Steps To Effective Communication

Effective CommunicationsEver since the evolution of civilization, homo-sapiens required some medium to exchange their thoughts amongst themselves. The process was defined as communication and various mediums were developed to facilitate it effectively, timely and safely. Now a day, apart from old school face-to-face conversations, people use e-mail, text messages and phone calls or chat-engines for communications. Even when these mediums are highly advanced, the basic ground rules of effective communication have not changed much. In fact, I personally feel that due to the technological advancements in the mediums of communication, the need to reinforce the basic etiquettes has become even more pivotal now.

So, there are personal communications and then there are business communications. You are the king of your personal life and mostly you are not judged on the basis of ways in which you handle things. But in professional life, opinions are being formed about you by watching your every action. In fact, in many cases, perceptions are formed just by seeing the way an e-mail has been written or in the way communication on telephone happened. For being successful, one needs to manage his image/perception in the right way apart from having the skill-set and determination. So, one needs to chisel down his communication skills in order to be successful and that effect will rub on the personal life also.

So, let us try to cover the three most used modes phone, texting and e-mail. I will talk about phone first because more often than not people find it extremely convenient to just pick up the phone and talk. In case, you are making a call, start with the greetings and introduce yourself briefly (in case you are speaking for the first time. Then before stating the agenda of the call, ask for the person for whom the call is. Listening actively and focusing on the person in conversation is the most important ingredient of a smooth telephonic conversation (both ways). Watch your volume level during the conversation because if you are talking that doesn’t gives you a license to disturb others.

An etiquette that one must follow while picking a call is that the receiver must receive it till it rings three times. Also, as per me one most abused etiquette during the telephonic conversation is that one party doesn’t informs the other before taking further actions as in putting on hold, connecting to some other person, taking in a conference or for that matter putting the phone in speaker mode. These mistakes leave a bad taste in the mind of other party. And finally, the conversation should not end abruptly. It must always end on a closing note such as ‘Have a nice day’. It is advisable that one must not leave long voicemails. Just state the reason that you called and ask them to revert as soon as possible. That’s it!!

MBA Graduates

Now, what happens if you call somebody but they are not available and you need to convey your message immediately? Texting comes in for the rescue. However, please note that texting is not a formal mode of communication. Importantly, if your message is more than 160 characters, you should switch to other mode of communication. It is advisable that you should tell that who you are in the very beginning if you have even miniscule doubt that the recipient might not have saved your contact. Mind your tone while texting because in no way you can repair the damage done to your image/relation once the recipient gets offended by the tone of your text. The best way to avoid such miss-happening is by being crisp, simple and to the point during texting. Lastly, proofread every word of your text before hitting send button to avoid embarrassing situations later. Etiquette wise, you can reply to a text in the next 48 hours and you should try to reply as many texts as possible.

Lastly, the most extensively used tool for the communication, the e-mail. If you are drafting a fresh e-mail, always start with greetings. Please…please…please try to avoid typos!!! They make you look very unprofessional along with using shortcuts like u (for ‘you’), dere (for ‘there’) etc. Make it a habit of mentioning subject. Usage of a professional e-mail address is advisable in place of funky e-mail addresses if you are communicating via your personal e-mail id. Don’t overuse the high priority option. It is provided there for a purpose. Don’t abuse it by using it in every e-mail of yours otherwise recipients won’t even open your e-mails. Use your signature to give opportunity to the recipients to know more about you by giving links of your social media profiles.

While replying to-mails please don’t use ‘reply to all’ feature until it is seriously required. I am sure you would agree that not everybody wants to know your opinion. Also, in ‘to’ list keep the persons from whom you are expecting a response and ‘cc’ only those for whom the communication concerned is for information purpose. Be sure to include the information to which you are replying for keeping a track of the communication. Always try to personalize the communication by using active voice during communication instead of passive voice.

Before forwarding e-mail, please have the basic courtesy of cleaning it because the recipients might not be interested in reading the commentary of earlier recipients. And don’t forget to proofread the e-mail in any case before sending it. Generally, ask before sending any attachment to the recipient as in what will be the appropriate time to send the attachment. The recipients might get offended if you sent attachment without asking and it resulted in bouncing of some important mails for the recipient.

Thus, in a nutshell, a communication is effective only when it has solved its purpose without causing any inconvenience to other parties and to self. I hope, you will double tick all the above-discussed points before doing any corporate communication in your respective careers. All the best!


Contributed by Sthita Sahu

Where from to do an MBA?

Business SchoolWith globalization, industry’s demand of people who can handle cross-functional skills, shrinking economies and an increase of functional activities in day-to-day business over routine transactions the need for business ready managers is increasing day by day. In Indian scenario, the mushrooming of b-schools is an understandable reaction to the demand of business ready managers having above mentioned skills and background. So, after qualifying the basic question of ‘Why MBA’, a candidate looks for a convincing answer for ‘Which b-school I should finalize for pursuing my MBA.’ In this peace of text, I will try to help you by giving you various qualifying pointers on the basis of which you will get a better idea for answering ‘the’ question.

Now, to find out the health of a particular college, the candidate goes to web and types the name of the college in the search bar. He sees a rosy picture on the b-school’s website. He then turns up and ends up searching ‘top MBA colleges’ and gets 1000+ responses in less than 0.22 seconds, only to baffle him more about his approach to go about finding the health of the college in his options. So, to have a clearer picture, try to see the parameters on which a particular website has given your wish-list’s college a particular score. The most important parameters to look for are faculty to student ratio, accreditations from various reputed bodies, college’s age, the profiles of the important persons (deans, HODs etc.) and infrastructure.

