International educational options beyond the MBA

MBA
1322

Thanks Baccardisprite for very incisive/ brutually thought provoking response. Lot of points highlighted in your response need to be weighed adequately so as to extract full value out of this once in a lifetime kind of investment (especially at my age).

Will definitely think about different perspectives highlighted by you and share my final decision in next couple of days !!

Thanks once again !!

1323
Hi Hari,

I'm a software engineer working in a Aviation product based company for the past 2.5 years. Following is my profile:

12th - 87%
B.E in Electronics and Communication - 68% with 3 backlogs (all recovered in the next semester)
Diploma in Advanced Computing from CDAC - 70%
Work achievements - Responsible for outsourcing a project from my parent company and currently I'm the focal with a small team size of 3.
Extra curricular - Good football player, Recently started learning guitar, Had a past of working in an NGO for about 3 months (about 5 years back)

I'm in need of your expert guidance since I'm not able to make up my mind about my post MBA career.

I want to do my MBA abroad for sure since I want to experience the different teaching methods and the varied cultural experience different countries provide which will help me grow on a personal and professional level. However I'm not sure as to which stream of MBA would be suitable for me. I'm also being told that I should keep working and wait until I figure out what I want to do but I don't've that option (personal obligations). I feel working for almost 2.5 years has been long enough and as obvious it hasn't helped me take a decision yet and I'm sure my confusion will still exist even after working for 5 years.

Working for a Aviation product based company I have learnt a lot with respect to the domain (basically the cockpit displays) despite doing IT work. I realize that its a great industry and many people dream to get into it but I'm not intending to actively pursue it because the growth is slow on a professional level compared to other industries (along with the income). A product life cycle spans over 10-15 years and it takes a lot of time to level up since its a very very vast domain.
Also there is not much scope currently for the private Aviation industry in India (except on the governmental side). It is all outsourced work and the only Aviation hub is in Bangalore (my hometown!) and I'm well aware of the kind of work the companies are promoting on both technical and management levels (which isn't upto the mark). So lets say even if I work for a while abroad and after maybe 6-8 years I plan to get back to my country there is not much hope that I'l enjoy the same challenge here.

So with that conclusion I decided to do an MBA to change my line of work and do something that I'm more interested in. I looked up around the forums to see if I can find something for better introspection and this is what I could outline about myself in short.

- I am a team worker although working solo would be equally better.

- I'm a good presenter with good communication skills but I don't like interaction (or in general, consulting) with clients/customers to convince them to buy or do stuff or whatever.

- I like to do number crunching since I believe I'm pretty good at math.

- I'm very interested in learning to plan stuff like making strategies to succeed in the market or planning allocation of resources for a particular job considering current situations.

- I'm pretty much interested towards finance and economics although I don't have any sort of background in both.


The 75% that I feel I will be carrying over from my current work experience would be knowing the dynamics of a small company (when I joined the company strength was just 100 and it has grown to more than 600 now). My communication skills which I gained by communicating with our clients(our parent company in US) with regard to our work. Leadership skills (maybe very less since I quite recently became one). I was involved with my Project Manager in deciding the budget and work allocation for my project so I'm familiar with the parameters (in general) that affect its functioning.

Moving forward I would like to keep working in an Engineering industry and make use of my current experience or make a move to a company with a Financial/Economical background. With the knowledge I will have gained from the MBA I would preferably work in the country of study (USA/Canada/Australia).

I know there could be a change from the industry I'm currently working in and making a transition would be tougher and this is where I need your valuable advice. It was mentioned in the pdf (Kickass guide to MBA abroad) that the competitiveness increases with the number of career elements that we would want to change post MBA. I think it would sound true in my case so it becomes absolutely necessary for me to get into a good program in a good university (The likes of Harvard are definitely beyond my reach but definitely something within the top 50!). Even my weak academic profile is another worrying aspect. So can you please guide me which stream of MBA would suit my career needs and which universities I could apply to accomplish this given that I score at the expected cutoffs? Also what do you make of my self-analysis. Do you feel I have made any mistake with the decision I have taken or ignored any important parameter? Or am I hitting off in a totally wrong direction and all of this sounds like total nonsense?

Please feel free to voice any opinion about whatever I have said here. Would deeply appreciate your response.

Thanks and Regards!
1324

Hi BaccardiSprite,

.

