Your Coaching Institute is Lying on Your Face , Do You Know ?

Prabhat, a young undergraduate, walked into a renowned coaching institute with his friend Aman. 

Both had very high hopes that with proper coaching and guidance one day they will be able to crack CAT ( Common Admission Test ) and get into one of the IIMs or one of other Top MBA Institutes in India, settle their career and fulfill their dreams. 

Also Read : How to Get Internship at Google

They got counselling, got promised about making them ready to secure a seat in IIMs, a lot of dreams were gifted to them by institute and they obviously made it sound like a piece of cake. 

They got admission too, and what happened in later months, was totally unexpected to them. 

Wish, they could have known the things, they know now before entering the coaching institute.

But its not their fault. The truth, which they realized after 8 months in coaching ins MBA aspirants, who realize the truth later, when almost a year is lost. Only very few could realize the truth at right time. 

The truth, that everyone must know before getting admission in a CAT/MAT coaching institute : 

Their  CAT coaching Institute is making fool of them. 

The institute has been lying on their face since the day they walked into office for very first time. 

They have been nothing more than a bearer cheque of Rs. 70,000 to their coaching institute. 

Here Prabhat shares their experience in their own words. 

"I was a B.Tech final year student while Aman was pursuing his B.Com those days. We were childhood friends, and had our plans. 

Counsellor looking towards me asked, "So what are do you doing ?"

"B.Tech. CS, 7th Semester " I replied. 

"Oh that's great. MBA after B.Tech is a great combination you know. 

Its amazing career choice. 

My boy, IIMs are made for you and students with though process like yours are made for IIMS. 

We will teach you how to get into IIMs. Its very easy with proper guidance from experienced faculty like we have. They are the best. 

Also, there are no benefits of getting MBA from any other B-School other than IIMs. "

"So, is there no scope for B.Com graduates ?" Aman asked. 

Now counsellor got his attention. "So you are doing B.Com ? That is also a great choice. "

"With MBA after B.Com, the sky is the limit ...

He started in a flow, like a recording, with no desires to be interrupted, srepeating the same things that he told me couple of minutes before. 

Later on we realized that, even on that day we could have said any things as our current qualification ( all the degrees from Graduation to Post Graduation ), it could have been a perfect combination. 

After a detailed discussion of 40 minutes, we found ourselves discussing the fee structure for coaching. 

We expected to get it done in 2-3 minutes, but to our surprise, a long rate list was waiting for us. 

"Please wait a minute, Ma'am will explain you the fee structure." he said. 

A young lady had appeared there introducing herself and the counsellor walked towards some new faces who has just entered the office. 

"Look, we have weekend and weekdays batches. Which one would you like to have ?" She asked. 

We expressed our desire to know about both. 

" For weekdays, you need to pay Rs.29,000 only. 

But if you are willing to go for weekend classes then it will cost you Rs.32,000."

It was way to out of our budget. We expressed our inability in paying such a high fee. After all both of us were from a middle class family and this was a huge amount for our parents. 

"Not to worry, you are lucky that, we are offering Discount of Rs. 2000.00 for all admissions this month. You can avail that, but for that, you need to pay the complete fee before end of this month. You can register yourself in offer by paying Rs.5000 as registration amount.  fee at the time of registration." She said. 

But yet, arranging Rs.27,000 in 20 days was not easy. We said sorry, and started getting up while saying, "we will come later. "

Hay, wait wait. We understand you are talented and have dreams. We love to support young students like you.
We have a group discount offer. If you take admission in a group of 3-5 students fee will be Rs.25,500 per student." and the fee will be paid in 3 instalments. Its all that I could do to help you. 

Today we think, they are the people making real money without any MBA. 

( Indirectly, I was giving a business of Rs.1,27,500, to get a discount of Rs.15,00. )

Finally, we got admission, got batches allotted and received our welcome kit with some books and cards etc. 

First day of our class, we entered the room with full enthusiasm and zeal to study hard. 

Couple of days passed nicely, but these days were not going to last forever. 

One day, one of the counsellors ( marketing executives, we had understood by now ), entered the classroom just before the class was about to start. 

He introduced a program : Earn While You Learn.  "We have launched this program to support you guys only. " He said. 

All you have to do is to refer your friends and you will be entitled to get Rs.500 - 700 for each admission. 

( For every business of Rs.25000, you will get Rs.500. Damn !) 

But it just didn't  stop here. 