Secondly, candidates try to have a view of RoI scenario. In this, they consider the fee +other expenses as a ‘cost’ to MBA which is fundamentally wrong. In my opinion, it is an ‘investment’ towards an exciting career which is very fulfilling and rewarding, if one will try to see the bigger picture. By bigger picture, the point which I am trying to stress is that one should not do the naïve calculations of RoI by the immediate benefit one gets after MBA be in terms of salary package or role. Rather, one must try to interact with the alumni of that particular b-school and then try to evaluate if what role (and CTC) they are into after 5 years, 10 years or 15 years.

As discussed above, the shrinking economy has made it a buyer’s market, so a candidate will not see a very pronounced effect on its career immediately but he will surely see the effect in a period of 3 to 4 years. But one thing will be for sure, an MBA from a good college will give wings to its career and will be deciding factor in the later stages of its career.

A candidate might want to get back to its current industry or might want to change industry after MBA. As perceived, a one year MBA is more mapped for the former candidate and a two year MBA for the later. Thus, if it boils down to honing one’s skill in a particular industry or a particular skill-set, then apart from choosing between one or two year, one must also see if there are institutes available to focus only on that particular skill-set. For example, there are institutes like MICA and NITIE which are there for specific skill set namely communications and manufacturing domain.

MBA Students

An MBA gives you various perspectives and to get an insight about how those perspectives actually help a candidate in its professional life in the words of various leaders, industry champions and visionaries is very critical. This can only be possible if there is a very efficient connection of the college in the industry. Guest lectures, good internship offers can only be possible if the b-school has great corporate connects. Firms like Deloitte, HUL and Hyundai organize various events year to give chances of b-schools to showcase their talent. Students can use this as a great launch-pad to impress one and all in the list of key stakeholders of that firm. So, candidate must also check about the laurels that students of their concerned b-school have brought in these kinds of competitions.

One can only get an idea about the faculty and the kind of activities that happen in a particular b-school by only getting in touch with the alumni of the b-school. Today, it is a lot easier via the utilization of various social networking sites. You can follow the page of that particular b-school and you will get all the updates about the activities happening in the college in your feed. These kinds of activities give a lot of exposure to the candidates to have overall development of their personalities.

Every b-school has various committees like marketing committee, finance committee, student council, operations club and various non-academic bodies like speaker’s club, sports committee. Though, the tight schedule of academic activities won’t spare much time for these activities but one must try and be a positively contributing part of these activities. Thus, a candidate must also check out the extent of these kinds of activities in the concerned because passing exams and attending lectures will make a candidate a run out of mill MBA.

Lastly, as I discussed earlier that MBA is an investment towards an exciting career. But after every investment one also thinks of the immediate monetary return primarily because of the heavyweight EMIs waiting to be paid in the case of MBA. So, it is important to check the placement record of the concerned b-school in the last 5 years. One most important thing to notice while checking this is the average work experience of the previous batches prior to joining MBA. This detail will help a candidate in viewing a clearer picture because the average CTC gets beefed up due to higher CTC of candidates with greater work-ex and the published figure on the website paints a wrong picture. Also, checking out the kind of companies visiting the campus will help a candidate streamlining its strategy for placements or internships.

Thus, I will emphasize again that an MBA is an experience and must be 100% sure before choosing the vehicle for this exciting, adventurous and fulfilling joy ride because a journey is as comfortable as a vehicle and this experience rubs on candidate’s personality for molding him into a better professional.


Contributed by Sthita Sahu

5 wrong decisions taken during your MBA which you may regret after 10 years

MBA GraduatesMBA is known to be a life defining career. All of those who have experienced this will agree with me. These two years will probably be the most joyous as well as awakening years of your life. From assignments to final placements, each event will bring something or the other experience which will be full of learning.

During these 2 years there will be many times when you will have to take decisions. From small to big, all the decisions will impact the course of your life at some point in time. There may be some wrong decisions which you may not regret once you get into job. But there will be some decisions which will require extra care from you before you take them. These decisions can change your life forever. All you will need to do will be to sit down and think about how they may affect your future. Let’s have a look at some decisions which you may regret after 10 years of finishing your MBA.

  1. Chasing the Green – Someone has said that Money can’t buy everything but it can buy you most of the things. But is chasing money really worth it?

Once you get through a good B school, you start thinking on how you will be able to get the right job which fits you. Off course it is justified to get buck loads after you have successfully completed 2 years of hard work. But trust me money won’t matter that much down the line if you had decided to pursue something very different from what you had actually wanted to do.

Money is essential part of one’s life but sacrificing on your dream job is not worth it. It may happen that you may want to opt for companies or job profiles which are paying you good but it may so happen that the same company/job profile may not suit you later.

Earning money can be a goal but at the end, the only thing which will matter is peace of mind which you will only get once you opt to do what you want to do. Taking up a sales job to earn hefty commissions when you have acumen of creativity will not help you in long run

Wise thing is to go for what you want and what makes you happy even if it’s monetary value less. Excel in what you love overtime and Money will follow you.

  1. Following the herd – Once you are in MBA, drop the herd mentality. Learn this straight and clear. MBA is a very professional course and maturity is expected from you. Just because your friend or your classmate is choosing finance it doesn’t mean you do the same.

Carefully analyse and decide the area of expertise/ field you want to go for. Talk to your seniors and your teachers. Attend you classes regularly. Participate in events and extracurricular activities and find out what interests you more. Weigh your options and then decide to go for what you want.

