Confused!!!

B.Com grad/ 6 yrs work ex in Mktg

Got offers from NewCastle, Leeds, Ashtopm, Bath, Liverpool, Henley Business Sc, Sheffield Hallam univ, Univ of Lancashire, Cardiff, Liescter, Nottingham, Liverpool, London School of Biz & Financ.

Pls suggest which one is good for a FT MBA as far as UK job market is concerned??

Now that many of the guys who were debating here last year will be graduating now. Can some of the current student share their placement experience?

Absolutely no second thought about the gloomy economic outlook but let's understand bad means how bad? How is the mood?

For fairness purpose, ignore LBS as that is in a different league altogether.

What about Oxbridge?

What about 2nd tier schools like MBS, Warwick and Cranfield

What about rest of the known schools like Lancaster, Bath, Edinburgh, etc

What about unknown schools ?

Can some current student come forward and share the true and non-sanitised information please. I do not believe colorful placement stats published by schools.

@nobodyhasthisid said: Liked the line of thought, so felt like adding my 2 cents Source: Basis the research I did on MBA options during last 5yrs 1. MBA is long term investment. So evaluating short term ROI post MBA is not fair. Also, from whichever school you pass-out (including HBS), the first job you land up with, depends on what have u done in your previous work exp, otherwise, you have to start from the scratch... unless you are an exceptional such as Mark Zuckerberg. So, conclusively, in the short run you have 20L and land up with 14LPA (avg. Sal from ISB, which is possibly an overstatement, so far I know it is more of functions of your experience pre ISB and much lower than quoted) job but in the long run miss out on too many other things 2. Indian MBA B-Schools are yet to get traction abroad. If I say that, I mean people sitting on the board of governors/management of top MNCs or leading socialites or public figures. With an SBS or JBS MBA one can command respect in the corporate world in India but someone from ISB might not command tht kind of respect outside India....I accept the counter argument how old the program is and all tht.... For example: same batch ISB & NUS, post MBA same Company abroad, ISB grads offered lower salary than NUS MBA 3. In India, any MBA program (including ISB) is highly India centric or south Asia centric... So one misses out on global perspective, if someone going with a significant work exp for an MBA then might not make sense 4. And any kind of college education is for lifetime, it should make ones professional career self sustainable (like an organization), and tht's why "Campus placement week" approach doesn't apply in west. And, given the fact if one has got good work experience and good undergraduate college degree (assumption is, one has a decent profile, basis which you get through any of these B-Schools) then coming out of Oxbridge MBA (in recession time) might act as road block in the short run but in the long run the ROI will be more in form of a evolved and well rounded professional. Example: Indira Nooyi IIMC then went to her Yale SOM MBA, one should read her interview and experiences around Yale MBA programs, she never even mentions IIMC All the points mentioned above are my personal opinions and have been written with intentions to share my perspective.

Hey guys,

I am currently waiting to start my MBA at Cambridge Judge in September.

Go to the Border Agency website and I think a Prospective Student Visa Category is mentioned.

Hey any idea which type of visa i should apply for .

I have a face to face intv at Said. I would be travelling from India.

Thanks

FYI for fellow puys must read

UK discontinues post-study visa - Hindustan Times

hunter101 Says

I am an MFE aspirant to Oxford and also have got an interview call for Round 2. Any other MFE applicants here preparing fr interview?

I was waitlisted for MFE in Round 2.. Any idea what are the chances of converting..??

