With the mushrooming of B-Schools and a large number of students passing out year after year from these B- Schools pose a big issue of employability. There exists a big gap between the quality stuff passing out and the demand put forward by the industry. Even a mediocre management student is conditioned to dream big of having a high profile and high package job. This may also be attributed to their high monetary investment in the MBA program. In the era of fierce competition some students struggle to make a career for themselves and match up the expectations of the industry due to their limited capability.

It is sad that these students end up doing odd jobs like tele-calling, sales job, outsourced staff etc. for a meager salary with no job satisfaction. The irony is, they still dream to be a corporate professional or be part of MNCs. They appear to be lost in their career focus. No doubt B-Schools impart quality managerial skills like leadership, entrepreneurship, negotiation, interpersonal and in-depth coverage of business strategy, ethics & governance in addition to the domain specialization areas- finance, marketing, HR, IT & Operations with all sorts of innovative teaching pedagogies- but gaps still remains when it comes to placements.

Moreover study conducted by Web portal-MBAUniverse.com and Merit-Trac showed that many employers are of the opinion that majority of MBA graduates in India are not employable. Excluding the top 25 B Schools, the remaining provided only 21% of their graduates with a job. The employability of the graduates from these schools was actually worse in 2012 (21%) than in 2007 (25%). The number of MBA seats in the country has increased from 95,000 to 3, 50,000 from 2007 to 2012. The quality of education apparently did not keep pace. Aspiring Minds- a national body conducting employability test AMCAT says almost 50% of the students are not employable in functional domains for lack of domain knowledge. Whereas 32% management graduates lose out in the job front because of lack of English language skills and Cognitive skills. Major chunk of the B-Schools generating mediocre caliber students are still struggling with the fierce competition and employability quotient of their students. These B-Schools and students have to understand the grave reality faced by them. They should look beyond the conventional business verticals like big MNCs and reputed business houses which are highly competitive for many students to cope up.

B-Schools should widely explore the growth potentials in the area of Small & Medium enterprises, Non-profit & For-profit ventures, small business owners & contractors, Government sectors- Civic bodies & Municipalities etc. Under the public bodies, we have health, education, transport, fire services, disaster management, infrastructure etc. There are whole lot of labor intensive areas- security agencies providing personnel, logistics & supply chain, distribution, construction industry, hospitality, ATM management and replenishment of cash etc. There can be many similar types which might not have been mentioned here. The career prospects in these untapped areas may open up enormous opportunities for MBA graduates. Though initially MBAs cannot expect a high package and a very elite job profile, but definitely they can look forward to a sustainable long term growth opportunities. Of course students have to be apprised of unleashing these growth opportunities to their advantage. A consciousness of stewardship has to be created to make these industry verticals grow to their side. Honing of entrepreneurial skills coupled with right kind of managerial competencies is a key for growth in these areas. As a result, MBAs can be instrumental in spearheading the growth of business from a holistic perspective. Entrepreneurial skills and managerial competencies gained and applied by students will lead to-

• Professionalizing the Small Business Owners & SMEs.
• Professionalizing the Non-Profit & service oriented ventures.
• SMES and similar subsidiaries dependent on large industries for their business may gain better lobbying & negotiation skills from the MBAs.
• Non-profit ventures with a professional approach may fulfill the criteria of CSR schemes propounded by many large industries.

All B-School programs have a mandatory summer internship project in an industry. But additionally they should think of exposing students to other business verticals for live projects and internships. Management students should be oriented to take up projects in civic departments, NGOs, health projects, small businesses etc. in the first semester of their course. Once in a week they can be sent to the field in one of these areas and they can be guided & evaluated by the allocated faculty mentor. This can be spread-over to the entire semester. Likewise in the second semester, students can be exposed to doing a live case study on Small & Medium Enterprises. It can be pursued under a faculty mentor with the standard parameters set for conducting the study by the students. These efforts open up wider placement opportunities for students and also enhance their employability as per their capability and skills. Students are also conditioned to look beyond large business houses and MNCs. It is a very positive way of channelizing the career focus of struggling students in the right direction. Subsequently it may also give direction for some entrepreneurial ventures by students.

Article by Dr.Latha Ramachandran, faculty, IBS- Mumbai

In 1999 Bill Kincaid released its brainchild to the world. It was named as SoundJam MP. The idea was simple: to give the world better musical experience. But it was still little known to the world as it did not get the expected market penetration. Apple acquired SoundJam MP in 2000. This was the company that is known to us as iTunes today. As Steve Jobs, the founder and ex-CEO of Apple puts it, iTunes was the first introduction of its kind to the music lovers of the world where people could purchase, download and listen to music, audio podcasts, watch music videos, TV shows etc. legally. As it is a very lovable user interface to the music listeners, it also helps prevent piracy in a big way.

Deal details:

On 28th May, 2014 Apple completed its latest acquisition in the form of Beats Electronics. Apple announced that its acquisition is worth 3 billion USD. The breaking of that amount includes 2.6 billion USD cash transaction and 0.4 billion USD worth of stock transaction that is expected to close by the end of 2014. Are we expected to witness similar turn of events as with iTunes? Let’s wait and watch.

