The benefits of doing an MBA are endless. There is a reason why year after year, millions of students aspire to get into the best B-schools and earn that degree which promises to open new doors for them in the professional world. The seven figure salaries, a fancy lifestyle and professional growth are just a few reasons why students prefer to study this course. Let us see a few more reasons through this blog-post, why an MBA degree is perceived at such a high pedestal.

These are 7 benefits of doing an MBA:

1.  Career Progression:

Typically a professional begins his/her career with an operational role. Being fairly smart, hardworking and result-oriented, you get promotions and reach a decent position in the management. So now you have a good academic profile and good work experience. What happens next? After a few years you start feeling stagnated. This could happen after 3 years or it may even take a decade for you to reach that stage.

This is because in today’s performance-oriented professional world, most of the people around you also have the same qualities and credentials that you possess. So, at this point it is crucial for you to ask – what unique traits do you have that will differentiate you from the herd?

The answer lies in an MBA degree. Actually, not just any MBA degree but an MBA degree from a premier business school. An MBA from a top B-school will help you make a quick transition from a mid-level role to a senior management position, where you will have the opportunity to take strategic decisions. If you browse through the job descriptions of senior positions across industries, you can see that MBA is the preferred degree, perhaps not mandatory. Consulting is one profession where an MBA is mandatory to grow into an Associate or higher positions. So, the lack of an MBA degree may not be a show-stopper but it will be a huge reason for career stagnation.

2. Career Shift:

What are the chances that with your current education, your current role and your current experience, you can actually switch to any other role or industry? Very little! Consider this situation – you have been in IT for the past 5 years, but with time you realize that your true calling is marketing. What steps can you take to make a switch?

• You can take up small marketing projects over the weekends
• Read about marketing on the internet and make changes to your resume
• Take an online marketing course

Even if you manage to get past the interview for a marketing role, you would still be joining at an entry level. Your great IT experience will not help you much to get a senior level role in marketing.

It is here that an MBA program can help. In fact, one of the most important reasons why professionals choose to do an MBA is to change career tracks smoothly.

3. Knowledge:

An MBA from a top business school may set you back by about INR 50 lakhs for a 10-month course. The figure may be even higher depending on the location of your school and the duration of the program. This works out to about 1.2 lakhs per week. In India, you may end up spending 20 lakhs for a similar MBA program. Imagine spending such a huge sum of money just to gain knowledge!

Wouldn’t it be prudent to quit your job for a year and browse the internet to get all the knowledge in the world? However, the truth is the knowledge that will help you progress in your career will not be found just in books or on the internet. The interactions and the intellectual debates that are a part of an MBA curriculum will be extremely enriching. Secondly, the pedagogical methods employed in top schools are very innovative and effective – these include case studies, presentations, projects, research papers etc. If you are joining a typical two year MBA program, in the first year you will have the core curriculum consisting of marketing, accounting, finance, statistics, economics, management, organization behaviour etc. These lay the foundation of your understanding of business. To be a future CEO, you need to have a 360 degree view of how to run a company and manage people. The language of business is the language of money. Apart from the core subjects, B-schools offer a plethora of electives, usually in the second year, depending on what stream you want to specialize in. It is at this point that you need to have a very good idea of your career path, so that you can make full use of your MBA program.

4. Networking:

What is networking?

Knowing people? Getting contacts?

Yes, knowing people is a big part of networking, but surely it is not just that!

Even with all the social media hype, how many people from your college are you in regular touch with? 20? 50? At the most, 100! Even at work, how many people do you really know? Maybe your immediate superiors, your team and the people you meet at the cafeteria. What happens once you quit your current job and meet your ex-colleague after two years in a mall? You may even find it hard to remember his/her name!

So, what is networking all about? Networking at business schools means that you will be carrying the same tag as thousands of alumni. You may or may not have studied together but if a Harvard alumnus receives an email or a job request from another Harvard alumnus or is interviewing a candidate who went to the same school, there will be an immediate bonding between them, something like an Old Boys Association! We all want to be identified as part of a group of high achievers. Doing an MBA from a reputed B-school gives you a great opportunity to network with smart, talented people who will hold top strategic positions in major companies or will be great business leaders someday. Networking is all about knowing the right people rather than just knowing hundreds of random people. It lies on the lines of quality over quantity.

5. Brand Equity:

An MBA degree is certainly a feather in your cap. But an MBA from a top B-school is a more brightly colored feather! You can feel this difference within India itself. All things being equal, there is a big difference if you do an MBA from a lesser known B-school in your region and if you graduate from a top school such as IBS Hyderabad.  As most recruiters are aware of how difficult it is to get into a top B-school, an MBA degree from such a school holds a lot of brand value. Employers already know that you have cleared the first level of acid test: high GPA, high GMAT score, essays, recommendations, the tough interview itself and of course, a very rigorous MBA program. Just like gold, an MBA from a reputed B-school gives you a certificated hallmark that you are competent to become a successful leader in near future. As the job of assessing a candidate is already done by the MBA Admissions Committee, recruiters are well-assured of your potential.

6. Self-Growth:

What do you really learn at a B-school?

Most people would answer this by saying – ‘The confidence to be somebody who matters in a professional life.’

A reputed B-school program gives you the opportunity to think in the direction you want to. Whatever goals you may have had before joining an MBA program, once you join, you may realize that your true calling lies elsewhere. The entire classroom experience, interaction with faculty and peers, student activities, case studies and similar exercises and experiences may radically change your perspective, both personally and professionally.  Many MBA students discover a new person in themselves once they graduate from business school.

