CAT 2009

June has almost ended and its high time students from all over India start preparing for Common Admission Test (CAT). One of the toughest competitive examinations in world in world, CAT exam is undertaken to get admissions into prestigious Indian Institute of Management. There is one major change this time. Exam will be going online this year and that will prove to be a big difference compared to previous years. Not many things are clear from students’ perspectives like, length of the paper, format of the exam and difficulty level etc. But more than anything, students should keep this fact in mind that just 4-5 months is left for getting your concepts right.

Whatever is the format of the exam, one thing is pretty certain. I am referring to subjects of the paper. The underlying subjects will remain the same irrespective of the length and format. Few things that any management exam will ask you are, aptitude, stress management and time management skills. As far as subjects are concerned, students must start giving appropriate attention to Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative aptitude and Data interpretation. One common scenario is students mastering all these subjects but lacking in terms of stress management and time management. The reason is late preparation and inadequate practice. Just being good at subjects won’t serve the purpose. One needs to master other mental and psychological aspects also. Students are earnestly requested to start preparation as soon as possible. We will talk about particular subjects in next post.

MBA from Harvard

Doing MBA from a reputed institution is a dream come true for many students and if institute in question is Harvard then one does not really think of any other option. When it comes to MBA institutions nothing is bigger than Harvard. The institute represents excellence, quality and exceptional intelligence. Most of the CEOs in Fortune-500 companies are Harvard Business School alumni. The college offers the best placement and going by the latest available figure the base salary this is in range of $105,000. An astonishing percentage of 50 achieved 6 figure salaries notwithstanding the signing amount and performance bonuses. If we include those figures the salary could easily increase to double.

Let’s share some information about Harvard. The batch size last year was 880. The basic criteria for admission include apart from academic performance and work experience, ambition, intelligence and talent. Students normally have exception extra-curricular experiences and achievements in addition to strong academic background.

Students willing to join Harvard have basically 3 options of Double MBA, C.A Expressway and Plain Vanilla Graduation. If one is willing to join MBA course then best suggestion is to finish MBA from India (preferably IIMs) then work for 2-3 years in a reputed firm and then apply there. Yes, it will be double MBA but think of the career prospects once you are done with Harvard. Completing C.A form India with some relevant work experience is your gateway to Harvard. Last option is of doing graduation from India then getting some significant work experience and finally applying to Harvard. All said and done, Harvard is a great symbol of excellence and career advancement. Plan properly and make the next great move in your career.

Placement Scenario- 2009

Placement scene at numerous business schools definitely had a different color this time. Blame it on recession or collapse of some of the highest paying financial giants but most of the top colleges witnessed a drop or two in the average salary received. The situation of private enterprises can be summed up one word; cautious. So who takes the cake this year and who hogs the limelight? Well, the good, old Indian PSUs and government banks have provided that much needed support to the final placement at India’s premier colleges. For example, PSU recruited more than 65 students in the just concluded campus placement at IIM Lucknow. If we compare this figure to last few years then that’s definitely a giant leap as far as numbers are concerned.

Indian public sector units (PSUs) and especially ‘Navratnas’ have played a savior act in this year’s placement. Companies like SAIL, BHEL, ONGC, Coal India, SIDBI, NTPC, GAIL, Union Bank of India and Bank of Baroda etc have played a crucial role in selecting bright students from reputed management schools.

Compare the situation with last year when just a handful of PSU visited campus and they too returned empty-handed because of lack of interest shown by students. In one year, everything has changed. Now students are opting for job security than fancy pay packages and glamorous locations. One distinct change was that, very few students even at IIMs, got multiple offers. Few students also opted out of placement to start their own ventures. Overall, things have been better than what was expected.

IIM-B - Placement

This year placement scenario has been less than impressive. Unlike other years, hype normally associated with IIM placement was definitely missing. If we talk about statistics, total 97 companies participated in IIM-Bangalore placement season and all of 250 students got placed. Every year placements taking place at India’s premier institutes IIMs generated lot of hype and hoopla but this time scenario was slightly different and quite.

