The right institutes for people with work experience

MBA CAT 2023
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I guess most of the people with a few years of work experience would be in a dilemma as to which Institutes would suit them most. I certainly am! :: Should I apply for xyz Institute? Is it worth it for people with work experience? *Will it…

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I guess most of the people with a few years of work experience would be in a dilemma as to which Institutes would suit them most. I certainly am!
Should I apply for xyz Institute? Is it worth it for people with work experience?
Will it really add considerable value to my profile? Or will I end up in the same position as I am in now? :confused:
Well these are the kind of questions that keep popping in my head and I believe other people would have had similar thoughts.
This thread is basically to throw this thought aroundget different perspectives on it..basically help us reach an intelligent decision.
People, please comment, give your views and help flustered souls like me to make up their minds.
I know it is a little late to start this topicmany people must have gone ahead and applied to various institutes alreadybut there might be some ppl out there who are still trying to make up their minds. :confused:
Well my situation is as follows:
I have about 16 months of experience as a software programmer in a reputed Indian IT Firm.
I strongly feel that an MBA must only be done from the very best of Institutes.
For me the choice then boils down to only IIM-A, B & C.
I was considering applying to a few other Institutes like SP Jain, MDI n XLRI, but after having given it a good thought.I think it would not be worth the while to apply to such institutes as I would have 2 years experience by the time their sessions start and investing 2 years there would not really achieve much.
I might seem cocky to some peoplebut this is what I feel!
Hoping to hear some suggestions soon.
Cheers
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I might seem cocky to some peoplebut this is what I feel!
Hoping to hear some suggestions soon.
Cheers


I was of the same opinion till last year.

But my near 2 1/2 yrs experience has taught me something.

You cant reach places with out an MBA, which u could with one..
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Hi.

Rightly said, You can't reach places without an MBA.

I am 2 yrs in IT in a reputed software firm. I feel at our level of experience, we should aim for some top institutes like IIM, ISB, XLRI, SPJain and NITIE.

The rest I feel are not a bet for experienced people and will not take you through a long way and help you climb the corporate ladder and they can try one next for top institutes rather than compromising on the A-grade schools.

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I was of the same opinion till last year.

But my near 2 1/2 yrs experience has taught me something.

You cant reach places with out an MBA, which u could with one..


Okay....my 2 cents
Approaching 2 years of work experience.......
the choices.....or rather the scenarios....

1) Get into only The Best institute.....come out belonging to a totally different class altogether......hmmm......that sounds like something I would like.

But what if u dont make it to The Best?????

2) Get into an OKAY MBA college....after spending 2 yrs. there u get out still falling in that same mediocre category u wanted to get out of....but what the hell...u r an MBA now!!.......hmmmm....thats just not me!:whatthat:

Well you can certainly "reach places" with an MBA.....but it is not just about rising up a notch or two.....its about taking a leap....and a big one at that!
I am willing to risk it!
And what's the hurry?? The options only increase with more work ex....GMAT for one!!
I would rather wait ! I cannot compromise myself....call it stupid or what u will.
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The point regarding trying for the best institute (by skipping the current year, if needed) is good. I am also expecting people with more experience to put in their comments. As for me, I have around 6.5 yrs exp. (ofcourse in IT consulting)

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srikeshk Says
The point regarding trying for the best institute (by skipping the current year, if needed) is good. I am also expecting people with more experience to put in their comments. As for me, I have around 6.5 yrs exp. (ofcourse in IT consulting)


Hi.. briefly went thru the msgs above.. wud like to clarify a few ground rules abt work ex.
1. workex of 1 to 20 months is not really work ex.. almost everyother guy/gal in a GOOD Bschool would hv that kinda workex.
Nevertheless, workex of any kinda and duration does help one understand the theories taught much better.. also the certain level of maturity that comes along with workex is always an added plus.

2. IT workex is very very common these days.. almost 60-70 % of workex junta in a GOOD Bschool has got IT workex from a "global major".

3. Work ex in drastically different streams like say - Oil and gas company, Banks ( for engineers), Media, Shipping company .. etc in a executive/ managerial role ( ie the non engg type of role) would really really boost up the cv.

4. Workex with stints abroad ( preferably more than 1 stint) is a great catalyst.

5. as someone had mentioned earlier, IIM A,B,C, ISB, NITIE, SPJAIN, L are known to tradinally help students leverage their workex very well.. thru HTEs ( higher than entry level), laterals etc..