Thank you for all the guidance, information and patience you are showering us with.

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My profile:

-B.E. in Geo-Informatics from College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University.

-CGPA: 7.24 out of 10.

-Work Exp.: 6 years and 4 months in IT. Now with Infosys as a Technology Lead. Client - Apple.

-3 months international experience with Coca-Cola in Atlanta as a transition expert.

-Age: 28 (officially 29 )

-GMAT- 730, AWA 5.0, IR 5.

-Extra/Co-curricular: NCC Army - 2 years in school, NCC Navy - 1 year in college, Executive member Society of civil engineers, organizing committee member with my previous organization, Volunteer with Isha yoga foundation.

-----

Work Exp.:

*4 months as a research assistant with my university.

*15 months of break due to family circumstances.

*4 months as a GIS engineer in a GIS startup which did not do well.

*4 years as a software engineer in middleware technology: here I worked as a developer in one of the industry-first product development assignments in the B2B space, played the role of a track lead and went to US to understand the latest B2B implementation in Coca-Cola and transitioned the knowledge to offshore team, worked directly with Motorola managers in India as part of the architecture team during the time when Motorola was being divided into two separate entities.

*10 months with a leading financial services product development company.

*Presently with Infosys as a Tech Lead cum Consultant for a year. Apple is the client.

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Why MBA?

I plan to work in MC or with a technology company and start a company several years (5-10) down the line, mostly in India. My uncle used to run a silk saree business that I would like to take up and provide a niche service on that. My contribution in his venture were minimal, mostly to do with accounts and money management.

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I need your advice/insights in the following:

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1. My target schools are Tuck, Haas, LBS, Ross, Darden, Fuqua, McCombs, and Emory. For my profile, is the list too ambitious? The only place where I can improve is the GMAT. Will it help if I retake the exam? In such case, what would be a very competitive score?

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2. Is there any other school that I should consider, given my aspirations?

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3. I cannot apply in R1 for ISB and Fuqua. How will this affect my chances of an admit?

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4. Will I be too old at 30 or 31 for an MBA program, especially the 2 year programs, if I target Fall '13 or Fall '14 admissions? Also, how will this factor play a role in securing a job? I would have 7+ or 8+ years of IT experience by then.

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5. How the gap of 15 months be perceived by Ad-coms? The reasons are valid; can I get personal and explain the situation that led to the gap.

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6. What are the chances for an Indian IT male to get an admit and eventually a job in the Finance sector? I am considering applying to Stern for the variety of electives they offer (other than finance ones), particularly in Strategy. Please advise.

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7. I have an aptitude for Real Estate. My intuition says I can do well in RE than in any other field. May I apply to Wharton's and Columbia's Real Estate major programs? What chance do I stand in these B schools? Even if I am admitted, will that be too big a risk given my non-exposure to Finance and RE industry?

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8. My client is Apple and I am part of the team that builds, re-designs and maintains Apple's IT infrastructure and B2B systems. How can I leverage this in the applications, especially if apply to LGO program?

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9. Without a guaranteed loan from the university, I cannot attend any program. Will above-listed universities co-sign my loan application? BusinessWeek states that some of these universities do not guarantee the loan application. Is it so?

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10. Given the economic turmoil in Europe, is applying to LBS/Judge/any Spanish school advisable? How do you rate Judge's 1 year program against other programs, in particular Oxford's Said?

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11. If applying to a Spanish school is ok with you, then which one should I apply to? As far as my research goes, its IESE>IE>ESADE.

Reasons: Case based education, 3 month internship, 2 year program, better career services in IESE. Is my line of thinking right or have I missed to consider any parameter here?

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12. Will I be able to land a job if I attend a 1 year program in Europe (read IE/Judge)?

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13. I feel I am lost when it comes to why MBA and other essay questions. I am unsure of how to start and connect the dots. Any pointers/guidance on the same?

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14. What role will my low GPA play in the admission process? I heard that 7.24 from my college converts to a 3.2-3.3 in US standards? Is it so?

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# Overall, how do you rate me as a potential B school applicant?

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I thought that it would be easier for you to better read through my long post if I ask the questions to the point, hence did not use words of pleasantry. Please note that I have the greatest respect for you.

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Looking forward to your reply. Thank you in advance.