MBA Graduates

  1. Missing the fun – MBA is a course which will develop your overall personality. It’s going to be the last two years of your education life why not to enjoy them to the fullest. Running behind grades will not help you. Off course getting good grades are important but what equally important is to enjoy your life and having fun. Make good plans and go out with friends occasionally. Take part in cultural events; join clubs roam around the city. Take break from studies. Whenever I think about how I enjoyed my days at B school, I miss how I used to enjoy mid night maggi and roaming around Mumbai with my friends. You will also make memories and will cherish these memories for the rest of your lives. You will have to decide when you want to take a break and have some fun and I am sure you would not want to regret upon deciding not to enjoy your life.
  1. Not networking – Fact alert! MBA is about networking. While in school or college we may have some preferences. There might have been some specific set of people you wanted to talk to or be friends with. B schools are different place altogether. In MBA it is better to get in touch with as many as people you can. For good off course. Make good and friendly relations with people. Help people, make social groups and discuss what is going around. Share knowledge and learn from things. These people will definitely help you in many things in the long run. For example referring you for job in companies, helping you to adjust in new cities, getting you business and what not.

It is also recommended to you to be hyper active on social media sites specially LinkedIn. In many cases companies look for online profiles of candidates for various reasons. Make a strong network of people. Connect with them and join online forums and groups. It will surely help you in future. Take it up very positively.

  1. Avoiding making mistakes – We are humans and we are allowed to make mistakes. Accept this fact. If you don’t make mistakes your probability of learning will be less. You can always learn from your mistakes and that is the key.

Perfect grades, perfect job and perfect salary can be a dream but trust me it is very important to learn to accept the mistakes you have made. Don’t avoid making mistakes, they may happen. Worrying over the consequences of making mistakes will confine you from exploring your own limits and boundaries. Sometimes making mistakes are important to know what is better. It doesn’t off course mean to make them intentionally.

              As I had earlier stated MBA is a life defining career and if you choose this path you have to live with all the pros and cons. You will experience many ups and downs but it is up to you to make better decisions. Give proper though to each important action you take so you don’t regret them later in your life.


Contributed by Leena Sonparate ( Class of 2013, IBS MUMBAI )

Linkedin Profile of Leena Sonparate : http://in.linkedin.com/pub/leena-sonparate/4b/715/aa7

What difference an MBA creates in person’s life

difference an MBA createsPeople believe that MBA should be done to get a good job and handsome salary that quite true but that’s not the everything. Mba is not just about getting a good job but is helps in changing the overall persona of the person.  MBA from good college equips a person with the new and advanced skillset, helps in creating confidence in oneself and overall make the person fit to tackle any situation.  The MBA provides more opportunities to it graduates in comparison to the plain graduates.  They get mentoring from all the good faculties around the globe both nationally and internationally. Investment in MBA is like making investment in a stock which gives rich dividend to its investor.

Provides a broad thinking patternThe solution to any problem is to have a alternatives to solve a problem, MBA helps in creating a 360 degree approach in solving any problem. Before coming to conclusion there is a need to understand the problem, what are the consequences, what resources need and what is the time line to solve a problem. Once you are through with MBA then you will be in a position to take better and informed decisions.

It creates awareness  –  Since MBA is a multidisciplinary  and versatile degree , here in the first semester you need to go through Finance , Marketing, Human resource, Information technology and soft skills so it helps in making you aware of all the fields so that you though not been an expert in all domain but develop a  basic understanding  of all domains.

It helps in developing business sense MBA is not about just learning the things and then joining the corporate houses and spending the entire life in corporate . It develop a business sense of starting something own may be at an early stage just after completing MBA or at a later stage after having experience in corporate. Since you have learn all the traits of business so if you are starting something on your own, you are taking calculated risk with high returns.

Creates new horizon of innovative ideasInnovation is something which do not come to mind on its own , people  explore things when they see the world around, see the need of the particular product or services and when they read and travel a lot. Creative ideas comes when you see the things, you talk to different sets of people. MBA Provides the relevant exposure wherein after the person gets an edge of thinking in a 360 degree level, get into a position to assess the pros and cons of any ideas. Not only MBA helps in creating an idea but also equips a person in implementing his ideas.

mba program

It helps in developing leadership abilitiesMBA not only creates skill set but also creates a trait of taking responsibility, creating leadership ability and make a person bit of risk averse . A person can take a plunge in a river only when he/she has confidence in himself/ herself, with two year of rigorous hard work and industrial exposure and case law learning approach they get in a position of command on themselves and start acting as a leader in all situations.

It creates a competitive edgeSince a business world is full of cut throat competition, if organization employees are not properly trained then they may not able to cope up with the real life competition and challenging environment.

It helps in learning new skill setMBA helps in improvising the skill set as well as help in dispersing the potential of a person, the curriculum has a very practical approach and case studies discussion creates a more like real business environment a it helps in developing an analytical mind. It specializes a person with skill set in the domain which he/she choose as their core electives and as well as provides a basic knowledge in other electives as they form a part of the first year curriculum.

Market Recognisation  – MBA from good college creates a branding of the person and it lifts the self esteem as these colleges are well accepted by the Industry and they have developed strong relationship with the corporate houses by providing every year fresh talents.

Strong Alumni SupportThe students who passed out from MBA institutes are well placed in top shot positions in different corporate and they are the once who provoke the companies to go for recruitment in their colleges as they have created a sense in the organization that MBA pass out from their colleges are the real gems and the corporate feel comfortable to go to their colleges for recruitment drive. This extensive, well consolidate business network is bound to pay off throughout your whole career making you the first-hand recipient of all relevant information in the field and giving you better

Career ChangeAn MBA in general and a Dual MBA in particular, provide you with the cushion of switching your career. An MBA with particular specialization makes it easier for you to move across industries.

