hi baccardisprite, firstly, your thread is something akin to GOD-send to me! thanx a million for coming up with this! as for me, i am an EEE with almost 4 years in the IT industry as a software consultant! i am desperate to get out of this mess that is the indian IT services industry! i am very keen on majoring in Finance, preferable an MS/MSc in Finance. i have an admit offer from Queen's University, Belfast for their september 2009 intake in their MSc in Finance course. what i would like to know is, with the global recession still going pretty strong & with no tangible sign of abating, what would be my prospect after i finish my MSc from Belfast? how is the job scenario out there vis-a-vis finance? it would be great if you could throw some light on this! am not really in a position for an MBA in Finance from abroad because of the financial investment involved. looking forward to hearing from you on this. thanx in advance!! cheers
Stick where you are for now because finance is not the place to be right now, and an unknown school like the one you're talking about is a definite no no. Either stick some time with your current job until the economy improves a bit or try getting into a better college.....
Hi baccardisprite ,U r posts are really good.Appreciate u r efforts in helping & advising every1.
I am eng. graduate with 6.5+ IT exp. in Indian MNC .I am stuck at project Lead for almost 2 yrs ,i am planning to take MBA because of long term goal of grwoing to a high position in organization & once we reach at specific levels we need to play a integration role understanding business & delivery.My understanding is that not all will grow in the organization ,say to reach Technical manager or Group Heads to Vice presidents.To grow to such levels we need to have good qualification (read good MBA) + Experience. If i want to do MBA which courses should help me in building my career ? Many a times i questioning my self do i need a good MBA degree or not ?
Mate.... I can't tell you which courses would help you! You need to understand:
- What you want to do (functionally) after an MBA? No matter how good your MBA, you ain't becoming a big-shot in a company tomorrow. You need to continue in a functional domain (possibly a more marketing / customer focussed one) to complement your previous technical experience... But you have to decide what it is.
- What industry / what sort of companies do you want to work for?
- Where do they recruit and what sort of skills do they look for?
Get these things right first and then decide your future course of action. You might find that a pure MBA is probably not what you need.
guys, any threads on discussing PhD options here? Thanks.
You're welcome to do so. I can't claim much knowledge on PhDs, but would try answering your questions or at least point you in the right direction. If you have knowledge about it - then please feel free to use the thread and share with any other posters who might ask questions.
Stanford - Management Science and Engineering MIT - SM in Engineering Systems (the 'normal' MS program of ESD) Manchester business school - MSc Management of Science, Technology and Innovation LSE - MSc Management and Strategy "the brand name of a college is more important than what program have you studied there. The kind of experience that I am going to have a top college and the kind of people, student as well as faculty, that I am gonna meet and make valuable contacts, would be an invaluable experience. No matter how good a program is at a mediocre or a lesser known university, the above things will always be missing. And for entrepreneurship, these are the things that matter the most. Also, the first thing VCs and the angel investors will look at, is the brand name of university on my resume. As these are the people who wud probably help me achieve my dream, this further increases the importance of university brand name." eg. look at the stanford website. Just going thru the details of all the entrepreneurial activities going on there makes my hair stand out. This is the stuff I am talking abt. (Dont know whether I'll be really going there, even if I get the admit, there is no funding and I am broke 😞 )
Even in my Stanford and MIT essays, I have poured my heart out and only talked about my passion for entrepreneurship. Don't know whether it'll carry me through or not.
Don't know whether I am making any sense or not, but this is what I am.
I would agree that a top-school ~ a degree of professional credibility. But no more!! Whatever your education, IF you end up speaking bulls*** to an investor / VC - you ain't getting the money.
No - your education is NOT what the investors will look at first. Your history of professional success, your experience in making and marketing the products or services you want your entrepreneurial company to deliver + the competence of the team that supports you + the depth and success potential of the idea (IRR) are some of the things that come ahead of your educational pedigree!
A top school is a top school for many reasons - educational quality, superb faculty and career oriented services that less-than-top schools would envy; enabled by immense endowments, and the success enjoyed by graduates over a long period which feed back to endowments and so on.... Reputations are gained over a LONG period by the university... a very small % of which you carry on your shoulder / CV! The remaining large % is all you!