The Beats’ way:

In 2006, famous rapper and hip-hop producer established a electronics music company ‘Beats Electronics’. In 2008, it launched its first ever product: Dr. Dre headphones by Beats. The company channeled its efforts to manufacture more and more audio devices like speakers and earphones. Soon it got a popularity in the upper bracket of the music goers. One premium feature that Beats had was its outstanding and unparalleled bass sound. As Dr. Dre wanted to bestow the listeners with wholesome music experience through headphones. He sensed the market demand for such a product at that point of time. Later the company diversified in online music industry. A particular reason for its popularity was also its amazing marketing practices. It did strike one too many branding deals during several hit hip-hop and pop music release. Since that was one of the creamiest part of their share of pie, it made huge sense. By 2012, it had 64 percent market share in headphone market with the product price greater than 100 USD. Beats purchased licensing agreement to distribute its online music channel to mobile manufacturers. For a brief period of time (2011-12), HTC had majority stakes (50.1 percentage) in Beats.

Why the acquisition?

This is Apple’s largest ever acquisition in terms of price tag.

The relevance of selling iPhones:

As Apple CEO rightly puts it during the official press release of the deal, “Music is such an important part of all of our lives and holds a special place within our hearts at Apple. That’s why we have kept investing in music and are bringing together these extraordinary teams so we can continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world.”

Apple is pioneer in the Smartphone market with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store and reinventing a new way of computing through iPad. If they can integrate Beats online music and headphones here, that can talk a long way to the intersection of music crowd and Smartphone users.

The dark days of iTunes:

Apart from being a revenue generator, iTunes was a major way to reach to the crowd as it was available on all the platforms. Now since the music services like Spotify and Pandora have come to the market, they are eating market share of iTunes. So, Beats can be a strategic move to give iTunes a second life.

Bringing in the marketing talent of Beats:

The marketing strategy of Beats centers around the Pepsi-Cola war survivor genius Saint John. He worked with the giants of present music industry. The list ranges from Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Eminem to Ketty Perry and it goes on. If Apple wants to beat the likes of Google and Facebook in terms of reach, then this can prove fruitful. It can be a great way to reach the younger crowd. There are plenty of other ways to monetize on this depending on the growth plan of Apple.

Integration:

As part of the negotiations, Dr. Dre, the founder and Jimmy Iovine, the co-founder will be part of Apple’s payroll. Dr. Dre is also the senior vice president of Apple now. Apple must be looking for a way for Beats to fit into the organizational structure of Apple.

According to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president, “Music is such an important part of Apple’s DNA and always will be. The addition of Beats will make our music lineup even better, from free streaming with iTunes Radio to a world-class subscription service in Beats, and of course buying music from the iTunes Store as customers have loved to do for years.”

Article by Subhadeep Das

                  Introduction :

On 22nd May, Flipkart acquired Myntra. It is a big story in e-commerce sector and speculations have been all around. The most interesting and perhaps best cited reason for the deal is that they now jointly want to take on Amazon, a company with 20 years of global exposure. Amit Agarwal, the VP and country manager of Amazon India, said in response, “We don’t get distracted by competition”.

Deal details :

Sachin Bansal, the co-founder and CEO of Flipkart, has said in a press conference, “It is a 100% acquisition.” Mukesh Bansal, CEO of Myntra is going to join Flipkart board and will head fashion division of Flipkart. Myntra will run as an independent unit. Although none of the “Bansals” (Sachin, Binny or Mukesh) revealed any details of the deal, according to the sources, Myntra could be valued at more than 300 million USD (approx. Rs. 1800 crore).

Growth of online sector in India:

The e-commerce sector of India has grown significantly for last 5 years. People have got over the inertia of online payment, all thanks to the e-retailers to introduce transparent and lucrative offers. With the reasonable pricing of broadband connections, the spread of internet has grown more than ever. To add to this, reasonable presence of even faster connections like 3G, 4G LTE have inspired more “netizens” of India to go for online deals.

Advantages for Flipkart :

Present e-commerce sector of India:

Total retail space for India is around 600 billion USD. Out of that, organized retail constitutes 40 billion USD or 6.67% of the pie. With the help of Govt. policies, the organized retail has a huge scope for growth. The total size for e-commerce is round about 2 billion USD or 0.5% of the organized retail. The number of online users in India is in excess of 150 million. Currently, only 20 million online users do online transactions. These are rookie numbers and are expected to grow rapidly. Now, with the steep growth curve of spread of internet, there is a sizeable market opportunity waiting to be tapped. Under such circumstances, the e-commerce market is expected to grow to a level as big as 20 billion USD over next three to four users.

Industry consolidation :

Both Flipkart and Myntra are Bangalore based company and were established in 2007. None of them has yet reached the breakeven point. And as Sachin Bansal puts it “growth is more important” and profit will follow. However, from the investors’ point of view, the story is a little different. Sooner or later, they will always look for returns. So Flipkart and Myntra cannot afford to grow indefinitely without looking for profit. Now, Amazon is the big fish in the market with very deep pocket. They have the luxury of going for growth without caring for profit in the beginning given in online space price discount war is a major deal converter. So, it is in the well being of both Flipkart and Myntra to go for the industry consolidation. Otherwise it would be a matter of time for Amazon to take the lead.