Starting your own businessOnce you get the right exposure in MBA with all the theories and practical approaches, people can think of starting on its own. These days’ people are starting the start-ups with a little capital and growing fast. This is how companies like Red bus, flipkart, snapdeal have started their journey and created a strong market presence.

Mba offers more potential for upward mobility MBA graduates have a broader knowledge base and applied skillsets in business administration than many of there co-workers working with them. There are generally desired for advanced and complex assignments and is more sought after degree for upper level senior positions. while MBA degree alone does not guarantee a promotion but certainly offers upward carrier mobility.

MBA degree offers Increased earning avenuesThe good MBA college  attracts big corporate with handsome packages offerings . Though the fact remains that the premium and elite the college is the higher compensation their graduates command, as well as people in consulting and investment banking domain  earns a lot .Leaving aside the school and the carrier fields MBA commands more remuneration in comparison to its peers.


Contributed by Maneesh Srivastava ( Class of 2008, IBS Gurgaon )

Building your profile during MBA

Building your profile during MBAOne of the most frequently asked questions of MBA aspirants as well as students is how to enhance your skills and create a strong profile for the business world. A B-school profile is not just about getting good grades, meeting deadlines for assignments and making catchy presentations, but it is more about intangible qualities. A good B-school offers its students ample opportunities to help them build their overall personality and skill set; however, there is so much you can still do.

Let’s start by a talking about the basic steps. Internship, for example, is one crucial factor in your MBA programme. Choosing the right internship can have significant impact on your profile. Doing an internship in your preferred industry and function is considered ideal. However, an internship is a small yet important duration for you as an employee. It tests your theoretical knowledge and ability to implement it in the practical world. It gives you an opportunity to explore your areas of interest even further. You can find out the lag in your skills and knowledge and ways to bridge the gap. A good internship profile grooms you for the upcoming placements. The objective of an internship is not purely academic; rather it is more professional. For a recruiter, it is not very important what you wrote in your SIP report, but what you did to achieve the goals and targets you were assigned with, they test your approach, problem solving, time management and many such other skills like how you are as a team player and your ability to take decisions. You should focus on learning and picking such qualities and finding out where you stand with such attributes. If you are a MBA student with previous work experience, it is good to have an additional focus on your people and project management skills during your internship. Keep interacting with your mentor and supervisor to understand the performance expectations, do your research about the profile and try being a contributing part towards the growth of the organization.

Another step towards building up an influential profile is to identify your strengths and weaknesses; your passion and abilities that you can follow, what hobby do you have? All these questions and its answers can encourage you to take your interests a step ahead. Are you a tennis player? Why not coordinate with the authorities to start a tennis coaching club at college. If you are a dancer, singer, likes gardening, loves to solve crossword puzzles, read or write or anything that you are good at, try to do something at an academic / organizational level that cultures your hobbies and interests, like starting a new online subscription magazine at your college or launching your own entrepreneurial venture. It is always a strong point to know the answer to the question, “what do you do for fun?” Make sure whatever you choose to do should be in mutual interest of your college.

MBA program

Many students volunteer for some activities outside B-school. It could range from participating in any extracurricular activities, organizing events, helping in family or a start-up business or even doing community service. The key thing to keep in mind is, being a part of some leadership role instead of just volunteering for the sake of catching the eye of the recruiters.  It is to be noted that being a leader does not always mean holding offices. It is more about creating impact and showing results. Bring in new initiatives, for example, arranging blood donation camps, organizing a fund raiser. Constantly create new learning curves for yourself and keep an eye out for organizational opportunities that need business skills. Try being a part of something exclusive by working on some project that might have some strategic importance for the management.

Among a plethora of activities important for a strong MBA profile, equally important is your intellectual/academic ability. Measure of your academic ability is usually done by assessing your GPA and other relevant qualifications like CPA or CFA. For students who do not hold high GPA scores, they can compensate by enrolling for some additional courses. There is a whole new world of online courses available for open learning. One such website offering online learning programs is coursera.com. You can enrol for a certificate course relevant to your MBA specialization like labour laws and relations, Banking and insurance, introduction to operations management etc. Such courses offer a perfect platform for candidates who want to enhance their profile. It gives you a chance to experience teaching lessons from professors across the globe through audio visual mode. They also help you analyze your interests and goals and even refine them.

You go to a B-school not just to learn the functional aspects of the business world, but also to get groomed for your upcoming professional life. And hence, it is required to not just have a strong IQ, but also a good EQ. The aspect of emotional quotient is about being multi dimensional. Be passionate about your chosen field. An emotional connect is equally important. Many of us join a course to merely acquire qualification, but by the end of it, we start facing dissatisfaction with our choice and instead get obsessed with something completely different. Having the right emotional quotient can make you successful, efficient and confident. Before choosing any field / specialization check with yourself if you have the necessary skills to be successful in that area, how would you like people to see you, and what you would really want. Be humble, modest and consider the ethical aspect of building a strong profile. It is not just what the recruiters want to see in you, it is about what you really are capable of showing.

Other than all these, it is important to stay in touch with your Alma matter. Keep interacting and communicating with your seniors, have them share their experiences during the MBA programme.  Expand your network through them in the business world. Get clarity on the set of expectations from a MBA holder in terms of their intelligence and emotional quotient. Remember, you don’t have to tell everything about yourself. Focus on the key aspects of value about you. You might have an array of strong points from extracurricular to various leadership accomplishments. But you don’t want to overpopulate your profile with too much of competing information. Everyone is not the leading star but all of us have some traits and qualities as our strength. You should be aware of what is important in your profile and how you could extract it and sell it. Building a strong profile is not done overnight. It is an evolving process and activity.


