Personal/Career/CAT-job Dilemma Queries : A Repository

MBA CAT 2022
483
Hi Friends
This is my first post and I need some advice or suggestions from you guys
regarding my career rather say life decisions .I briefly describe my background so ur suggestion can be more useful
I m currently a final year BTech student of NIT,Trichy(ECE). Like any other avg Indian kid I landed up here after slogging hard for JEE. But,I had always inclination towards business (i remember reading biographies of Tata in school days).So,naturally,after landing here I tried to do all kind of things out of box like presenting B-plans(i even won one at IIM), hiring a coder to set up a social networking website etc.Although,initially things went quite well ,but nothing concrete could be achieved till now.Bw, All these things my pointers suffered( it is arnd 7+ now:|).
As far as my learning is concerned,I got intrested in Finance,CFA n all and did 3-4 NCFM courses,but all from learning point of view.

So far so good..But WTH.Placement seasons are going to start soon.But Im least bothered as most of them are Tech(IT+Core) companies barring 3-4 finance companies.Reason for avoiding tech company is that I m not best at that+I think they ll make me code/design which has little to do with business aspects

I do not think it is best time for me to start a company.I want to work in a company which will give me experience and exposure in diifferent fields of Business and at the same time ll help me build contacts which ll come handy later when I start on my own.

My questions are
1)Does typical Business Analyst or Technical analyst post in India offer such(as mentioned in above paragraph) oppurtunities? What are the chances of fresher making into such a job?
2)What kind of job a typical equity analyst do?Or any other work any Fresh B Tech graduate can get in a finance company?
3)Do u ve any suggestion?What kind of jobs best fit for a to-be-entrepreneur?What about working in a start-up?

I appreciate your time.You may answer any one of the above queries.
Thanks in advance


dude my problem is also the same!
if u get any solution, do let me know!:cheerio:
484

hello ppl,

i know this may sound a very familiar query and some of you may provide me with a link indicating where to get further information which i'll b happy to receive... but i hav an issue and i need some advise
i hav just finished my B.tech in EEE branch CGPA 7.65 and have to options infront of me right now...
1. Preparation for CAT 09
2.I have this offer from HCL infotech where they are offering me a postion of graduate engineering trainee for 6 or 12 months and based on my performance during this time i can become a permanent employee. As for now they'll b providing me with a stipend of 5k to 6k.

i am pretty sure about picking up only one of the 2 options as i know i wont be able to cope up with both of them. My dilemma is that as per current scenario jobs are really scarce... so shall i let go of this oppurtunity and take a risk giving a shot to MBA preparation or definitly pick up MBA preparation and enter the market after 2 years fully equipped??

pls help!

485

Hi friends,

This is a great site you've got here. I came across this site while googling for advice related to MBA. Here's my dilemma:

I'm a software engineer with a MNC with a work exp of 5.5 years. I've worked across different roles from coding to design to requirement analysis to testing, and in multiple locations (US, Blore, chennai, Finland etc). For the past few months, I'm getting a feeling that my career has stagnated and not moving anywhere. Atleast this is not where I had planned to be when I started out. So I've two choices in front of me:

1. MS - I'm techincally strong and I have the right aptitude for my work. I'm one of the few fellows who can say I enjoy my work :D. But, I feel a bit too old to get back to engg related topics now or even get into that research student mentality required for completing a MS. Also, looking at the career ladder in technical side in my company or India in general, the opportunities are very dim. I can see how the architects / sr. specialists are whiling away their time in useless ppts and meetings. I certainly don't want to see myself there.

2. MBA - This is a unexplored territory for me. Although I'm good at certain things like communication (written & oral), I'm a bit unsure about the future. But this seems very lucrative because it fits my age and experience and also, the no. of opportunities are high. If I'll do my MBA, I'll be mainly targeting roles in product management, marketing or consultancy (all in IT/Telecom related companies) and will be targeting top 10 B Schools in US/Canada/Europe or India for a full time 2 year course.

I will have to start preparing very soon for one of these.

My basic doubts are:
1. Are the roles of product management, marketing or consultancy satisfactory for a person of technical aptitude ? Or is it all ppt and excel ?
2. How many IT/Telecom companies do come for B schools for the above mentioned roles for placements ?
3. Will the salary be competitive (compared to other roles like an i-banker) in the above roles ?
4. Is it worth doing my MBA spending two years (+1 year prep) overall especially keeping the above roles in mind ?