The irony of life is that when you were a student, you had no responsibilities, but you also lacked the right perspective. Once you started working, gradually you learnt who you are, what your potentials are, but at this stage you were so burdened with responsibilities that you couldn’t get the chance to follow your passion. An MBA gives you a second chance in life to do what you always wanted to do. It gives you the independence of a student’s life as well as the perspective of working professionally for many years.

Conclusion

Do you identify with some of these reasons why you should do an MBA? At the end of the day, it’s all about your passion, your career and your long term goals. Before you even think of applying anywhere, analyze why exactly you wish to pursue an MBA and articulate it well in your essays and interviews. A systematic approach to following your dreams will make your MBA journey meaningful and enjoyable.

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

Many times you might have come across people who score well in various MBA entrance examinations but fail to secure a seat in a good B-School. Have you ever wondered what might have gone wrong or what was on the mind of the selectors at the time of selections? If the answer to this question is ‘Yes’ , then let us try to understand the evaluation procedure that the selection committees of  B-Schools  generally follow to assess a candidate and select them for admissions into their MBA programs.

Mostly B-Schools follow the ‘Composite Score Technique’ for evaluation. Composite score in simple terms is nothing but an aggregate score. Let us look at the various parameters on which the scoring is done, which form a part of the aggregate score of the candidate:

• Admission Test Score: The first step that B-Schools take to screen the students is conducting an admission test. Good performance in the admission test is very crucial, and it is the key parameter to proceed further. But it is also important to understand that it is not the only parameter. Clearing the cut offs or scoring a high percentile is only half the battle won, in fact less than half.  The admission test score of a candidate gives B-Schools a fair idea about his/her logical reasoning, comprehension and analytical skills.

• Performance in GD/PI: Group discussions and personal interviews are a vital part of the selection process. It is very important to perform well in these rounds in order to maximize the chances of getting through the doors of a good B-School. These rounds are meant to assess various traits of a candidate. Group discussions are used to check if a candidate is a team member or not, whether he/she possesses leadership qualities and decision making ability, whereas personal interviews are a test of confidence, thinking ability, communication skills etc.

• Academics: The candidate’s academic record is also taken into account during the selection process as it gives the selection committee a hint of how well can a student cope up with their rigorous MBA program.

• Work Experience: MBA is a program after which students are usually absorbed at the middle level of an organization, where they need to manage entry level resources and supervise them. Someone who has worked previously can understand the work and mindset of people at entry level in a better way. B-Schools also believe that candidates with work experience also bring in the inputs from their work life into the classrooms during case discussions offering in the program. This is beneficial for everyone in the class including people without any prior experience. Hence work experience is also a parameter which is considered during selections.

• Diverse Background: MBA is a program which not only equips a person with professional skills but also with personal skills, and these personal skills are acquired by interacting with many people from different cultures and backgrounds. Majority of the B-Schools believe in having a batch with a good mix of students from a variety of backgrounds, educational or cultural, so that experiential learning takes place among the students while working together on various projects and assignments.

• Extra Curricular: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, and no B-School wants to produce dull managers. Every B-School likes to produce managers who are charismatic. In fact, MBA is a program which aims at shaping up the overall personality. B-Schools always look for interesting candidates who have done something extra, apart from their regular studies or work; it might be taking up any hobby passionately or devoting time to any social activity or doing something innovative.

Now, that we have seen the key parameters which constitute the composite score, let us understand the importance of each parameter and how these parameters can affect your candidature at the time of evaluation.

To make the process of understanding less complicated, let us assume that a B-School evaluates a candidate on a maximum composite score of 100. This score of 100 is the aggregate of the scores of a candidate on key parameters. Every parameter is given certain weightage in such a way that the maximum score of all the parameters put together adds up to 100.

In general the weightage given to each parameter ranges from 5%-50%, although it may be more or less in some cases. However the weightage allocated to the parameters differ from B-School to B-school. For example, one institute may allocate 10% weightage for work experience whereas some other may allocate 15% for the same. This difference in weightage is a major cause that makes the same candidate’s profile strong for one B-School and weak for the other.

Although, admission test score and performance in GD/PI are major parameters i.e. the parameters which are given more value, there are many B-Schools which take into consideration some other parameters like work experience, academics, diverse background, extracurricular before giving a candidate a call for GD/PI if he/she has cleared the cut offs.  In such cases, it is also quite possible that a candidate who has done exceedingly well in the admission test and has cleared the cut offs by a huge margin does not receive a call for GD/PI.  But for the B-Schools which give calls for GD/PI just if the cut offs are cleared, a candidate has a chance of making it through the doors even if he/she does not perform that well in GD/PI when compared to the other candidates, if the scores in the other parameters are high enough.

Now, that you have understood to a certain extent about the evaluation process that most of the B-Schools in India generally follow, I hope you will not be surprised next time onwards to see that a candidate, who just cleared the cut off in the admission test, secure a seat in a B-School when compared to someone who has scored exceedingly well.

However, the most important point for you to understand here than anything else is that even if you clear the cut off by a narrow margin, or if you are a fresher with no work experience, if you have got a well balanced profile you stand a great chance to get into your dream B-School. Always remember “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.

For any queries related to admissions in IBS use the following link http://www.ibsindia.org/admissions/

Contributed by Rohan Jain ( Class of 2009-2011, IBS HYDERABAD )

Linkedin Profile of Rohan Jain: http://in.linkedin.com/in/rohanjain88/

 

As the new pre-admission season gets underway, the aspirants set their sight on cracking the entrance tests and GD – PI rounds. This period is significant as it is going to be a transition from having a student mindset to the mindset of being a professional.