Cheers.
Amit Shah.
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hi amit
nice to see your reply.i have work ex of 3 year in a nuclear power plant and 1 year teaching experience.so what are the prospects of getting into NITIE.
thanks in advance
pramod














Hi.. briefly went thru the msgs above.. wud like to clarify a few ground rules abt work ex.
1. workex of 1 to 20 months is not really work ex.. almost everyother guy/gal in a GOOD Bschool would hv that kinda workex.
Nevertheless, workex of any kinda and duration does help one understand the theories taught much better.. also the certain level of maturity that comes along with workex is always an added plus.

2. IT workex is very very common these days.. almost 60-70 % of workex junta in a GOOD Bschool has got IT workex from a "global major".

3. Work ex in drastically different streams like say - Oil and gas company, Banks ( for engineers), Media, Shipping company .. etc in a executive/ managerial role ( ie the non engg type of role) would really really boost up the cv.

4. Workex with stints abroad ( preferably more than 1 stint) is a great catalyst.

5. as someone had mentioned earlier, IIM A,B,C, ISB, NITIE, SPJAIN, L are known to tradinally help students leverage their workex very well.. thru HTEs ( higher than entry level), laterals etc..

Cheers.
Amit Shah.
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srikeshk Says
The point regarding trying for the best institute (by skipping the current year, if needed) is good. I am also expecting people with more experience to put in their comments. As for me, I have around 6.5 yrs exp. (ofcourse in IT consulting)


Iam an architect and have around 5.5 yrs of exp. i work for L&T;, and, have been abroad for more than a couple of times. But, the bachelor degree limits the chance of climbing the ladder. The push will definitely be harnessed through an MBA.
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Good doing buddies, Even i am of the same opinion though appearing for cat06 so that i can have at least 2.5 years of work exp. Hey public i am in need of some strong comments pertaining to the query that I am with Eaton pune into R&D; but having some really mind blowing offers from some mncs and indian corporates but didnt accept thinking Eaton is a big player in the market and dont wana loose this kinda exp. What would u suggest and reading the mails i am realising that even i got an opportunity to go abroad once or twice but didnt find any interest. I thought to go once i finish my education, these things use to come n make u feel fluctuating. Was that a mistake of not going abroad or did i take right step not to move there for a month or so.

Please do reply abut this query and other also. Have a nice time and yeah abut that query i do agree that at least 2.5 years of work ex shoulld be made compulsory, as i am of the mind MBA can be Master of baby adoption.
One need to understand working environment when he/she is at junior level. Rest is personal perception abut the issues.

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Good doing buddies, Even i am of the same opinion though appearing for cat06 so that i can have at least 2.5 years of work exp. Hey public i am in need of some strong comments pertaining to the query that I am with Eaton pune into R&D; but having some really mind blowing offers from some mncs and indian corporates but didnt accept thinking Eaton is a big player in the market and dont wana loose this kinda exp. What would u suggest and reading the mails i am realising that even i got an opportunity to go abroad once or twice but didnt find any interest. I thought to go once i finish my education, these things use to come n make u feel fluctuating. Was that a mistake of not going abroad or did i take right step not to move there for a month or so.


If you go abroad for work, you can always say that it has given you new perspective abt how things work. I don't understand the point of waiting to complete education before going abroad.


i am of the mind MBA can be Master of baby adoption.


WTH are u trying to say?
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hey folks

i am ur senior .(CAT 03 & CAT 04). well if u talk abt climbing the corporate ladder with work ex and an MBA from top institutes is the only way .. i beg to differ with ur reasoning for one simple reason that climbing doesnt mean 12 lac PA salary from top notch company..having said that u can really " climb" the ladder if u could prove ur self in the sphere of ur work. i know many ppl not from top 10 institutes (MBA) but from inst like KJ,NARSEEMONJEEWELINGKAR with work ex doing exceptionally well during placement as they have a clear vision abt thier career.

remember if u take MBA finance as ur specialisation ,during ur placement ur age do matter particulary if u are looking for a career in capital markets .investment consulting firms (in USA UK HONGKONG MALAYSIA) pay high salaries for ppl with MBA rather young MBA..

hence reaching IIM-A is gud but not at the age where ur son is ur class mate.

PS :- i know there will be a huge criticism for this post as every harsh reality will have atleast one such thing...

surya cyberabad

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Hey. Great thread you have here.

I am in the same quandry too. Although, I have just three months work ex. But it's in a market research and consultancy firm. One of the few freshers here ( others are from the management course from BITS).

Came here only for the work ex. But because of the job my prep for cat has taken a severe beating. Having to put in 13 hour days ( excuses excuses!) I missed out last year because of a poor quant score but this year my performances in the mock cat series have gone down the drain. Haven't hit the top 200 yet.

But what this job HAS done is that it's opened new avenues for me. I do like this field now ( analyst) though I would like it to be more of finance. I am just wondering if I should hold out one more year and the try applying abroad for my MBA.

