Preparing for D Day

D-DAY is the day when we go through theselection process of anyMBA Institution. It is more or less similar when any candidate goes for an Interview we cannot imagine his anxiety at that point of time .It is very crucial as we are taking first step towards shaping our career and obviously it is going to decide our future so we need to be very well prepared for the process and give our best that day.

How I prepared for my GD and PI at IBS Hyderabad.

One thing which I had in my mind that all the students who would accompany me in selection process would  be at par with me as they might have same academics which I had or could be better than me. All the students who would participate in the processwould have also cleared the IBSAT/CAT exam and probably few might have scored better than me. Keeping in mind the entire thing I started preparing myself for GD and PI. First thought which came to my mind was –

“What should be my USP to clear the process?”

Prompt answer which clicked my mind was “DOMAIN Knowledge”.

Answer was very clear but then it was very important to know that how should I improve my Domain Knowledge. Surfing on internet and advices from different professors helped me finding the solution. Following ways helped me to improve my knowledge-

• Current Affairs – It is very essential to be aware of what is going on in our country and across the globe. In this era all the things are inter dependent and we need to understand the same. Our life doesn’t only get affected by internal factors but it also gets affected by external factors.
• I started reading newspapers and magazines which helped me to understand the current situation of our country and Globe. I also read about few events which occurred in past and which had major impact globally.
• Finance and marketing – It is necessary to know basic about the course which we are going to study in our masters. There are chances that topics of finance or marketing may come in our GD. Being aware of the basic of the subject gives a good impression that we are prepared to start our next stage of career.
• I started reading books of Finance and marketing. For finance I read” Prasanna Chandra’s” book and for Marketing I read “Philip Kotler” book. I did not read whole book but I started reading the basic which was given in the book. Few Basic questions which I went through thoroughly were – Difference between Accounts and Finance? Difference between Marketing and Sales.
• Bachelor’s Degree Knowledge – After completion of graduation it is very important that we know most of the syllabus of the degree as it shows how sincere we were while pursuing our graduation. It is assumed that if we are sincere about our bachelors then we will obviouslybe sincere about our Masters as well. It also shows our attitude towards studies and our career.
• I started evaluating myself and found out weak area in which I faced problem during my grads. I went through all the things again and again and didn’t leave a stone unturned.

All the above process helped me in gaining in depth knowledge of the subject and also helped me in improving my reading habit. Current affairs knowledge helped me in knowing more about the external environment and widened my thought. It not only helped mein getting knowledge but also helped in gaining confidence which made me more out spoken and prepared me to share my thoughts in front of others. This was very essential for Group discussion.If you have knowledge then people around you come to know about it and they pay heed to your talks. This preparation also brought a confidence in me that I have an upper hand on others as I was well prepared and did what it take to clear the selection process.

Few other Things to learn before D-Day –

CommunicationSkills – It is very essential to have good communication skills. It has been observed that people having good knowledge are not been able to express their views due to poor communication skills so their effort to towards expressing the knowledge goes into vein. Knowledge and communication skills works hand on hand and it is inevitable to have both, any of the single skill cannot do well for you.

• To improve your communication skills you need to develop reading habit. It will help you in learning new words and you will come across “jargons”. Learning new words and jargons will help you to communicate effectively and conveying your message shortly, which makes good impression in front of others.

  “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere”

Public Speaking – Public speaking cannot be learnt but it comes when you are confident about yourself and you have good communication skills. So to be a goodpublic speaker it is essential to have domain knowledge and effective communication.

• To practice public speaking try to listen to your friend when you are in group and make your point at the same time. At start you will feel a bit awkward but then slowly and gradually you will be confident enough to share your views and this will help you a lot.

“If you can speak, you can influence. If you can influence you can change lives”

D-Day – Long wait of GD and PI came to an end and now was all prepared to give my best.

G.D. Round – When I entered the college there were many students who came for D-Day,I had a quick look and started thinking that maybethey were prepared may be they  were not prepared but what helped me is that I was confident enough to face the round as I was well prepared. Entering the hall of Group discussion, I saw two professors were sitting to evaluate and find out right students for their college. I was feeling a bit nervous and Adrenaline was flowing in my body. I was not aware what is going to happen and what will be the result. All I knew was I needed to do my best and leave the rest to god.

“KarmanyevadiKarasteMaphaleshuKadhachana Ma Karma PhalaheDurboMatesangatsvaliKarmani“

P.I. Round – While entering the P.I. room I was bit nervous as I wasn’t aware what they are going to ask and people coming out scared me by sharing their experience. But when I entered I forgot all the thoughts and concentrated on the answers which I prepared for the day. I knew that I need to go inside and be honest as it will be reflected and there are chances that being honest will help me in getting selected. If I would fake my knowledge then they would come to know and make situation worse for me, as interviewers are more intelligent and experienced than me.

Finally the day came when results were out, I got selected for every campus and it brought a smile on my face as all the hard work done by me got paid and I was through.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”

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Contributed by Kandarp Gandhi, (Class of 2014, IBS Mumbai)

“Clouds form and then go away because atmospheric conditions, temperatures, and humidity cause molecules of water to either condense or vaporize.” The natural world around us constantly adapts and responds to what it needs in order to function. Why couldn’t our organizations do this, too? – Chris Rufer (Founder of Morning Star)

To answer the above question, it is simply human nature to fear change. This can be attributed to the survival and preservation instincts developed over thousands of years.

Anything new, any change, is pregnant with the potential to harm.

Getting to trust the new is a time-taking process. This may surely have saved our ancestors many a toothy trouble in the past but what of when our current environment becomes threatening?

