.), Real Estate and Cement.
Combining both these assignments I would be having 5 years of work experience and exposure to fields of financing(2 Years at CRISIL) and manufacturing(3 Years at SAIL).
* Apart from these things, I am a keen debater, and have won accolades for debates and Group Discussions at college and company level. I have been an active member of the cricket team in college. As far as company level participation is concerned I have won chess tournaments, been a part of the cricket team for the internal cricket tournaments staged by the company and very recently got the opportunity to organize a tournament on the lines of IPL in Bhilai Plant's fraternity, which was a huge success.I have also organised LAN gaming tournaments, chess tournaments and cricket tournaments at college level.
* I am passionate about cricket, WWF ,oratory and chatting. I am a happy go lucky person who likes being cheerful and considers my smile as one of my major stregths.
I wanted to go for an MBA, I gave GMAT last year and could manage only 610, nw have already started working towards a better score.
Could you please evaluate my profile and suggest me some good options to choose from.
My preferences
1. General Management Programmes
2. Programmes aimed towards a combination of operation and finance
I would like to aim at roles like consulting
Hi.. This is Megha. first of all i want to thank you for this post.
I have done Bsc in Science (3 yrs course). i have more than 2yrs of experience in banking domain. Now i am in United states on dependent visa.
I want to go for higher studies.
which course i should join? Please guide me.
If i go for MBA or MS in finance/computer science/bio tech which one is better.
Thanks in Advance..keenly waiting for your replay.
Megha
Sorry for the delay.
At your age and your level of experience, you'll be hard pressed to change your function and industry. It's more realistic to try for senior management or corporate roles in the IT space or a specialist but senior management role in IT in a major corporation. Achieving both is a stretch! Hopefully you will articulate your goals within this realistic context.
With 17 years of experience, you need to also look at what the EMBA brings you versus the Full-time MBA! Take a piece of paper and score each format with a set of decision criteria. Only some of these are:
- Financial (Costs of attendance, financial aid); level of possible employer sponsorship in the case of EMBA (money, time away from work)
- Personal circumstances (e.g uprooting family / kid for a year if full-time). It could get into areas like can your spouse work, would she/he be able to in your environment? This is for his/her sake and for your family's finances.
- Career standpoint... what are you likely to gain over a job that's reasonably senior already?
- and so on and so forth....
If you find a full-time to be more advantageous - look at options where you would find classmates more in sync with yourself, and not with uber competitive 25-28 year olds whose priorities lie elsewhere. At the same time, target schools that are known to have career services offices that not just bring companies to campus, but train, educate, mentor and prepare you for an effective individualized self-driven job search.
If you decide on an EMBA, look at possibilities that are more geographically feasible. ISB's PGPMAX could be an option, IMPM Program (IIMB is a partner school) could be a good one. Outside of India - most EMBAs will hit $100K, which is on average more than their full-time equivalents, but they offer an entirely different experience. INSEAD is a good EMBA and I don't see any reason why you can't attend it. But it ain't going to get cheaper in any other equivalently top global school.
Are you likely to be based in India for the forseeable future? Are you likely to move to a geography like the US, UK / EU, Far East in the next 2-3 years? If the answer is yes, clearly an EMBA in any of these geographies becomes logistically and financially feasible.
If you want to go full-time, have you thought of MIT's Sloan Program (1 year MBA or MS), or MIT's SDM program (more technical but also 1 year), or Stanford's 1 year Sloan M.Sc or London's Sloan M.Sc? The class attending these programs is very much your profile. Note though that these programs are just as expensive as EMBAs, though you might have more direct access to career support.
I hope that helps with your thought process.
All the best
Baccardisprite
@Baccardisprite
Thanks very much for your inputs. It will indeed help me decide.
A few supplementary questions, if I may.
You mention that if I am willing to relocate (not much choice about that if I have to fund my program), an EMBA becomes logistically and financially feasible. Could you please elaborate on that?
Between EMBA programs in EU/NA, what would you suggest?
How would MIT's Sloan Program or Stanford's 1 year Sloan M.Sc or London's Sloan M.Sc compare to the EMBA programs in, say, INSEAD?