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Cheerz,

R
1325

@[60095:baccardisprite]


Hey thanks a lot for the reply........YEah i truely want to escape India .... I left fiitjee because i was not satisfied with the nature of work here

It would be great if i can be infored about the courses wchih i can opt and frm where ...

I reallly want to study more... Based on my profile B.E(computer Sc.) & MBA ( Marketing & SCM)

Kindly suggest me gud places to study. 1 yr Wrk EX Business Development .

I will be thankful ...
1326

@[571812:chibs07],
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I am a little hard-pressed to decipher "t...eam worker although working solo would be equally better.." :-)... How can something be "equally better"?
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Not a cop-out, but I'd like you to think a little more! Read the exchange I had also with a user called Ultimix (a few posts prior to yours). He/She's also in a field somewhat similar to yours. There's a justifiable grouse at the outsourced-work heavy quotient of your daily job. If you lack the client interaction in your current job (i.e, most is just internal) then try another job... don't just default to the need for an MBA. An MBA will NOT address the lack of client interaction. Strategy, Planning, and resource Allocation are NOT taught, they're first learnt though involvement & experience (large & small), then strengthened through further education, wherever / whenever.
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2.5 years is NOT enough to paper-over 3 back-logs, though I think your profile is somewhat differentiable based on your professional experiences. You will need to ace the GRE/GMAT to cover the definiciency; and perhaps ensure you have 1.5 to 2 years of career progression to assure adcomms of your profile even further (recruitability after the MBA).
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Don't leave your hard earned skills and experience behind.
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Given the options available in the US & Canada, I would recommend choosing a strong Systems Engineering, Management Science, twinned with an MBA or MS in Management / Finance. The US has the advantage of the 29 month OPT, while Canada offers a 2 year work permit if you graduate from a Top Canadian school. I would try Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech (MS ISyE + MBA), UC Berkeley (IEOR MS), Urbana, Top Canadian Engg Universities.
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A dual program, with your previous experience in avionics and instrumentation, should position you for a good career with companies like Bombardier, Boeing, EADS Airbus, Automotive companies, Precision Engineering & Instrumentation companies, Consumer Durables and Smart-Phone makers etc....
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Stay disciplined.
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All the best
Baccardisprite

1327

@[458317:mhtarora65]

My apologies.... If you want to escape India, am afraid I wouldn't know the right way! What have you done since FIITJEE? What makes you think that you can "study more" and "escape India"? I'd suggest finding another job, gaining a few years of experience (& maturity) and then coming back for some guidance.

There's lack of clarity in your career goals that you need to address by talking to someone you trust. 1 year experience will do nothing for your career abroad.

Apologies if this is not what you wanted to hear.

All the best
Baccardisprite

1328

@[301053:the_ChosenOne]
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It's actually a good profile, and good career progression to increasingly challenging roles. Apple is not known as an easy client (according to my consultant friends), and if you are interacting with client sponsors / stakeholders / teams on a regular basis, I think you're scoring on the external interaction part with consultants.
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Career goal makes sense! Caution, in moving MBA to Consulting, then enterpreneurship you need to ensure you have some weel articulated idea on what that would be, and why that particular line of enterpreneurship makes sense!
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To your long list of questions:
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1. 730 is competive enough! Don't bother retaking. Concentrate on delivering good applications. Choice of schools is ok, all come with strong links to consulting, good career services offices and strong student run consulting clubs.

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2. Think of adding ISB, INSEAD and IIM A/C PGPX. On the last one, you should hit 7 years this winter, and most of the consulting majors recruit from the PGPX classes now. Boil it down to no more than 5 schools after diligent research.

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3. Shouldn't be an issue? I would avoid Round III and onwards. Round I, because most of the places are available, you're amongst the first and adcomms likely to spend more time reading & evaluating. As the rounds progress and classes fill out, each application has to be even more perfect to get through. I would advise patiently researching schools and appliying in Fall 13 for 2014 entry!

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4. No, entering at 31 is NOT a bad thing. Experience has never hurt anyone and don't let anyone make you believe otherwise. As for securing a job, that's a different challenge for everyone. Make sure you conduct a strong off-campus search, keep yourself open to opportunities and geographies. Keep yourself prepared for a wider geographical scope (learn a language)! Go to a school with a strong career services office that can coach, train and mentor you to conduct an effective job search. Plan, prepare and stay motivated - it will be rewarded.