Revolution is necessary to subsist and prosper.

Self-Management, however, is not a new fad that has suddenly sprung up.

Its existence can be credited to observation of nature. Nature too is a firm practitioner of Self-Management. And what is older than nature?

At the micro level, ‘you’ yourself are the best testimony of what this sort of management can accomplish. Who manages your daily activities? Or more importantly major life decisions? It is the self that governs us.

Similarly, people are not appointed leaders in self-managed organizations. They simply decide to lead.

Self-managed employees do the things that are worth following and inspire co-workers. Employees feel a sense of responsibility towards their workplace.

They have no bosses and no titles of promotion. The liberty to deliver results for customers provides the employees all the personal incentive they need.

When the communication with customers and co-workers becomes more efficient and decisions lead to desired output, self-management structure is said to be well developed.

PROS                                        CONS

Lower Costs                              Tougher Adjustment

More Collegiality                        Accountability Challenges

Greater Initiative                        Longer Induction

Proactive Employees               Growth Issues

Higher Loyalty

Deeper Expertise

Better Decisions

Increased Flexibility

*As recorded by Gary Hamel

The concept of “self-management” hasn’t quite managed to capture the imagination of our business world yet, because a doubt exists regarding its viability as an organizational structure.

It is the Top-Down Hierarchy that comes to mind when talking about organizational design. The idea of an organization “self-managing” itself is treated as bizarre.

A Traditional Organization – once hailed as a perfect business model – is run within a definite structure. The structure is less definite in case of Self-Management. Both aim for similar things but the means expended differ.

In order to keep up with the variable external economy, most bureaucratic organizations turn even more rigid. Instead of adapting, they fight the change.

The contradictory expectations confuse the employee behavior and affect the output of a Traditional Organization. To face the fluctuating market, they need innovation so they ask of their workers to think ‘out of the box’ but follow the rules within a bolted-down bigger box.

The fear of ‘surrendering control’ prevents some organizations from backing this Management system completely. They take solace by invoking their organizational right of surveillance. This transforms the management into something quite non-functioning and uncomfortable. It kills the same creativity that it demands. The management process is neither here, nor there. It is precariously suspended in the middle. Surveillance simply reeks of distrust and is viewed as such. It creates hostility.

This is a typical example of psychological reactance. When one fears loss of freedom, they will make self-serving decisions to avoid it from happening. If they lose deserved freedom (real or imagined), they will do whatever it takes to recover it, even if it is detrimental to their organization.

‘Traditional Management is grossly inefficient, claims Gary Hamel in the HBR article, “First, Let’s Fire All The Managers.”

In a Traditional Organization, the boundaries enforced on the workers are unyielding. Aggressive Competition and malice routinely raise their ugly heads. The best idea gets lost in the haze of posturing and political games. And, hierarchy beats down creativity.

Self-Management on the other hand, is grounded in the Democratic Design Principle. Everyone is equal and motivated to do better by the organization. Work fulfillment, positive innovative vibe and self-actualization are all rolled into one. Most high-performance work places have been found to embrace change. Just take the example of organizations like Wikipedia or Alcoholics Anonymous to see how Self-Management has proved successful for decades.

Employee Self-Management employs management best practices and aims at improving productivity, which is a much comparable goal to that of any eager organization.

CHECKLIST

•  A to-do list

Specify the crucial tasks for developing self-management skills. Use task management software to generate and manage your tasks.

• Prioritizing Tasks

Rate the tasks by importance, based on current needs and employment requirements.

• Scheduling Tasks

Set deadlines and timeframes for your tasks.

• Flexibility

Adapt to the shifting external factors and not be bogged down by problems.

Distinguished authors Jaclyn Jenson and Jana Raver found a positive correlation between autonomy and more positive discretionary acts (organizational citizenship behaviors or OCBs).

When the communication with customers and co-workers becomes more efficient and decisions lead to desired output.

Since the pay offs are so big, companies tend to spend a lot on self-management skills & self-assessment training. The HR department supervises the task or external trainers are hired.

The process also benefits the employee in terms of professional advancement.

The theory of Self-Management can be explained through the major values it implies:

1) There must be no discrimination of power

2) Commitments to each other must be fulfilled

There are other rules as well but these two can change the very foundation of an organization.

The organization makes careful selection of entry-level employee. It takes into account the attitude as much as the potential employee’s skills.

Certain skills reflect and uphold the ideal of Self-Management. These should be willingly adopted by the employees for the model to be a winner.

1. Stress-Resistance

Stress leads to blunders. A stressful situation has the capability of hindering a ability to think rationally and make decisions. When stress overwhelms the employees, this directly affects the productivity of the organization.

Resistance to stress is a key skill that must be mastered by all employees of a self-managed business.

2. Problem Solving

Application of knowledge is a must when it comes to finding a way to cross the hurdles and confront problems. Mental processes need to be well oiled if they are to overcome the toughest challenges. A complete knowledge of facts is used to analyze of the situation, review problems and finally reach an effective solution.

3. Communication

Competent communication of information means that information is shared with the minimalized possible distortion and in the quickest way possible. Self-governed workers understand the value of clearly and timely conveyed information.

4. Time Management

When things are done in a timely fashion, the expected results are more likely to manifest sooner.

5. Memory

Having a good memory is essential so that work can be conducted smoothly and without inviting unnecessary hiccups.

6. Physical Activity

Physical activity will keep most diseases at bay. If the body is in good shape and nervous system is robust, any challenges that arise can be coped with.

Personal effort is as important as the training if not more.