Contributed by Isha Jajodia ( Class of 2010, IBS Gurgaon )

MBA is an indispensable part of Digital World

mba in digital worldWe are breathing in a digital age today; we are connected to each other virtually. This digital connectivity reaches the far corners of the globe.  With advent of smart phones, people are becoming smarter with each passing day. They carry google in their hands. Now digital is shaping the world. Many businesses are run on the grounds of their digital presence. To live in this digital era companies are embracing techniques to digitalize themselves. Consumers have the tools to assess what we call the absolute value of things. Now consumers can behave rationally they can search and look for things they need. Customers are smart and need a customized solution every time.  In your career graph add MBA as a booster for your career growth. In this Digital era ideas can shape and come out in concrete as you can share and get ideas appreciated through digital channels. We have examples of E commerce market which started from an idea of selling online and now we all shop online.MBA gives you an edge in Digital age

The Digi-Connection:

How MBA and digital age is connected to each other. The answer is quite simple. With advent of new techniques and customer centric markets these days companies are looking for MBA‘s to churn out good business for them. Master’s in Business Administration will chisel you to make you a right fit for this industry. Every individual has a great potential,now any individual can think of starting their own startup business.MBA not only add skills, this coveted degree will give you marketing insights, consumer know how, mind set and much more understanding on how to market your business. If you see yourself as a digital marketer then as a duty you have to learn new communication technologies continuously and develop skills to anticipate and adapt quickly. Learning through case studies, interviews from renowned university will prove beneficial for your growth.

Learning with new experiences each day:

MBA gives you holistic learning of industry and industry verticals. Once you gain knowledge of this industry then you can look for opportunities in particular sector. Many entrepreneurs are also looking inclined towards MBA. It is a highly relevant innovative degree that prepares candidates for success in an ever changing professional field. It provides a powerful skill set in new marketing ethics in the emerging digital field and it will raise your value with potential employers..MBA contents and curriculum is so formulated that keeps you updated with ongoing activities around you. We may have a lot of knowledge about brands but how brands are building themselves is the learning in MBA.

If you are willing to stand firm in competitive world then new hires should have a flare towards technology and new age marketing. For such requirement of skill set one must undergo MBA as it is need for hour.  The classroom discussions and presentation will make you more of people person. When you are among different mindsets then convincing them will be a new learning.

The MBA journey is in itself a learning experience, every day with each session you will increase your knowledge reservoir with new concepts that are applied in marketing and branding of business. You will be enriched and learned with interaction and intellectual debates with your professors and peers at a B-school. Next, the pedagogical methods employed in B schools are very innovative and effective – these include case studies, presentations, projects, research papers etc.

MBA fueling your Career Growth:

MBA degree has a lot of earning potential in it.  Market always offers challenging and rewarding jobs for MBA grads. We’ve found that MBAs have the skill-sets to approach a wide array of projects from a multiple functional standpoint, as opposed to just being skewed to finance or accounting specific approach”. they tend to be better communicators; not only understanding or analyzing a problem and coming up with a solution, but being able to pitch it, sell it, and build interest. Quantifiable salary increases. MBA Programs not only help business leaders grow, they help them make significant career transitions, find a new job or garner a promotion, or launch a new business.

MBA in digital world

MBA for Entrepreneurs (OTB thinkers):

MBA has a strong connection with this digital era as you need to unbolt the bolts of thinking pattern for business.Today entrepreneurship and innovation has a lot of value when we talk about such OTB – out of the box thinking people like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak come to mind. Such prominent people have not just given the new ways of developing ideas into business. This era will make figure out the new and the awesome ways of engaging people and ideating & strategizing for good business growth.  When an idea come in a concrete form and gets applied then you need a business mind to set up it from the scratch. Being an MBA always give a firm support as you will know A to Z of your business. Moreover every business faces major challenges like technological changes, competitors entering the market, shifting economic trends. Entrepreneurs who have prior knowledge of such factors affecting their business would be able to safeguard business. MBA degree will make you a ready resource for your company or business. The extra plus which is required to stand out in the crowd will be earned through such programs. Entrepreneurs or budding entrepreneurs will be able to understand value of customer and branding activities. The edge will be in application of theories which you have studied and how to imply it for good return on investment. MBA creates your own brand image as your career will step up the career ladder, you will eye on different gaps that other companies are not covering up. You attain right exposure and fall in right network so it helps in your own personality development. Business only flourishes when you have a network of people.

In IBS you will learn best of practices to enrich your Knowledge and IBS will make you right fit for industry. In digital world even sky is not the limit so take off and soar high with an MBA program.


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

How Regular Full Time MBA is Better Than Correspondence

regular vs correspondance mba degreeKnowledge is wisdom bestowing power onto you. MBA degree provides a broad thought over rational thinking. Making a choice of obtaining a degree in MBA could throw out lot of arenas in various forms. Different formats are provided by various institutions for students to choose from. Full time or regular MBA and MBA through correspondence are popular formats available. A regular full time MBA is pursued by being present in a vast university equipped with technologies that makes learning practical and ecstatic. A person who has time and money should take up this format to have a detailed study.

Distant or correspondence MBA provides a degree through various channels like online, interactive sessions, webinars, conferences etc. A person who is not in a position to give full time due to work commitment could choose up this format of study. Various universities across the world offer the course, so that being in any part of the world one can obtain a MBA degree from a reputed college without the need of being there.