Request your advice/guidance in this matter. Thanks a lot in advance 😃

486
hello ppl,

i know this may sound a very familiar query and some of you may provide me with a link indicating where to get further information which i'll b happy to receive... but i hav an issue and i need some advise
i hav just finished my B.tech in EEE branch CGPA 7.65 and have to options infront of me right now...
1. Preparation for CAT 09
2.I have this offer from HCL infotech where they are offering me a postion of graduate engineering trainee for 6 or 12 months and based on my performance during this time i can become a permanent employee. As for now they'll b providing me with a stipend of 5k to 6k.

i am pretty sure about picking up only one of the 2 options as i know i wont be able to cope up with both of them. My dilemma is that as per current scenario jobs are really scarce... so shall i let go of this oppurtunity and take a risk giving a shot to MBA preparation or definitly pick up MBA preparation and enter the market after 2 years fully equipped??

pls help!



buddy you are the best judge of yourself.just think what do you want most now..
well if this hcl job doesnt have any bond ..then i think you should join it...
be safe and independent..earn money...you can try for mba later too...

cheers
487
Hi friends,

This is a great site you've got here. I came across this site while googling for advice related to MBA. Here's my dilemma:

I'm a software engineer with a MNC with a work exp of 5.5 years. I've worked across different roles from coding to design to requirement analysis to testing, and in multiple locations (US, Blore, chennai, Finland etc). For the past few months, I'm getting a feeling that my career has stagnated and not moving anywhere. Atleast this is not where I had planned to be when I started out. So I've two choices in front of me:

1. MS - I'm techincally strong and I have the right aptitude for my work. I'm one of the few fellows who can say I enjoy my work :D. But, I feel a bit too old to get back to engg related topics now or even get into that research student mentality required for completing a MS. Also, looking at the career ladder in technical side in my company or India in general, the opportunities are very dim. I can see how the architects / sr. specialists are whiling away their time in useless ppts and meetings. I certainly don't want to see myself there.

2. MBA - This is a unexplored territory for me. Although I'm good at certain things like communication (written & oral), I'm a bit unsure about the future. But this seems very lucrative because it fits my age and experience and also, the no. of opportunities are high. If I'll do my MBA, I'll be mainly targeting roles in product management, marketing or consultancy (all in IT/Telecom related companies) and will be targeting top 10 B Schools in US/Canada/Europe or India for a full time 2 year course.

I will have to start preparing very soon for one of these.

My basic doubts are:
1. Are the roles of product management, marketing or consultancy satisfactory for a person of technical aptitude ? Or is it all ppt and excel ?
2. How many IT/Telecom companies do come for B schools for the above mentioned roles for placements ?
3. Will the salary be competitive (compared to other roles like an i-banker) in the above roles ?
4. Is it worth doing my MBA spending two years (+1 year prep) overall especially keeping the above roles in mind ?

Request your advice/guidance in this matter. Thanks a lot in advance :)

VintMBA,

It's usually not too common to see too many people with your experience level going for an MS. Most students would take up that option with zero or slightly more years of post-undergrad experience. And from that pool, several decide to go in for a second degree, usually an MBA to get out of their technical silos.

With 5.5 years, if you like being in the technical field, you could still pursue an MS. But have a 5-10 year roadmap in place before you put in that application.

MBA, on the other hand, is a more generic bet, in comparison. For American programs, you'll be in the right age group. For India, you could look at the ISB's and PGPX's where you wouldn't stick out like an outlier.

Now to address your other queries.

For product management, you may be able to move into a new role without the need for an MBA, if you can demonstrate your product knowledge and go beyond just the technical aspects. For marketing and consulting, an MBA would be good.

For all these roles, your dominant weapons would still be excel and powerpoint, but don't assume you'll be spending your entire time with them. A lot of what you do will revolve around customers, vendors, teams and clients.

The salary will be competitive when you compare it to your current role. But don't use I-banks as a benchmark. You'll be disappointed.