I don't think me entering a second rung school (according to me SP Jain and MDI are in the first rung as well) is going to help. This is because the job I will land up with will probably be what I have now.

If you ask me an MBA should be a value addition to your resume. All the best guys.

and Odysseus: why do you think you sound cocky? You don't. Wanting to make to A, B or C is a good goal to set. Hope you make it. Hope all of us make it!

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Hi Guys!

Me also working for an IT co. from the last 2 years (and the last 9 months am working from chicago).
This thread was started to discuss which B-scools should ppl with 2-3 years of exp. (particularly IT) look at!! But I'm surprised to see no one has mentioned about the schools.
I think IIM-A,B,C,ISB, Jain, Bajaj,XL are the schools to look at.

I would say 2-3 years of work-ex in an IT company is just work-ex on paper!
You know what kinda work we do in the first 2 years. The first 3 months we spend in training, and it takes the next 3-6 months to settle down in the project( may be after moving 2-3 proj.s) . The next 12 - 16 months....... what we do is some coding/debugging stuff!!!
And a very few get a long-term onsite stint in this period!

So, ppl with 2-3 years of IT experience and who got admissions into top schools pls let us know which schools do u consider are good .....

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Hi Guys!

Me also working for an IT co. from the last 2 years (and the last 9 months am working from chicago).
This thread was started to discuss which B-scools should ppl with 2-3 years of exp. (particularly IT) look at!! But I'm surprised to see no one has mentioned about the schools.
I think IIM-A,B,C,ISB, Jain, Bajaj,XL are the schools to look at.

I would say 2-3 years of work-ex in an IT company is just work-ex on paper!
You know what kinda work we do in the first 2 years. The first 3 months we spend in training, and it takes the next 3-6 months to settle down in the project( may be after moving 2-3 proj.s) . The next 12 - 16 months....... what we do is some coding/debugging stuff!!!
And a very few get a long-term onsite stint in this period!

So, ppl with 2-3 years of IT experience and who got admissions into top schools pls let us know which schools do u consider are good .....




Hmmm.....for starters...Kudo's to the guy who started this thread....... and I second his thoughts........ after say abt almost 2 yrs in the industry.... the romance of doing MBA from A grade institute has sum how died out...its more to do with ROI(return on investment) and the fact which college gives me the platform to reach companies and positions I wish to be in....considering, now I am aware of what the real world (industry Scenario) is all about...!

Sumhow I too feel that IIM A, B, C are the only places to go....... or else bide ur time....for a superior college thru.. GMAT. ( mine could be termed as purely utopian thoughts.....choice made here...could turn out to be painful if one doesnt make it..... but as for me I know I can't do MBA from a college i didnt wanna go to in the first place ! More like ALL or Nothing !)

Balu....sumhow I am not willing to accept that my 1.5+ yrs of exp in the Industry is not much on the resume...... I mean i wouldnt consider mine insignificant .......just coz its not a proj on rocket science with NASA. I think it all depends what u did in those first 1-2 yrs on the job..what u learnt..and how u stood out from the ordinary.... thats what gonna diffrentiate u from the rest.

My understanding is that what diffrentiates u (even for a Bschool placment) ...is the kind of past experience(exposure) u have had....in ur past working environment.... and ur learnings from it as they are bound to make u a better/wiser resource.

Better4worse
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Friends,

I posses a solid work Ex of 4 years ; 1 year of teaching and 3 yrs of corporate exposure. I'm heading a unit and i draw a salary of 3.8 Lakhs per annum.
It's my earnest wish that i should do MBA and that too from IIMs / any top ten institute.
Though i start preparing seriously every time for the past 3 yrs, some or other serious issues will come (job associated)by sept-oct- and i used to drop the prep in mid way. This time also the story remains same. But i think i can sort out all issues by another 10 days and i can be freee.

Guys, kindly throw ur opinion regarding the possibility that i can crack cat in this short span. I am sound with concepts .. Speed is my major problem.. i can't find time to practice.

I have already applied for CAT, IIFT and NMIMS. I will apply for FMS also. can you suggest any good institute which matches my profile / which can add value to my work ex / carrer? ISB is there of course!

Kindly light me in this issue.

CATVET

I'M an ImbalanceD LibraN.. KindlY HepP ME TO BalancE MyselF!

