Personal Dilemma Related Queries

MBA CAT 2022
1264
Hi.. i hv a work ex of 22 months in IT sector.. left my job now.. and m preparing for CAT 2012.
I am working as a volunteer for an NGO currently. I am nt sure if this would be counted as experience and will this gap of 6-7 months hv an adverse effect during PI of MBA colleges.

If you can convert your volunteer work as a full time work, it will be treated as experience. Otherwise not. Many people leave their jobs to prepare for CAT. If you can justify, then it won't be a problem.
1265

hello puys
i am new to this thread i want to know or rather clar some doubts regarding M.Tech. and future
is this the right thread to discuss there things??
pls help

1266
hello puys
i am new to this thread i want to know or rather clar some doubts regarding M.Tech. and future
is this the right thread to discuss there things??
pls help

I think you can ask here. People will reply to the best of their ability. 😃
1267

I am a 2008 pass out.. Have work exp of 42 months in Manufacturing Sector , though had a break after 21 months of exp for one year as the company i was working with had to shut down its operations and have to search for a new job . Have given CAT thrice and all score ranged from 90-95 .. Got calls from few good Colls but couldnt converts &few; left due to bad decision making .... Also my main reason for Switching to MBA is wanted to switch over to finance ... Have been preparing for CFA L1 since three months & would be taking it this Dec.and have done quite a few NCFM certi & FLIps also as i am really interested in getting into finance .. Now my problem is i dont understand whether after 3 yrs + of work exp i would be able to make a switch to finance in a 2 yr prog...Should i stop preparing for CAT and start thinking seriously about GMAT & specialize in whatever field i am working in .... ? I Seriously wanted to crack CAT this time round & get into some top ones' but i am quite confused whether i would be at a disadvantage with 3+ yrs of work exp and making a switch ..

1268

............snipped.............

1269
shivs Says
I am a 2008 pass out.. Have work exp of 42 months in Manufacturing Sector , though had a break after 21 months of exp for one year as the company i was working with had to shut down its operations and have to search for a new job . Have given CAT thrice and all score ranged from 90-95 .. Got calls from few good Colls but couldnt converts &few; left due to bad decision making .... Also my main reason for Switching to MBA is wanted to switch over to finance ... Have been preparing for CFA L1 since three months & would be taking it this Dec.and have done quite a few NCFM certi & FLIps also as i am really interested in getting into finance .. Now my problem is i dont understand whether after 3 yrs + of work exp i would be able to make a switch to finance in a 2 yr prog...Should i stop preparing for CAT and start thinking seriously about GMAT & specialize in whatever field i am working in .... ? I Seriously wanted to crack CAT this time round & get into some top ones' but i am quite confused whether i would be at a disadvantage with 3+ yrs of work exp and making a switch ..


Hey shivs,

42 months as of now would be 50odd months by the time you join a B school. There have been people who have converted coveted B schools with over 50 months, but it is a bit of a disadvantage at the time of admissions, and also placements post MBA.
However, since you have NCFM certis and FLIp's and assuming you crack CFA level 1 in December, you will have strengthened your case tremendously.
I'd suggest you take one shot at CAT and give it your best. If you make a top 10/15 school, definately join and do well there. If, God forbid, it doesn't work out, you can look at GMAT or other options early next year. But dont give up your desire to switch only because you feel it will be tough. You've come some way already with your certis, now try and complete the lap with CFA and MBA

Good Luck
1270
sb29 Says
I think you can ask here. People will reply to the best of their ability. :)


i am currently pursuing m.tech in microelectronics, i want to know my future scope in this field.
i want to know whether i should do phd or should go for some industrial job
1271

Greetings everyone!
My dilemma looks simple: I am a Fresh Engineer graduate, with decent marks. Academically sound too (X,XII around 90% from ICSE/ISC). I gave CAT in 2011, got ~97% too, though without full preparation. Didnt take any b-school, because I couldnt get into the top-10 :-(
But, now I am thinking of job or study and take a break for CAT 2012.
I am technically strong and can also handle IT projects if i do so, but i am lesser interested in it. Maybe 6 yrs of coding took a toll on me, so i dont feel encouraged to take an IT job. Plus if I want to persue MBA in Finance, I personally think that a coding job for 2 years will give me little experience. So I have two options:
1. Take a job (which company/feild in IT? ) and try for MBA after 2-3 years of exp. But, it doesnt interest me, plus after 2-3 years my preps for CAT would also take a toll.
2. Drop, study economics, learn about finances by visiting companies (my dad is a CA !!) and prepare for CAT 2012.