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5. Explain the 15 month gap rationally, communicate the reason without getting too emotional, and articulate what you did in this period to keep yourself from wasting time.

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6. It has happened before, but it will be more challenging right now. Finance hiring is globally down, and unlikely to recover to it's 2006-2007 levels (last known boom years) anytime soon. Be sure about what you want to do.

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7. You just mentioned consulting, then finance, now real estate.... Each as an industry is distinct! Choose one as a Plan A, then the other as a Plan B.

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8. LGO is a functionally manufacturing / supply chain oriented program, and to be totally honest with you, it's difficult to leverage IT experience into a program that trains people with core function experience in these areas into leaders / experts in that field.

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9. Some do, some don't! Check their websites and their financial aid pages. Some schools, even if unable to offer a school-guaranteed loan program, will provide excellent insights into sources of funding. Get into the school of choice first.

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10. Judge / Said and the Spanish schools are considered equal in quality. Judge / Said are of course attached to Universities with the largest and most influential alum base after Harvard. I wouldn't advise Spain at this time. UK's economics and more recently totally unfriendly post education work policies for Non-EUs makes it unadvisable to go there.

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11. IESE/IE, then ESADE. Younger, more consulting hungry crowd in IESE/ESADE. But read my comments on Spain.

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12. Not the right question to ask! Think & ask again.

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13. Brainstorm the story of your life, then choose the stories where you made maximum impact, articulate those as good as you can! Then once you have chosen your career path as per question 7, think about what you need to do professionally & educationally to get you there. Where does an MBA fit it? That's your start. Once you have that fairly clear, get the help of a professional consultant (pay him/her some money) to just guide you through a sharp why MBA / why NOW essay in about 70-75% of the limit of 200, 300, 400, 500 word versions. The remaining % is the "why this school part". Do the same exercise for stories of leadership / influencing stakeholders etc..., stories of failure / learning etc... This is an iterative exercise. There's no magic bullet.

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14. Don't bother converting. Most colleges have heard of Anna U and COE Guindy, and will know what 7.24 means (in terms of how easy / difficult it is).

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Overall - I don't see anything majorly wrong. There's some lack of clarity on future career, and ONLY you can address that. No one else can....

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Hope that answers you. Thank you for the positive feedback. Happy when people consider my advice / coaching helpful. Happier if it helps them make a positive impact to themselves.


All the best

Baccardisprite



1329

@baccardisprite

Thanks for the detailed response Hari. Appreciate it very much.

I admit I went a bit awry with my grammar there! Apologize for the mistake and would like to clear the confusion I have caused by clarifying some facts.

'team worker although working solo would be equally better'..I just wanted to express that I'm comfortable working both ways.

I have client interaction to a certain extent with my parent company for my project needs but what I meant to explain in my previous post was that I don't want to get into a client interaction job post my MBA (for ex: consulting). I would like to work in a normal environment that I currently have in my IT job right now and build upon my current experience in the managerial field or completely shift to financial/economical background post my MBA.

I agree with your observation about learning how to strategize and plan through experience and the need for a good career progression to overshadow my backlogs. I'm intending to put an honest effort to build on these and also score well in my GMAT.

I went through the reply you provided for utlimix and caught up some points to seize on whatever opportunities that come my way and make the best out of it while simultaneously getting involved with activities (work or outside) as much as possible. As a result I'm planning to take up a language course soon after giving my GMAT (probably French).

I did some research on the courses you had mentioned in your response (Georgia Tech & UC Berkeley & Urbana) and as far as I observed the above mentioned universities didn't provide a combined dual degree i.e (MS+MBA). Did you mean to pursue these degrees separately one after the other? Georgia and UC berkeley ask for a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admissions which would put me out of contention right at the beginning irrespective of the profile I carry.

Although System Engineering in an Aerospace field would be a very interesting field to pursue, I had a few apprehensions about the same. The work I'm doing right now is no where related to hardware although there will be a scope in the future. But post my degrees (i.e an MS+MBA) and after working for 10 years, if I would want to get back to India then I'm not sure about facing the same excitement about my work coz I feel Indian Aerospace industry has a lot of catching up to do and even 10 years is very less time for that to happen in such a field. Is there a good enough alternative for this route?