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Well Pal........ Are u giving MOcks and if yes what is u r Score .....Based on that Ppl in Forum can Guide u wid the kind of Colegs u can Apply
BTW GLIM is institute which is comin up very nicely ...........
U can Add that to the List of Colgs u appying........
Have a look at the Discussion threads abot GlIM in PG.
All the BEST

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Hi.. briefly went thru the msgs above.. wud like to clarify a few ground rules abt work ex.
1. workex of 1 to 20 months is not really work ex.. almost everyother guy/gal in a GOOD Bschool would hv that kinda workex.
Nevertheless, workex of any kinda and duration does help one understand the theories taught much better.. also the certain level of maturity that comes along with workex is always an added plus.

2. IT workex is very very common these days.. almost 60-70 % of workex junta in a GOOD Bschool has got IT workex from a "global major".

.


WHOA!! ......not really work ex???:wow: what exactly do you mean dude? work EXPERIENCE....whatever field it might be in ...is an experience...and it doest matter how many ppl have the same kinda job profile.....they would have learnt and experienced a lot o different things....how can u even generalize it at all???
Agreed, that an uncommon job profile might boost up ur CV...but it would be a mere cosmetic effect.....u just cant discount IT experience because 60-70% people have had a similar job profile!!
And yes, even I have 16 months of IT work-ex.......and I find it to be equivalent to any other 16 months work ex....be it as a research scientist at MIT.......or be it the local Dhobi's assistant.



If you ask me an MBA should be a value addition to your resume. All the best guys.

and Odysseus: why do you think you sound cocky? You don't. Wanting to make to A, B or C is a good goal to set. Hope you make it. Hope all of us make it!


Hey goldberg
Thanx Dude! am kinda new to PG .......was just playing safe :lookroun:
and rightly said.....hope we all make it



Hmmm.....for starters...Kudo's to the guy who started this thread....... and I second his thoughts........ after say abt almost 2 yrs in the industry.... the romance of doing MBA from A grade institute has sum how died out...its more to do with ROI(return on investment) and the fact which college gives me the platform to reach companies and positions I wish to be in....considering, now I am aware of what the real world (industry Scenario) is all about...!

Sumhow I too feel that IIM A, B, C are the only places to go....... or else bide ur time....for a superior college thru.. GMAT. ( mine could be termed as purely utopian thoughts.....choice made here...could turn out to be painful if one doesnt make it..... but as for me I know I can't do MBA from a college i didnt wanna go to in the first place ! More like ALL or Nothing !)


Finally !!! someone agrees .......... All or Nothing it is!


Balu....sumhow I am not willing to accept that my 1.5+ yrs of exp in the Industry is not much on the resume...... I mean i wouldnt consider mine insignificant .......just coz its not a proj on rocket science with NASA. I think it all depends what u did in those first 1-2 yrs on the job..what u learnt..and how u stood out from the ordinary.... thats what gonna diffrentiate u from the rest.

My understanding is that what diffrentiates u (even for a Bschool placment) ...is the kind of past experience(exposure) u have had....in ur past working environment.... and ur learnings from it as they are bound to make u a better/wiser resource.

Better4worse


Right on dude!......my thoughts exactly
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ok, first things first-when I read this thread, I thought that the 'work-ex' duration we would be talking about over here would be around 3.5 yrs+ or so
but honestly, work-ex of like 2-2.5 yrs in an IT firm is something that atleast 40% junta in most of the top 10 b-schools posseses. I myself had 21 mths work-ex before taking up MDI

having a work-ex does not constrain you, rather it broadens ur horizons. You are in a good position to apply theory to ur practical situations, and are in a position wherein you can convert a 'good' b-school into a great b-school.
as long as the institute has had a history of lateral placements and is in the top 10 as per your perceptio, it is really really woth going in there.

and as someone put it that if ur expectations after work-ex are that you want a job which would treble ur salary, sorry sir-your package may not be huge, but then you will definitely enter at a higher position that the freshers and would in all probability do better there too atleast for the initial few years

besides that, ur call peeps

rgds
ronnie
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hi folk, As far as i came to know abut work exp in different field, what i analysed and came to know is that IT work exp do have weightage but that is 20% in comparison to other hard core fields. Coding do u think is an experience. U ask ursf if one is working for some coding job and other is a mechanical or chemical or whatever, may be civil. Work exp is what u have learnt by ur job profile and coding is noway related at all. Dont mind but i beg ur pardon. Even i went thru with some so called global software company but didnt join y coz it doesnt have that stuff if u wana make move for MBA.yeah, i do agree it matters for mba in systems and all, one can be a good project manager but I have seen most of the guys leaving software industry coz they got bored by coding n some bullshit work with a handsome package.Not all!Even the case is same in most of the industry, people looking for more responsibilities what they didnt get in the past.Anyway its a complicated issue n sensitive too. I am apologizing if i hurt anyone.But this is the truth.Can u compare urslf to a guy who has gone thru a production planning or control sorta thing. chalo then no more issues now.