An aspirant should always remember that the examining panel is always looking for right talent and is essentially interested in selecting the candidate rather than rejecting. This implies that the candidate has to give a strong reason to the panel to get eliminated. So, if the basics have been executed well, there are good chances of getting selected. This also depends on the competition.

So what needs to be done in order to ensure that you do not get eliminated?

Firstly, understand what MBA is all about and who can succeed in the realm of management. MBA is a generalized study of management science and it requires an individual to have the hunger and motivation to work for definite objectives within tight timelines in an innovative manner. This also calls upon for a balanced and disciplined approach as well as a go-getter attitude.  A management degree should be perceived as more than just a ‘job–fetching degree’. In fact, it has positive repercussions on overall personality of individuals and their outlook towards life.

Keeping this in mind, an aspirant should identify if pursuing an MBA degree would be the right career choice. Career is not only about the professional work that is a part of an individual but it also reflects through higher education. Considering higher education as a part of one’s career is the first step towards cultivating a professional mindset. Once MBA has been identified as a right career choice, then the aspirant should start identifying right options for an institute to study in. This is followed by the main task of preparation for entrance examinations.

Usually, when an individual clears the first round of written exams, he or she is a step closer to getting into the B-School of his/her choice. Next are the Group Discussion & Personal Interview (GD- PI) rounds. The group discussion is where you are required to exhibit strong communication skills and various skills such as participation, knowledge of the subject and the analytical ability to pick up the subject and make logical contribution to the discussion. Being assertive is required; however it is important that the participant in the discussion is logically aggressive and emotionally stable.

Some of the things to be avoided in the GD round are speaking over each other, deviating from topic, focussing on unrelated content, not letting other group members speak, over-display of emotions like enthusiasm, excitement, nervousness etc. While some panels would like to identify those who contribute more to the discussion as a positive effort, there are some panels which do not perceive speaking too much as good attribute in GD.

The To-Do list can be quite extensive, some of include taking initiative to start the discussion, regularly participating in discussion, staying on the subject, bringing the group back to subject if there are deviations, quick analysis of topic, listening well, being articulate, being tactful and staying calm rounded up with a good body language.

There is also one very important aspect in any group discussion. How to disagree with someone? If such a case arises, you should not argue with other member of the group or enforce your point of view on them. You should rather listen attentively and use phrases like “I understand your point but I would like to differ in the opinion because of these points…”, “I respect your opinion but I firmly believe in ….” This displays maturity and respect for others’ opinions. Also, don’t miss any chance to display leadership skills by involving a passive member in the discussion.

Even if you do reasonably well, you should still hope to sail through the round. Remember the bottom line – Do not treat other members of the group as your opponents, rather take them along with you. Also, sticking to the basics go a long way.

Another important component is the presentation. Lot of good B-schools are conducting presentations now-a-days as a part of inducting the right candidate in the program. Most of the aspirants see presentation as a threat to their chances. On the contrary, it should be seen as an opportunity to highlight themselves and how differently they can position themselves in the correct manner.

Presentation is not only about speaking in front of several listeners but also an exercise of demonstrating your communication skills. In the field of management, public speaking is an essential art. In fact, many great managers in the corporate field are known for their speaking skills. Getting nervous is obvious but it should not be projected during the presentation.

Prior to making a presentation, an aspirant has to prepare well. Preparation does not mean trying to mug what you are going to speak. It’s about knowing what you are going to speak. Decent formals and clean clothes are a must. Before beginning the presentation, it’s advisable to hold on for a moment and place yourself properly in the situation. At times, when the candidates are nervous, they start speaking about irrelevant content, which should be avoided at all costs. Greeting the panel and the audience is important and then start delivering the content. Don’t be too fast or too slow; keep a steady pace of delivery by modulating your voice as and when required. Looking at each side of the hall and maintaining a stable body language is crucial. You can also consider moving around a bit to cover the stage area if it is big.

While progressing through the presentation, it is important to have a proper command over it. You are expected to explain the presentation clearly to your audience and hence your voice should be audible to everyone without being too loud or rough. Don’t create bulky content as that would be counter-productive and audience would soon lose interest. Keep the content short, simple yet extremely engaging. While delivering your talk, if you miss anything that you planned or forget something, don’t ponder over it for a long time, just apologise and move ahead. Ask if anyone has any questions at the end of your delivery as this shows you are considerate of the audience’s queries and concerns. Thank the audience and panel before terminating your talk. Cultivating strong presentation skills is a soft aspect of communication but extremely essential in order to succeed in the field of management. Again, if you do the basics right, there are good chances that your aspiration for MBA is a step closer.

Now, the third and most important component of entrance process is the personal interview. Here again, unlike the view of many aspirants, the panel is interested in selecting the candidate. It just needs to be backed by some decent performance face to face. Performance here does not imply that something very drastic needs to be done but one should ensure that all the things that you intend the panel to know about you are communicated clearly.

To start with, carry necessary educational documents in a file and dress in formals. Greet the panel, don’t be too loud and avoid using unnatural ascent or style. If there are uncomfortable questions and you don’t know the answer, simply apologize for your inability to answer rather than bluffing. Lying or bluffing is never appreciated and it would put you in a bad spot as the panel is very experienced to catch for such anomaly. Be sincere and honest but tactful. Try to dwell more on your strengths.

The crux of the matter is that in all the components of entrance evaluation process, be confident and disciplined. Be careful not be complacent and rough. Have a clear focus on your objectives and strengths while communicating really well. Keep a tab on nitty-gritties of performance and presentation too. By avoiding small and casual mistakes, you can confidently nurture a hope of not getting eliminated.