More programs were launched, all nicely packed to look as they are helping us. For eg : College ambassador program, Coach your juniors program, Boot Camp Program etc. 

Suddenly we had become their marketing executives, and we never understood it. 

Counsellors started visiting our hostels, using us as pass to get it. Meeting our college mates, convincing them to get admission for CAT prep, even when they were planning GATE. 

Our studies at both places was getting full of distractions and we just couldn't see it. 

At institute, the classes never remain constant at particular schedule.

Sometimes the classes were scheduled in such a way that, we needed to take off from college. 

Studies at both places were suffering. 

Time flew by and the date of CAT was near. Our MOCK tests had started. 

Many of us were unable to perform well. With bad scores, most of us had sad faces. 

Well, how we could had scored well, as being a student, we had a lot of work to do other than studies. 

The subject teachers started scolding and the counsellors started convincing us to drop and enroll for next year coaching in new batch. 

All the earlier promises suddenly changed - 

"Everyone cannot go to IIMs."

"Focus on getting into one of top 100 B-Schools. " 

( What happened to me going in IIMs only ) . 

But we didn't give up, pulled up our sleeves and focused on our studies. We started going to coaching only for mock tests. 

But all were not like us. Some, gave up and started focusing on getting into B-Schools other than IIMs and other top 20 B-Schools. 

And, new offers launched to create more distraction : 

“Provide 2 students and get a MAT application form free."

“Provide 4 students and get a MAT + CAT application forms free."

“Provide 6 students and get a MAT+ CAT+FMS application forms free."

And so on, all indirectly forcing students to bring more students. 

All the time, they kept lying and distracting their own students. Treating them nothing more than a money making machine. 

Even in the desperate times, when they could have guided students to study, to focus, they promote them to get involved into money making activities for institute. 

The day was here, we had appeared in test and the result was about to be declared. 

Most of us had scored terribly bad. Even we, after putting all our efforts of las 4 months had been able to score between 75 percentile to 80 percentile. 

Some hadn't been able to cross 50 percentile too. They were the ones who had earned highest in the referral programs. 

We had a feeling that after such a terrible result, finally the institute will take a lesson. But no, they started offering the same students Marketing executive jobs in the institute. 

It was actually worst than it sounds. 

The institute representatives were suggesting students, to join institute as sales and marketing executive.

In their own words, "we can help you in funding your coaching expenses. We have some positions open and you can join us. You will be paid monthly salary and you can fund your coaching fee from that.

To girls, the positions like telecaller, receptionist, counsellor etc. positions were available. 

Today I think, how bad the MBA coaching industry has become. "

Prabhat, stopped here, looking towards the neon glow board of a CAT coaching institute, just opposite the coffee shop we were sitting in. 

But it doesn't ends here. There is alot that Prabhat told. Will share that in another post. 

Prabhat took a break and made to one of the prestigious B-Schools. Today he is starting his own business. Aman too had to struggle but, now he is earning well and doing market research to start his own business. 

Based on experience of Prabhat, we talked to some more students and a lot of shocking facts came to light, including : 

- How you become a bearer cheque to Rs. 70,000 and more for your coachign institute. 

- How you end up paying approx Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 in a year, to your institute without even knowing that, you are paying. 

- How coaching institutes make sure that you follow the path of "How not to get into IIMs". 

After all, the above is only the beginning. 

Have you experienced something same. Share with us.

Wish you the best. 

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CAT 2012 - Syllabus and Paper Pattern

Common Admission Test (CAT), the test conducted by IIMs as entrance exam for getting admissions in IIMs and leading B-Schools of the country, is an all India level entrance test. 

Like every year the CAT exam will be held between October, 2012 and November 2012. Based on scores and CAT percentile, candidates will be called for next stage of selection process which generally includes Group Discussion or GD, Essay and Personal Interview or PI in other words. 

The pattern of the CAT exam is objective type ie. multiple choice questions will be asked in the exam as usual. There is negative marking in the exam, for each wrong answer 1/3 mark will be deducted.

There will be only two sections in the exam. First section will be Quantitative Ability & Date Interpretation and the second section will be Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning. 


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The time limit for each section is different. The duration of the exam is 140 minutes. Candidates will be given 70 minutes to answer 30 questions within each section, each section have an on-screen countdown timer. Once the time ends for the first section, students will move to the next section and will not be able to go to previous section.