Interesting comments throughout the thread. Well I guess I have much to contribute to help all those thinking of doing an MBA from the UK.
Firstly, no jobs. PSW (post study work visa) or not (which again is getting stopped from this year) jobs are very scarce and the current government is under immense pressure to not allow foreigners to land up jobs on UK shores. Of course you might find some odd jobs but you do not really wish to be MacD guy with an MBA do you?
So if you have a problem with money I guess its not good to come unless you are graduating from LBS. However, the experience was really good. Lots of exposure, different styles of teaching, different people and I made a whole lot of friends from different nations. Studies is good and standards are high. Its a one year course and you need to get a distinction (70%) to be actually considered for any decent job but 70% there is way harder than that in India.
For anyone dissing the UK, I agree it is a risk. If you are an average student with no family business back up then do not go. However if you are good or have some money to spare and really tired of some 3-4 lac job in India just go.
For anyone comparing jobs in India to the UK: In India you can never work in a restaurant and still support yourself. Unless you have IIT/IIM brand it is still hard to get a job. Naukri.com reports 5000 applications for each management level fresher/1-2 yrs work ex job. So India is not rosy. Yes, due to the stupid conversion rate things just seem very expensive to someone from India to the UK but so says my friend who is from Bihar about Mumbai.
My quals: BTech Chem Engg IIT-G, MS Pharmacy USC, MBA Warwick.
And honest reply regarding jobs. I am working in a top MNC in Mumbai with a salary of 13 lacs pa. Before I went abroad I was working at 8 lacs pa. My girlfriend who is just graduating from IIM-L is getting 14 lacs pa on joining with 0 exp. And I was basically hired on my IIT undergrad degree. So studying abroad makes little difference. And even makes me rather frustrated with work life in India sometimes. But the problem is this, the 3 persons directly reporting to me have all got MBA's and are engineers from Mumbai university or some other relatively lesser known colleges. And they all get something like 4-5 lacs pa with 5-6 yrs more experience than me. Considering that a very small percentage will get through IIT/IIM it seems terrible that employers in India are so biased.
Lastly, jobs are all about contacts. Frankly I got this job after wasting 2 months in the UK through a IIT senior and even now recruits are 40% via contacts and the rest through personal talent etc. So maintain those contacts always.
Anyone can ask me anything about interviews, GRE,GMAT whatever. Never gave CAT but even IITJEE questions are welcome. And since I have studied in both the US and UK I am equipped to handle both :)).
Currently, got admitted in Cambridge Judge for PhD in Business with awesome stipend (after my share of 3 straight rejects) so will be off this October. PhD in business in interesting and a topic best left for later.
Thanks for reading and all the best. Shoot me questions and I will try to answer as much as I can....

Hey,

You have given quite a frank opinion.

I am going for the full time mba at warwick this year. I was quite shocked reading your post about mba in UK. I am an engineer and currently working in my family business. I have heard quite a lot about mba from 'good' universities in the UK ( LBS, Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick). I intend to work there for sometime to gain international exposure before coming back to my business. I know the economic scene is not very pleasant there at the moment. I am also aware of the current post study work visa norms.

Since you have graduated from warwick, can you please throw some light on the course, the experience, the quality of education. Is it really very difficult to get a job post the warwick mba. moreover, what is the value of the university in india, if at all i wish to consider gaining corporate exposure before working in my business.

thanks

Kunal

I got an offer from SBS..YAHOOO

I think they are sending the results now. I just go the offer email an hour back.

At what time will the results be out today..


Wishing everyone (r2 applicants) all the very best for the result

The R2 results will be out tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

I am an MFE aspirant to Oxford and also have got an interview call for Round 2. Any other MFE applicants here preparing fr interview?

Hi Puys and Mr. Conrad,

Does anyone know details about JBS loan program. Is the loan program available through JBS available for without a co-signor, just like SBS has a tie up for a loan program without a co-signor.

I think its an important consideration, knowing that schols maybe tough to get and that it maybe tough to get financing for studying abroad.

Lemme know what u guys think...