Beating the competition :

Amazon came to India in 2013. Although its Junglee division could not make significant impact, Amazon.in has progressed swiftly over time. And given Amazon’s deep pocket, global exposure, high efficiency, matured technology plaform and pool of experienced executives, there is huge potential for Amazon to become the market leader in the growing e-commerce space of India. Being ex-employees of Amazon, Sachin and Binny Bansals can realize the pressure of the threat. On the other hand, Flipkart is the market leader in books and electronic gadget business in online space. It has a Gross Merchandise value of approx. 1 billion USD. Myntra is a big name in online apparel industry. The total size of apparel industry in India is around 60 billion USD. Gross Merchandise value of Myntra is 200 million USD. The size of Myntra is half of the largest online fashion store, Shoppers Stop. So, if Flipkart and Myntra come together but still can work as independent entities, there will be a diverse range of product portfolio to compete with the likes of Amazon which has 15 million products across 24 categories in its 11 month presence in India. Also coming together and using mutual facilities will help increase the cost effectiveness. So they did.

Conclusion:

The analysts can feel the heat of the new battle among the online portals, probably even more so for the soaring temperature of hot summer. But the fact remains this is the first of its kind of acquisition our country has seen. Will this add fuel to the need for new growth strategy of Amazon India? Is Amazon looking for an acquisition in India? When asked, the executives did not deny it and tried to avoid the question. Now that triggers interesting next phase of the online battle.

“My journey with IBS Gurgaon has not only provided me with a platform to discover and develop my potential but has also provided me with a network of experts, who have guided me throughout. The teaching methodology at IBS has refined my personality and teacher at IBS have developed my persona. Over the past 2 years of my life, I have unlearnt and learnt many marketing tactics, which are helping me outstand in the corporate world.”

“Despite the downturn and tough market conditions, placement cell at IBS Gurgaon has done a fantastic job last year. IBS Gurgaon is a great learning experience and gives you immense knowledge and opportunities.”

 

Contributed by Isha Singh (Batch 2015, IBS Gurgaon)

How you say it is more important than what you say!

The above statement applies to all conversations in general. However, it holds prime importance in the context of a group discussion or interview.A large number of MBA aspirants prepare passionately for important GD topics and appropriate answers to some of the common interview questions. However, shocking as it may be, what you speak during the procedure carries only a part of the entire weightage that the process holds.

What interviewers and GD panel members use to evaluate your personality is more than the words you speak. The panel members and interviewers keenly observe the body language of the candidates.What they perceive about your personality can easily make or break your chances of getting admission in a B-school. Therefore, it is very important for every candidate to portray a positive body language to be able to create a good impression in the interview.

Read on to know more about the right attitude and body language that can be helpful in cracking the MBA admission procedure at the B-school of your choice.

Importance of Positive Body Language

To understand the importance of positive body language, candidates must understand that it is not just the mouth that speaks but the entire body acts as an instrument of speech. So, you must first understand how your body speaks and then learn to manage and control the non-verbal messages that you send across to your audience.

Demonstrating a positive body language is important as interviewers pay attention to the slightest details of your postures and gestures during the interview. Experts advise that you must know how to use your body to effectively enhance your verbal message. Leaning forward slightly towards the group during the Group Discussion and the interviewer during the Personal Interview would go on to show that you are interested. Giving listening cues such as nodding whenever a fellow aspirant/interviewer makes an important point shows your engagement in the process.

On the other hand, gestures such as scratching your head, repeatedly crossing and uncrossing the legs or touching your face are all instances of a nervous body language.These actions must be avoided by the candidates to be able to make a positive impact on the panel members.

Body Language: Things to Consider

Shake Hands Properly

The handshake is a courteous way to acknowledge your interviewer but you should not take initiative to shake hands. Let the interviewer shake hands with you as this is the right way to proceed in an interview. The handshake is the first unspoken assessment of your personality.So, make every effort to impress your interviewer with a confident and firm handshake. Some candidates may shake hands too firmly while others might engage in too limp a handshake. The former might indicate aggressiveness and dominating attitude while the latter one is a sign of weak personality—both of which aren’t good. A proper handshake is firm to the right extent, gives the right kind of contact for an appropriate duration. With a smile and good eye contact, it becomes a good one.

Smile

A smiling face portrays exuberance and eagerness and it is a good way to impress your interviewers and the panel members of the group discussion. A smiling and happy demeanor shows that you are really happy to be where you are. But, don’t go overboard with it as an artificial or oversized smile can have the wrong effect. An experienced interviewer will immediately know if you are acting or forcing the smile in a certain way. It is good to smile sometimes when you actually mean it during the interview and group discussion rather than grinning constantly without any reason.

Be Careful Of Personal Space

Individual cultures and faiths in the different candidates who come for admission to the MBA program tend to make them different in all aspects including an appropriate personal space. Some people may feel comfortable speaking only inches from the other person while others may need a decent space. When sitting in a group discussion, you must ensure that you respect the personal space that the candidate sitting beside you. Similarly, when in front of your interviewer, be careful of how far or close you sit.

Be Expressive and Open

Your physical gestures must be expressive and open. You must try to engage your interviewer by gesturing positively such as keeping your palms straight and open which demonstrates honesty. You should never bang your hand on the table and always avoid pointing fingers to make a point during the group discussion and personal interview. These negative physical gestures would not go well with your interviewing panel and should be strictly avoided.

Demonstrate Inquisitiveness     

Maintaining an eye contact and nodding your head are the best ways to show your eagerness or interest in an interview as well as the group discussion. The panel will appreciate that you are actively engaged in the discussion and paying attention to what the others are saying. Lack of eye contact and other listening cues would suggest your disinterest in the interview and weaken your chances to succeed.