Syllabus for CAT 2012

CAT 2012 Syllabus for English: -

• Comprehension of passage.
• Verbal Reasoning.
• Syllogisms.
• Contextual usage.
• Analogies, Antonyms, Idioms.
• Fill In the Blanks, Sentence completion and Sentence correction.
• Foreign language words used in English.
• Errors in word choice, mania & phobia, Incorrect words, Conditionals & Multiple Usage , Punctuation, Proverb, , one word substitution, Different usage of same word Phrasal verb etc.

CAT 2012 Syllabus for Quantitative Ability:-

• Geometry, (Lines, angles, Triangles, Spheres, Rectangles, Cube, Cone etc.)
• Ratios and Proportion, Ratios, Percentages, In-equations.
• Quadratic and linear equations.
• Algebra.
• Mensuration, Alligation & Mixtures, Work, Pipes and Cisterns.
• Installment Payments, Partnership, Clocks.
• Probability, Permutations & Combinations.
• Profit & Loss.
• Averages, Percentages, Partnership.
• Time-Speed-Distance, Work and time.
• Number system: HCF, LCM, Geometric Progression, Arithmetic progression, Arithmetic mean, Geometric mean , Harmonic mean, Median, Mode, Number Base System, BODMAS, etc.

CAT 2012 Syllabus for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning :-

• Data Interpretation based on text, Data Interpretation based on graphs and tables.
• Graphs can be Column graphs, Graphs representing Area, Bar Graphs, Line charts, Pie Chart, Venn Diagram, etc.
• Critical reasoning, Visual reasoning.
• Assumption-Premise-Conclusion, Assertion and reasons.
• Statements and conclusions.
• Cause and Effect.
• Identifying Probably true, Probably false, definitely true, definitely false kind of statement.
• Linear arrangements, Identifying Strong arguments and Weak arguments.
• Matrix arrangements.

GK/GA/BA:-

• Current Affairs, Business, Punch line of companies, Top officials of big companies, Major corporate events.
• Science, History, Geography, International organizations.
• Important quotations.
• Social issues, Sports, Finance, Automobiles, Entertainment, Politics etc.
• Famous award and prizes.
• World Records.
• Books and authors.

Post By-
Alok Upadhayay 

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India - Upcoming Global Manager

India is striving hard to become a global hub of management knowledge and helping it achieve are world class management institutions like IIMs. At present, the USA is the obvious knowledge destination of the world because of the high quality research that is carried out there and its management and PhD programmes. "But things are changing. Indian B Schools have started doing high quality research and are producing great work with which they are able to attract global faculty", said V.K. Menon, senior director, careers, admissions and financial aid at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. It is estimated that by 2040 there would be the time when the entire world will look at India for people with brain power because by that time 65% of India’s population will comprise of the workforce. That would be the time when Hence, B-schools in India must chart a work plan to build on this power of mind. Let's have a look at the latest trends in management education in India and what more is required to be incorporated in the curriculum to match the industry trends.

Quality focus - 

To drive quality, a multifaceted effort is required. The government plays an important role in terms of giving approvals and evaluating the intent behind starting business school. Faculty resource selection and retention is most important. One way of determining quality is accreditation of business schools. There are national, regional and international accreditation bodies like NBA, SAQS, AMBA, etc. which can ensure quality checks. There are very few business schools in India which have continuously done a self-audit to identify the gap areas. As per facts and researches, around 20% offer quality management education. Emerging needs of the practicing world requires a good combination of domain and soft skills. Indian government is today exhorting inclusive growth, yet it does not feature anywhere in Indian management education. 

"There are very few good management schools in India - may be only top 25 make the grade in a broad sense. There is a need for bringing in tremendous change in pedagogies and current curriculum in use. What we require is a complete overhaul of Indian management education rather than mere incremental improvements. Also, there should be a larger focus on developing the person, building character, rather than only focusing on developing cognitive skills and giving cognitive knowledge. The curriculum must develop greater sensitivity to the context - environment", said Asha Bhandarker, dean, research and consultancy, MDI. 

To update curriculum to meet emerging needs it is important to include industry experts from various functions, achievers from alumni community and leading academicians as part of the academic council.
Currently, Indian management education is undergoing a metamorphosis from traditional classroom oriented teaching to using research driven teaching and use of contemporary case studies. "Indian case studies are beginning to get written and drawing attention across the world. This trend is set to grow. Complex demography, strong value orientation, need for rigorous cost management, deep and multiple distribution systems are some of the challenges routinely faced by companies operating in India and these are adding to the body of management knowledge. As the world globalises, Indian management education will have exponential growth in years to come", said Menon. Competition is certainly not set to come down and the techniques developed in India will be used worldwide. The other issue deals with the right fit. Companies are looking to hire employees who bring great and direct value to their organizations.