When members are allowed to govern their own work, it is a move that increases the probability of success for the organization as a whole. It raises the chances of greater job satisfaction and better observance of organizational policy.

The resistance to self-management sprouts from the top-heavy management’s dread of losing perks and privileges.

Those who argue against the suitability of the Self-Management system exclaim that they cannot envision a world without managers. To answer simply- It is not a world without leaders for everybody in the enterprise is a leader.

Once this realization sinks in, organizations will welcome self-managing practices with open arms and expectant eyes. The day will come soon when Self-Management will finally supersede Traditional Management.

“You are your own leader. Where are you driving yourself to now? You can’t afford to go wayward! Rise up and break new territories and live life so well.” – Israelmore Ayivor

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Designing the Self-Managing Organization by Ronald E. Purser discusses the criteria for a self-managed employee and how the employees can test the efficiency of the Management themselves. Each worker personally organizes self-assessment surveys to confirm whether they have the required skills set.

TEST FOR SELF-MANAGED EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR

I can make my own decisions. (0……………………10)

I require close supervision. (0……………………10)

I understand that I should operate within my prescribed limits and boundaries.

(0……………………10)

I find work provides me with no opportunities for developing or sharing knowledge

and skills. (0……………………10)

Work gives me challenging goals that engage my attention. (-5….0….+5)

I always get a timely feedback and the opportunity to improve my performance

(5….0….+5)

My work is neither too demanding nor is it too easy or boring (-5…..0….+5)

People in my work group help one another without being told to do so, even if it is

beyond their scope of work. (0……………………10)

I have a good knowledge of the products and services my company provides.

(0……………………10)

I personally feel a proud connection to these products and services.

(0……………………10)

I know what my contribution to my organization is. (0……………………10)

This organization will help me grow and advance down my career path.

(0……………………10)

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 Contributed by Ankita Verma, (Class of 2009, IBS Hyderabad)

On-campus and online MBA programs have become quite popular in the business world – and with good reason. Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees have played a part in the business world for a long time, but over the past few decades their importance has skyrocketed. ICFAI Business School MBA programs have emerged as the standard, and online MBA programs are becoming increasingly popular as the web-based format matures. Now, most business professionals consider an MBA to be an essential prerequisite for attaining high-level management and executive positions.

But why, exactly, do employers consider MBAs important? Here are four reasons:

1. Business knowledge. This one seems pretty obvious, and it is. Perhaps the degree attracts you because you work in a less business-intensive field and would like to better understand how your field fits into the business world as a whole. Earning an MBA means that you should have a thorough understanding of advanced business concepts and practices. Most employers prefer that you graduate from an ICFAI Business School MBA program; because the IBS ensures that the B-schools it has adhere to strict teaching and curriculum standards.

There are specialized MBAs in a variety of areas. Most teach core concepts during the first year, then concentrate on a specific area of business during the second. Most MBA programs allow you to focus your studies in a particular area of professional interest during the second year. Finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, accounting, human resources and international management are among the most popular MBA concentrations. Recently, sustainability and environmental risk management have also become popular.

The specialized second year curriculum allows students to return to the workplace with an increased cutting-edge understanding of their field, or prepares them to launch a new career in an area where they may have previously had limited knowledge. So a marketing MBA will give you specialized knowledge about marketing, while an executive MBA will emphasize leadership and management. Employers will generally look to hire MBA holders whose concentration closely matches the position they’re applying for.

2. Teamwork. Teamwork for me is the actions that members in a group take in order to achieve a common goal, which is much greater than the personal aspirations of each team member. Communicating openly, working towards conflict resolution and supporting each team members in achieving a common objective are the three key aspects of teamwork.

Regardless of specialty, all MBA programs teach teamwork. It is critical to success in today’s fast-paced, highly competitive business world. Employers want professionals who can work well with others – following or leading as necessary. MBA students also learn how to challenge and disagree with others in a constructive way, which is important for producing quality results. A team that can identify and correct problems without creating personal friction is a huge asset to any organization.

Some MBA specialties place more emphasis on certain aspects of teamwork than others. For example, an executive MBA program is going to concentrate on leadership and management skills, because graduates will typically be headed for positions where those abilities are essential.

Most of recruiters looks for the candidates who have below qualities:

 You have worked with a diverse team (team with diverse experience, skill type, nationality and cultures)

 You took the initiative in setting up and facilitating meetings which clarified the common objective of the team. The meetings can be one on one or group meetings.

  You were able to plan your project, prioritize tasks, identify skill sets of your team and were able to allocate tasks to the right people. In case you were a team member, highlight how well you coordinated with other team members, how you escalated issues to the team leader and how you focussed on the common good of the team.

3. Problem solving. MBA programs teach students how to identify and solve problems by seeing the big picture, asking the right questions, doing essential research and coming up with a solution that actually works. Graduates are professionally trained how to do this, often in different ways and using different processes.

Solving problems often involves flexibility and unconventional thinking as well. For example, maximizing creative talent (graphic artists, interactive designers, copywriters, etc.) is a responsibility that frequently falls on marketing managers. But when something isn’t working on the creative end, there can be a lot of ambiguity. Where is the problem? In the design? The copy? Is someone simply not able to do the job, or is there a problem with how well the creative team understands the product? MBA programs are designed to teach you how to find answers when the questions aren’t straightforward.

Most of recruiters looks for the candidates have convergence which means:

– Good at solving problems and finding practical uses for ideas and theories. Good at helping steer a team through

conflict and discern the best path. Ideal for the Imperative Stage.