Body Language: Things You Should Avoid

Looking Disinterested

Physical gestures such as rubbing the back of the head, touching the nose or hair would signal your disinterest in the interview.Therefore, these actions should be avoided in spite of the bouts of nervousness and stress that you might be experiencing before the interview. Try to sit straight confidently without leaning too forward or bending too backwards during both the group discussion and interview.

Signaling Nervousness

Some candidates may unknowingly grab their folder or bag too tightly or may constantly touch and wipe their face in front of the interviewer. Other gestures such as tapping the fingers, biting or licking the lips, frowning, adjusting hair or clothing again and again must also be avoided for a positive impression on the panel members. These gestures signal the candidate’s nervousness even though he may be trying hard to hide it. The interviewers are smarter and more experienced than you are, so, they can easily perceive gestures that portray anxiety or nervousness. So, try to remain calm and relaxed and do not make unnecessary movements. While being nervous is natural and many interviewers may not find it negative, it will still increase your inhibitions and degrade your performance.

Getting Too Relaxed

Lounging with your arms and legs dangling would suggest you are getting too relaxed for the group discussion and interview. Similarly, crossed feet and completely stretched out legs also demonstrate you are very relaxed for the group discussion and this may also be taken for over confidence on your part. Therefore, you should try to show some seriousness by listening attentively and speaking meaningfully without making any carefree gestures that undermine your intent and eagerness in the selection procedure.

Becoming Defensive

Crossing your arms in front of the interviewer can be perceived as being defensive. It might also suggest that according to you, whatever you are saying is correct and you do not want to accommodate someone else’s views or opinions at all. Therefore, it is advised not to cross your arms during the interview and discussion processes. Instead, sit upright with your arms rested on your thighs to cut out a confident picture.

It might be easy to prepare for the group discussion and the verbal component of the personal interview by studying hard and being well versed with the latest happenings of the world. But candidates should understand that portraying a positive body language is as important as speaking and performing well in the group discussion and personal interview. It is not just about questions and their right answers, but about participating in the selection processes with a favorable body language. Show them that you have the power of expression in you!

No one in this planet is born as an encyclopedia. No matter how much you read, there are certain times when you stumble upon a conversation, where you know nothing about the topic and if that conversation happens to be a group discussion then the chances of your stress level going rocket high increases manifold.

Now since I have had the opportunity of sitting in nearly a hundred GD’s, I thought of sharing some points which I found to be effective when you have no idea of the topic. Again, this is just my personal judgment and not based on any statistics.

Listen attentively – It is a very common misconception that if you do not speak during the first half of your discussion then your chances of cracking a group discussion diminishes. You can contribute at any time during a discussion and if your point is relevant and if you deliver it appropriately then your chance of cracking a GD is as good as anyone else’s. Listen very attentively to what others are saying and try to understand what the topic is all about. Take 2-3 minutes to understand.

Project Confidence – It is very important for you to seem confident while you are sitting in a group discussion. Sometimes facial expression and body gestures bring out the truth, which people want to hide. Don’t panic if you don’t know anything. Be calm and confident during the entire discussion

Try to find a similar topic from discussion – The best part of a discussion is that sometimes you can divert the topic of discussion to a related topic. Try to find a topic from the discussion, using which you can steer away the discussion to something you know. For example if the topic is hockey, u can steer it to cricket. The key is to find the right opportunity. It may not be as effective but it is always better to speak something.

If not discussion, give a good summary – Summary is the most important stage of any group discussion. Sometimes invigilators judge a candidate only on the basis of the summary given by him. When you don’t know anything in a discussion, note down each and every point that has been discussed and give a good thorough summary. Many times invigilators ask every student to give a two minute summary, but if this is not the case, don’t lose the opportunity of summarizing the discussion. Keep track of the time as most of the students forget to do it as soon as they get into discussion and jump into the discussion when last two minutes are left. Try to speak for the entire time interval so that nobody can counter attack your summary with theirs.

Repeat someone else’s point  – This is not a very effective method, but try to find someone whose point was neglected in discussion and use it as your entry in discussion. The reason why a point gets neglected in a discussion is when the person who said it is not confidant enough and let another person cut him in the middle, or a point has absolutely no relevance. You have to find the former reason. Repeat the same point, but this time with assertiveness, as if it is the most important point.

Make friends, not enemies – This means try to agree with people and not disagree. If you will disagree you will have to come up with a whole new example which you will not know as you don’t know about the topic but if you are agreeing you will just have to add a small point to their example.

Manage the discussion – In a group discussion there are many parameters on the basis of which a candidate is judged. Leadership quality is one of them. When nothing is working, try to show your leadership skills. Regulate the discussion in an appropriate way, so that invigilators can check your dominance and assertiveness. There was a group discussion, which I remember, where the topic was “there is no good way of doing a bad thing”. I remember everyone speaking without relevance when one guy swooped in and started managing. All he did was to say things like “guys let us not make this a fish market”, “I think we should let everyone speak starting in a clockwise manner”, “I think we are diverting from topic, let us get back to the point where we were discussing about…” When the results came he got through and I didn’t. Jibber Jabber does not work in a group discussion. Whatever you say, say it with assertiveness.

So these were few tips on how to manage a group discussion when you know nothing about the topic. However, it’s always better to be well-versed in current affairs and news to avoid being in such a situation. Hope this article will prove to be advantageous to you.

Contributed by Prachi Tewari ( Class of 2013, IBS HYDERABAD )

 

The personal interview (PI) is a very important step towards getting admission to an MBA program in a top B-school.Therefore it is very important for MBA aspirants to take it seriously in every aspect. MBA institutes aim to judge the candidates’ future goals, thinking process, knowledge, personality traits, and communication skills with the help of a personal interview round, a part of the admission process.