Latest Trends In Management Education

The last decade has witnessed major transformation in the management education domain. This transformation could be analyzed from three perspectives - management institutions, students and corporate. "Where earlier the focus of management institutions used to be on developing functional managers, the focus is shifting towards developing holistic managers by giving them more exposure to industry. Traditional courses are being replaced by courses linked with emerging business needs. This is a reality in good business schools where corporate play a key role in designing of the courses. In terms of delivery, lecture based pedagogy is being supplemented by simulations, cases, live projects, outbound, etc. The idea is to bring the classroom environment similar to real organizations where students are able to experience the decision dilemmas in-turn helping them to become good managers. Similarly, students applying to business schools have all the right information to take informed decisions. The last few years have seen a significant rise in the number of portals catering to the needs of the MBA aspirants. Further, the increased participation in social-media has made the applicants capable of making the right choices. Corporate today are picking up the best talent. With the opening of new IIMs and a number of other business schools, the choice has increased. A large number of corporate have tied up with schools all over India to provide managers tailored to their business requirements. The whole focus has shifted towards selecting candidates who can be assigned to roles quickly. Therefore, the whole orientation towards training and skill development has also undergone a major change.

Why only a few of Indian B-schools can be compared with world's best management institutions? "One of the primarily reasons is quality of education. In a quest to approve new business schools, quality has taken a big hit. Good business schools are known by their intellectual capital and not by the size of their campuses or infrastructure. And the core component of the intellectual capital is the quality of faculty which determines the quality of students selected and passing out from these schools", said Joshi World's best management institutions consistently and continuously produce high quality research. This gets them cutting edge knowledge which they are able to pass on to their students. According to Menon, "The major focus of many Indian Bschools has been in teaching. This trend is now changing and good research is getting done in India. A B-school graduate is trained to be a senior manager.
An MBA is not just a teaching of tools and techniques. B-schools need to inculcate integrative thinking, and should equip the student with functional expertise and cross functional knowledge. This understanding of various functions of business and their interplay helps the students to assess an issue through a multi-dimensional lens and to arrive at an appropriate solution."
Another dimension is the profile of the promoters or the leadership behind the schools. Management schools which were opened with a purely commercial objective have not been able to survive. This is precisely why a large number of B-schools have closed down within few years of their inception. The third dimension is the quality of research and consulting undertaken. The fact remains that we are still not doing enough management research to be at par with global standards. Barring few IIMs and top notch B-schools in India, there is very little in terms of faculty output other than fulfilling their course loads."
It is believed that if adequate efforts and processes are established, the quality of education offered by distance institutions can be as good, even better than regular full time education. Any distance learning institute should offer programmes that are at par with the best programmes of the world and must take initiatives to continuously upgrade its programmes.

Points to remember before taking admission in a B-school
First and foremost it should be the profile of the promoters and faculty resource.
Second, the industry/corporate linkages of the institution. It would also be worthwhile to look at student and faculty exchange arrangements with other leading b-schools around the world.
A B-school must be is closely connected with corporate world and have good mix of academicians and faculty from industry.
While selecting a business school, students should keep in mind that the business school is configured to lead students to a career of their choice / liking. This is possible if the business school has appropriate linkage of curriculum and training programmes with the corporate.
Most importantly, the degree should be a recognized from an approving body of Ministry of HRD. One must opt for a PGDM programme approved by AICTE or University Degree approved UGC.
Check whether the school offers Full time PGDM / MBA. The students should be careful about distance and part-time programmes as they have up gradation purpose and are not meant to be professional certifications preparing you for a career ahead.

Also many institutes conduct distance programmes under the garb of full time degree/diploma while conducting classes similar to full time mode. Students must visit the website of AICTE at http://www.aicte-india.org/ to confirm the name and address of the institute they are interested to seek admission.

Source -  Times of India

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CAT 2011 - Make Your Grip On Quantitative Ability

Quantitative Ability can be a nightmare for many CAT aspirants. But if you are really determined about your goal to study MBA in a top notch MBA institute, then a section should not hamper your chance.  For every MBA aspirant, there is one or the other area of weakness. In this article, you will get the tips on how to strengthen this weak section of yours.