4. Critical thinking. MBA programs also teach you how to think critically: Approach ideas with a skeptical eye, separate good information from bad information, and understand how a given action can affect different areas of the business (and the business as a whole). Like problem solving, there usually isn’t an official class in critical thinking; instead, it’s a skill learned and practiced throughout the entire MBA program.

Most of recruiters looks for the candidates have accommodating which means:

-Good at learning from hands-on experience and leading teams through brainstorming and testing concepts until a final solution is achieved. Ideal for the Solutions Stage.

Case studies, which are a part of many individual MBA courses, are excellent for developing your critical thinking ability. They are also generally real-world examples that reflect current business issues, which is yet another benefit of MBA-level studies.

Conclusion:

When any candidate applying for campus placement at campus in second year while doing MBA course, recruiters generally look for the above four points. The benefits for recruiters get is they have to invest less time and money while on boarding them in their companies.

Contributed by Suchin Kulshrestha  ( Class of 2008, IBS HYDERABAD )

To better understand what would make you a successful manager in 2015, you first need to ask “What Challenges do i face?”…A lot! I am sure.

Perhaps a more pertinent question would be “What are the most critical challenges that i face…

i. At the workplace?

ii. Within my Team?

iii. Across Key Departments?

iv. With my seniors?

And the list goes on….

It’s no surprise that in today’s work environment with its fast pace and increasing volatility, many challenges demand a manager’s attention…simultaneously!!

So much so that most managers’ dread the Monday mornings, when work seems like an untamed beast! A study published by the American Healthcare Foundation voiced this concern. According to the study, the stress of returning to work on Monday could trigger a dangerous increase in blood pressure. Medical records showed that 20% more heart attacks occurred on Mondays as compared to other weekdays!

So how do we as managers prepare ourselves to cope up with stressful situations better and emerge as winners? The answer certainly is not a simple one…

The Good news is that the Beast, can indeed, be tamed with adequate planning and a keen sense for Goals in the long term and “small but important wins” in the short term!

If you are a manager in 2015 or will be in the near future, and have probably nodded your head in agreement till now, welcome aboard!!

Here is a list of my “Super 6 Winning Habits for 2015”and beyond…

1. Understand and Share Department’s Objectives

“Successful people are backed by successful teams”- The same holds true for managers…

Managers are successful when teams succeed and function like a well oiled machine. For this to materialize, a common perspective needs to be communicated and built across the department.

Successful managers are masters at communicating and sharing the Department’s objectives with all team members!

It also has the added advantage of moving the team up to speed with the managers’ expectation. It’s like a car on automatic transmission, as the leader accelerates the team shifts to higher gears automatically.

Once you as a manager understand the key deliverables of your department, the next step to being successful is enrolling team members. People respond to being given responsibility.

Successful managers assign individual responsibilities to each and every team member creating a balance within the team. They are keenly mindful of the talent pools and “activate talent” by mapping tasks to individual competencies.

2. Conduct Regular Team Reviews to ensure Objectivity

Once clear goals are laid out for the department and mapped with the deliverables of the team, the next step is to work towards measuring the same.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”.

Regular team reviews bring objectivity to everyday working.Good managers help team members with course correction during these reviews and help steer the team to become efficient and clearer in decision making.

Successful managers understand this aspect and hold team and individual reviews.Another important approach is holding individual reviews with all team members to understand their progress and ensure objectivity. This lays out a framework for holding the team members accountable.

3. Communicate regularly by providing real time Feedback 

“Good managers are good communicators, successful managers are excellent communicators”

Effective communication is fundamental to a strong management skillset. Successful managers provide ample feedback to their teams, which in turn, helps them into “tuning in” with the leader’s expectations.

Successful managers also understand that communication is a two way process. They acknowledge that it’s not only important to speak clearly but also to be heard and understood.

We may not realize, but unseen communication blunders not only hurt leaders and teamwork, but also cost companies millions of dollars in product recalls and press justifications!!

A case in point is the 2003 launch of a new curry sauce by British Food Company called Sharwood. Their new sauce named “Bundh” was targeted at a Punjabi Clientele, which was visibly embarrassed to report that the new product sounded like the Punjabi word for “backside/ bottom”!!

4. Conflict Resolution

Successful managers understand why conflicts happen and recognize them as important milestones to arrive at business solutions. It may come as a surprise, but teams which achieve breakthroughs are in a perpetual state of managing conflicts!

Successful managers have important attitudes which make them exceptional at resolving conflicts. In fact, most successful managers are “go-to persons” for conflict resolution not only within the team but across the organization.

So why are they so good at resolving conflicts?

1. Successful managers understand the employees’ needs.

2. Successful managers acknowledge the conflict and assess the situation

3. Successful managers engage in a collaborative approach thereby changing the direction of the conflict by being a good mediator

4. Successful managers understand the power dynamics in a conflict situation

5. Successful managers “attack” the conflict by hunting for “win-win” or workable solutions. They resist trying to arrive for a perfect state of agreement.

5. Encourage Creativity 

Hold on! We thought successful management was all about objective goals, timely planning and effective execution. Where does creativity fit in?

Earlier, Creativity was considered to be too elusive and dreamy to be managed on a day to day basis. It also has to do with the fact that, creativity also seems difficult to measure in terms of tangible goals which can result in immediate payoffs.

However, today, all that is changing with the innovation – led economy. Successful managers identify the right minds in their teams to foster creativity. They are aware of the power of creative ideas which, can result in breakthrough projects. To trigger the same, successful managers regularly encourage teams to adopt unconventional methods to approach business challenges.