Is it worth doing an MBA? Well, that's a million dollar question. Check out what others have to say on this discussion thread and share your thoughts and apprehensions there.
488
hello ppl,

i know this may sound a very familiar query and some of you may provide me with a link indicating where to get further information which i'll b happy to receive... but i hav an issue and i need some advise
i hav just finished my B.tech in EEE branch CGPA 7.65 and have to options infront of me right now...
1. Preparation for CAT 09
2.I have this offer from HCL infotech where they are offering me a postion of graduate engineering trainee for 6 or 12 months and based on my performance during this time i can become a permanent employee. As for now they'll b providing me with a stipend of 5k to 6k.

i am pretty sure about picking up only one of the 2 options as i know i wont be able to cope up with both of them. My dilemma is that as per current scenario jobs are really scarce... so shall i let go of this oppurtunity and take a risk giving a shot to MBA preparation or definitly pick up MBA preparation and enter the market after 2 years fully equipped??

pls help!

My personal thoughts on this (use these to arrive at a decission not to assume this as decission)-

1. There is no reason why someone cannot prepare for CAT along with job.. Lots of fellas are doing that way and have done in past and have got success ...
2. A practical experience any day is better than what you study in classes... experience of any kind would definitely help u appreciate management subjects when u later get into a b-school.
3. And an experience wud also get u brownie points in interview..
489
Is shifting into finance/strategy a difficult option for people with 2-3 yrs of experience in the manufacturing/operations sector ???
If so, what are the possible ways to conquer the difficulties???

Yes, why not...
But this year has been pretty tough for graduates wanting to move to finance... nobody can predict 2-3 yrs hence but if u have strong interrest in that area and can suitably demonstrate that, you can move in...
490
Hi Friends
This is my first post and I need some advice or suggestions from you guys
regarding my career rather say life decisions .I briefly describe my background so ur suggestion can be more useful
I m currently a final year BTech student of NIT,Trichy(ECE). Like any other avg Indian kid I landed up here after slogging hard for JEE. But,I had always inclination towards business (i remember reading biographies of Tata in school days).So,naturally,after landing here I tried to do all kind of things out of box like presenting B-plans(i even won one at IIM), hiring a coder to set up a social networking website etc.Although,initially things went quite well ,but nothing concrete could be achieved till now.Bw, All these things my pointers suffered( it is arnd 7+ now:|).
As far as my learning is concerned,I got intrested in Finance,CFA n all and did 3-4 NCFM courses,but all from learning point of view.

So far so good..But WTH.Placement seasons are going to start soon.But Im least bothered as most of them are Tech(IT+Core) companies barring 3-4 finance companies.Reason for avoiding tech company is that I m not best at that+I think they ll make me code/design which has little to do with business aspects

I do not think it is best time for me to start a company.I want to work in a company which will give me experience and exposure in diifferent fields of Business and at the same time ll help me build contacts which ll come handy later when I start on my own.

My questions are
1)Does typical Business Analyst or Technical analyst post in India offer such(as mentioned in above paragraph) oppurtunities? What are the chances of fresher making into such a job?
2)What kind of job a typical equity analyst do?Or any other work any Fresh B Tech graduate can get in a finance company?
3)Do u ve any suggestion?What kind of jobs best fit for a to-be-entrepreneur?What about working in a start-up?

I appreciate your time.You may answer any one of the above queries.
Thanks in advance

Regarding questions-
1. Its tough for a fresher to get directly into these roles. A smaller company might significantly speed up your move into these roles but again it would take some time.
2. Few companies have landed in past at IIT for recruiting engrs. for i-banks. These guys are mostly expected to be mathematically sharp and be extremely good at stats and numbers. Any client interaction is part of the job but not the only job.
3. Have you thought about what area as an enterpreneur would you wanna venture into? If its technology, then there is no harm in being part of some tech company and performing odd jobs. Yes, startup would be better but would be pretty risky too !

Use your gut feel, an enterpreneur is all about doing something different !
491
VintMBA,

It's usually not too common to see too many people with your experience level going for an MS. Most students would take up that option with zero or slightly more years of post-undergrad experience. And from that pool, several decide to go in for a second degree, usually an MBA to get out of their technical silos.

With 5.5 years, if you like being in the technical field, you could still pursue an MS. But have a 5-10 year roadmap in place before you put in that application.