Interesting comments throughout the thread. Well I guess I have much to contribute to help all those thinking of doing an MBA from the UK.
Firstly, no jobs. PSW (post study work visa) or not (which again is getting stopped from this year) jobs are very scarce and the current government is under immense pressure to not allow foreigners to land up jobs on UK shores. Of course you might find some odd jobs but you do not really wish to be MacD guy with an MBA do you?
So if you have a problem with money I guess its not good to come unless you are graduating from LBS. However, the experience was really good. Lots of exposure, different styles of teaching, different people and I made a whole lot of friends from different nations. Studies is good and standards are high. Its a one year course and you need to get a distinction (70%) to be actually considered for any decent job but 70% there is way harder than that in India.
For anyone dissing the UK, I agree it is a risk. If you are an average student with no family business back up then do not go. However if you are good or have some money to spare and really tired of some 3-4 lac job in India just go.
For anyone comparing jobs in India to the UK: In India you can never work in a restaurant and still support yourself. Unless you have IIT/IIM brand it is still hard to get a job. Naukri.com reports 5000 applications for each management level fresher/1-2 yrs work ex job. So India is not rosy. Yes, due to the stupid conversion rate things just seem very expensive to someone from India to the UK but so says my friend who is from Bihar about Mumbai.
My quals: BTech Chem Engg IIT-G, MS Pharmacy USC, MBA Warwick.
And honest reply regarding jobs. I am working in a top MNC in Mumbai with a salary of 13 lacs pa. Before I went abroad I was working at 8 lacs pa. My girlfriend who is just graduating from IIM-L is getting 14 lacs pa on joining with 0 exp. And I was basically hired on my IIT undergrad degree. So studying abroad makes little difference. And even makes me rather frustrated with work life in India sometimes. But the problem is this, the 3 persons directly reporting to me have all got MBA's and are engineers from Mumbai university or some other relatively lesser known colleges. And they all get something like 4-5 lacs pa with 5-6 yrs more experience than me. Considering that a very small percentage will get through IIT/IIM it seems terrible that employers in India are so biased.
Lastly, jobs are all about contacts. Frankly I got this job after wasting 2 months in the UK through a IIT senior and even now recruits are 40% via contacts and the rest through personal talent etc. So maintain those contacts always.
Anyone can ask me anything about interviews, GRE,GMAT whatever. Never gave CAT but even IITJEE questions are welcome. And since I have studied in both the US and UK I am equipped to handle both :)).
Currently, got admitted in Cambridge Judge for PhD in Business with awesome stipend (after my share of 3 straight rejects) so will be off this October. PhD in business in interesting and a topic best left for later.
Thanks for reading and all the best. Shoot me questions and I will try to answer as much as I can....

pazuzuinxs - Your achievements in your educational career have been great. But to me, that does not guarantee a great post mba job. Job profile is directly related to your previous experience at work. Any degree has diminishing returns.:|

hmmm The European situation is alarming but it is for everyone from Oxbridge to LBS to INSEAD and although INSEAD and LBS are quite high in the rankings but they have a lot more candidates than Oxbridge .... so the situation is going to be gloomy ...... Let's just hope things don't get worse as they are not likely to get better for sure.

And as I believe, the brand will help you, if not today .... a couple of years from now for sure.

Euro-zone is entering its second recession in 3 years. ET news article paints a very gloomy picture. Puys do take an informed decision w.r.t pursuing a MBA from the UK in the current scenario.

Euro zone economy to shrink in 2012, EU stagnates - The Economic Times

Hi Guys,

Can any of the admits to Judge Business School share information regarding the loan. The website of JBS says that we can get 28k + 5k of loan. However, the terms and conditions are not disclosed. Is this loan available for Indian applicants and does it require any co-signor.

For myslef, I need a loan without a cosignor for pursuing MBA at Judge or Said. In Said the loan is only available fo round 1 and round 2 applicants. Hence I am hoping to know more about the JBS loan scheme.

Please share details.

purvi239 Says

Could you share your profile

Close to 9 years exp; IT MNC ; business development/management; Now in US; good international experience; Engineering non-iit; average GPA; 710 GMAT : that is me in a nutshell