6. Understand and Measure KPI ( Key Performance Indicators)

Successful managers measure their environment in terms of KPIs.However, before putting KPIs in place; it is prudent to understand the role of your department in the overall organizational strategy. They are the essential metrics that enable you to track your performance every step of the journey towards your goal, course-correcting and navigating your way to success.

Successful managers are adept at devising KPIs around things that matter and tracking the performance of those KPIs religiously.

So what are the KPIs across the KBAs (Key Business Areas)? , A simple list (not exhaustive but the tip of the iceberg…) which can keep your business on the saner side:-

1. Your Customers

a) Likeability- How Likely or probable is it for your customers to refer your product/service?

b) Profitability- while you work endlessly to attract and retain customers, how much are your customers working for your business? I.e. how much profit are your customers bringing in?

c) Loyalty- how do you fare on retaining customers who would want to come back for more?

d) Conversion – How many new customers are coming into your fold? What the new business generation looks like?

2. Your Business

a) Return on Investment (ROI) – Revenue generated by investing money into a particular aspect of the business, in comparison to the cost involved for making that investment. It also helps you in making an informed decision on whether to make that investment in the first place or not?

b) Net Profit – How healthy is your bottom-line? In other words, Income minus expenses

c) Conversion to Cash – How long does it take for money invested in operations to come back as increase in revenue generated? Japneet Singh

d) Margins – Yes, the omnipresent margin terms, Gross margins / Net margins / Operating Profit Margins, all an indicator of the financial health of the company’s operations.

3. Your Employees

a) Goodwill Score – How likely are your employees to refer you as an employer to work for?

b) Engagement Score – How engaged are your employees and how is this helping in reaching overall business goals?

c) Human Capital – How much revenue contribution results from your employees in comparison to the cost incurred on them? A high HC means substantial financial value is contributed by individual members.

d) 360 Feedback – How anybody sees everybody, how people rate peers, and superiors?

There is no straight answer to when and how managers find success. As a manager, you have the opportunity to mentor, supervise, motivate and lead…it’s a path laden with uncertainty, but it sure promises to be one hell of a ride!

Wish you a successful career in 2015!

Contributed by Japneet Singh ( Class of 2005, IBS GURGAON )

 

Mba is most of the most coveted post-graduation degree. This year there is tad increase in number of aspirants. 2.05 lakh people have registered for CAT in 2014 in which major chunk of aspirants are from New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune.

How you can make a difference or stand out in the crowd is the major question. Here we are with Mantra’s for successful Entrance exams. Entrance Exams are like wall every extra edge matters.

As you must have applied for Top notch CAT. Don’t forget the rest of CAT family. CAT family includes: XAT, MAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, IIFT, and IBSAT.

There are lots of other exams as well. MBA is the most sought after post-graduation degree as it channelize your knowledge and give you right exposure. With increase in demand, increases competition for aspirants to hunt and grab for a good B school.

Till this date most of you are done with many competitive exams, but if you are still left with some follow these tips and tricks to ace them.

 Hype for CAT is much, so keep down your nerves and keep calm. Don’t get nervous and concentrate. Read instructions carefully for every exam as marking strategy may change.

 Write down all formulas and shortcuts on a piece of paper, put it on the wall of the room and while you are not studying you can simply learn and recall.

 Fetch at least four hours to study in the time when you are most active.

 Find out your interest areas .Focus on strong areas and work on them first. Achieve cent percent accuracy in strong areas.

 Go through mock paper and then formulate strategy according to it.

 Various tests differ in terms of the test structure, question types and overall difficulty level of the test. Thus, you only need to understand the test structure, get adapted to the different question types and develop specific strategies to ace these tests.

 Entrance exams are more of a time game, you should learn when to quit a question and move ahead in your exam, if you remain struck on one, you will lose. The trick is not to spend more than 2.5 minutes on a question.

 Work on the questions that you got wrong. This is very important as you had ample time per question and still got them wrong. This means either you comprehend them wrong or the concept is wrong. Quickly go back to basics learn from mistakes and make a note of it.

 Next pick the questions you did not attempt, solve these questions without a time limit, once again this exercise will point out your areas of improvement. Doing this process for each test will definitely improve your performance in the next.

 For verbal ability which proves to be nemesis for most of technical people they should try the following things.

 Reading a good novel, try to increase their reading speed, WPM (words per minute). Use of pencil for marking while reading.

 Go through a newspaper daily, the highly recommended ones are The Hindu & the Economist.

 Read a magazine, Develop the reasoning ability by comprehending the motive behind the article. Read from different sources to understand the tone of writing.

 Read word power made easy, a fantastic book that works on roots and thus make you understand great words.

 Make a habit of reading online, as the exam will be online, you should have a habit of getting glued to screen.

Before Exam Instructions

You should take good sleep. Revise the concepts and notes made. Reach examination center before time to avoid last minute hustle. Meditate before exam to increase concentration. Read instructions carefully and then start with your exam.

After coming out with flying colors you next big task would be Group Discussions and Personal Interviews.

Many Mba aspirants may find it easy to crack entrance exams but group discussions and personal interviews make them feel nervous and perplexed.

How to go about Group Discussions and Personal Interviews 

It is important hurdle in your quest for that MBA .Mba interviews are more of your personal branding, as in a way you showcase your best side to interviewers. Rather being worried or scared, you work upon such FAQ and bring the best of you.

Frequently asked questions are following:

Why you want to pursue an MBA?

If not MBA what would you wish to do?

Why an Mba, not M.Tech?

Why you are switching to a new career?

What are your Strength and Weakness?