Because of economic recession and doomed fate of some of the top notch financial giants, placement was expected to be low profile. However, the point of concern was how IIMs would fare. Tier-II colleges were expected to face hard times. The big change witnessed this year was increased participation of public sector enterprises instead of regular private sector giants. Talking about IIM-B placement, it was never a question of how many students will be placed. Rather, the question weighing on everyone’s mind were what will be the average salary offered and how many offered students get.

Unlike previous years, this time participating companies dictated the terms and students also preferred to join an Indian firm in the country rather than going abroad. Last year the number of participating companies was 66 whereas this time the figure notched 97 because of the extra precaution taken by placement committee. Officially, there is no mention of average salary offered but sources reveal it has significantly come down. Investment banks were expectedly absent this time around. Sector wise, 25 percent of the batch landed jobs in consulting firms followed by 29 percent in financial firms and 16 percent in marketing. Overall despite the downturn prevailing all around, things were not that bad.

Thing to Do During the Interview

• Maintain your focus and get rid of all the worries roaming in your mind.
• Make sure to smile at opportune time and not unnecessarily.
• Never ever get indulged in rambling ragas. The panel wants answers to the point and you must aim to provide that.
• Don’t make the mistake of keeping your phone on. It is recommended to switch off your cell before interview starts.
• It pays to be expressive. Candidates with stammering or mumbling nature tend to have slim chances so better try to talk in a slow but crisp manner.
• Eye contact is very important factor because it shows your confidence level.
• Arguments should be avoided. Polite responses are expected and appreciated.
• Successful candidates also try to remain forthright and direct. Beating around the bush won’t fetch you good results.
• Make sure to introduce yourself clearly. Better to state clearly your first and last name.
• Before answering the question, take your own time to understand the question properly.
• The panel does not look at your speed while you reply rather its about how effectively you reply.
• Don’t ever lie in an interview. It’s a fundamental truth that must be followed.
• There are few times when you don’t know the answer so instead of making any wild guess, better admit that you don’t know the answer.
• It’s a bad manner to badmouth or blame anyone during an interview.
• At the end of the interview, when you are asked to question, if any try to ask intelligent and relevant questions. Also make a point to express your keen desire in joining the job.
  

Campus Interview- Basics

Recession has spread its deadly tentacles worldwide. Almost all the industries have been badly affected by the ongoing economic slowdown. Job market could not have remained left in the times of economic turmoil. Job market is definitely witnessing a gloomy scenario. Many people have been given pink slips. In such times, preparing well for job interviews becomes even more important. The campus recruitment has witnessed low salary packages this time. Considering that, candidates must pull up their socks and give their best in job interviews.

Start with mental preparation. Keep yourself fit and alert to tackle any questions. Quite often job interviews take place at short notice so prepare you for such condition. Make sure to have your resume checked thoroughly for any typos. Keep the structure of your resume in an easily readable fashion. Make sure to have skills highlighted apart from adding the relevant experiences. Before embarking on your interview journey, always prepare yourself for the projected self image. Knowing yourself completely is very crucial in making panel members understand you.

Panel members are experienced veterans. So do take notice of your sitting posture, talking style, clothes and face expressions. All these things matter a lot. Always prepare for unexpected things. An interview never turns out to be the way you had planned it. It will also pay well to remember that interview is like a sales pitch and you have to present yourself well. Sell your skills and experiences. All the best.

MBA growth prospects

Today the importance of education has grown multifold. Earlier being a graduate was enough to get a job but today being an MBA has become necessary to increase your job prospects. There is tremendous growth after MBA. Since an MBA equips you with so many skill sets and abilities you become good at managing and organizing. MBA teaches you logistics management, financial planning, marketing management, time management and other multi-tasking skills that help in your career growth! It helps you to improve your communication and negotiation techniques
However, growth depends in your capabilities and talents and also on the institute you pass out from. In India, most of the students from IIMs receive heavy salary packages not just because of students there deserve it but also because of the name, goodwill and the credibility that the institute has built over the passing years.

Because of the case study methodology and the intensive project training, students get all round training in every field and every aspect of business. During the course, one also makes in depth reports and presentations which involves a lot of research and analysis. This encourages the student to learn about new strategies and idea generation. Students become able to deal with such pressure which helps them in their growth. It is no wonder that MBA today has become a name that is synonymous to job and placement. Students ate doing their executive MBA only because of the good growth opportunities that they get.