The personal interview offers a good way to sell yourself effectively in front of the interview panel. While many MBA aspirants would feel nervous or get intimidated before the interview, it presents a good opportunity to express your academic credentials and future goals in a confident manner. For some aspirants, it may even be the first interview of their life and despite months of preparation, it is impossible to predict the questions that may be asked. In such situations, it is advised that they try to enjoy their interview and take it as an opportunity to impress the panelists.

Most of the questions asked in a B-school interview range from academic and professional to the more broad discussions pertaining to life. The interviewer might not sound too serious and formal, but he has the job of assessing you on parameters such as your inter-personal and communicative skills and to know your vision as an MBA aspirant. Remember that you are not expected to know everything during the interview as the panel is well aware that you are just a student at this stage. So, be honest and accept that you don’t know a certain things if that be the case.

Objective of the Personal Interview

The personal interview aims to evaluate the views and information presented in the candidates’ application and performance in the previous rounds of the admission process. Some common questions pertaining to academic background, work experience (if any) and general knowledge are asked in order to evaluate the accuracy, depth and consistency of the candidate’s knowledge. B-schools tend to give importance to candidates, who have consistently performed well in their academics. This shows that these candidates possess academic discipline, focus and character to survive the testing times of the corporate sector.

Almost all the questions asked in a personal interview help evaluate the applicants’:

• Clarity of the Goal
• Knowledge
• Communication Skills
• Attitude

Let’s have a look at some of the most common questions asked in interviews for admission to B-school of your choice.

Tell us something about yourself or introduce yourself

Perhaps the first question at every interview, this is the one that you must be prepared for. The only question which has a sure shot predictability, you should be able to answer it in a structured, confident, and crisp manner. Your answer to this question will shape the way the interview progresses as whatever you chose to highlight will be the basis for the next few questions. MBA aspirants should have a clear, well thought out and perhaps even well-rehearsed response to this question. You can include your personal details, professional qualification and work experience (if any), hobbies and interests, and your strengths.

The purpose of being there for the MBA program?Or Why MBA?

The answer to this question has to be tailor made to be able to justify your argument. According to a person’s background and interests, the answer will have to be molded to reasonably prove the version that he is giving out. Answers such as “to make more money”, “to gain more knowledge” are too abstract for this question. Talk about your career objectives & the value-addition that an MBA would provide you with.

For freshers, a suitable answer could be “to find a way to get into the corporate world to prove my capabilities” but for candidates who have some work experience, the answer should explain specifically what made them think of pursuing the course. You can tell them about your plans to switch industries or look out for growth within the same domain.

What are your strengths & weaknesses?

The answer to this question can be tricky as you would be judged on every word that you utter and in that case, you could be tempted to try to outsmart the panel members. Remember as a rule that it is just not possible to do that so, be honest and genuine in accepting your weaknesses and showing that you are making efforts to overcome them. This can indicate that you want to improve that aspect of your personality and are open to feedback. Do not be too boastful about your strengths and at the same time, do not show that your weaknesses are way too little to be bothered about.

Why do you want to join this B-school?

As an answer to this question, you should be able to reason your willingness and potential to be where you’re applying for. This is your chance to tell them all that you have researched about the history of the institute, placement records, their flag ship programs, their ranking, credentials, faculty, academic and extra-curricular activities. Try and get in touch with students of the college to know these details that are not highlighted on the website to show that you have done your homework well. If possible, try to know about the faculty and the style of teaching to express interest in the institute.

Where do you see yourself 5/10 years from now? Or What are your short/long term objectives?

This is another tricky question, the answer to which should not be “in your position interviewing prospective students”. You are expected to be able to answer in a manner that you justify the reason why you want to do MBA. If you have applied for an MBA in marketing, you cannot even think of sitting and interviewing students few years down the line. Also, do not give out vague answers such as “as a Vice president/ CEO”. Instead, talk of specific work that you would want to see yourself doing at that point of time. For example, an HR professional can see herself devising and implementing HR policies that help maintain the work life balance of the employees of her company. Be specific and be work oriented when answering this question.

Questions from the subject of your graduation

It is not wise on your part if you assume that there will not be any panel member with knowledge of your subjects of graduation. Revise your lessons well, even if you have some work experience because chances are that you are tested on your basic knowledge of the subject matter to justify your good grades. A thorough knowledge of your subject will immediately earn you a high position in the eyes of the interviewers and help you create a positive impression in their minds.

Questions about your hobbies or what do you like to do in your free time?

Make sure that you have thought about an answer to this question and researched about the hobby to the extent that you are able to answer primary questions about it. For example, if you like to watch films in your free time, you should be able to answer things about the direction and storyline of your favorite movies, questions about your favorite genre and specific details about the recent award functions related to movies. You cannot simply get away by saying anything that comes to your mind at that moment. You are expected to have a thorough knowledge about what you say is your passion.

Who or what inspires you?

The answer to this one has to be supported by the reason why you look up to that person. The simple reason why interviewers ask such a question is that they want to know your ethics and values and if they are in line with the personality you are portraying at the interview. You cannot say that you are a great supporter of Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence earlier in the interview and then go on to state that Shaheed Bhagat Singh is your role model. Your role model or the person who inspires you does not necessarily have to be a famous figure; it could even be your family members or a former teacher. It is more important to justify the reason why you think that person is good.