Why MBA? Why MBA from this B-school? Why this particular niche Program?

Here are some of ideas one can do to survive in Group Discussions and Personal Interviews:

 It is well said proverb: well begun is half done. It is said nearly 70 percent of interviews are decided in first two minutes.

 Stay precise, honest answers which sound convincing always work .Writing down such answers helps in the long run.

 Talk about things that are not in your resume like Personal qualities, passions, hobbies. They all can zest up your introduction.

 You can control the direction of your interview as they find next question from your answer’s itself.

 You make sure that the answers to different questions are consistent and coherent with each other. Like if you say that you are interested in a career in marketing, you should not say that you want to do an MBA because you like finance.

 Once you write an answer, make sure you stick to it in the interview. Formulating the answers to all the question will also help you in other Personal Interviews, because these form of questions tend to be repeatedly asked across different PIs.

 Once you spend time in coming up with answers, you can use it as a blue-print for other interviews as well. It is recommended that the answers be framed over multiple sittings, since next morning always provides a fresher perspective on your answers.

 Try to imagine yourself in the interviewer’s place and think how he will interpret your answers. It is a very good idea to discuss your answers with a couple of outsiders.

 Always gauge your body language. Sit in a comfortable and upright posture with your back resting.

 You can keep your hands folded in your lap or use them for gesturing, but do not rest them on the table.

 Maintain eye contact with the interviewers all the time and it shows your confidence.

 When question is asked look at questioner and then address to entire panel.

For Group Discussions

 Be as normal as possible. Don’t fake it. Be yourself. Try not to impose your thoughts on others.

 Watch your posture, be an active listener.

 Be assertive yet humble. You need to stick to your values and beliefs, but learn to respect the values and opinions of others too. Don’t boss around.

 Grab the opportunity to speak first, i.e. to start the group discussion with your opinion. It generally leaves a good impression on the evaluator, but take the move only if you have complete knowledge of the subject.

 Don’t be repetitive or be lengthy or irrelevant. Also intervene, if someone else is going on an irrelevant track.

 Ask for other’s point of view. It is a group discussion. Allow others to speak too.

 Make an eye contact with all the participants. It creates more room for conversation. Also keep nodding, when others speak, it shows receptiveness.

 Be an active and dynamic participant. The examiner wants to hear you speak. So do put forth your views.

 Be positive and prepare your thoughts well but do not be over-confident.

 Think well before you speak. You are being heard and judged upon.

 When raising an objection to a point kept by another speaker, back it up with a solid reason to get the point across.

 Use quotes, facts and figures, statements, everyday life examples to express a clear chain of thoughts. Also it might leave a good impression on the examiner and help you score well.

You can go for good B-Schools like IBS, by appearing through IBSAT, MAT, and CAT.

There are few B schools that can deliver you the best education and exposure and IBS is one of them.

Grab this opportunity and Work hard. Trust yourself and your hard work. All The Best.!!

Contributed by Sonali Jain ( Class of 2012-2014, IBS GURGAON )

As a professional, I see hundreds of resumes and vast majority of them are much weaker. Think of your resume as a 60 sec audition in front of a judge of a reality show. Personal reviewing of your resume quickly decides on whether to give the candidate a shot or send back.

Golden rule: Make a good first impression.

Before one gets invited for an interview, employers look at the resume to judge if the candidate is worth the time. Remember, you only have a few seconds to either make a good impression or a really bad one. My article describes the most common mistakes:

1. Structure – Formats and Fonts: Some people think that its creative to use different types of fonts and colours but in reality the creativity can just look clumsy. Avoid too many fonts types and sizes. A big font indicates that you don’t have enough good content to fill a resume. It look like as if you are SHOUTING. Small fonts may help keep your resume short but its not worth it if the reader has to squint.

Avid long paragraphs and long texts.  Recruiter quickly scans the resume and usually skips over long paragraphs and might miss on the key information.

Use of Bullets in formatting can ensure better reading comprehension when visually scanned. Always leave comfortable margins and make sure that it is nicely aligned. Look neat and smart. If you can’t read it, you can’t sell it. Also, keep in mind that there is a good chance that your resume might get scanned electronically as many companies are using special software for same. Wacky formatting and fonts may not get picked up by the software and resume could get tossed undeservedly.

2. Too Short & Too Long: Try to keep your resume to 1-2 pages in length. Freshers should stick to one page while experienced can get away using more space. If you find yourself short on work experience, think about the relevant extracurricular activities. Include volunteer work and the contributions you have made. List down pertinent skills like software programs and other tactical skills that apply to the job.

As one gets work ex, you won’t space for these “extras”. But keep in mind to use your “common sense” in selecting and mentioning your skills.

Likewise, don’t make resume too long. Stick it to 2 pages only even if you have been working for many years. However, keep in mind that many employers are always more interested in the job that you have held recently. Use your space wisely to describe your current work experience and edit down on the description of the earlier jobs.

3. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors: A grammar error and misspelling can stand you out like a sore thumb and tell the employer that you are careless. These mistakes are easily avoidable.

Take extra time to re-read your resume several times. Its very easy to catch the embarrassing mistakes when you repeatedly work at your resume.  Take help of a friend who can help you in catching spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

Also, its very important to proofread your resume when you are applying for a job that require writing skills. For a future prospect Boss, your resume is your first work sample and will reflect your ability in writing if hired.

4. Keep it Simple: Avoid using weird colours, formatting and paper. Your resume should be simple and elegant. Let the words speak for your work. If it’s a hard copy make sure it doesn’t look like as if pulled out from a trash can. When you bring your resume for an interview, carry it in a folder to keep it crisp and fresh. After all it meant to be a marketing document – an introduction that will get you to the door for an interview.