All the best!

Chinmay Dave

The author of the blog is entrepreneur, founder partner of Moneyfarm (www.moneyfarm.co.in) and IBS Jaipur alumni.

 

You can write to the author at:

chinmay_dave2004@yahoo.com

 

Sahana looked around her childhood room with mixed emotions. She had spent almost 20 years of her life in that room. The emotions she felt ranged from extreme excitement to dreaded fear. She sat on the floor in between a thousand things, wondering how she should go about taking the next step in life.

She had been accepted into the prestigious IBS, Hyderabad College and she would be joining college in 2 days. A million thoughts ran through her mind:

• What to pack?
• What would I need?
• What are the classes going to be like?
• Will I make new friends?
• Do I need to carry anything specific?

All these and many more questions arose from the fact that Sahana had never lived away from home in her life before. The only senior she knew who had passed out of IBS, Hyderabad some 10 years ago was her cousin, who couldn’t help her much. She had no connections to the college and neither were any of her friends going along with her. Most of all, she had missed the preliminary classes that were conducted by college for all students since she had to complete her graduation exams.

Desperate for help Sahana rushed out of her room and found her father’s laptop. She turned to the internet for some much needed help and guidance. She prayed hard in hope that there would be one soul out there in this world who had written something about how a person in her situation was to cope with this new change. Suddenly, as if God had answered her prayers, she came across an online forum:

——————————————————————————————————————-ICFAI Alumni group to connect and meet.                                                         03.00 pm, 04-12-2012

Day-0 (How to expect the unexpected)

Hi Guys,

My name is Pavithra Nayak and I passed out from college in 2011. I am writing this post for all those new-comers who are about to embark on the greatest adventures of their lives.

First of all, let me begin by congratulating you for deciding to join this prestigious institution. You have been chosen out of lakhs of applicants and should feel absolutely honoured. I, myself was quite apprehensive about joining this institution as I had other offers from other colleges. I could have easily chosen the college which had the easiest interview or the one closest to my hometown. But I am an adventurous by heart. So I decided to take the greatest risk in my life.

I chose this prestigious institution, because of the following:

• I was going to live away from home for the first time in my life.
• I was very impressed by the selection process of this institute.
• The reputation of this institute was tremendous and it ranked in the top 10 India’s best colleges.
• I had no friends who had chosen the same institute as me which seemed like starting a new life.
• Moreover, I was close enough to home to travel back once in 6 months. .

I still remember the day I received my Welcome letter from the college. It was a day of celebration amongst my friends and family. The college had asked me to join 15 days prior to the actual beginning of classes for a preliminary session of ‘brushing the basics’ before the actual classes began. Unfortunately, due to my final exams of graduation I wasn’t able to attend the classes, so I responded back to the college asking them permission to miss the preliminary classes, which the college was quite understanding about.

Let me tell you that these preliminary classes are really not that important academically, as much as they are essential for any new comer, with no prior work-experience like me, who was taking a new step away from home. These prelim classes honestly gave every student some time to test waters of the vast ocean of the world of MBA. You could assess your standing amongst a diverse crowd of students, who came from different backgrounds and also get a feel of the regular classes.

By the time I had joined in for the actual classes, I felt as if I was behind a semester. People had made friends, they knew the routine of classes, they knew how to get around the campus (I was honestly lost for the first 2 weeks because the campus is so vast). Nevertheless, it did not matter too much.

My first friend was the girl next door, in my hostel and I am pleased to say that we have survived some of the most turbulent times and we still are the best of friends after 5 years. When you have over a thousand students in college, one is bound to make a few friends. The secret is, even if you find it difficult to talk to people, join the clubs and societies in college, even volunteer for events and fests. These are the best places to make friends. If nothing else, knock on the door next to your room and you will definitely make a new friend.

All the hostels have individual rooms and this is the single most important space in your life. 99% of the time will NOT be spent in here. You would either be out or in someone else’s room. This is a storage area for most of your belongings. The bathrooms are shared of course and they come with one washing machine for each section of the block, enough to manage your clothes around.  Your room also comes equipped with the basic necessities like a chair (which will eventually be converted to a laptop holder), a desk (which is more of a books and clothes rack) and a bed (bring your own mattress) and a cupboard.

There were 2 messes in college and the food was pretty good. The best learning you get from a hostel mess is how to adjust under any circumstance regarding food. If you choose to be a little extravagant there were some dhabas outside college, the college canteen and the in-hostel-late-night-student-run-café etc, so you are short of food.

There is also a tiny supply store which was the most interesting place in the entire college. It was the smallest space in college where you could buy anything from a pin to a plane. Even if they don’t have it, you could pre-order for things and they would arrive the next day.

I think the easiest facility was sending out couriers to anyone, right there from inside the campus. We had 2 of them, so there was always a competition for prices. You could even receive couriers delivered to you hostel.

Academically what was most interesting to me was the Harvard style of education that was implemented the year I had joined college. It took the classes to a different level. We would have to study the chapter and a case study related to the chapter and then the lecture would revolve around arguments from 60 of the brightest minds with various perspectives, with a moderator, the faculty for that subject. It took me a while to get used to this style of teaching to be honest. I was so used to the rote system. However what is absolutely beautiful about this methodology is that it instils in every student a sense of healthy competition. It teaches us patience and acceptance. We get to understand our strengths and weaknesses. We begin to reach out to those who maybe better at the subject than us. All this prepares us for the real world.