 

As you are aware, Quantitative Ability tests your basic knowledge about mathematics, brushing up of the subject, which you had done in the classes VIII to X. The best way to start preparation is by starting with the NCERT books. You will not only feel familiar but will also get your basics brushed up. Before you know more about the preparation strategies, it is important to know about the topics of the Quantitative Ability that you will be facing.

Topics of Quantitative Ability

The topics which you will encounter in this section are Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Functions, Number System and Time, Speed and Distance. These are the most common topics that you will face in the CAT exam. Apart from these, the topics are Mensuration, Linear Equations, Ratio and Proportion, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Variable and Inconsistence.

These are the overall topics which you will focus in this section. As Anurag Goyal, who scored 99.56 percentile in CAT 2008 says, “The relative importance keeps changing. It is extremely important to be thoroughly prepared with the chapters that one is comfortable with and not waste time on the others.”

Books for Quantitative Ability

•    The NCERT Maths Books of Class 8 to 10

•    Any one of the following books by R.S. Agarwal: Objective Arithmetic, Mathematics for MBA, Quantitative Techniques

•    ‘How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT’ by Arun Sharma

•    ‘The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT’ by Nishit Sinha

•    ‘Quantum CAT’ by Sarvesh Kumar Verma

•    ‘Quantitative Aptitude for MBA Entrance Examinations’ by Abhijit Guha

Preparation strategy

For preparing the Quantitative Ability section, practice is the best way. In Quantitative Ability if you are weak in all areas, you would need to solve and learn from around 5000 questions in order to match your skills with the best. Over a 150 day period this means 30 to 35 questions per day.

The method of learning by solving is also suggested by many experts. The more questions you solve, more idea you will have on the questions and the topics. “For Quant, focus on the learning you can extract out of every question.  If you can do so, then for CAT or for that matter any aptitude exam would ever hurt you in Quant over the next 10 years! Remember, Question based learning is the key.”

One more way to start is by starting with a particular chapter. Clearing the basic concepts, answering the questions and when you feel comfortable about it, move on to the next chapter. “Take one chapter at a time and solve as many questions as possible over a week or 10 days. The objective should be to master the chapter and develop a very high level of comfort and confidence should any question be asked from the chapter. Thereafter, move on to the next chapter,” experts say.

While you clear the basic concepts and solve the questions, you should also keep in mind the fact that speed is an important constraint of the CAT exam. Hence, maintaining speed and accuracy at the same time will be of utmost importance. CAT is about speed and you should plan your time towards solving each and every question very efficiently. Practice as many questions you can mainly from the previous papers because it gives you an idea about the variety of questions that has been asked before.

If mugging up formulae is not your forte, then practice will come to your rescue. Just practice a lot and you won’t need to mug any formula and any trick. Things will turn out eventually in your favor.

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Should I get an MBA, duel degrees, or choose a concentration? So many options

Selecting a business school that meets your professional objective is not easy - and it can be further complicated if you think that you might like to pursue a dual degree or concentration! The MBA typically offers skills and knowledge in general management that help professionals take on new responsibilities and open up new opportunities for advancement.

Joint degree programs are designed to allow students with strong interest in two professional areas to study for two graduate degrees at the same time. These intensive programs generally require that a candidate fulfill all of the first-year foundation requirements of both degree programs. The benefit comes as you complete your elective coursework, where certain courses can be applied to both degree requirements. Typically, joint degree programs reduce, by one year, the time required if you were to complete the two degrees separately. For example, at Georgetown, an MBA coupled with another two-year graduate program would take 3 years to complete. An MBA with a Juris Doctor (law degree) would take 4 years. An MBA with a medical degree (MD) would last 5 years.

Another option is to choose a concentration. This can be done during the two-year MBA program without additional time. A concentration focuses elective course work on a specific functional area. A concentration, major, or focus (they all mean the same thing) is a good idea for people who know they are going to focus their career in a specific direction and want to build a stronger skill base in that area.

Dual degree - fad or fabulous?

Thomas Schroeder

Director Business Development

Australian Graduate School of Management

Over the last couple of years business schools have seen a proliferation of dual (joint) degrees at their campuses. A dual degree is usually a combination of a traditional MBA with another Masters degree in an entirely different discipline like law, medicine, engineering, or information technology. These programs typically require admission by both faculties.