Thanks,
oneofthree
@Baccardisprite:
Sir as guided by you I am looking for DMP program offered by NUS and Gatech. But could not locate any current student or alumni for some guidance. If you know anybody on PG can you please connect me to him/her.
Thanks
meghaaa SaysHi.. This is Megha. first of all i want to thank you for this post. I have done Bsc in Science (3 yrs course). i have more than 2yrs of experience in banking domain. Now i am in United states on dependent visa. I want to go for higher studies. which course i should join? Please guide me. If i go for MBA or MS in finance/computer science/bio tech which one is better. Thanks in Advance..keenly waiting for your replay. Megha
Presuming you want to continue a career now / later in Banking / Finance, and considering the low number of years of experience you have; and your circumstances - MS Finance or Computational / Quant Finance / Financial Engineering (if you have the right programming background).
Where (which state in the US) are you? You would want to attend a University with a reasonably good business / industrial engineering / social science (economics) department or a combination of these three.
All the best
Baccardisprite
You mention that if I am willing to relocate (not much choice about that if I have to fund my program), an EMBA becomes logistically and financially feasible. Could you please elaborate on that?
Between EMBA programs in EU/NA, what would you suggest?
How would MIT's Sloan Program or Stanford's 1 year Sloan M.Sc or London's Sloan M.Sc compare to the EMBA programs in, say, INSEAD?
If you move (on your job) back to the US / EU, you're physically closer to the school where you attend the EMBA. Example - if you're in Paris, you can reasonably attend an EMBA in the UK, Germany (Duke-Goethe / Kellogg-WHU / LBS / IESE / Chicago-Booth in London ) within an hour's flight! In a modular program, that saves you between $10-20K in travel and logistical costs (financial feasibility enhanced by not having to travel intercontinental). You save several hours of travel and the associated jet-lag, keeps you at least marginally energized for the class elements of the program and still affords a bit of balance in your life (logistical feaibility).
You can attend such programs while working in the UK/EU provided your employer minimum allows you the time to attend if not sponsoring you with money. If you're not going too far, employers are likely to allow you the time (some of which can be taken as vacation).
In the US - if you move to the East Coast, then you have Wharton, Columbia, MIT-Sloan etc.. all within 1-1.5 hours reach... In the Mid-West (Chicago-Booth, Ross Michigan etc). On the west coast (Wharton-West, UCLA, USCLA, berkeley etc..)
Frankly the top 5 EMBA programs in each continent are good, with very little qualitative difference, their costs may vary though and you'll have to decide on that factor.... SOme of the US MBAs are offered in the EU with local partnerships so really the choices in the EU are probably a bit wider (Pure EU EMBAs and NA EMBAs delivered in partnership in the EU). There are also some very well ranked / regarded yet cost effective EMBAs, a good example is the IMM (offered by Purdue @
Honestly - the Sloan Programs in LBS (M.Sc), Stanford (M.Sc) and MIT-Sloan (M.S or MBA) target a profile quite similar to those joining an INSEAD EMBA. In terms of academic quality, they're outstanding. The Sloan programs are however full-time programs and there's probably wider access to career services through those programs than there is through the EMBA at INSEAD (or the EMBA of any other school).
If you have the ability to move abroad and the career opportunity that takes you abroad (in the next 2-3 years), stay patient, go abroad and do an EMBA in the school fitting appropriately with your professional objectives and personal requirements.
All the best
baccardisprite
vadda veer Says@Baccardisprite: Sir as guided by you I am looking for DMP program offered by NUS and Gatech. But could not locate any current student or alumni for some guidance. If you know anybody on PG can you please connect me to him/her. Thanks
Sorry Vadda, I don't personally know anyone. Best would be to contact the school and ask them to provide you a contact. I am sure they will be happy to do that.
All the best
Baccardisprite
Hey Baccardi,
I have around 2 years of work-ex in Media,I want to switch to finance,I am looking a Few UK 1 year finance prgrammes,will also try and do CFA in the meanwhile ,I want to work in India eventually but I understand I might need to stay back a couple of years to recover th cost.