I have spoken far too much, haven’t I? But this is what I believe one really is worried about. I had recently read an article on ‘Why the founder of Facebook wears the same shirt’; the answer was pretty simple: He believed that things like choosing ones clothes and other frivolous mundane decisions should not have to be very difficult. They end up taking a lot of the thought-process which could in-turn be used for something more useful.

I remember the anxiety attacks that I had during my final days leading up to joining my new college. They were tough. If only I had an insider to tell me a bit about the life in a 100 acre campus, situated 30 kms away from the city, I am sure I would have spent my time catching up with old friends and family and not buy a thousand unnecessary things to college. I would have confidently entered the college with the hope that I had made the best choice in life and there was no looking back from there on.

I don’t know if anyone would ever read this post or if it is of use to anyone, but I hope that it could help someone in the future. I wish you the best of luck and leave you with this:

“It’s your life, live each day as of you were given a fresh start, if you need something: ask; if you are scared: tell; if you want to find something: search; take one step at a time, un-complicate life!”

——————————————————————————————————————-

Sahana shut the laptop and walked to her room. There was a sense of overwhelming relief. Someone had understood her so well and answered most of her questions, as if telepathically. She did not bother about the other questions that ran in her mind. She quickly called up her friends and asked them to meet her that evening.

She called out to her mom and told her what she needed and requested her to help her finish packing. She was now fully equipped to face day-zero of her new life.

Contributed by Sujir Pavithra Nayak ( Class of 2009-2011, IBS HYDERABAD )

Once I got an opportunity to accompany Mr. J. Mehta (one of the faculty members of an MBA program at a reputed B-school) to interview fresh candidates in a Personal Interview (PI) session. It was the auditorium of the college and the interviewer’s desk was right in front of the stage. The table was lined with profiles of candidates who have cleared their Group Discussion (GD) session. After settling down it was time for the first candidate. I remember telling Mr. Mehta “What a suffocating environment this is, forget about the candidates, I feel pressurized sitting this side of the table.” To which he calmly answered, “That’s the drill, this is to ensure how the candidate would handle situations in crisis period. I tell you confidence is the key.” After scrutinizing 10 PI candidates for a long session of three and a half hours, I came out of the room exhausted but the things I learnt from interviewing the students has helped me built a clear picture of why assessing a candidate in GD-PI for a Management Course is so  important. In fact, these are the traits not only a management program candidate must have but professionally the grooming is required for a successful career.

I am penning down this article to assess that exact point.

Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) are the two most important dimensions of the selection process for any management program. B-Schools conduct GD/PI once the students have gone through the bradawl of CAT, MAT etc. and have proved themselves on the academic ground. GD/PI sessions assure the faculty and the selection committee that the candidates they are hiring can be trained and polished to be managers. The entrance test checks the basic knowledge to understand the course whereas the GD/PI checks the basic of analytical and logical thinking, the personality of an individual, the ability to take decisions under pressure and various other personality traits.

GROUP DISCUSSION

GD generally spans over 10-30 minutes and is conducted with an objective to select the candidates who are team players and not individual contributors. During the Group Discussion, the panel evaluates the candidate’s potential to be a leader. The topics could be related to current affairs or any social cause, the GD topics helps panelists assess the candidate’s overall personality. Some may speak against or for the topic, so your stand matters and it helps the selection committee, to judge your ability to analyze the given topic. During the discussion the focus is always more on you placing your point of view strongly against all odds, in a polite manner.

Here is a list of skills assessed during Group Discussion:

Awareness of the Topic: As I mentioned above, the topic could revolve around anything happening or has happened in the surrounding. Your speaking skills are evaluated on your general awareness, knowledge of the topic and what stand you have taken for it is also considered. Also, if you give relevant examples then it would be even easier for the selection team to understand that you are a regular reader and you take the problems, situations and current affairs seriously. It’s a win-win situation then.

Good Listening Skills: Yes, it’s important. When one speaks you should let them complete, else panelists would think you are trying to dominate hence you prove not to be a team player. You also have to understand what the other person is saying so that you don’t repeat yourself on the same points.

Confidence: You have all the knowledge and good listening and analytical skills, but if you lack confidence while speaking, panelists may not pay much attention to what you are saying. Even if you are making a strong point, lack of confidence can lead to a loss of opportunity. Don’t be loud but don’t be inaudible as well. Observe how others are talking and drift to that side instead getting aloof.

Speaker: When the panelist gives a topic to a particular group they mostly ask someone to introduce it. It could be you. You have to take it as an opportunity. If you give a good introduction of what you think of it, you would be noticed then and there.

PERSONAL INTERVIEW

Your people skills will be checked in GD but the personal interview gives you an idea of where you stand in terms of your own standards. You may go through a lot of course books to understand the format of personal interview but you have to know yourself first.

Why you want to pursue MBA or what are your personal goals or your hobbies or your strength and weakness, these are kind of questions that you would face during your personal interview. Yes it’s nothing different from getting into a multinational company.

I remember Mr. Mehta asking a candidate who scored 98 percent in CAT, “Do you consider it as a great achievement for you?” and the confident boy without a second answered, “Yes, it is a great achievement as I had put in a real hard work in the preparation but at the same time it is only half a battle won. If I clear the PI session and qualify for the MBA then the achievement would be counted in real.”

The best way to tackle interview is to sit and know you in and out. Think why you want to pursue MBA. Take a pen and paper and make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. It will help you analyze your personality and prepare for questions that may be asked during the interview.

Here is a quick list of skills assessed during Personal Interview:

Goal Clarity: You should have an idea about the MBA program and how it will help you achieve your long-term goals.