MBA, on the other hand, is a more generic bet, in comparison. For American programs, you'll be in the right age group. For India, you could look at the ISB's and PGPX's where you wouldn't stick out like an outlier.

Now to address your other queries.

For product management, you may be able to move into a new role without the need for an MBA, if you can demonstrate your product knowledge and go beyond just the technical aspects. For marketing and consulting, an MBA would be good.

For all these roles, your dominant weapons would still be excel and powerpoint, but don't assume you'll be spending your entire time with them. A lot of what you do will revolve around customers, vendors, teams and clients.

The salary will be competitive when you compare it to your current role. But don't use I-banks as a benchmark. You'll be disappointed.

Is it worth doing an MBA? Well, that's a million dollar question. Check out what others have to say on this discussion thread and share your thoughts and apprehensions there.


Thanks very much for your inputs martian. Regarding ISB, I heard that the EMBA program they run is just a certification program and they don't give a diploma/degree. Is that correct ? If so, does this hold the same credibility as a diploma/degree ?
492

Is there any thing like green mba, or mba concerned with green technology and sustainibility, or mba related to weather derivatives and carbon trading?

493

Hi Everyone,

Please suggest me. I was working in a software company for almost 3 years, but lost the job because of cost cutting. Now only few months to CAT and other exams are left.
What should I do, shall I leave job search and prepare for the exams. As searching for job will also need time. I am getting confused. Will this GAP effect my future career badly.

Regards,
Foci

494

HI there..
My suggestion would be, go all out for CAT now..You have four months to go , n you have nothing to lose. If even you can make it to one of the Top 15-20 institutes in India, believe it , it would be worth while going for it ..Join a test series in case you havent joined one already, be regular in preps and these 4 months is all it takes...

495

I have one more concern, I do not have a good communication skills either. I have some impediment in my speech also. Thats the reason why I never prepared for MBA whole heartedly, as I always feared I may not perform well in GD and interview.

496

VintMBA: Not too sure about that last query about ISB's EMBA. Will let others answer it. Or you could post it onto the ISB thread.

497
viveknitw Says
Is there any thing like green mba, or mba concerned with green technology and sustainibility, or mba related to weather derivatives and carbon trading?

Many MBA's offer electives in those areas and you might be able to customise your program accordingly. Haven't heard of any that are specifically designed 'green' MBA programs.
498
viveknitw Says
Is there any thing like green mba, or mba concerned with green technology and sustainibility, or mba related to weather derivatives and carbon trading?


Hi Viveknit,

In Ifmr there is a course named Development and Sustainable Finance. It is about sustainability and has scope in carbon trading. I am yet to join. You can check out in site. The Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Chennai
499

hi,
i hv completed engg. (ece) and going to pursue mba(finance).i want to know which is the better option for me in future CS,CFA or FRM..
plz elaborate them and what are there impact on my carrier???

also suggest me what else i can do with mba????

500

hey... can i plz ask dat iz it worth doing bba in AMITY BUSSINESS SCHOOL , NOIDA..

501

Joining a family business is not bad.. Its about how you portray it... think about the learnings that you have had from your business.. what did u see and what change cud u bring about, if any... everybody understands the market is bad and its good to be honest about it with the interview panel...

hi ppl ,

Im an FMS/CAT aspirant for this year... I had a specific query in mind ..

Im a may 2008 BE passout from Bhilai Inst Of tech and
i was selected in hexaware technology from my college..but my joining has not come
due to the recession..i was at home for 8 months and then i was forced to join my family business..
tho im an IT engineer the work in my company is not IT related..
Therefore a lot of gap has been developed in my profile for no fault of mine..
also my acads are average...70% throughout..how will FMS view this and what are my chances if i get a good score in FMS/CAT exam ??

Also what are the other ways to fill this gap ?? like NGO or all ??
502

Hi,

This is Gopinath. R from Chennai. Computer science graduate & 2007 passed out. Have a 9 months of work experience in an IT company.
Laid off by the company last month. Dont know wat to do now. Im in a great dilemma. So can someone suggest me whether to search job again or to concentrate only on CAT 09 for next 4 months?

If i want to take up CAT 09 it'll be sufficient to score better if i start preparing now?....i shuld join any coaching center for CAT?....

Gopinath.