So the Criteria is It should have the repute to offer employment in UK on immediate basis and even have value once I move to India.
I am considering MSc @ LSE.
Presuming you want to continue a career now / later in Banking / Finance, and considering the low number of years of experience you have; and your circumstances - MS Finance or Computational / Quant Finance / Financial Engineering (if you have the right programming background).
Where (which state in the US) are you? You would want to attend a University with a reasonably good business / industrial engineering / social science (economics) department or a combination of these three.
All the best
Baccardisprite
Hi Baccardisprite, Thanks for your quick response. I am in Connecticut state in USA. I would like to attend a University with a reasonably good business. my one more concern is i have 3yrs of graduation degree but as i know for pursuing higher studies in USA one must have 4yrs of graduation degree.
Another thing is what are the scopes of MS finance in USA and also in India?
Thanks,
Megha
purvi239 SaysHey Baccardi, I have around 2 years of work-ex in Media,I want to switch to finance,I am looking a Few UK 1 year finance prgrammes,will also try and do CFA in the meanwhile ,I want to work in India eventually but I understand I might need to stay back a couple of years to recover th cost. So the Criteria is It should have the repute to offer employment in UK on immediate basis and even have value once I move to India. I am considering MSc @ LSE.
If you're only 2 years out of University, and want to change "now" into a career in Finance, you'd be better off appearing for the CAT/XAT and getting into to Top Indian School and make the jump now. Top Indian School - IIMs (ABCLIK), FMS, JB, SPJ, IMT, MDI type schools.
With absolutely no background / experience in Finance until now, you're not likely to convince anyone in the UK/EU to hire you (the job market is pretty challenging in those countries now) in a finance job.
Sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear.
All the best
Baccardisprite
Hi Baccardisprite, Thanks for your quick response. I am in Connecticut state in USA. I would like to attend a University with a reasonably good business. my one more concern is i have 3yrs of graduation degree but as i know for pursuing higher studies in USA one must have 4yrs of graduation degree.
Another thing is what are the scopes of MS finance in USA and also in India?
Thanks,
Megha
Aside from Yale University, which you can look at for specialized programs, you might want to look at the Business School at the University of Connecticut. It's the state's most well regarded public university.
University of Connecticut - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
University of Connecticut School of Business
All the best
Baccardisprite
Hi
Does any one have any idea about the University College Dublin(Ireland)- Masters Programs, They have a quite a few Msc programs in technology and Management.
How is Ireland as a study destination for Internatinals?
How is a Msc is management consultancy relevant than an MBA in getting a Business role in an Org?Will it help in getting a job in consulting anywhere?
Any idea on job prospects/visa situation of Ireland?
I am having a work ex of 4.10 years in IT, am keen on doing an MBA but was considering other options mainly due to huge expenses that is required for MBA in any top/good school.
Can anyone please help me with my doubts.
Thanks and Regards,
Kungfupanda2
Hello baccardisprite,
Can you please provide your inputs for questions I had earlier posted quoted above.
Thanks.
Kungfupanda2 SaysHello baccardisprite, Can you please provide your inputs for questions I had earlier posted quoted above. Thanks.
Sorry for the delay.
UCD is ok, no issues with it. However friendly the job market is to Internationals studying in Ireland, the country has taken an EU bailout (largely to cover a real estate bubble that recently burst), is economically stuttering right now, facing a touch 3-4 years as it clears its debts and cleans its finances up. I wouldn't recommend going there unless you have an absolutely clear idea of what you want to do and why you think you'll survive out there...
I saw on a different thread that you're interested to stay in the IT Consulting space. Having done the functional side of IT & Technology Management in the last 4+ years, investing a lot of cash in a narrow IT focused Masters Degree may add only incremental value. Try going for an MBA with Strategy, technology / operations / supply chain, finance electives in a Top US School in a University that houses a Top Engineering School. You can potentially look at a much wider spectrum of potential employers that what you'd find from a bread-n-butter MBA program.