Know Yourself: Be well versed with yourself. Right from your family background, to the city you belong, your school, friends and every aspect of your personality can come into the picture. It’s very important to analyze yourself before entering the room. Remember, your introduction marks the beginning of a personal interview – here you influence the interviewer.

Keep Calm, be Confident and Honest: The room, the faculty members, the quietness of the room, everything can give you a reason to be nervous but be calm. It’s the testing point. The panelist will try to grill you on your weakness or on the answers you are giving. Just keep your calm to answer them confidently. Honesty in your answers can well be ascertained through calm, composure & confidence you display.

Be Original: You have your own strengths and weaknesses. So face them the way you want it. Don’t mock. Don’t go over the top. Remember spontaneity is the key.

This was my understanding on the significance of GD-PI. And I hope this will help you and all the candidates who are planning to crack the entry to an MBA Program.

Contributed by Jigyasa Laroiya

I have always been a close observer and I find my train rides on my way to work very amusing. The reason is you don’t get bored even if you are travelling a longer distance because something interesting or the other keeps happening and that way I acquire inspiration in my writing. Once I was getting back from work when I overheard two classmates or rather friends chitchatting about their MBA classes. If you wouldn’t have heard their conversation, you wouldn’t have taken them as pals because they came from different walks of life. One appeared to be a fresh graduate from Northeast India (it’s not that I can read faces but yes with the accent it was clear) and the other was a Marwari businessman (little elder to the former one). With their conversation it was pretty clear that their goals were different as the elder one was pursuing MBA to take ahead his family business whereas the younger one dreamt to make it big in the corporate world. Now, you tell me isn’t it quite interesting how two people from completely different backgrounds, pursuing the same course to meet their respective dreams. What a blend! How could I have missed such an inspiration to pen down my thoughts on MBA Program being the base of blended learning?

I believe that blended learning is the future of the industry and MBA programs are constantly adding inherent values to make that future even brighter. I’d like to share some reasons why I believe so.

A BUSINESSMAN OR A FRESH GRADUATE – Blended learning welcomes everyone!

With my experience, I always find people from every possible background, be it engineers, arts graduates, science graduates etc attending MBA classes on a regular basis – the reason is simple, the course offers flexibility. Blended MBA learning program provides an opportunity for students to learn in a format that closely resembles their current work or business environment (work teams that stretch across time zones and cultures). And the program makes them work as a team. They come for classes, attend lectures, and complete their coursework on the timeline they have created for themselves with their teams. There’s no individual learning. You are trained to learn things in team wherein you get a chance to lead by being a team leader. That’ very important post the program because be it in a multinational company or a small business you set up, you have to run it with teams. Individual approach doesn’t work.

A MATTER OF CHALLENGE – Blend in it and overcome it to stand as a winner

I wish you could see those energetic faces of those friends who were travelling with me in train. All through their journey they were discussing about the engaging program, how it made them confident to speak in front of the whole class. The younger one even said it with excitement, “Dubey Sir is too good. I have never experienced professors making you feel like their buddies. I can approach him anytime with any doubts.” To which even I nodded. Students when come for their face-to-face sessions—they certainly don’t feel it is any less challenging! But they certainly learn to overcome it with each progressing day. And how? Well the way they get the freedom to decide on how to optimize their engagements with their professors and each other; they learn to deal with every challenge, from public speaking to team leading. I have also mentioned in my previous posts that soft-skills @IBS create the perfect blend of knowledge with perfect execution.

STRONG PROFESSIONAL NETWORK – Blend in to know the who’s and how’s of the industry

Be it the internship program that you take up during the course or the faculty members or those corporate guest lecturers; these things do help you to know the work culture well. Also, I feel that some of the strongest professional networks are made up of alumni who have completed an MBA program and have experience the benefits of blended learning not just in the course but in practice too. Not only do you have access to the larger business school community, you have a special relationship with those individuals with whom you’ve completed your degree.

This again reminds me of the conversation the train mates were having. The elder one while teasing the other one, “Look don’t forget to get me business when you get into a better position at your multinational company.” While the younger one smiled and agreed to every word of it as he was determined that the bond isn’t getting over any sooner.

In many cases, blended learning takes advantage of the use of cohorts—students move through the program together and end the program with the same group with whom they started. As a result of this intense experience, we find that the alumni of this program feel an even stronger affinity to each other and those who have completed the program either before or after them! These program help you build professional and personal relationships that serve you well throughout your career, providing essential mentoring and contacts.

KNOW THE SURROUNDING WELL – Blend into varied cultures to be socially responsible

As I mentioned earlier, MBA opens the door for students from different parts of the country and even beyond, it becomes a social hub for students who get to know the cultures of others so well. Apart from learning discipline, ethical and moral values, the mixed culture makes one to be socially responsible. You must be thinking how! But it’s true the moment students are exposed to certain cultures or communities they learn the brighter side of them which otherwise people overlook possibly because of no interaction whatsoever. Students start thinking rationally and not what society has been forcing them to think. The acceptance also increases as they start learning together as team members. The blending of different cultures prepares them to face even the corporate world, builds their confidence to strike any conversation with any of the team member, and helps them distinguish between what’s right and what’s not. It makes them grow as a social person. I remember, how our dean fondly use to call our batch as a – Mini India batch for the diversity of students.

Visit us at IBS or check out our social communities and experience the blend & benefits of it, you just cannot ignore.

Contributed by Jigyasa Laroiya

Few months ago, one of my cousins who had recently completed his graduation sought my advice. He was pondering whether to join an MBA course or not. For this purpose, he wanted to discuss with me. After hearing his concerns, I advocated five signs that he must look out for in his life that can help him decide if he must pursue an MBA degree.