I'm keeping finance (corporate)/economics as my 2nd option. If the 1st option doesn't work out for some reason, do you think its possible to make a switch into this field without a background? Which course/university would suit into this category for my profile?

Please correct me if I have gone wrong with my facts here and if not then do suggest any other alternate options for courses and universities that could suite my profile and career needs.

Thanks again!

1330

Hello BaccardiSprite,

So you say that General Management / leadership type of role immediately after an MBA will not happen.

Here are some facts:

IIM Ahmadabad PGPX 2011 placements #
19 out 30 positions in general management
ISB 2011 placements #
13 % in general management
Kelly school of business USA 2011 placements #
11 % in general management


I choose schools in different geography, different MBA class entering profile and different length of programs to show that general management kind of roles do exist after MBA not even in abroad but in India too.

Secondly, "/" means "OR" not "AND". General Management / leadership don't mean that people will be working at CXO level. Because you mentioned True "General Management / Leadership" type of role after 12-15 years, it seems that you are talking about director/CXO level guys.

Leadership can be at different level, like in my org we had to start IT Delivery center in a new country. Our BDM person ( BE only) with 10 years of exp. led the team and met the company goal. That's leadership.

Reg. career goals, I am looking for general management roles in IT industry. Functions in IT management would be operations/Audit/new business. Role areas : sales/project management/Corporate Audit/Business Development etc. Dream Company would be Google/IBM.

Reg. Plan A would be doing MBA from some location. Still, confused about location. Plan B would be continuing the same job. I am confused about the location of MBA not about my career goals. I would consider tuition fees, ROI, standard of living, visa, kind of Job etc. to decide MBA Location.

Let me know if some other information is required to answer my queries.

Thanks

1331
@seekinguidance said:

Hello BaccardiSprite,

So you say that General Management / leadership type of role immediately after an MBA will not happen.

Here are some facts:

IIM Ahmadabad PGPX 2011 placements # 19 out 30 positions in general management ISB 2011 placements # 13 % in general management Kelly school of business USA 2011 placements # 11 % in general management


You are making a mistake that many other aspirants make - placement stats like these are misleading in the sense that you do not know the backgrounds of those people who got placed into General Management. What if they went back to their parent company? Typically the PGPX folks have a minimum of 7yrs work - if for e.g. they worked in XYZ company, got an MBA and went back to the same company they are quite likely to be placed in "General Management/Leadership" position because they are already familiar with how the company functions and now they have the added boost of an MBA.

Another example used to be of how MBA students are often placed into consulting companies which is/was hyped a lot. Till you realized that all they were doing was back-end number-crunching work and isn't really "consulting".

I also suspect that baccardi's statement about "true general management/leadership" pertains to where you work day-in and day-out on general management/leadership. In your example, as soon as your BDM completed the project, did he go back to his "regular job" or was he then tasked with a slightly larger project with increased responsibilities? The latter is what would count as "true general management/leadership" and is something i would aim for because that is career progression.

Finally, i'm positive we all know "/" means "OR" not "AND"
General Management and Leadership are intertwined. You cannot have one without the other especially once you progress up the totem-pole. You have 8yrs of work-ex and likely already work in middle-management. Your post-MBA goal sounds like you want to break into the middle of Middle-management, not as baccardi rightly points out, the Top of Middle-management where you should be going.
1332

@[26975:Neo2000] : As per baccardi, the Top of Middle-management where I should be going will not happen post MBA. His own words "General Management / leadership type of role immediately after an MBA will not happen. You'll need to build your expertise, competence and team / org leadership skills in 2-3 functions over 12-15 years after an MBA to get a true "General Management / Leadership" type of role."

Therefore in nutshell, you suggested top of Middle-management positions post MBA (Where I should be going) and Baccardi said that such positions will not happen post MBA immediately.

May be I am not reading between the lines. Pls correct me if I am wrong.

If Top of middle management positions do happen post MBA, pls suggest those schools.