To put it in perspective - will attending Stanford be your life's biggest achievement or a stepping stone to your life's biggest achievement? If the answer is the latter - you'll do just fine. If the answer is the former - then you have a problem!
hey thanks a lot for your reponse.... but tell me one thing is there no course related to just marketing.... dont want just to specialise in retail....
Hey Parul,
there is no specilization course in Europe for marketing.All good university gives you MBA degree in the last two term you will have to select electives form 35-50 options.Its your call wheather you wana make ur career in srategic management or in International marketing or in supply chain management.The only thing which will affect your career is exposure.In european B school you,ll get good exposure in comparison with india B school.Try to get into any good B-school which ranked in FT Top 100 MBA school ranking.What is your GMAT score? what r u planning for this year. Have u started application process this year for europe.Deadline for most of the europe schools is in may 09 for Sep 2009-10 batch.
I have a work x of around 3 years in quality assurance with very good MNCs. Can someone suggest me, if doing MBA makes a sense with this experience, and is there some course across the globe pertaining to this experience???????? I have done only my BSc, could it be a hurdle????
Hey Sharma,
Which course you wana do? i mean you wana make your career after MBA 1st let me know your interest than only i can tell you.There r lot of MBA course where your work experience will work well.
Thank you for sharing such a detailed knowledge on various colleges and courses..
I was just going through your earlier posts and one thing which i noticed is in many of the posts u advised the aspirants to learn a foreign language..
I m currently running up my own web venture and would be appearing for GMAT soon..I just wanted to know..does learning a foreign language enhances your profile...??nd if yes which one to go for (French/German/Spanish) or may be you can tell us what are the points which one should consider before choosing the language..
Please help!!
HI,
Knowledge of foreign language will definitly give you value addition to your profile.French/German you can choose any one.
I need a serious advice. I am an Engineer in Food Technology and Processing from one of the best departments in India, Chemical Department and Technology , Punjab University. Taking up food tech was my own choice as i did not wanted to do conventional engineerings. However unfortunately i have ended up with a job in IT , through campus placemnets. I am presently working in Accenture. I never wanted to do MBA and thus could never bring in on the seriousness required for its prepration. ( Past 2 attempts no use in CAT)
Can anyone please guide as what further courses can i do in order to change my profession. I am not much interested in further in IT. I would like to go back to my basic education ie in Food Technology. Apart from that i do jewellery designing, cartoon, sketching , reading writing travel louges. I am really confused on what should i pursue. Kindly Help.
Which course you wana do? i mean you wana make your career after MBA 1st let me know your interest than only i can tell you.There r lot of MBA course where your work experience will work well.
Gautam
Gautam, thnks a lot for rplyng My priority is HR, but in case I dnt get it I would like to continue in Quality systems only. But I am worried if MBA's are at all preffered in Quality Assurance, or its a domain for phd's??? and pls let me knw if this work x is compatible for any good MBA course....
At the outset , I think this is the best thread I have come across.I appreciate your efforts Baccardisprite.You are altering trajectories of lives here.Great going.Do tell us more about you.
Now the background and the question.
Past and present - I work and have worked for top 20 NASSCOM IT companies .Work ex - 13.5 years.
Role - Handling a part of an account (business unit) for revenue and margins. Size -5 M USD. 6 + years of experience managing business for GE sub businesses. International exposure - short term in US . Good understanding of Offshoring in business . Impressive performance record. Technology , Sales and Delivery background. Sales and business background from a Non IT standpoint, handling business for half of western India early on in my career.Understand Sales in Indian market.
Interests - Finance and Strategy, Financial markets.Before the meltdown had built a portfolio of about 3.5 Million INR in Indian markets , Which is a serious amount for me.My other passions include knowing other cultures and people and have some artistic leanings too (read sketching & painting and writing ).
Education - NIT Trichy -Electrical and Electronics engineering.
Extra Cirriculars - Quizzing,Debating,Photography. I dont have any social work to my credit but have ample incidents to demonstrate my contribution ...at work , community or in the cirlces I move in.Something that we easliy forget and get blurred by so called 'definitions' of social work. Passionate about giving a hand to those impacted by ethnic strife and terrorism . --- I want to study Finance and Strategy and leverage my engineering background , diverse exposure and my interest for a few years now (read Finance esp the stock markets) to get into a Top B school in India (open to comparable schools outside India as long as the cost is matching )for 1 year .Eventually act as a change agent /leader for my community. MBA is for my self and take home some learnings and network of people who fit in the scheme of things later for other goals.I accept that it is not a show stopper for the later goals though ,just takes me go up the Maslow's hierarchy.I am open to new ideas of studying finance &strategy; , which I think is the forte of this thread.Please chip in with your thoughts.Awaiting.Thanks!.
ps- I am specially looking for schools where the score is not a barrier/mindset but experience , potential and the desire to achieve ones goals also count.