While these are some of the most popular question at MBA interviews, you should understand that the interviewers can ask you totally different questions. Each interview is unique and so are candidates sitting for the interview. So, it is your smartness as to how you can be in a position to drive the interview in a direction favorable for you to be able to highlight your strengths. Prepare well and ask your friends and teachers to help you by conducting various mock interviews before you go for the actual one. All the best!

In spite of how well we prepare for the Group Discussion (GD) round—an important assessment stage towards admission to the B-school of our choice for the MBA program—we tend to commit certain mistakes, which in turn can break our chances of securing admission into a premier Business institute. This makes it absolutely necessary for MBA aspirants to know the essence of a good group discussion, how to tackle it, and the do’s and don’ts of the process.

The group discussion is meant to evaluate whether you possess some skills or personality traits that are ideal for a manager. So, candidates aspiring to be managers should know how to deal with a group discussion topic, and what to do when the GD goes directionless. Basically, what the panel is looking out for is not just knowledge, but good leadership skills and the ability to extract the best from everybody in the group without being aggressive, domineering or ignorant. The mistakes committed during the group discussion might appear trivial, but the GD panel is quite likely to take them seriously if they feel that the candidate is missing out on the basic quality set expected from a future manager.

The Purpose of Group Discussion

A future manager must be dynamic, and possess all the essential qualities that most organizations look for. The ability to work, manage and contribute efficiently in a team is a prerequisite to climb the ladder of success in the corporate sector, and group discussion precisely aims to test these skills in the candidates.

The panel members are looking out for qualities such as the ability:

• to facilitate ideas for the discussion to flow,
• make individual contribution yet take other team members along,
• facilitate good decision making,
• bring up many perspectives,
• evaluate pros and cons of various options, and
• route for a balanced, win-win solution.

The first round of written examination only helps to evaluate the reasoning and quantitative skills of a candidate but hiring companies may not want a manager, who just excels in reasoning or quantitative areas. In reality, most companies look for those managers, who not only excel in specific areas but demonstrate their strengths in interpersonal, leadership and communication skills to be able to bring out the best from their team once they are exposed to the real business world.

Let’s begin by identifying some common mistakes that students tend to commit during a group discussion.

Common Mistakes in the Group Discussion

Sudden Outburst of Emotions

Some candidates may want to grab the attention of the panelists by showing their anger or frustration if they disagree with other candidates’ opinions. This approach will not go well with the panelists, as losing your composure is the last thing expected out of a good manager.

Egotism 

The desire to impress the panelists might lure you into giving out fake information and figures presuming that the panel would not notice. Experts, however, suggest that you give out facts only if you have the correct information.

Talking Excessively

Some candidates think that if they talk too much during the group discussion, they have a good chance to impress the panelists, but in reality most panelists do not appreciate candidates, who talk excessively without making much sense. So, make it a point to talk moderately while expressing your views and thoughts succinctly in line with the topic of the GD.

Things You Should Do In a Group Discussion

Introduce Original Points

A candidate should try to bring up fresh ideas that have not been mentioned by other candidates. It would demonstrate your skill of thinking and responding well and would give an impression that you can think on your feet.

Provide Logical Conclusions   

It is a good idea to build upon another candidate’s point by providing rational conclusions to his views. This approach would give an impression that you are supporting others’ views by strong logic and unvisited perspectives.

Use Statistics and Examples

Candidates who use correct statistics and examples to strengthen their statements have a good chance to get attention in a group discussion. Panelists would feel that you have really prepared well for the discussions.

Provide Direction

If you feel that the group’s conversation is going in the wrong direction or drifting from the main topic, then it would be good on your part to try and bring the conversation right on the track by making meaningful statements that are also in line with the expected flow of the GD.

Build Strong Rapport

It is a good sign to build camaraderie with the group during the group discussion. Demonstrating a positive body language that projects good leadership qualities can help to make a lasting impact on the panel members. Listening carefully and giving meaningful cues could be one such example.

Communicate Efficiently

Communicate in the best possible way by making your point through short and simple sentences. Try to communicate effectively by speaking precisely to the point without uncluttered ideas. According to experts, effective communication also involves actively listening to what the others have to contribute. So, the advice is to listen carefully before and after you speak your part.

Things You Should Not Do In a Group Discussion

Don’t Negate

A candidate should not completely negate the views or thoughts of other candidates. This would give a bad impression as if you do not want to listen or you do not have the patience to listen to the views of other candidates. It is a good gesture to be open to opinions and ideas of other candidates even if they are different from your own ideas.

Don’t Get Radical 

You should try not to express radical views in a group discussion such as conclusive remarks about religious beliefs, political situations or economic policies. The arguments should only come in the form of possible suggestions and personal opinions and not definitive inputs. Statements or sentences that tend to have drastic or double meaning should also be avoided. The idea is to facilitate the flow of the group discussion positively.

Don’t Get Biased

Gender-based, caste-based or racist sentences should not be spoken in a group discussion. This can negate your chances of being selected.  Experts advise that the candidates should maintain a cordial tone throughout their participation in the group discussion.

Don’t Try to Speak for the Maximum Length of Time

Candidates who are silent during the group discussion must be encouraged to speak so that they also get to express their opinions on the GD topic. It is not wise to speak alone and not allow others to speak. So, make it a point to encourage others to speak as well in order to have a healthy discussion.