1333
@seekinguidance said:

@Neo2000 : As per baccardi, the Top of Middle-management where I should be going will not happen post MBA. His own words "General Management / leadership type of role immediately after an MBA will not happen.


i am hoping that baccardi was thinking along the same lines i was - that true gen-management/leadership begins at Director level - which in top companies is the lower end of Top-Management. those positions typically ask for atleast 10-12years of experience preferably more. Where you are currently is also a factor of where you can break-into post-MBA. Beyond knowing that you have a total of 8yrs of work-ex, you haven't told us much so i'm only guessing your current position. Where you are career-wise can dictate which school you should choose.

while you can have leadership opportunities like your BDM, those are likely one-off incidents and like the swallow, do not the summer make. i repeat - you are looking to do this on a daily basis with increasing levels of responsibility. Post-MBA +4yrs work-ex is when you could probably make Director at say J&J.; And that's a fantastic place to be! I'd give an arm and a leg to be there.

baccardi needs more information from you and we shouldn't have to drag it out from you - where are you today and where do you want to be? in which industry? what is your functional area expertise? do you want to continue in that or change into something different? what is your long-term goal? saying "if i'm confident then i want to start my own business" is not enough because in which field do you want to start your business? and where? certain schools may be strong in your desired functional area but may not have a network/presence in India. on the other hand, if a school has a top-10 presence in the functional-area AND a network in india - like UofMichigan-Ross then going to that school might make a lot more sense.
1334

Hello Neo2000
I apologize if I am not giving all info what you looking for to help me out. This is my first topic on forums so please bear with me. Currently, I am working as project Manager (PMP certified) in IT industry. I work in Quality area and help my company's clients to save money through optimizing current IT policies/ modify old policies/ creating new ones as per customer current needs. IT policies like standard change control/workflow for day to day operations. If standard change control does not follow then everything would be decentralized and hard to see big picture what is going on across whole IT. In addition, I worked with KPMG and Deloitte as coordinator to run External SOX IT audit smoothly. I am talking about multimillion dollars projects.
Therefore you can say I am working in middle of middle management. Short term goal i.e. immediately post MBA would be higher end of middle management/lower end of Top management. Long term goal (5-7 years post MBA) would be true gen-management/leadership (Day in and Day out) kind of Role. I work in IT consulting industry with knowledge of Finance/High Tech/Manufacturing domains by implementing respective projects for well-known Global Companies.
I want to join Leadership development program where they train leaders in different function areas and then let them decide which are they want to work post training. Companies like IBM/Hindustan Unilever/TATA/ PepsiCo/Mckinsey/Deere & Company/GE.
I state that if I'm confident then I want to start my own business. I think running business will be more business acumen rather than area specialization. ICICI chairman K. V. Kamath was leading ICICI and now chairman of Infosys limited. Do you think Kamath is IT grad or was nerd or person with lot of IT exp. I can dream of opening business in areas where i have no knowledge and even succeed too because in dream you can do whatever you want. So running business is just metaphor to use my General Management exp. of leading teams and make my own product out of that. Where I would start my business: does it matter as now everyone going global.
Again we should not focus on running business right now. God knows why I mentioned it in my previous post. Right now My main focus would be joining Leadership development program post MBA and looking for business schools to meet my needs.
I think I have provided info what was missing before. If still some part has been left out, then Feel free to point it out.

1335
Topic: Is Masters in Management the right path to a future in CONSULTING or any business field ?
Hi,
I'm currently pursuing B.Tech in Coimbatore (2009-2013)...I have planned to join MiM in one of the top European B-Schools for the September 2013 intake.....so will probably take GMAT in Oct 2012!

TO BE HONEST i am not clear about i what i want to do after graduating. I am sure about not enetering into IT field! Coming to the other stream - business, management, account, finance....i am so confused about which one to choose, how to specialize and will this Masters in Management course give me that break into the managament field....? I am not worried about the recession....i am confident that i ll work my way through to the paradise! THE PASSION IS IN THE RISK

Also, on the other hand....i have a passion for MANAGEMENT CONSULTING...but not sure if my kinda profile will fit into this stream !?!? Is there any speacialized course for getting into ANALYTICS....CONSULTING...? that will boost my chance...since im an engineering student! PLEASE.....let me know about the various options for plunging into consulting and if this MiM course is a right choice!!

Profile:
X - 95%
XII - 95%
B.Tech IT (uptill VI SEM) - 80%
GMAT (aiming at) - 720

School Pupil Leader.
Member of the IT association in college.
and a few more decent etra - curricular activities emphasizing leadership qualities.
Intern as ONLINE MARKETING ANALYST in a Market Rsearch Company in Mumbai.

Thanks for spending your valuable time in reading my post! Please guide me!