 Prospective candidates should consider a few things choosing this option. One often cited advantage is that dual degrees usually take less time to complete compared to studying two different masters degree independently. However, this comes at a cost in the form of increased tuition and more time than the MBA alone. The workload for dual programs tend to be even more demanding than the MBA program alone. Juggling requirements for two degrees implies trade-offs concerning choice of electives and summer internship options. These programs tend to require a tight curriculum with limited flexibility. According to recruiters, actual work experience in the field may be as valuable as an additional degree. But for candidates who know exactly what field they want to work in after their studies, a dual degree can offer a competitive advantage and an important point of differentiation on their resume.

The dual degree option offers definite pros and cons. It is yet another reason why it is so important for MBA candidates to be clear about their career goals before choosing among the different options

Broadening the learning and adding skills

Charmaine Courtis, Executive Director

Students Services and Relations

Schulich School of Business

York University

In the early '70s the Schulich School of Business launched its first joint program between the business school and the law school. This four-year, full time MBA/LLB program allowed entrants to complete the two degrees in a reduced time period. Students are required to complete first year in each of the programs and then combining course work from both programs during the remaining two years of study. The joint program gives graduates added support in career direction and choice. By completing the two programs simultaneously they demonstrate to future employers a capacity for multiple lines of thinking, problem solving and framing. These graduates are highly sought after and are extremely successful.

A different kind of dual degree permits a student to earn two MBA degrees from two business schools. The student spends the first year of the MBA in a prominent MBA degree program and the second year at Schulich where the student has over 20 different specializations to choose from. The dual degree reduces the financial pressures for the international student who wishes to have a North American experience as they only have to budget for one year abroad. For many, this is a high value-added proposition. Additionally, these graduates have the full benefit of both schools with placement opportunities internationally. The graduates become alumni of each school. By studying in two different environments they also have learned to be adaptable, and have developed different analytical and problem solving skills. These graduates are truly the leaders of tomorrow. This option makes the MBA degree truly transnational.

 By -

Monica Gray, Director of Admissions

McDonough School of Business

Georgetown University

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Tips on Body Language for PI

“Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, consisting of body pose, gestures, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals subconsciously.” - Wikipedia....
It is often said that human communication consists of 93% body language and paralinguistic cues, while only 7% of communication consists of words themselves. Body language may provide clues as to the attitude or state of mind of a person. For example, it may indicate aggression, attentiveness, boredom, relaxed state, pleasure, amusement, besides many other cues.
According to Prof. Ajay Singh, Chairman MDP & Corporate Interaction Committee of IIM Lucknow (Noida Campus), “During the interview your body language is important. You should not be too submissive or too aggressive.”
Dinup Mathew, Director of PT Education Delhi advises: “While speaking maintain eye contact. Maintain proper body language. You should sit in a calm and straight posture with open hands.”
The right body language in front of the interview panelists is an absolute must if you want to turn your dream of pursuing MBA course at a top B-school into reality. We present to you the ways of communicating non-verbally to the panelists that you are the perfect choice for them.
Keep in mind the following 10 key points while you are facing the panelists:
1. Sit upright but not too stiffly in your chair. This indicates that you are comfortable and feeling confident.
2. Relax and lean slightly forward towards your interviewer. This gives the message that you are both interested and involved.
3. If the interviewer is talking and you want to show that you are actively listening, you need to have direct eye contact and maintain it. Don't overdo direct eye contact; too much contact without breaks can make the other person extremely uncomfortable and can be suggestive that you are domineering.
4. Ensure that your voice tone is not apologetic or defensive.
5. Hands on knees will indicate readiness to answer.
6. Show your cool character: Let your hands lie loosely on your lap or place them on the armrests of your chair.
7. Have control on your hand movements at the start of the interview.
8. Stay calm, think before your talk. Do not interrupt the person interviewing you.
9. Establish a comfortable amount of personal space between you and the interviewer. Invading personal space (anything more than 20 inches) could make the interviewer feel uncomfortable and take the focus away from your conversation.
10. Show your enthusiasm by keeping an interested expression. Nod and make positive gestures in moderation to avoid looking like a circus joker.

For more on GD/PI, stay connected to MBA Informer.

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MBA or Specialized Degree?

As we recruit prospective MBA students from around the world, a question we hear a lot at The MBA Tour is whether it is better to get a specialized masters degree (MSc in Finance or an MSc in Technology and Innovation, for example) or an MBA.  This is an important question to consider as these are distinctly different degree programs and lead to very different career paths.