At the outset , I think this is the best thread I have come across.I appreciate your efforts Baccardisprite.You are altering trajectories of lives here.Great going.Do tell us more about you.
Now the background and the question.
Past and present - I work and have worked for top 20 NASSCOM IT companies .Work ex - 13.5 years.
Role - Handling a part of an account (business unit) for revenue and margins. Size -5 M USD. 6 + years of experience managing business for GE sub businesses. International exposure - short term in US . Good understanding of Offshoring in business . Impressive performance record. Technology , Sales and Delivery background. Sales and business background from a Non IT standpoint, handling business for half of western India early on in my career.Understand Sales in Indian market.
Interests - Finance and Strategy, Financial markets.Before the meltdown had built a portfolio of about 3.5 Million INR in Indian markets , Which is a serious amount for me.My other passions include knowing other cultures and people and have some artistic leanings too (read sketching & painting and writing ).
Education - NIT Trichy -Electrical and Electronics engineering.
Extra Cirriculars - Quizzing,Debating,Photography. I dont have any social work to my credit but have ample incidents to demonstrate my contribution ...at work , community or in the cirlces I move in.Something that we easliy forget and get blurred by so called 'definitions' of social work. Passionate about giving a hand to those impacted by ethnic strife and terrorism . --- I want to study Finance and Strategy and leverage my engineering background , diverse exposure and my interest for a few years now (read Finance esp the stock markets) to get into a Top B school in India (open to comparable schools outside India as long as the cost is matching )for 1 year .Eventually act as a change agent /leader for my community. MBA is for my self and take home some learnings and network of people who fit in the scheme of things later for other goals.I accept that it is not a show stopper for the later goals though ,just takes me go up the Maslow's hierarchy.I am open to new ideas of studying finance &strategy; , which I think is the forte of this thread.Please chip in with your thoughts.Awaiting.Thanks!.
ps- I am specially looking for schools where the score is not a barrier/mindset but experience , potential and the desire to achieve ones goals also count.
Clear Goals - that's good!
I'd say PGPX @ IIM-A or PGPEX @ IIMC or ISB. If considering abroad, then Insead (Singapore) or IMD (Switzerland).... whatever you're comfy with. Side by side - enroll in the CFA program (www.cfainstitute.org)!
Hi, I need a serious advice. I am an Engineer in Food Technology and Processing from one of the best departments in India, Chemical Department and Technology , Punjab University. Taking up food tech was my own choice as i did not wanted to do conventional engineerings. However unfortunately i have ended up with a job in IT , through campus placemnets. I am presently working in Accenture. I never wanted to do MBA and thus could never bring in on the seriousness required for its prepration. ( Past 2 attempts no use in CAT). Can anyone please guide as what further courses can i do in order to change my profession. I am not much interested in further in IT. I would like to go back to my basic education ie in Food Technology. Apart from that i do jewellery designing, cartoon, sketching , reading writing travel louges. I am really confused on what should i pursue. Kindly Help.
Hmm... interesting! Have you checked out the M.Tech (Biology, Microbiology, Biotechnology etc) Programs in the major IITs including Roorkee? You would need to pass GATE though (not easy as far as I know).
The options abroad are even greater: Check out the Engineering Schools in the below universities and look for specialist programs (or even research areas) in - Food Biotech, Food Microbiology, Advanced Nutritional Sciences... Normally they would be within their Biology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or even specialist Microbio or Biotech departments...
US - Top 20 or so Engineering schools as ranked by a publication called "US News & World Report". They publish an annual list of "America's Best Graduate Schools". Check for the Engineering schools... You'll get only basic details online (you have to pay to get the full report). Another option is to go to a major book-shop in your city (like "Landmark") and look for the title "America's Best Graduate Schools"...