Every opportunity strikes two ways just like each coin has two sides. Based on the factors like time and money, a choice could be made on which type of format one chooses for obtaining a MBA degree. Let us have a look on the pros and cons of each format.

Pros and Cons of Full time MBA:

The pros of obtaining a full time MBA degree are that a person gets to engage into the course in total. The focus is solely based on the course and sessions surrounded by them. There are live discussions, like-minded people to interact with, best faculty to impart knowledge and facilities that urge one to acquire it the best way. Seminars and training with industry experts help in getting a feel of how corporate culture and system work. Alumni meets are organized so that present batch of students could engage with them and are likely to understand it in a better way being within the same generation.

The cons of obtaining a full time degree are that an individual is required to invest substantial resources in terms of time and money. Relocating to another city or country is another major decision to be taken up requiring lot of arrangements to be made prior.

Pros and Cons of Distant/Correspondence MBA:

The pros of distant or correspondence MBA gives an opportunity to obtain a MBA degree with proper study along without interrupting the normal course of life. It leads to studying at one’s comfort convenience than doing it at the campus. It provides an edge at the workplace with added knowledge from the MBA course. Newer technologies are introduced like Webinars and virtual learning that make the learning sessions more interactive and real. It helps an individual to keep working and still learn online for the MBA degree. It provides more insights into the situations that are dealt in corporate life and also improves strategically.

The cons of such learning are that there is not much face to face interaction with the faculties of the university. The doubts and clarifications could not be solved as easily as a full time college. The reputation of a college plays an important role so that the course is validated and appropriately used to enhance one’s employment. A good reputed college would provide this degree with due validation and also provide better employment opportunities. Distractions at home could interrupt with the virtual learning pattern and juggling between this can create a negative impact on the study. Lastly if there is no proper availability of internet and bandwidth available it could hamper the pattern of study and sessions taken.

regular vs correspondance mbadegree

Being a part of a university that imparts knowledge with real life experiences and use of best technologies is the one that stands true to the values of providing education. I was a part IBS for pursuing regular MBA, and as a personal experience it was the best way I could have pursued this degree. Integrating skills, knowledge, interacting with fellow students and faculty, having live discussions over case studies, making presentations using the best technologies were some of the modes through which management and business skills were shared. Time and money along with a passion to understand the key factors lead me to choose this format.

The faculty present themselves as role models with their career experience and sharing of real life experiences they faced. The modules are divided in a manner that a student would effectively grasp the terms of management and strategy. By the end of the course one would become expert with a talent of people management and imparting strategies to resolve issues in a business scenario.

On the other hand a person, who is actively involved in business, either his or under employment, would still be interested into a MBA course to get a detailed understanding of how management actually works. Under this situation, an executive MBA or correspondence course could be pursued. Balancing the family and business situation along with correspondence course needs persuasion and dedication to get the real outcome. There are various reputed institutions that provide degrees in both formats with best material and resources. ICFAI University is one such reputed institution that provides both formats and course is designed appropriately.

 A student choosing either format needs to carry a detailed analysis on what is the future course of action that he/she plans. For example a person fresh out of graduation could choose a regular full time MBA so that he can plan his work for the future to become employable in a company or become an entrepreneur. On the other hand, a person who is actively involved in business and his family responsibilities, but wants to enhance his skills in management could take up executive MBA.

The formats have been designed that could suit any individual undertaking this study. Therefore a choice needs to be made based on how an individual draws his/her career path.  Various companies tying up with various premier business schools who enroll their employees to these programs so that they can enhance their skills and also helps in retaining them through bonds.

Opportunities strike when decisions are made with logic and passion

Regular or correspondence, MBA will endorse one in every situation


 Contributed by Anju Bafna ( Class of 2010, IBS BANGLORE )

Interesting Statistics about MBA Degree Programs

mba degreeIt’s great!!  You’ve finally decided to go for the MBA degree program of your choice and you’re raring to go, that’s a really game changer step for your life!!

Today, we will put you across some of the unknown and very interesting facts about MBA Program!

So let’s get started:

Around 2 year back in Jan 2013…an article appeared on Quartz.com, written by Jay Bhatti, an MBA graduate from Wharton, stating that if a candidate cannot get into a “top five” school, then an MBA is not worth having.

It seems to have caused a bit of a stir

So it is worth taking a closer look to see if claims stack up.

There is a definite doubt, as mentioned in The Economist, that the value proposition of an MBA has changed markedly over the past decade or so. Tuition fees have, in many cases, more than doubled over that time, while the salaries of graduates are virtually unchanged (meaning that, if one bears in mind the rising cost of living, they have actually fallen in real terms). But that is something very different to saying that there is no return on investment.

But do the numbers stack up? The average salary increase an MBA graduate can expect from the “top five” schools—comparing their basic salaries immediately before matriculation and after graduation—is exactly 50%.

In the world of MBAs this is nothing remarkable. The average increase among all of the 120 schools surveyed by The Economist in 2012 is 74%. The basic salary a grad from a “top five” school can expect ranges from $112,000 at Kellogg to $127,000 at Stanford. Impressive, certainly!

But these are not the highest to be found. At IMD in Switzerland, for example, the average basic salary of an MBA who graduated last year is $145,000. At some schools in Australia, a country which has plenty of money sloshing about thanks to its booming mining and energy sectors, salaries can be even higher.

Let’s have some more facts:

One is that the percentage of students from the elite schools with a job lined up when they graduate is low and has been falling for years. Mr Bhatti extrapolates that the situation must be worse at less prestigious institutions. He writes, for example, that 75% of Stanford MBAs graduated with a job last year. This, he says is 19 percentage points down on four years ago.