@addiegloriam thanks for the post
Clarifications since I wrote the post very late at night there are bound to be errors...
As you said, brand is important and only the best matters. Holds true for both India and the UK. If you graduate from Oxbridge then you do have a brand, if you do from say Cardiff or Lancaster you do not even though they are both Russel group (eqv to ivy league) Uni's. And there is no placement week so you got to rough it up after you graduate.
I just wanted to say clearly that do not go unless you have a financial back up or are extremely smart. I have seen too many people with huge loans and mortgages ending up with no job and a lot of trauma. Plus on campus employment is hard and its even harder to do well if you work outside besides studying. So in short its a big bill to foot. But its also a great and cherishable personal experience. So finally it is up to you to weigh the pros and cons and decide accordingly.
Also an important point is that though the UK MBA is expensive it is still cheaper than the US. In USC where I did my MS the fees were like 90k $ per year and thats just fees.
And about the PhD, I just felt I wanted to do research and that's where my interest lies. And research in India is simply not good enough thus prompting my return to the UK. Also I felt that maybe I had come back too soon without giving the job market there a proper try and now with better experience I might stand a better chance ;)....

@pazuzuinxs

Hi, A very interesting post but it leaves me a bit confused ....... you start with the cons of studying in the UK (unless it's LBS), although you do emphasis on the quality of the education but then you move on to criticizing the employment scene in India and end with the update that you are headed back to the UK to pursue a PhD.
I am sorry if I am being a little forthright here .... I know a couple of people who did not find a job after graduating from good schools like MBS , Cranfield etc ... but I would imagine that SBS is a brand and hence the employ-ability of a candidate will be better if he / she graduates from SBS (I may be wrong) ... Also, anyone going abroad for an education should be aware of the fact that unlike in India, there is nothing like a placement week abroad wherein potential employers visit the campus and the entire class is placed within a couple of days. Every school website I have been to, emphasizes on the importance of networking.

I guess anyone travelling abroad needs to make an informed decision as the stakes are high and for that it would be good if any present student can spare some time and provide inputs in terms of career prospects post graduating from Oxford.

Rest, i don't see things improving in Europe for the next year and a half atleast so I guess whoever is on this thread has taken that into account and is willing to take the plunge.

My own opinion is that the brand Oxford does matter a lot and in a career spanning 30 years, it would hold a person in good stead in the long run (if not immediately) .... but then that's my individual opinion.

More Later .....

Interesting comments throughout the thread. Well I guess I have much to contribute to help all those thinking of doing an MBA from the UK.
Firstly, no jobs. PSW (post study work visa) or not (which again is getting stopped from this year) jobs are very scarce and the current government is under immense pressure to not allow foreigners to land up jobs on UK shores. Of course you might find some odd jobs but you do not really wish to be MacD guy with an MBA do you?
So if you have a problem with money I guess its not good to come unless you are graduating from LBS. However, the experience was really good. Lots of exposure, different styles of teaching, different people and I made a whole lot of friends from different nations. Studies is good and standards are high. Its a one year course and you need to get a distinction (70%) to be actually considered for any decent job but 70% there is way harder than that in India.
For anyone dissing the UK, I agree it is a risk. If you are an average student with no family business back up then do not go. However if you are good or have some money to spare and really tired of some 3-4 lac job in India just go.
For anyone comparing jobs in India to the UK: In India you can never work in a restaurant and still support yourself. Unless you have IIT/IIM brand it is still hard to get a job. Naukri.com reports 5000 applications for each management level fresher/1-2 yrs work ex job. So India is not rosy. Yes, due to the stupid conversion rate things just seem very expensive to someone from India to the UK but so says my friend who is from Bihar about Mumbai.
My quals: BTech Chem Engg IIT-G, MS Pharmacy USC, MBA Warwick.
And honest reply regarding jobs. I am working in a top MNC in Mumbai with a salary of 13 lacs pa. Before I went abroad I was working at 8 lacs pa. My girlfriend who is just graduating from IIM-L is getting 14 lacs pa on joining with 0 exp. And I was basically hired on my IIT undergrad degree. So studying abroad makes little difference. And even makes me rather frustrated with work life in India sometimes. But the problem is this, the 3 persons directly reporting to me have all got MBA's and are engineers from Mumbai university or some other relatively lesser known colleges. And they all get something like 4-5 lacs pa with 5-6 yrs more experience than me. Considering that a very small percentage will get through IIT/IIM it seems terrible that employers in India are so biased.
Lastly, jobs are all about contacts. Frankly I got this job after wasting 2 months in the UK through a IIT senior and even now recruits are 40% via contacts and the rest through personal talent etc. So maintain those contacts always.
Anyone can ask me anything about interviews, GRE,GMAT whatever. Never gave CAT but even IITJEE questions are welcome. And since I have studied in both the US and UK I am equipped to handle both :)).
Currently, got admitted in Cambridge Judge for PhD in Business with awesome stipend (after my share of 3 straight rejects) so will be off this October. PhD in business in interesting and a topic best left for later.
Thanks for reading and all the best. Shoot me questions and I will try to answer as much as I can....