Don’t Get Critical

You should not make sarcastic or critical statements in a group discussion as this would give an impression that you find mistakes or shortcomings in the people around you. Be polite and maintain a gracious tone while speaking without hurting the sentiments of others.

Don’t Get Personal

Making personal statements or anecdotes about a person is certainly not the right way to proceed in a group discussion. Avoid using these sentences and make puposeful statements as per the topic.

Things to Keep in Mind 

Demonstrating good communication skills is a good way of improving your chances to succeed in a group discussion. But, you also need to listen carefully and then talk precisely according to the theme of the GD, which is more important. Bringing out useful information and relevant statistics can help you make a lasting impression on the minds of the panelists. You need to lead by example. So, experts suggest that you display good leadership skills by leading the discussion to reach acceptable outcomes.

Moreover, you need to treat every candidate in the group discussion with respect and humility. Dressing up in formal attire can also go a long way in helping you make a lasting first impression on the panel members.

Candidates can have a good chance to crack the GD if these simple tips are kept in mind during the preparations. A final word of advice from experts of the field is to pay attention to the topic and assess how to speak in front of the group with all the correct information and statistics to be able to provide result-oriented conclusions.

Once you decide to pursue the post-graduate program in management, your next step will be to choose a good B-school that will groom you into a competent professional, during the two year study program. The management program is aimed to endow you with skills required to successfully manage the varied scenarios of the ever-changing business world. Therefore,it becomes extremely important for your career aspirations to make an informed choice at this juncture.

With a large number of B-schools opening in every nook and corner of the country, you may get overwhelmed in trying to make one of the most important decisions of your life. To help you through the decision making process, here are the top nine parameters that you need to consider while zeroing in on a business school:

1. Placement Records: An MBA program attracts individuals from diverse academic backgrounds such as graduates from humanities, commerce, life sciences, engineering and even medicine backgrounds, primarily because of the wide range of career options it offers. While zeroing in on an institution, we must take a look at the placement records of the B-school on a year-to-year basis.Statistics have revealed that—with the number of aspirants striving to seek admission to this coveted professional course witnessing an upsurge—colleges with a 100-percent placement track record every year, make it to the list of most-preferred management colleges of the country.
2. Industry Interface: Industry interface before venturing into the real corporate world plays a major role in the effectiveness of the management program offered by leading business schools.Taking on the challenges of the business world in a relatively short span of 2 years, trains you on all the areas of management with respect to different industry verticals such as banking and information technology.Interaction with the industry stalwarts during summer internship and other industry interface initiatives undertaken during the final year of college helps in broadening your horizons with respect to the business challenges and the possible ways to address them.
3. Learning Methodology: The learning approach followed by top-notch business schools is primarily based on case-study methodology, which is the simulation of the real world business scenario that you have to analyse and think of most innovative solutions to root out bottlenecks and problems. It helps you in developing decision-making skills and divergent or ‘’out of the box’’ thinking skills, to take on the challenges in the real world successfully. These business schools lay emphasis on ‘’learning by doing’’ to transform the students into future managers by
   • enhancing theircommunication skills
   • instilling self-confidence and
   • grooming their personalities in the desired manner
4. Course Structure: The decision to join a good business school also rests on the electives you want to pursue, during the two-year management program. The availability of electives of your choice in the B-school that you choose is an important parameter as it can be very crucial to your career goal and aspirations.
5. Faculty: What you learn and imbibe in a business school is exclusively dependent on who are your instructors or faculty.The full-time faculty employed by a credible business school should be experts in their fields with qualifications such as Ph.D or should have sound industry experience after the completion of their academic pursuits from excellent and premier institutions respected across the world.Some B-schools also engage part-time or visiting faculty from the corporate world.Experts from the industry can help you with insights on the current business trends as well as latest developments of the unpredictable and dynamic business world. Getting an opportunity to converse with the management gurus from different disciplines,results in broadening your horizons, with respect to facing real world complex business scenarios.
6. Infrastructure: Infrastructure is another important factor that you need to look into before deciding on a business school.Most of the reputed business schools offer full-time residential post-graduate programs in management. The campus equipped with state-of-the-art facilities will aid you in making the optimum utilization of resources available, with ample opportunities of undertaking research in any management discipline. To give you a good learning exposure and an adaptive environment, most of the accomplished business schools have separate academic blocks with spacious classrooms, lecture halls, conference halls or amphitheatre(s) along with a well-stacked library with online repositories, knowledge bank, leading business journals and a computer lab with high speed internet connectivity or even Wi-Fi facility.
7. Peer Feedback: The most tried and tested practice that one indulges in before choosing a business school is peer feedback.When you obtain positive reviewson a business school of your choice from your close associations, it comes asmore reliable and convincing. Interacting with the alumni of the respective business school also proves very helpful in presenting a clear picture before you with respect to your focus areas. This assists you in taking a well thought decision to opt for a good business school, which will play a key role in giving you an idea of the problems and difficulties that you might come across during your course of study.
8. Industry Perception: The decision of choosing a school to pursue a business management program should also be based on the industry perception. The various surveys and studies taken up by research firms help you in zeroing in on the top ranking business schools based on a number of parameters such as academic excellence and the feedback of the hiring companies. This feedback of the recruiting companies given to the business schools with respect to the students placed impacts their industry perception.This helps you in narrowing down on the options available with respect to the good business schools.
9. Fee Structure: A post-graduate program in management from a premier business school may appear expensive when you compare the fee structure with that of a cheap B-school but we all know that high quality comes at a price. However, you need to seriously deliberate on the fee payment structure offered.If the business school of your choice offers you the flexibility to deposit the fee in some instalments or helps you get an education loan from a banking institution, it can be an added advantage.Good management colleges even offer all the assistance you need to process the loan formalities till the education loan is sanctioned,making the fee structure manageable for you. The idea is to ensure that the deserving aren’t left out because of paucity of funds.