5. Inaccurate information: If you are lying in your resume, you are taking a big risk. You are likely to get busted during your reference checks. Another common fib is with languages. Don’t mention about the languages you can’t speak as it can’t be learned over the weekend. Always remember, dishonesty in your resume can get you fired down on the road.

6. Contact Information: This sounds silly but the truth is that many people forget to update their contact information in the resume. If you have changed our phone number, remember to update it. It you don’t, you might miss on the call you are waiting for. Also, get a formal professional email address. Don’t get an address that is too long and weird.

7. Objective: Tailor your objective as per the job you are applying for. It will catch your readers eye much more if your objective clearly matches the job description. Avoid vague statements. Convey your career goals in a clear way.

8. Two much Information: Describing your job duties in much detail to give the employee a good idea of your general responsibilities leave out the minute details that won’t get you a lift for the job. Highlight your job achievements rather than job description.

9. Tone of Voice: Thesaurus can be your friend if you think you are overusing the words in your resume. Don’t try to impress by doing crazy weity. Use action verbs that imply what you actively got things done like implemented, created, delivered, Achieved etc.

10. Confidential information: This is a big no. Avoid mentioning the minutest details of the projects details and the confidential information associated with the work in your resume. As this is considered breach of duties and policy of the company. Recruiter immediately rejects the profile.

11. Focus & Direction: Your resume should communicate your career progression and intelligent meaningful contribution. Even if your job history is marked with job hopping or appears transitional. Your resume needs to highlight the transferable skills you used to succeed in completing a project.

12. Never list direct references: List them on a separate Sheet and submit only when specifically asked by the recruiter.

Your resume is your first face, so it’s very important that you take enough time to make sure that it looks great, is accurate and a powerful representation of your skills and qualifications.

“Emphasize your strengths on your resume, in your cover letter and in your interviews. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many people simply list everything they have done. Convey your passion and list your strengths to measurable results.  Employers and interviewers love concrete data. —  Marcus Buchingham

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Contributed by Shilpa Aggarwal Gupta  ( Class of 2005, IBS HYDERABAD )

 

There are a variety of MBA programs to fit your schedule. Many colleges and universities offer:

• 2-year Full Time MBA Program– Requires full time attendance, which means you can’t easily work while attending school. Most traditional colleges and universities offer this type of program.
• Accelerated MBA Program– Usually completed in 18 months, the accelerated program is similar to the full time program, but with less down time between semesters. For example, you may take classes over the summer and winter breaks.
• Part Time or Weekend MBA Program– The part time MBA program is popular with working adults, because it allows you to attend class on the weekends or weekday evenings. The drawback is the part time MBA program takes longer to complete.
• Executive MBA Program
• Distance Learning MBA Program– Another option for busy and working professionals, the distance learning program allows you to take classes from your computer and is less time intensive since there is no commute and coursework may be completed on your own schedule.
• Dual MBA Programs– these are usually in combination with another closely related discipline. The most common is an MBA in combination with a Juris Doctor, a.k.a. the JD/MBA program. Other popular programs are the MBA/MA program and MBA/PhD program.

Specializations

The purpose of your MBA is to help you land the job you want, in the area of business you want. To that end, there are many different MBA specializations to help you do that. Every college and university has its own set of options when it comes to MBA specializations. So it’s important to consider your desired specialization before you choose your school. Keep in mind that some career paths will not require you to have an MBA, for example, in order to become an entrepreneur, real estate agent, or restaurant manager, you don’t necessarily need a degree, or an MBA. However, if you’re seeking an upper level management position with a company you’ve worked for for several years, an MBA might be just the leverage you need to be considered for the position.

In addition to the more common specializations, like economics, finance, and marketing, other specialization include:

• MBA in Health Care Management– prepares you for middle to upper level management in healthcare. Keep in mind that many of these positions may require some sort of medical credential in addition to your MBA.
• MBA in Human Resources (HR)– prepares you to work as the head of the HR department, advertising for, recruiting, hiring, training, evaluating and firing employees.
• MBA in Marketing– prepares you for a job in marketing, which may include media purchasing, working with a creative team, or writing ad copy for an advertising agency or PR firm.
• MBA in Communication– the study of communications prepares you for jobs related to journalism, PR, media and advertising.
• MBA in Project Management– project management is essential for fields like construction, technology, software development, architecture, and R&D firms.
• MBA in Entrepreneurship– focuses on developing critical thinking skills necessary for flexibility and innovation in a rapidly changing environment, usually best suited for technology endeavors.
• MBA in IT Management– prepares those with a background in programming, software development, CIS, database administration or IT to take on greater responsibilities managing a team.

In many cases, you may also have the choice not to specialize. In this case, you receive an MBA without an specialization attached. This is also referred to as a Vanilla MBA.

MBA Classes

The types of classes you’d take as part of an MBA program may include:

• Economics
• Sales
• Marketing
• Finance
• Management
• Human Resources
• Supply Chain Management
• Business Math and Statistics
• Operations Management
• Ethics
• Leadership

What you’ll learn with an MBA

With an MBA, you’ll learn the foundation of business management along with the strategic and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in a variety of situations. An MBA program is much less interested in the minutiae of daily business and more concerned with the broad and far reaching issues facing a business.

Marketing

In terms of marketing, you’ll learn marketing strategy development, including identifying your target market, product analysis, competitive analysis, market segmentation, the marketing mix and the four Ps of marketing: product, price, promotion, place. You’ll discuss and implement strategies for positioning your product in the marketplace, including how to price it against the competitor and how to promote it through various media and advertising.