UK - Check out www.timesonline.co.uk, and search that site for the "Good University Guide", where you can check the top school rankings by subject. I am certain you will find all of the above subject areas there.
Singapore - Nanyang technological University
Australia - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (www.rmit.edu.au), University of Tech, Sydney....
Holland - Technical University of Delft (www.tudelft.nl)
Switzerland - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (www.ethz.ch) or Lausanne (www.epfl.ch). They do run some excellent Masters Level Programs in English... But you would need to know at least intermediate German by the time you graduate into the job market. But the university would have those language courses available.
I need a serious advice. I am an Engineer in Food Technology and Processing from one of the best departments in India, Chemical Department and Technology , Punjab University. Taking up food tech was my own choice as i did not wanted to do conventional engineerings. However unfortunately i have ended up with a job in IT , through campus placemnets. I am presently working in Accenture. I never wanted to do MBA and thus could never bring in on the seriousness required for its prepration. ( Past 2 attempts no use in CAT)
Can anyone please guide as what further courses can i do in order to change my profession. I am not much interested in further in IT. I would like to go back to my basic education ie in Food Technology. Apart from that i do jewellery designing, cartoon, sketching , reading writing travel louges. I am really confused on what should i pursue. Kindly Help.
HI megha,
As u have done ur BE in Food Tech. so 1st thing u have to decide that wheather u wana make ur career in production or in cousultancy or in marketing.All the field are open for you as far as my knowledge is concern.My suggestion go for consultancy rather going for production as growth is very slow in production.Project management group do take people like you as a consultant.Work profile include to set up a production plant under your guidance with the requirement of the company like if Parle wana set up one of it plant then whomsoever company will act as a consultacy take people like u.Afetr MBA there are n number of fields open which i might not be aware till now.
Gautam, thnks a lot for rplyng My priority is HR, but in case I dnt get it I would like to continue in Quality systems only. But I am worried if MBA's are at all preffered in Quality Assurance, or its a domain for phd's??? and pls let me knw if this work x is compatible for any good MBA course....
If you have managed people during your job it will work in MBA.In India HR specialized school are ISB,XLRI,SCMHRD,All IIMs,SPJMR Dubai/Singapore.All the top institute provide knowledge in HR.You can do from any of these if u r looking for one year MBA abroad than you can look for europe as other than europe it is for two years.
Thanks for wishing me luck! The schools you mentioned are damn good.However (read alas!) I would not be in the mid 80% of the GMAT scores at these schools.So I think the prospects of getting an admit are very very bleak .Even if I open myself to any place outside India (I will try to manage the expenses), be that IE in spain ,NUS in singapore, to a top15 school in US.Also US programs are 2 year ones.Though I know with this score I am asking for the moon and looking for the undeserved.
Another concern is that I am looking at the higher than prevailing levels of role and responsibilities (I am a Senior manager now).However with a change in specialization ie Finance /Strategy I dont think firms will give higher than prevailing roles to the uninitiated like me.
Is there a body that tells us very seriously how we stand as a complete package to the schools we aim for or conducts mock PIs /assessments something very simillar to what happens in actual.Have I stepped on a good business idea or is this happening out there.I know of shows ,talks ,seminars, online sessions and gatherings but thats is not the answer for all people.I know of some shops like career launcher /******** /princeton review in India .But my experience in Delhi has not been good at all.
Guys, Bacardisprite -Please feel free to share your views. Thanks once again.
Extremely sorry, but did u miss out any school:-)??...I mean basis ur information, any school in india is gud enough for HR...
I dont have any knowledge of HR - MBA program in India or elsewhere...but I definitely know the name of the B schools in India!
Also, can u please be more specific about the program name, Europe is a vast geography.
Sorry, but I reply because, basis my inference, ur post is extremely vague and inadequate and (in my view) extremely misguiding!
Dear I think it was miscommunication from my end,.,.,. still, u tried to answer a question which was tough to comprehend, thnks for that what I wanted to convey was, that i wd opt for HR if I get a seat in some top notch Indian college, as there is no college or corse in India which is compatible with my work ex. Being in quality assurance, where MSc and Phd is preffered, MBA could be only valuable if done wth some specific stream. So, I am looking for a college furnishing a course where my work ex wd b considered relevent, for admission purpose,.,.,.,.,.,.,.and if you can, pls explain how this work x could b valuable???????