Regards,
Arun
1336

@[595843:bergkamp10]
Hi, I am also looking at this course that you have mentioned. Are you planning on taking it up? The institute and course looks pretty good and intense. What are your thoughts on it? I am just not too sure since its the 1st batch for this course

Ax

1337

Hi Baccardisprite,
I would like to know some inputs from you regrading MSEM program (masters in sustainable environmental management) from university of Saskatchewan.What kind of career opportunities that I can expect.I'm looking towards a Management role particularly in the field of environmental conservations, NGO's in that filed etc.Would this be beneficial.


Thanks in advance,
Sridhar

1338

Apologies all! Tough month work-wise. Will respond asap to all pending requests. If your queries are urgent, please direct to other experts in this International MBA & education forum. They're equally (if not more) capable of advising you.

Thanks in advance for your patience. Be back soon.

Baccardisprite

1339

Hello Baccardi .... i must say this has been a pretty kick-ass forum to read through..the queries as well as your response to them ... perhaps now the very reason why I am here is I am planning MBA/M.Sc in Operations and Supply Chain Management/Project Management.
My profile :
SSC : 80%
Diploma in Elec and Telecomm : 75%
EC : Average .. winner of a few awards at college and Org level. I am also a drummer for my Organisations band.
BE Elec and Telecomm : 61% (Mumbai University)
Work Ex : 33 months in IT industry working in the Telecomm Domain for a Canadian ISP.
Apart form the Roles and Responsibilities I have helped team in turning around the Quality story as well as undertaken few other Cimprovement initiatives at the team level.

I am Currently pursuing a weekend PGDOM course from SIBM. This was mainly joined out of intrest for learning the nity-gritties of Operations and Project management as well as get an overview of how the supply chains work and their importance etc.

Future plans post MBA : Plan A. to move out of this IT industry and land a consulting Job in the manufacturing industry which i believe is really difficult considering that most of my pre-mba experience would be in IT.
Plan B : Considering I plan to stay back in the IT industry then would like to see myself in the role of Project Manager and/or Consultant in the same domain.

Geography : Considering the bad economy in Europe and UK , perhaps the next best options could be Canada/US/New Zealand..

The GMAT is slated for mid next year and I am planning to join course in 2014..

Could you please help me in analysing my profile and suggest any good colleges/universities/courses in the regions that i have mentioned above.


thanks in anticipation.

Cheers

1340
@seekinguidance ,

Apologies to you and all other posters for delays to responses. I have managed a brief log in after god knows how many weeks. Middle-of-middle, top-of-middle, and lower-end-of-top.... too many classifications for someone who struggles with complexity in his job already :-).

Long story short - "general management" is what you get ONLY at the top echelons of a company - meaning, managing / leading a very large function (company / industry dependent) or a group of functions; along with significant people management responsibilities and top-&/or-bottom line accountability (managing revenue and/or costs / profits, and cash, and capital). It takes someone with 15-20-more years of hardcore, multi-functional experience in any company to get a role anywhere close to a senior/general management role in a company -- Period!

Director of Marketing (a single function) is a middle to senior role, but is NOT general management! Senior VP of Sales is a "senior" role for experienced people, but is NOT General Management. A Chief Technology Officer role (called VP / Director / anything) having IT, R&D;, Customer Partnerships, Product Development etc, under his wing IS General Management. The latter is so because he/she not only has people to manage, but significant accountabilities in terms of budgets, capital, projects, and resources.

A young MBA (fresher or pre-MBA experienced) might join a so-called MDP/LDP in a corporate, may be exposed to "seinor" or "general" managers and leaders through projects, networking and other interactions. But they will have to bust their guts for 12-15 years in 2-3 single functions, get the nuts & bolts correct, then go up the ranks. Please don't let the term "general management" fool you.

All the best.
Baccardisprite
1341
@arun_720

What makes you think getting a Masters in Management is going to solve your short term career issues. You're trying to escape the prospect of working & learning & building skills when your mind and body are most willing to learn.

Get a job, even with a small company at a low salary - roll your sleeves up, win customers (get doors slammed shut on your face), make things, package them, deliver them, sell them, market them.... You'll even earn money for it and not have to pay INR 40-50L to get a management degree which may / not help your career! The skills you gain on a job however, are real, and you won't forget them!

Think and post again.
All the best
Baccardisprite