The Economist found that 95% of Stanford MBAs had a job within three months of graduation. The discrepancy may lie in whether those students who are not actively seeking work are included. Stanford’s 95% figure is down by two points compared with 2008; hardly a collapse.

What Salary Can An MBA Graduate Expect?

In a recent survey, 60% of the students who were questioned about their MBA degree experience reported it as outstanding or excellent. Those who attended a full-time MBA degree program expected their salary to increase by 54%, while those attending a part-time MBA degree program expected a 43% salary increase.

Those who attended an executive MBA degree program reported an expected 33% increase after graduation. Many students, before applying for an MBA degree, spend some time attempting to figure out their return on investment for the time and cost involved.

They almost always find that the benefits, computed over a lifetime of earnings, far outweigh the cost and effort involved and therefore gladly enroll in the program of their choice.

The Economist said that although the average salary for the average MBA degree graduate did decrease during the recent recession, their salaries were still high.

The average 2010 graduate from the top MBA degree programs still pulled in more than $100,000 a year. Though these are figures from the top schools, you can expect to receive a relatively high salary once you have done your MBA degree program pretty much from any school.

And, when this salary difference is calculated over the entirety of your professional life, you will realize millions more dollars.

For many, making more cash is the only motivation they need to do an MBA degree.

Expectations about MBA Degree Programs:

People go to business school with expectations, high expectations. They enroll in MBA degree programs because they want to build fine lives full of gold-leafed happiness.

Much of this is tied to how much students think they will earn once they have done their MBA degrees.

The Graduate Management Admissions Council’s (GMAC) “Global MBA Survey 2002” talked to MBA degree students and learned that on average an MBA degree student expected to earn 56% more after they have earned their MBA degree than they did before.

To most of us, 56% of our salary is a good chunk of change that is definitely worth a few years’ worth of MBA degree studies.

Other expectations that students have are increased prestige and respect; the ability to work overseas and, perhaps the most important, the ability to give their family a better life.

Gender Equality Is Becoming A Reality:

The demographics of MBA degree programs are changing for the better. The Graduate Management Admissions Council reports that 105,900 females took the GMAT (the Graduate Management Admissions Test, the generally accepted standard for MBA degree prospects) last year.

That’s the highest number ever. Of these, the United States had the largest number of exams taken by female citizens, with US women representing nearly 33% of global MBA degree candidates.

Interestingly, the largest representative percentages of female citizens taking the GMAT were from East Asia (54.6%). This suggests that East Asia’s growing corporate gender equality is fast making them a model for the rest of the global community to follow.

MBA Degree Graduate Job Prospects:

According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, more than 86% of last year’s MBA degree graduates had a job at the time they completed their program. Further, nearly 91% of those in part time MBA degree programs had a job at graduation. Most promising, 96% of executive MBA  graduates had jobs at graduation (most of whom already had these jobs during school). These promising statistics are undoubtedly the reason behind the annual increase in MBA degree program enrollments.

Remember one point throughout your life, whether you are a graduate from top-5, top10 or top-50 College…What make the college and program different, are students…i.e. “You”

You have to be completely involved in Cultural diversity, experience levels, industry verticals and global experience…These traits make the program ‘richer’ in experiencing the MBA education.

Hence, MBAs have to be pursued with a goal to make yourself an all rounder at the global platform thru the local way…it’s not necessary that you will go thru the world’s top-5 B-Schools, but you have to choose a B-schools which can be a gate way to the global stage, and all your experience, during the B-school study can help you walk thru the stage proudly…And at IBS, you are already one level above than the rest…

Go, conquer the World!!


Contributed by Himanshu Chaudhary ( Class of 2005, IBS HYDERABAD )

“ASPIRING MINDS”

MBA ASPIRING MINDS

When one of the richest persons in the world, Mr.Laxmi Niwas Mittal was asked what regrets he had in life, he replied by saying that he did not do an MBA. He is the only Indian who leads in a particular sector globally i.e. steel sector. He has achieved success in life and has made a lot of wealth. Yet he regrets not pursuing an MBA.

MBA is one of the most sought after qualifications in India. After the completion of graduation the students prefer to go for this qualification because it offers wide opportunities professionally. The engineering graduates are also opting for this management qualification as it broadens their mental capabilities as well as provides faster career growth. As a result, we find numerous B- schools mushrooming all over India. In this context, let us go in detail to find out the significance and importance of this qualification. Let us also look at various prospects involved with Indian youth in this regard.

An MBA degree is considered as the ticket to the top management positions as it is highly regarded and appreciated by most of the firms globally. Many graduates know that they can expect a well paying job and even promotions with their MBA degree. In this competitive age, most companies want the best and brightest to lead them into the future. They know that MBA graduates have all the tools to be effective managers. With their updated knowledge management and leadership skills, these graduates can ensure a company´s success.

Entrepreneurs desire to pursue an MBA degree to ensure their success. There are many start-ups cropping up every day as the growing economies of the world are creating more demand for new products and a wider market. This provides opportunity for entrepreneurs to create new solutions to meet market demands. In doing so, they create jobs and add positively to the overall health of the economy. Entrepreneurs know they need an MBA degree to achieve success. Having a great idea is one thing. Making it work is another. They know that their MBA degree will give them the tools they need in success of their enterprise.

People with global view pursue an MBA degree to expand their horizons as markets are no longer confined to the regional areas. They have grown and are now catering to the needs and demands of the customers globally. The Internet has helped in connecting people from all over the world. As a result, the world is shrinking at a faster pace. An MBA degree with an International Specialisation is becoming quite popular to compete more effectively in the international arena. This specialization imparts important tools, lessons and methods which will the help the employers to forge new relationships with vendors and clients overseas.