Accounting

Reading financial statements is another skill you’ll learn in an MBA program. Because you’re not trying to become an accountant, you won’t learn the specifics of generating accounting reports, however, you will learn to read and assess these reports, including balance sheets, profit and loss statements, cash flow statements, expense reports and annual reports.

Organizational Behavior

Organizational behavior is another important area of learning in MBA programs. You’ll discuss the importance of leadership in times of change within a company, how management influences a company’s culture, and how various continuous improvement strategies can increase productivity.

Finance

In an MBA program, you’ll also learn how to make financial assessments of a business, including evaluations of stock price, which allows you to determine if a company is under or over-valued. This can help you to make important decisions about when to make key investments, or when to sell certain assets. You’ll also learn the time value of money, which allows you to determine the present and future value of money, and aids in making investment and purchasing decisions.

Operations

As part of operations, you’ll learn how to manage the higher level management of the company. The emphasis will be on stepping away from the day-to-day issues that consume lower and middle management, and looking at the higher order of the organization. You’ll learn the importance of resource management and develop the ability to analyze a project or situation and understand which resources (including people) to assign to that project in order to achieve the desired goal.

Economics

You’ll learn aspects of macroeconomics and microeconomics, applying principles of economics to international, national and local economies to understand how people and organizations behave in the marketplace.

Strategic Planning

S.W.O.T. analysis is one of the key components to strategic planning you’ll learn in your MBA program. A S.W.O.T. helps you to assess the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by a project or the business as a whole. S.W.O.T. helps you establish achievable goals, take advantage of your best assets, limit your liabilities, improve your performance, and avoid problems.

Contributed by suchin kulshrestha ( Class of 2008, IBS HYDERABAD )

While joining M.B.A there must be many questions in your mind. What to do? How to do? When to do? These all questions are good in a way, as its better to get clarity of what you are going to do and where do you want to see yourself after few years down the line. The toughest question among all these is “Will I be able to get equal opportunity as an experienced professional?” Answer to this above question is a bit difficult but we can try to find out the same. To find out the above answer it is important to know the difference between experienced professional and a fresher.  One thing which may have very big impact in almost all the fields, be it doctor, lawyer, business, C.A. is How much experienced you are? The perception of people changes on its own when they come to know that you are experienced in a particular field. As people often tends to judge others in a quantified manner. In start of your life they will judge you by marks, then as and when you grow they will judge you by your income and after certain stage they will judge you by your experience. You cannot do anything to change the perception of People, but the only thing which we can try and do is become compatible enough to match the skills and knowledge that experienced professional has and corporates need.

Skills

Communication Skills – In order to be successful in your job and career, you must communicate powerfully and effectively with confidence and clarity. Your personality type and level of introversion or extroversion aside, if you can’t communicate your ideas in an empowered, clear and engaging way, if you can’t communicate properly than it may destroy your career. You will not be able to compete with your peers, who can communicate with ease.

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” – Peter Drucker

Building Relationship –You cannot do what you want in your career, and advance successfully, if you are an island. And you certainly can’t achieve what you long for if you have alienated all your colleagues, peers and managers.

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people” – Theodore Roosevelt

Decision-Making – Professionals must make scores of decision every day- from whom they sit with at lunch, to new assignments they will accept. Do you understand how to make decision so that it 1) Align with what you really want, 2) adds to your skill base and experience, and 3) Creates new opportunities for you that will be beneficial? It is also important to know how to make business decisions that will generate the outcomes that are most desired for the enterprise?

“When you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”– Peter Drucker

Leadership – You should have clue about the traits, behaviors and actions that true leaders demonstrate, and what                 stands them apart from the rest. Key’s to a professional success is learning how to empower, inspire and motivate others, to build a vision that’s compelling and to engender trust, loyalty and support from others to strive towards that vision.

“Leaders always think and talk about the solution. Followers think and talk about the problems.”-Brian Tracy

Above are the skills which are essential to have good career agility. This will help you to achieve zenith in professional life. If you are experienced, then it is assumed that you have all these qualities and you get upper hand in college placements. But if you are a fresher and capable enough to portray your qualities in Interview then it doesn’t matter whether you are fresher or experienced. Companies which come for M.B.A. campus recruitment only try to judge you by your skills and attributes. While we talk about attributes over here it is also important to know that what attributes are needed which leads to a good career.

Attributes-

Appearance- A professional is neat in appearance. You should meet or exceed the requirement of the occasion and pay special attention to your appearance.

“Nothing succeed like the appearance of Success” –Christopher Lasch

Demeanor- Your outward behavior should exude confidence but not cockiness. You should be well spoken and polite while interacting with others. You need to keep calm during critical situations.

“The only thing which should be at the back of your mind is DEMEANOR, as it showcase your personality and attitude”

Reliability- As a professional, you will be counted on a way to find the job done. Responding to people promptly and following through on promises in a timely manner is also important. This demonstrates reliability.

“Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability”

Competence- Professionals tries to become expert in their field which sets them apart from rest of the pack. You need to be competitive enough to survive and prove your worth.

I am, as I have said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extra ordinary.” – Billy Joel

Contributed by Kandarp gandhi ( Class of 2014, IBS MUMBAI )

Linkedin Profile of Kandarp gandhi : https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=126817878&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=Jnr9&locale=en_US&trk=tyah2&trkInfo=tarId%3A1416557913185%2Ctas%3Akand%2Cidx%3A1-1-1