Which option would suit me better? What could be your contingency plan if you were in my place?
Thanks for your answerS

1272
Greetings everyone!
My dilemma looks simple: I am a Fresh Engineer graduate, with decent marks. Academically sound too (X,XII around 90% from ICSE/ISC). I gave CAT in 2011, got ~97% too, though without full preparation. Didnt take any b-school, because I couldnt get into the top-10 :-(
But, now I am thinking of job or study and take a break for CAT 2012.
I am technically strong and can also handle IT projects if i do so, but i am lesser interested in it. Maybe 6 yrs of coding took a toll on me, so i dont feel encouraged to take an IT job. Plus if I want to persue MBA in Finance, I personally think that a coding job for 2 years will give me little experience. So I have two options:
1. Take a job (which company/feild in IT? ) and try for MBA after 2-3 years of exp. But, it doesnt interest me, plus after 2-3 years my preps for CAT would also take a toll.
2. Drop, study economics, learn about finances by visiting companies (my dad is a CA !!) and prepare for CAT 2012.

Which option would suit me better? What could be your contingency plan if you were in my place?
Thanks for your answerS


If I were you, I will take the second option. Firstly, no point in joining an IT job if you don't like it. Secondly, CAT 2012 is just another 4 months away. So, you won't lose too much on the experience part if you take 4 months break. You can even take a job after that. Another option is, since you are interested in finance, you can write certifications related to that like CFA which will boost your profile. Since your academics are good, you have a good chance of converting your call provided your CAT score is good and you give a decent gdpi. You can easily convince the interviewers about your interest in finance by going with the second option. 😃
1273
Greetings everyone!
My dilemma looks simple: I am a Fresh Engineer graduate, with decent marks. Academically sound too (X,XII around 90% from ICSE/ISC). I gave CAT in 2011, got ~97% too, though without full preparation. Didnt take any b-school, because I couldnt get into the top-10 :-(
But, now I am thinking of job or study and take a break for CAT 2012.
I am technically strong and can also handle IT projects if i do so, but i am lesser interested in it. Maybe 6 yrs of coding took a toll on me, so i dont feel encouraged to take an IT job. Plus if I want to persue MBA in Finance, I personally think that a coding job for 2 years will give me little experience. So I have two options:
1. Take a job (which company/feild in IT? ) and try for MBA after 2-3 years of exp. But, it doesnt interest me, plus after 2-3 years my preps for CAT would also take a toll.
2. Drop, study economics, learn about finances by visiting companies (my dad is a CA !!) and prepare for CAT 2012.

Which option would suit me better? What could be your contingency plan if you were in my place?
Thanks for your answerS

i have a view a little different from Cat Killer's. from personal experience I can say that it is bloody tough to do all 3 - CAT, CFA + Job. Any 2 out of the 3 is workable.

However, since CAT has become a CBT, I feel it is not as predictable as it was when it was paper based. not talking about the exam pattern but the correlation of results to mock scores and preparation. So choose wisely.

as mentioned above, pursuing a value add certification is more useful than 'learning about eco and finance'. while the latter maybe equivalent, i would call it soft knowledge. in an interview who knows you may not even get an opportunity to flaunt this knowledge. a hard value add on the other hand is more quantifiable.

choose wisely. sometimes in life, one is only as good as his/her Plan B. God forbid, no bschool of your choice works out, if you are +ve you will crack a job after the gap, by all means take the risk. if not, think twice :). cheers and ATB
1274
Hello everyone,
I am Vinod Kumar. this is my profile
XII = 1995 ( CBSE )
Diploma in Software Engineering - 1998 - 2001
Bachelor in Arts - 2000 - 2003 from Mumbai University
Master in Computer Applications - 2004 - 2007 from Sikkim Manipal University
I have 7 years of IT Experience