If you are on the same boat as my cousin, you should consider the following five signs which might help you reach a decision.

1. You are convinced what you want to DO with your MBA

An MBA degree is not a magic wand for success. Add to that, the huge cost of investment. Be it an Indian B-school or the one that you have been eyeing outside the country. They all a require lot of money. And the return on investment? Well, it depends. So, what should you do?

Obviously, you must do an MBA as long as you know what you want from an MBA degree, and why you must study it. Stephen Covey, famous author, puts it like this, “Start with the end in mind”. I know it is a dreaded interview question – where do you want to see yourself in next 5 or 10 years. Only variation this time is, you are asking this question solely for yourself. When you have the clarity of your career goals, evaluate how MBA will help you achieve them.

Many are motivated by the kind of salary MBA graduates earn. Some want to pursue it to change their field or industry. Faster growth in their career is another common reason.

• Do you plan to enroll for MBA because your friends have also joined an MBA program?
• Did some in your family ask you to earn that elusive degree?
• Did you plan for further education as you do not have a job after your bachelor’s degree?

Is your decision influenced by any of the above scenarios? Think over again and again till you find a valid reason. Do not make any hasty decisions. It has to be your reason, not someone else’s. Otherwise MBA will be merely a degree and an investment for you, with no return.

2. You dream of an entrepreneurial venture but do not know where to begin from.

Probably you are familiar with the adage – ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. Do you still believe in it? A business, whether small or big, entails many aspects of management, ranging from sales and marketing, finance, human resources, operations to strategy. To quote Henry Mintzberg, an internationally acclaimed academician and author on business and management, “Management is, above all, a practice where art, science and craft meet”. Your journey to become an employer will need a holistic perspective of business. A safe bet for you is to start from MBA.

• Did running a club in college excite you?
• Do you like to lead or follow someone?

The entrepreneurial venture may excite you. You may be just out of your college or have spent years in some job. Whatever is the case, the idea of having-something-of-your–own still glitters in your eyes.This includes the expansion of your family business, which you are expected to join soon. But you do not have the necessary capital to turn your dream into a reality. This is where a B-school can come to your rescue. You can leverage the network of a B-school (Read: venture capitalists, funding agencies) that can help you secure funding.

How many times have you heard that many business stalwarts never went to a B-school? But did you know how many more went to a B-school?

3. When your boss hands you more responsibilities of the Project

Well, this can easily turn out to be a double-edged sword. Do you foresee that more responsibilities will pile up your woes? Or, is it the growing recognition of your performance and potential? It depends upon your perspective.

• Are you the one who loves challenges?
• Have you ever turned a seemingly threatening script into an opportunity for yourself?
• Do you manage well in office because you can multi-task?

If you agree and have not joined an MBA course, this is the moment. You have it in you to pursue an MBA degree. Your boss has inconspicuously paved your path. It is time to hone your skills and get a formal degree of management.

You are the person who handles changes dexterously. In a B-school, you will often have to surmount numerous challenges. It could be the last minute assignment submission, the environment around you, priorities for the day or the club meetings.

Many times, working professionals look for a change in their career path. They sense they are stuck in their present role. Promotions or salary increase are hard to come by. Moreover, people in technical or in a specialized area want to make their career in the field of management.

4. You are impatient to know how the CEO of your company runs the business.

The moment this question props up in your head, you must contemplate the pace of your career progression.  What is it in him that you do not possess? Merely an MBA degree? Think again.

Heading a business organization is predominantly about business skills, business acumen, experience and wisdom.As a potential management member of a company, you need to be open-minded, ready to experiment and most importantly, take risks. In the words of a renowned consultant and speaker, Tom Northup, “No great manager or leader ever fell from heaven; it’s learned, not inherited”.

Hence, now you know more about your CEO. At B-school, you will learn plenty of these skills and add the business models, methods and frameworks. Though your source of inspiration may be your CEO, the road you need to walk is an MBA program.

5. You love to have more ‘friends’ and ‘followers’ on your social media platform.

Ah, did I put an extra smile on your face? I bet I did.

• Do you like networking and connecting with people?
• Are you a people-oriented individual with good interpersonal skills?
• Do you understand human relationships and value them?

You must be glad to possess these qualities in you. A B-school is a perfect place to build your own network. Every school has an alumni network which you can tap into for your future. Very often, the alumni network is one of the driving forces behind the successful brand of a B-school. Remember, they can be prospective recruiters too. Networking, thus, assumes a huge significance in your professional career.

According to one survey by Financial Times, networking was the third most important reason why one opted for an MBA. It even surpassed reasons like prospects of promotion and changing jobs or careers. 95% of the respondents who valued networking said that it had worked for them. Not just with the alumni, you can also build excellent rapport with your peers too. All of them have congregated in the school with their own distinct and clear goals. They will be the most important pillars of your network.

Let me add a sixth and a bonus sign here.

Of late, you have developed an aptitude and liking for something called Excel Spreadsheets. Welcome to the league!

Contributed by Suyash Chopra (Batch 2008-2010, IBS HYDERABAD)

Numerous questions pop up in the mind when one is considering an MBA degree. Most of them revolve around the value that it would add to the professional as well as the personal life of the candidate. While the questions and reasons for opting for an MBA course may vary for many people, there is one aspect of doing MBA that crosses everybody’s mind, at least once. It focuses on the monetary aspect.  Read on to know more.

If you are considering going for an MBA degree, these questions must have bothered you sometime or the other.