Additionally, in many cases we see that there are some executives who have fallen off their career track and they turn to an MBA degree to put them back in the right direction. There are special MBA degree programs for professionals who want to improve their skills after some years of working experience. These are known as executive MBA degree programs and help to retrain executives. By combining their previous experience with their new degree, most executives find themselves promoted to more challenging positions with a substantial increase in pay.

MBA is highly demanding in the present scene because of the emergence of the large corporate houses, MNCs and industrial giants and the world wide economic growth. The social and individualistic view point has changed largely, where people are more concentrated on career growth and maximize the earning rather than just job security. An MBA degree can boost an individual’s passion and hunger for success.

To sum up, Indian youth definitely have an exciting future and promising career with an MBA degree if they desire to improve and develop their skills.

“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” – Napoleon Hill


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

How to choose a right MBA college for your career ?

Choose-a-B-School-FOR-MBA-ASPIRANTS

Have you finished giving your final year university exams? Waiting for the results and planning to join an MBA college?

This is the right time when you should make the right selection of an MBA college for your career. It is not an easy task as it needs proper research and planning. Building a successful career is a dream which everybody wants to achieve but only few can make it. A good MBA college is the key to a successful career of an aspirant and the base of the development of a good personality.

Choosing the right MBA College for your career is a critical turning point in your career. With so many colleges across the country, you may not understand where to start. But with proper research and correct approach, you can select the best MBA College which can help you build a bright career.

Let’s dive into some of the major evaluation factors for selecting the best MBA College for your career-

Measure the credibility of the institute

There are thousands of MBA colleges across the countries offering a variety of courses in every field but only a few have good credibility. Before choosing an MBA college, a student must do a thorough research on the history of the institution. It should be checked what courses has the MBA institute been offering the courses in the past and present and whether the institution has been certified by the recognized government bodies like University Grant Commission (U.G.C.) or All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

There have been a number of institutions which flaunt awards from private institutions which have no academic or industrial background or relevance.

Curriculum of the courses offered and Study material

While choosing a good MBA college, a student must always look how the college syllabus adds to his skills and competencies and how extra projects, workshops are organized and arranged during the course. Apart from the usual syllabus and course structure, the aspirant should look what the MBA institute is offering to develop the personality and communication, how to act like a leader and how to handle different types of business situations.

Similarly, the study material offered by the MBA College should be of high quality covering all the areas of the courses offered. Many of the institutions provide their own study material and some are of very good quality written by their own expert authors tailored according to the syllabus they offer. This helps in building a great academic background for the MBA student and with proper guidance of the professors it helps in complete development of the students in every aspect of business administration. Therefore the study material offered by the MBA institutions should be of very good quality and tailored for the syllabus they offer.

success with MBA

 Faculty of MBA College

A good MBA college will always have the learning process which is student centric and not teacher centric. Identifying the student’s strength and developing the weak points of the student should be the aim of the teachers of the MBA institute. The faculty should be more than a teacher who inspires the students towards the success and growth in the career. Therefore, always choose an MBA college which has well qualified professors with a good experience and academic background. Lecturers should put extra effort to engage the MBA students and motivate them. They should use the modern techniques for teaching like internet and should be tech savvy.

So if you have found an MBA institute to study, then spend some time in researching the educational and professional background of the faculty members. If you are unable to get a good record than do not be afraid to ask the MBA school directly by calling or visit. Ask them about the faculty educational background and other experiences and the way they teach their students. Meet current students also in order to gain an actual knowledge of the performance of the faculty members.

Technology

Deployment of modern technology is an important aspect to determine the value of an MBA institute. A high quality MBA program will take the advantage of the most recent advancements in the field of technology and will deploy it in the field of learning. A number of MBA schools will help you to take a look at the types of software, systems and other tools they use in the MBA classes and online programs they offer.

In the field of online MBA, technology is a key aspect to consider. To enhance the virtual experience it is very important to deploy the most recent tools and technologies. A good online MBA program will be facilitated with a virtual classroom where students can conduct all the academic activities like accessing course materials, streaming of educational videos, online group discussion, assignments submission and many other online activities. Thus it is very important to consider the modern technological tools deployed by the MBA institute before applying to it for an entrance.

Placements and internships

Now we come to the most important factor which comes in the mind of every MBA aspirant before applying for an MBA institute entrance exam. They often think – “What are the companies which provide placements to this MBA institute and what is the highest package offered?”

“What was the average package offered and how much is the placement percentage?”

These are the questions which often come in the mind of every MBA aspirant and they have to make a proper background research on the MBA College regarding it. So check the placement data which the MBA College has provided on their websites and other journals or magazines they publish. Also check with the recently graduated students to get an actual idea of the placement scenario.

Another important think to consider is to check the kind of internships the MBA institutes offer. A good internship is very helpful for the MBA students and gives students a chance to interact with people who are already doing practical work and also help them to gain an understanding of the corporate work culture along with the development of work skills and ethics.

Although there are other considerations also apart from those mentioned above for selecting the right MBA College like rankings, location and fees. However, the factors described above are the vital ones in selecting the right MBA institute which can actually help in developing your career.

Getting a good placement should not only be the only aim of an MBA aspirant but developing a skilled personality should be the main motive behind doing an MBA program. An MBA college providing all these things can be the best choice for your career and an intelligent MBA aspirant should always think in that direction.


Contributed by ASHISH SINGH PARIHAR ( Class of 2006 – 2008IBS PUNE )