Do a few things that might help you improve your profile with future employers and with the adcomm of your business school. First gain at least 2 years more in terms of experience, skill and career progress (e.g team leadership); if possible try to shift to a more client facing or client interactive side of your company (unless you're there already), learn a foreign language to at least business conversational ability (German, French, Spanish, Chinese); try & get a 720+ on your GMAT; and over the next 12 months, steadily start bringing your life's story together that you can weave later on into the most critical of the MBA application essays.
Follow a diligent, measured, approach, and you will only enhance your probability of success.
All the best
Baccardisprite
Sorry for the delay.
UCD is ok, no issues with it. However friendly the job market is to Internationals studying in Ireland, the country has taken an EU bailout (largely to cover a real estate bubble that recently burst), is economically stuttering right now, facing a touch 3-4 years as it clears its debts and cleans its finances up. I wouldn't recommend going there unless you have an absolutely clear idea of what you want to do and why you think you'll survive out there...
I saw on a different thread that you're interested to stay in the IT Consulting space. Having done the functional side of IT & Technology Management in the last 4+ years, investing a lot of cash in a narrow IT focused Masters Degree may add only incremental value. Try going for an MBA with Strategy, technology / operations / supply chain, finance electives in a Top US School in a University that houses a Top Engineering School. You can potentially look at a much wider spectrum of potential employers that what you'd find from a bread-n-butter MBA program.
Do a few things that might help you improve your profile with future employers and with the adcomm of your business school. First gain at least 2 years more in terms of experience, skill and career progress (e.g team leadership); if possible try to shift to a more client facing or client interactive side of your company (unless you're there already), learn a foreign language to at least business conversational ability (German, French, Spanish, Chinese); try & get a 720+ on your GMAT; and over the next 12 months, steadily start bringing your life's story together that you can weave later on into the most critical of the MBA application essays.
Follow a diligent, measured, approach, and you will only enhance your probability of success.
All the best
Baccardisprite
Hello Baccardisprite,
Thank you so much for your inputs.
I am actually interested in MBA, but was considering other options because of the following reasons,
1.Cost of MBA, which for many top schools in US looks scary.
2.As I would have 5years of work EX by July, I wanted to get into a program soon, as time is running out , afraid that with other commitments and increased reposnibility(Indian setting) might not be able to study later.
As indicated earlier I would like to continue in technology sector.In that case with my present experience would it be right if I get into a US B school, which may not be top 10.. but is a little lower down, I had the following in mind.
UC Irvine,
North Carolina State Univ(they have a Technology concentration and thought it is ranked 75 in US News, it is very good in Supply Chain)
Penn State(SMEAL)
Texas Mccombs(Dream School)
UBC Sauder(Canada).
1. Are the above schools ok ?
2.Would it be possible to get jobs in US post MBA , given the scenario of Visa and restrictions.I have a few colleagues who are based out of US and they have said to plan very carefully, in present situations.
3.Is CANADA or Europe an alternative, as canadaian visa's and PR is easy to get.How is CANADA or Europe in terms of jobs in technology?UK especially with new Visa rules I guess is not an option.
4.With my expe should I still try to get into Indian B Schools.. ?
Thanks and Regards,
Kungfupanda2.
Hello Baccardisprite,
Thank you so much for your inputs.
I am actually interested in MBA, but was considering other options because of the following reasons,
1.Cost of MBA, which for many top schools in US looks scary.
2.As I would have 5years of work EX by July, I wanted to get into a program soon, as time is running out , afraid that with other commitments and increased reposnibility(Indian setting) might not be able to study later.
As indicated earlier I would like to continue in technology sector.In that case with my present experience would it be right if I get into a US B school, which may not be top 10.. but is a little lower down, I had the following in mind.
UC Irvine,
North Carolina State Univ(they have a Technology concentration and thought it is ranked 75 in US News, it is very good in Supply Chain)
Penn State(SMEAL)
Texas Mccombs(Dream School)
UBC Sauder(Canada).
1. Are the above schools ok ?
2.Would it be possible to get jobs in US post MBA , given the scenario of Visa and restrictions.I have a few colleagues who are based out of US and they have said to plan very carefully, in present situations.