1. Is it better to take the step from overall stand point including the financial angle, or,
2. It is not worth the effort and cost

Let us address these questions so that you can direct your thoughts and take the best decision.

Due to rapid advances in computerisation, means of communication and faster modes of travel, the whole world has virtually shrunk. In today’s world of cut-throat competition only the best would survive, sustain, grow and flourish. In short, it is a time where ‘SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST’ would best describe the business world.

If you hold a graduate qualification and are employed in a good job, you would naturally be thinking whether it is better for you to take another leap by joining MBA and look towards a better future. It is presumed that you are financially in a position to sustain living expenses as well as college fees and other educational expenses, since study loans are easily available. The decision involves two aspects. One is of prestige, status and social standing and the second is purely economic / financial in nature. Both aspects need to be considered.

In fact, both aspects add up in calculating the Return on Investment (ROI) of doing an MBA. Let us first understand what we mean by ROI. Whenever a person invests any money and other resources in a business or any other venture, he would be expecting good rate of return on his investment. For example, the simplest investment is to purchase government securities which provide safety and reasonable rate of return. For any other types of investment, one needs to forecast returns over the entire project period and calculate the rate of return, which ideally must be attractive and much higher than that achievable in government securities. So, the return on investment is the quantified benefit that would be achieved on investment.

Let us first consider the economic aspect. Fees and expenses involved in different institutions vary in a wide spectrum, so is the value of their degree in terms of employment potential, i.e. opportunities and options. We need to calculate the rate of return on the investment being contemplated. The investment includes all the expenses to be incurred during the study period and foregoing the opportunity of the existing job remuneration.

Several studies and surveys have been undertaken mostly in western countries to arrive at an approximate ROI on the expenses. Most of these studies have focussed on determining the payback period to recover your investment. This is short sighted view. An average-ranked institution may be able to provide a shorter payback period, but may not provide larger benefits in the long run. The option of not taking up MBA may look attractive since no expenses are to be incurred while the existing income continues. So we need to look at the entire working life span of the person. Let us consider an example to illustrate the concept;

We consider the following:

Age of MBA aspirant: 25 years

Retirement age: 65 Years

Interest rate: 5 percent

Present Annual Salary: Rs 4 lakh (assuming he/she is working)

Suppose the aspirant decides not to do an MBA:

Without MBA degree total salary expected:

Rs 4 lakh and growth of 6 per cent per annum.

Analysis of Cash Flows (without MBA):

Initial Cost = Rs 0 lakh

Cash Inflows = Growing annuity of Rs 4 lakh for 40 years with growth rate (g) of 6%

= Rs 1,84,41,672

Suppose the aspirant decides to do an MBA:

Education Expenses:

Initial Cost for doing MBA = Rs 40 lakh at current level (say)

Present Annual Salary: Rs 4 lakh (assuming he/she is working)

With MBA degree salary expected after completing MBA course:

Rs. 12 lakh and growth rate of 8 per cent per annum.

Analysis of Cash Flows (with MBA):

Cash outflows:

Initial Cost = Rs 40 lakh at current level

Foregone Salary for two years = Rs 4 lakh + Rs 4*(1+0.06)/1.05 lakh

= Rs (4 + 4.04) lakh = Rs 8.04 lakh

Cash inflows:

Growing annuity of Rs 12 lakh for 38 years with growth rate (g) of 8%

= Rs 7,66,72,723/(1.05)^2

= Rs 6,95,44,420

Gain = Rs 6,95,44,420 – Rs 40,00,000 (Cost of MBA) – Rs 8,04,000 (Foregone Salary)

        = Rs 6,47,40,420

  

So we can see here the comparison for entire working life;

Case	Income	Expenses	Gain
No MBA	Rs 1,84,41,672	0	Rs 1,84,41,672
MBA	Rs 6,95,44,420	Rs 48,04,000	Rs 6,47,40,420

From the above table we can see that financial gain from doing MBA is Rs 6,47,40,420 which is quite impressive and almost Rs 4.63 crore higher than the person who does not do MBA.

It is quite obvious that going for MBA from a reputed institution is a better choice for the individual.

The main issue is to predict the likely growth in the present employment. Also the starting salary and the growth rate potential expected after the MBA qualification need to be estimated. These figures can be assessed based on data provided by the institutions, published data and one’s own experience through the contacts and networks.

Now, let us look at the second aspect of prestige, status and social standing. If we see two people introducing themselves as follows;

1) I am a BA/ Bcom/ BE/ other graduate and MBA from ICFAI Business School (I.B.S), Hyderabad, one of the premier B Schools in India.

2) I am a BA/ Bcom/ BE/ other graduate

We can see that the pride that is added to one’s life is immeasurable in the first case and it will have a lasting impact for the entire life span of the person, professional or otherwise.

Next, let us look at the aspect of the social benefits. If you are unmarried, you may attract a spouse of higher stature; your children may feel proud of your achievement. There will be cascading effect and your children may excel in their respective professions as well. On the whole, you may enjoy a higher standard in all aspects of personal and professional life.

Now we come to the most important aspect of quality of professional life. You would be preferred for positions of higher responsibility involving more skills, responsibility & imagination. Your views and inputs will be considered and can have a great impact in the organization’s decision making process.

These aspects cannot be quantified and these benefits are in addition to the financial gains worked out above.

So, the punch line is;

Decide to go for an MBA degree and select a good institution for the same in order to obtain long term i.e., life-long benefits.

Contributed by Sumit Gulati (Batch 2007-2009,IBS HYDERABAD)