nobodyhasthisid Says

U might want to try out gmatclub for such inputs/details on international schools...

Thanks a ton buddy.. I'm sure it'll help

Thanks for your prompt reply buddy ! It'll help !
Can I overstay the welcome a bit?
I mean can you also tell me where to find experiences or questions to prepare for forthcoming Sad interview OR even any general tips or guidelines will help? Unlike ISB thread, this thread has hardly any experiences or material ?

U might want to try out gmatclub for such inputs/details on international schools...

My 2 cents:

USPs of any International General Management (MBA) Class on which i would evaluate an MBA (General management) program:
.........................
.........................

I hope this helps....

GODSPEED & ATB

Thanks for your prompt reply buddy ! It'll help !
Can I overstay the welcome a bit?
I mean can you also tell me where to find experiences or questions to prepare for forthcoming Sad interview OR even any general tips or guidelines will help? Unlike ISB thread, this thread has hardly any experiences or material ?

KIRANR9P Says

I just got an invite for interview.

Could you share your profile

Hi dear,

While I appreciate your candid and deliberate perspective, I request you to elaborate on your 3rd point. I am somewhat concerned as my workex is higher than the average workex of most schools.
Thanks

My 2 cents:

USPs of any International General Management (MBA) Class on which i would evaluate an MBA (General management) program:

- Number of nationalities represented in the class, should have more than 50% international candidates
- Average number of work experience of the class (for example 7yrs for SAID and JBS): Since, i have almost 7yrs of average work exp, i would like to study with a class of fairly high work exp
- Type of work experience (Student Profile): Type of job offersfor a specific MBA program depends on "TYPE" work experience and background class has... and if you want something "disruptive" post MBA, you have to take this factor into consideration very seriously
- Curriculum of MBA program: Should be in line with my career goals post MBA for example consulting based etc.
- Smaller Class size: I might not want to join a program with 400+ class size unless it is LBS or Harvard
- Acceptability of program across countires/continents: If i were to look for job opportunities, post MBA, in south east asia or US, I should not struggle to make recruiters understand my MBA program

I hope this helps....

GODSPEED & ATB

3. In India, any MBA program (including ISB) is highly India centric or south Asia centric... So one misses out on global perspective, if someone going with a significant work exp for an MBA then might not make sense

Hi dear,

While I appreciate your candid and deliberate perspective, I request you to elaborate on your 3rd point. I am somewhat concerned as my workex is higher than the average workex of most schools.
Thanks

Same here, have an interview in few days. Would appreciate if people from R1 could shed some more light on the interview questions.

Can someone put some light on the cost of the oxford MBA program?

Also, is it easy to get some scholarship at oxford... may be a need-based one?

Dinged by Oxford...I thought I had put in a good application. I really loved the college and was hoping to become part of it.
Need to sit and review what went wrong. It's sad that they don't encourage applicants asking for a reason for rejection.

Best of luck to everybody!

hey,

i have an interview invite for Said. Can anyone let me know or help regarding interview experiences of fellow puys? Thanks !