I have a gap of 5 years from my XII class to graduation due to family problem. Now my questions :

1.) Since I have a gap of 5 years between my XII and graduation ( 2000 - 1995 = 5 years). Will I find it difficult to get admission into good B-Schools inspite of good GMAT scores

2.) I have a gap of 5 years in my education, this gap has caused many IT MNC companies to close door for me such as TCS, Wipro, Infy, IBM, Cognizant and others. If I get into a Top B School and choose Information technology Management (IT ) for 1 year program. Will I still be rejected by the IT MNC Companies.

3.) If the answer to above question is Yes, then which 1 year program should I go for ( sales, marketing, finance, others ) ?

thanks,
Vinod Kumar
1275

hello ever1 ..
i am interested in doing mba( finance)... so which is the best certification for me to have , i have herd cfa ...
currently working as a business analyst , im an engg btw .. also does being a business analyst help me in my future (finance)...
my acads are not gud , so just making sure to improve my profile

1276
Hello everyone,
I am Vinod Kumar. this is my profile
XII = 1995 ( CBSE )
Diploma in Software Engineering - 1998 - 2001
Bachelor in Arts - 2000 - 2003 from Mumbai University
Master in Computer Applications - 2004 - 2007 from Sikkim Manipal University
I have 7 years of IT Experience

I have a gap of 5 years from my XII class to graduation due to family problem. Now my questions :

1.) Since I have a gap of 5 years between my XII and graduation ( 2000 - 1995 = 5 years). Will I find it difficult to get admission into good B-Schools inspite of good GMAT scores

2.) I have a gap of 5 years in my education, this gap has caused many IT MNC companies to close door for me such as TCS, Wipro, Infy, IBM, Cognizant and others. If I get into a Top B School and choose Information technology Management (IT ) for 1 year program. Will I still be rejected by the IT MNC Companies.

3.) If the answer to above question is Yes, then which 1 year program should I go for ( sales, marketing, finance, others ) ?

thanks,
Vinod Kumar


i believe since ur current workex is of 7 years..it should not matter...the thing that u did not let 5 year gap to affect your workex is good...
u can opt for IT specialisation if u get...
try focussing on cracking exams...these issues come at a later stage during PIs...atb
1277
shivs Says
I am a 2008 pass out.. Have work exp of 42 months in Manufacturing Sector , though had a break after 21 months of exp for one year as the company i was working with had to shut down its operations and have to search for a new job . Have given CAT thrice and all score ranged from 90-95 .. Got calls from few good Colls but couldnt converts &few; left due to bad decision making .... Also my main reason for Switching to MBA is wanted to switch over to finance ... Have been preparing for CFA L1 since three months & would be taking it this Dec.and have done quite a few NCFM certi & FLIps also as i am really interested in getting into finance .. Now my problem is i dont understand whether after 3 yrs + of work exp i would be able to make a switch to finance in a 2 yr prog...Should i stop preparing for CAT and start thinking seriously about GMAT & specialize in whatever field i am working in .... ? I Seriously wanted to crack CAT this time round & get into some top ones' but i am quite confused whether i would be at a disadvantage with 3+ yrs of work exp and making a switch ..


the decision to stay in IT or switch over to Fin should be influenced by Pay and ur interest in the field...If u get high pay after doing mba fin u should opt for it..
normally most MBA grads have 2 to 3 years of workex pre MBA..so 3 year is not big...
1278
Greetings everyone!
My dilemma looks simple: I am a Fresh Engineer graduate, with decent marks. Academically sound too (X,XII around 90% from ICSE/ISC). I gave CAT in 2011, got ~97% too, though without full preparation. Didnt take any b-school, because I couldnt get into the top-10 :-(
But, now I am thinking of job or study and take a break for CAT 2012.
I am technically strong and can also handle IT projects if i do so, but i am lesser interested in it. Maybe 6 yrs of coding took a toll on me, so i dont feel encouraged to take an IT job. Plus if I want to persue MBA in Finance, I personally think that a coding job for 2 years will give me little experience. So I have two options:
1. Take a job (which company/feild in IT? ) and try for MBA after 2-3 years of exp. But, it doesnt interest me, plus after 2-3 years my preps for CAT would also take a toll.
2. Drop, study economics, learn about finances by visiting companies (my dad is a CA !!) and prepare for CAT 2012.

