Rajat Gupta 

PGDM, IIM Calcutta-2009                                                                

B. Tech (Electrical), IIT Roorkee-2006 
 

How does one get into a B School?

Most schools conduct an entrance test for selection of students which is followed by group discussion and interviews. IIMs and many other institutes use CAT scores for selection. ISB uses GMAT while XLRI conducts XAT exam. Along with the profile of the student and his performance in group discussion and interviews, the entrance test is a big determinant of the admission decision. The entrance examinations test the students on their verbal, analytical and quantitative skills. There are a lot of coaching institutes like Career Launcher, TIME, IMS, Professional Tutorials etc which have study packages, test series as well as class room coaching programs to help students prepare for these exams.

Also, many top tier schools are increasingly putting more emphasis on a student’s profile. Hence it’s important for the applicants to maintain a sound track record throughout their career. Class X, XII and college marks are increasingly becoming more important. Having a work experience which involves leadership role and team skills gives an edge. In general any achievement that makes   the candidate stand out among the other applicants is a plus.

What is taught in a B School?

The curriculum is designed to give the students a holistic view of how a firm runs. Certain levers like operations, marketing, human resource management, finance, project management effect any typical organization. The course gives the students a sound foundation in each one of these making them capable of working in any of these areas as well as in a cross functional role.

What are the opportunities after MBA?

Job opportunities after MBA are very good usually. A lot of Indian firms and MNCs recruit management graduates for different roles. Since the curriculum of MBA is quite diverse, the demand for graduates exists in most firms as each firm would have some functions where a management graduate can add value.

The good schools in the country have placement weeks/seasons when firms visit the campus. The ranking of a school usually effects the kind of firms that visit the campus. A degree is as good as the B school as far as the job opportunities go.

A lot of students start their own ventures after MBA. While one doesn’t necessarily have to do an MBA for being an entrepreneur and there have been many examples of successful entrepreneurs without a management degree, having management education does give a person a complete overview of how a business runs. Hence it can certainly add to a person’s chances of running a business successfully.

What is the difference between studying in a top tier B school and other schools?

Top tier institutes like IIMs, ISB, XLRI, FMS etc provide an individual with better ingredients required to make a successful manager. Over the years, most rankings have shown that these institutes have a distinct edge on other colleges in aspects like faculty, infrastructure, placements, quality of students etc. This clearly determines the standard of learning and experience an individual can expect to receive in a school.

In terms of placements, a lot of prestigious companies chose to recruit only from IIMs and some other top tier institutes. The roles offered by the firms to the students also differ with the students from top tier B schools getting more meaty jobs where they get a chance to make a difference to an organization at a very early stage of their career. Typically that translates into much higher pay checks too.

Is there a prerequisite to doing MBA?

A student with a bachelors degree in any discipline can apply for admission to MBA. Some schools may require a minimum percentage of marks in Class X, XII or previous college from the applicants.