Liked the line of thought, so felt like adding my 2 cents

Source: Basis the research I did on MBA options during last 5yrs

1. MBA is long term investment. So evaluating short term ROI post MBA is not fair. Also, from whichever school you pass-out (including HBS), the first job you land up with, depends on what have u done in your previous work exp, otherwise, you have to start from the scratch... unless you are an exceptional such as Mark Zuckerberg. So, conclusively, in the short run you have 20L and land up with 14LPA (avg. Sal from ISB, which is possibly an overstatement, so far I know it is more of functions of your experience pre ISB and much lower than quoted) job but in the long run miss out on too many other things

2. Indian MBA B-Schools are yet to get traction abroad. If I say that, I mean people sitting on the board of governors/management of top MNCs or leading socialites or public figures. With an SBS or JBS MBA one can command respect in the corporate world in India but someone from ISB might not command tht kind of respect outside India....I accept the counter argument how old the program is and all tht.... For example: same batch ISB & NUS, post MBA same Company abroad, ISB grads offered lower salary than NUS MBA

3. In India, any MBA program (including ISB) is highly India centric or south Asia centric... So one misses out on global perspective, if someone going with a significant work exp for an MBA then might not make sense

4. And any kind of college education is for lifetime, it should make ones professional career self sustainable (like an organization), and tht's why "Campus placement week" approach doesn't apply in west. And, given the fact if one has got good work experience and good undergraduate college degree (assumption is, one has a decent profile, basis which you get through any of these B-Schools) then coming out of Oxbridge MBA (in recession time) might act as road block in the short run but in the long run the ROI will be more in form of a evolved and well rounded professional. Example: Indira Nooyi IIMC then went to her Yale SOM MBA, one should read her interview and experiences around Yale MBA programs, she never even mentions IIMC

All the points mentioned above are my personal opinions and have been written with intentions to share my perspective.

You are right Couldn't agree more with your opinion..

Hi All,

My university is ready to give me the certificate which will prove that the medium of instruction was English in my undergraduate engineering study. Is anyone having any particualr format kindly please send me a message. Do these universities need a particular format or any format will do?

Thanks,
Sandeep

SAID guys asked me the same....I just got my Engg School mention tht medium of education and instructions were throughout English

Cheers

addiegloriam Says

@ Kushagra .... ok, although I have a slightly different opinion. ISB is a highly India centric school but INSEAD has a global outlook .... ISB might give a better ROI but INSEAD would definitely hold you in good stead in the long run ... but whatever decision you take, all the best man..... Cheers

Liked the line of thought, so felt like adding my 2 cents

Source: Basis the research I did on MBA options during last 5yrs

1. MBA is long term investment. So evaluating short term ROI post MBA is not fair. Also, from whichever school you pass-out (including HBS), the first job you land up with, depends on what have u done in your previous work exp, otherwise, you have to start from the scratch... unless you are an exceptional such as Mark Zuckerberg. So, conclusively, in the short run you have 20L and land up with 14LPA (avg. Sal from ISB, which is possibly an overstatement, so far I know it is more of functions of your experience pre ISB and much lower than quoted) job but in the long run miss out on too many other things

2. Indian MBA B-Schools are yet to get traction abroad. If I say that, I mean people sitting on the board of governors/management of top MNCs or leading socialites or public figures. With an SBS or JBS MBA one can command respect in the corporate world in India but someone from ISB might not command tht kind of respect outside India....I accept the counter argument how old the program is and all tht.... For example: same batch ISB & NUS, post MBA same Company abroad, ISB grads offered lower salary than NUS MBA

3. In India, any MBA program (including ISB) is highly India centric or south Asia centric... So one misses out on global perspective, if someone going with a significant work exp for an MBA then might not make sense

4. And any kind of college education is for lifetime, it should make ones professional career self sustainable (like an organization), and tht's why "Campus placement week" approach doesn't apply in west. And, given the fact if one has got good work experience and good undergraduate college degree (assumption is, one has a decent profile, basis which you get through any of these B-Schools) then coming out of Oxbridge MBA (in recession time) might act as road block in the short run but in the long run the ROI will be more in form of a evolved and well rounded professional. Example: Indira Nooyi IIMC then went to her Yale SOM MBA, one should read her interview and experiences around Yale MBA programs, she never even mentions IIMC

All the points mentioned above are my personal opinions and have been written with intentions to share my perspective.

Got interview call from Oxford...yipeeeee

Hi,

Delighted to get an interview invite from Oxford


I look forward to the interviews...