In a nutshell, relying on these parameters will help you make an informed decision on choosing the best business school you could join. With time, you will realize that your decision was in line with your dreams and aspirations. This will help you move a few steps closer towards accomplishment of your goals, preparing you to successfully take up the challenges of tomorrow’s volatile business world.

 

A management program attracts aspirants from diverse professional backgrounds and academic streams such as humanities, arts, life sciences, engineering, and medicine to name a few. Unquestionably, for students coming from commerce or business management streams, the most popular choice is to pursue a post-graduate program in management.

Over the years,there has been a marked increase in the number of applicants equipped with a professional qualification,seeking admission to a management program, which empowers them with the managerial skills needed to compete in the competitive business environment.

Generally, a post-graduate program in management is offered in different disciplines such as Human Resources, Information Technology, Operations, Finance, Marketing,and International Business to transform the students from varied educational backgrounds and interests into business leaders of tomorrow. An important question is how this program adds value to the current skill-sets of students from different disciplines to qualify them to be competent and successful in the business world.

A management program lends you an insight into the operations management, helping you to develop an understanding of the complex processes, involved in the functioning of a business enterprise, and how they impact the working of an enterprise. It gives you an in-depth understanding of the activities involved in an enterprise to ensure its optimal functioning such as project planning and budgeting. Above all, it makes you aware of the critical factors required to manage people effectively.

A management qualification is very much desirable amongst the engineering graduates too.  All engineering graduates may not want to get into core engineering jobs or into research or academics. Some of them might want to lead engineering teams and initiatives soon enough. Getting management education would be first step towards acquiring leadership qualities. There could be cases where some budding engineers may realize that their interest lies not in exploring the different branches of engineering but in statistical analysis or financial management. A finance management course may again come in handy as it helps achieve a thorough understanding of different focus areas such as investment banking, financial management, corporate finance and managerial accountancy. It also helps in enhancing financial decision making skills, adding value to the core skills acquired earlier. With the help of the case studies and other learning methods, it makes you capable enough to take up the responsibilities and challenges related to investment and finance in the business world. Equipped with an engineering qualification along with a postgraduate diploma in business management, you can prove to be the right mix of technical knowledge and management expertise.

On the trend in medicine graduates opting for management education, some people might question the utility of such a choice. Being qualified in medicine does not mean that you must restrict your options to medical practice in a hospital within your domain of specialization. Your dream can even be to start your own nursing home or a chain of drug stores in the long run. To be able to nurture your dreams into reality, you must have managerial expertise required to kick-off your business venture and run it smoothly. At such a stage, what can be a better choice for you than an MBA, which in a short span of two years, makes you adept in the different knowledge areas of management, giving you an edge over your counterparts.

A large number of MBA aspirants also come from Social Sciences such as Psychology, Sociology and so on. Talking about Psychology, it is a discipline specific to the study of human behaviour under different circumstances. A psychology graduate may feel the need to complement his or her qualification with a PG diploma in management with specialization in human resources, which might make it easier to become an HR professional. A combination of psychology and human resource management can build your career at a faster pace.

Consider a case where one of your colleagues has a conflict with his supervisor on some grounds and resigns from the job. In such a situation, you may have to strategically resolve the conflict as an HR professional, thus helping in relationship building and inculcating the spirit of team work, resulting in improved productivity. Human resource management endows you with the skills and techniques pertaining to the different concepts of HR such as gauging emotional intelligence and competency mapping. This scenario throws light on only one dimension of the human resource management while there are a number of functions within human resource management.

Similarly, graduates from sociology may find managerial roles in NGOs or other social organizations. They might even want to become social entrepreneurs. At the same time, aspirants with education background may cross the line and instead of acting as teachers and trainers, they may aspire to become administrators or managers of educational institutions.

Life sciences too, is witnessing a drift with the graduates in microbiology and other streams inclined towards pursuing management education so that it helps them to cope with the problems and difficulties of the business world. With technology reigning the world these days, a management program in information technology will help a graduate in life sciences with his research assignments and make him more competent. This program equips you with all the skills and technologies mandated to be successful in the highly advance environment of today. Management professionals coupled with technical skills steal the show in the unpredictable business world these days.

An MBA program covers a wide range of marketing topics such as consumer behaviour, competitive marketing strategies, sales and distribution management and product management, which help you, gain an insight of their practical applications together with theoretical concepts. You acquire the skills to design competent marketing strategies targeted towards specific consumer segments to ensure brand loyalty, and develop creative and innovative skills, for meeting customized consumer preferences. Irrespective of your prior educational background, you can gain fresh knowledge on unexplored areas and yet excel in them.

On a broader perspective, a post-graduate program in management widens your dimensions and shows you a perspective that helps you exploit your strengths, pursue your interest as well as utilize your current qualification.

So we see that a management program can add value to the knowledge and skill-sets of fresh graduates or experienced professionals, irrespective of the diverse educational streams that they come from. It enables individuals to acquire the traits of a successful professional that are required to manage oneself, a workforce or an enterprise.

Be the one!