3.Is CANADA or Europe an alternative, as canadaian visa's and PR is easy to get.How is CANADA or Europe in terms of jobs in technology?UK especially with new Visa rules I guess is not an option.
4.With my expe should I still try to get into Indian B Schools.. ?
Thanks and Regards,
Kungfupanda2.
The "scary" cost of an MBA isn't unique to you. People in circumstances worse than yours have go on to MBAs than have enabled successful careers. What commitments? Your life is not a deadline!
There's nothing wrong with a lower than Top 10 school, the only challenge is that you path to the career you want will be more challenging. Secondly, as I have stated in many posts on this forum, the higher ranked a school - the greater the competence, credibility and resources that a career services office can offer you in terms of attracting and helping you access companies on campus; and training you to conduct an effective off-campus search. You can't reduce or eliminate the inherent risk of "not" finding a job. Consider that risk to be similar whatever school you attend. What you want to do is to reduce the "exposure" (proportional to the likelihood of being impacted) to that risk - through a combination of skills that employers will doubtless value, and a school where the education and career services have the capability to help you effectively market yourself. Let's look at your questions:
1. Why not consider schools like Ross Michigan, Marshall USC, Purdue University, Berkeley? Texas McCombs is actually an excellent school. Why settle for less just to calm your fears?
2. Foreign market, increasingly unfriendly legislation around work visas, challenging economy, several people from your current & future field looking for work now! Do you really want to go to the US exposing yourself to these risks or work to reduce them in the way described above?
3. To access the Canadian job market, best to go for a Top Canadian program, which means Queens, Rotman or Ivey.... Again, how is a second tier program like Sauder more advantageous in Canada than Penn State in the US?
4. Why not?
Sorry to sound cryptic, but I want you to think for yourself and not make me do it for you. As always, your career drives your educational choices, not the other way round.
All the best
Baccardisprite
The "scary" cost of an MBA isn't unique to you. People in circumstances worse than yours have go on to MBAs than have enabled successful careers. What commitments? Your life is not a deadline!
All the best
Baccardisprite
Thanks baccardisprite for these insights, your words have in a way inspired to dream even bigger..
Can anybody here provide some insight on the subtle differences between the following qualifications
1) Chartered Financial Analyst
2) Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
3) Financial Risk Manager
What are the differences in career paths they lead to? Which of these would be ideal for somebody aspiring to work at a hedge fund in a non hardcore quant role?
Can anybody here provide some insight on the subtle differences between the following qualifications
1) Chartered Financial Analyst
2) Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
3) Financial Risk Manager
What are the differences in career paths they lead to? Which of these would be ideal for somebody aspiring to work at a hedge fund in a non hardcore quant role?
Since you seem pretty passionate about a career in Investments going forward, I would suggest looking at the Career Profile Publications by Vault (Finance Career Guides - Reviews, Advice & Information | Vault), which is a very popular resource for Masters / MBA students seeking particular careers. The Vault finance guides are particularly popular amongst aspirants to finance careers. They're not free, but worth buying.
I think it's a much more effective way to gain the insight you seek, than piecemeal on this forum.
All the best
Baccardisprite
CFA is focussed on capital markets and is considered ideal for equity research
CAIA is a new course, modelled for PE/HF/other buy side jobs but yet to have any widespread acceptance
Don't know too much about FRM. Looks like it is meant for risk management/trading roles at I banks and funds.
For your needs CFA makes most sense.. But be mindful, in India CFA is not equal to a top-notch MBA (IIM ABC, Top 10 global names)...
CFA will count as positive experience with atleast a middle office (Nomura, DB, CS, MS etc have theirs in Bombay) experience.. Your 3 years of experience should be as frontendish as possible for the CFA tag to actually work like it works overseas
Can anybody here provide some insight on the subtle differences between the following qualifications
1) Chartered Financial Analyst
2) Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
3) Financial Risk Manager
What are the differences in career paths they lead to? Which of these would be ideal for somebody aspiring to work at a hedge fund in a non hardcore quant role?