Which option would suit me better? What could be your contingency plan if you were in my place?
Thanks for your answerS

ur percentile is damn good..i believe u can crack cat..
it then shifts to if u can work and prepare simultaneously..now that uve scored 97% seems ur well versed with CAT...hence as contingency u can do job as well as crack CAT(which shd be ur main focus)...
1279

Hi,
I am Software Engg with 2yr workex. Working in ggn.
I got 97 %ile in cat 2011 but couldn't convert calls in hand.
I am looking for job in market research/consulting sector as i want to do Mba in Marketing domain.
People pls tell me with 2yrs in IT field can i get a job in sector i desire?
Would it be beneficial considering MBA as a next step in my career path?
How else could i improve my profile for MBA marketing?
Please guide me.

1280

Thanks a lot 😃 That was a big relief

1281

Hi Puys ..


I am Harsha from Bangalore and I work with a company based out of the US called CIBER . I am into Network security ( IT operations ) and I have been with this company for the past 2 years and prior to this was with Dell for a very short span of time . I completed my B.E in IT and passed out in 2009 , the problem I face is in deciding between MS in MIS or a MBA going by the descriptions of both the programs looks like MIS would be a good mixture of technical and managerial skills and MBA would be more on the business and managerial side. Having worked for 2.5 years now I feel my strength is my communication skill and convincing ability .

What are the advantages an MBA offers over the MIS program ? Considering my professional background till now what do you suggest .

My academics from school have been moderate but I plan on making amends now hence I want to take a informed decision on what I want to do further .

My engineering aggregate is 57% and in my 10th and 12th I have 65%. I have a work experience of 2.5 years. I have not taken GRE or GMAT as I want to take this important decision before I start preparing for a particular exam .

The thing which kinda demotivates me for an MBA is "COST" MS in MIS would surely be more economically feasible where as MBA in the US would surely be a costly affair.

Please help me out as I wanted to start preparing ASAP. Awaiting your reply.

1282
Hi,
I am Software Engg with 2yr workex. Working in ggn.
I got 97 %ile in cat 2011 but couldn't convert calls in hand.

To be honest, I'll recommend you to build your profile than switching the job in a new sector. Reason:
1) You'll have to start from scratch in Marketing Research/Analytics firm and that'll take away most of time. Preparing for CAT is important (I see you've 97%ile but you should focus on getting 99.x %ile now as you're very close to it)
2) Explaining IT to marketing research switch is going to be painful
3) You'll need to give a lot of time and energy in hunting a decent marketing research job with your credentials
4) In case you don't convert a B-school for next few years (happened with me), will you like to work in market research firm forever where growth and comfort level might not be as good as IT


Would it be beneficial considering MBA as a next step in my career path?
How else could i improve my profile for MBA marketing?
Please guide me.

As I said, IMHO continue with job. You can take side activities like working in an NGO, participating in competitions (both inside and outside of your company), getting awards of best employee, building up a strong hobby, participating in competitions of your extra curricular activities (music,dance,public speaking), etc.

Best of luck for your future :cheers:
1283

heyy,,,I am from IIT and fresh graduate,,,got job in PSU @10 lpa,,,(0 work ex),,,never prepared as such for CAT,,,given d test n got call from IIM I,SJMsomIITB(converted both),,,now I have dilemma which college to join(coz Som got small batch size n decent placement record),,,while IIMI got brand of its own,, ,,or go for job to hav sm wrk ex n all,,,dont hav mch decent 10th n 12th academics,,,,plus please tell do companies get biased during placement in management institutes(as unfair for freshers),,,,, reply ASAP,,,,hav to pay fee in a week tym,,,