The MBA is a professional degree and the program content emphasizes practical application.  The program of study emphasizes general management skills.  MBA programs rarely accept individuals directly after graduation from university as the requirements of the coursework presume that students have faced the practical challenges of the work environment.  In order to participate in class, on study teams, and to complete assignments, students are expected to draw on their own personal experience. 

Learning is often experiential with a lot of the work completed in multi-national and professionally diverse teams.  MBA graduates often comment that they learn as much (if not more!) from their peers as they do from their professors.

People choose the MBA for many reasons.  Most often, people need to develop a range of management skills in order to assume more responsibility within an organization.  The broader understanding of different business functions makes it possible to supervise and coordinate the work of other people and other units.  Many students who enroll in MBA programs have backgrounds in engineering and technology, but it is not uncommon for an MBA class to also include journalists, lawyers, doctors, musicians, bankers, and teachers.  The MBA program develops specific functional skills (accounting, strategic planning, financial management, project management) and critical soft skills (communication, negotiation, human resource management) that senior managers need in any type of organization. 

In contrast, the specialized MS is a very different program.  These programs are very focused and often require a university degree in the same area.  The classes required to complete this type of masters are almost all in a single area such as finance, accounting, operations, corporate communications, etc.  People who enter these programs have (typically) decided on a narrower career path than people who chose to earn an MBA.  There is often more emphasis on theoretical knowledge and research.

The specialized degrees are attractive to some students because they admit candidates directly after university graduation.  It is important to keep in mind that although entering graduate school directly might be very appealing, the opportunities that follow this type of masters program are different than those that follow an MBA. 

The specialized masters is a perfect option for someone who is confident that he or she will remain in the same industry sector and function long-term.  The MBA is a better option for people looking for the flexibility to work in different sectors and different types of organizations.

 “You must carefully consider your short and long-term career goals when deciding whether to pursue an MBA or an MS degree.  Are you interested in pursuing a business management career and assuming positions of greater leadership within an organization? If so, an MBA may be your best option. Or would you like to be a specialist within a particular field, gaining in-depth knowledge and perhaps becoming an industry expert within your chosen field? In this case, an MS may help you achieve your goals. Some MBA programs offer the best of both worlds: the opportunity to develop a general management foundation through a diverse core curriculum, and the chance to develop a functional expertise through selection of a major or concentration.”

Jim Holmen

“There are two key reasons for the difference in work experience requirements between MBA and MS programs.  First, the MBA program experience not only offers the opportunity to increase knowledge in a specific academic discipline, but it also enables students to develop broad-based business and leadership skills.  Prior work experience provides students with a context for understanding the integrated nature of business, as well as for engaging in meaningful discussions with their peers.  Consequently, MBA graduates are able to define more specific goals while also enhancing their potential for future career flexibility.

The second key reason is that MBA recruiters are looking for a broader skill set. Recruiters have an expectation that in addition to the academic knowledge acquired during MBA studies, graduates will bring several years of progressive, full-time work experience.  This combination allows graduates of top-tier MBA programs to apply their learnings immediately upon entering a new position, and in turn, to add value to their new organization from the beginning.”

Julie Barefoot

“When making the decision to pursue either an MBA or an MSc degree, the first - and most important - step is to determine what you would like to do.  If your interests lie in a specific research position or field of study, and can see yourself pursing a doctoral degree, an MSc degree is your best bet as the depth of learning you would receive would far exceed that you would receive in an MBA program.  On the other hand, if you would like to pursue a career in business, then you should take an MBA.  An MBA will provide you with a broad, general management education in all the functional areas of an organization: marketing, finance, operations, human resources, etc.”


Source - Web World

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B School?? Tools To Find Best For You

An MBA program is your opportunity to push outside of your comfort zone, to learn new skills, develop strong relationships, to grow into a leader.  You will grow the most in an environment that facilitates the way that you learn.  This is very personal, and cannot be captured in a number or ranking driven by statistics and weightings that have been deemed important to others as they may not be important - or as important - to you.   Do your own homework.  Start with yourself and what you hope to gain from an MBA program as well as what factors challenge you to push yourself.  Then gather as much information as you can - online, in person, in print, from the schools themselves, independent sources, alumni, and the like.  Develop your own criteria, and then make a point to visit the programs that rank highest on your list.  Experiencing first-hand the culture of a program through interactions with students, faculty, and staff will solidify to you where you will best "fit" and will challenge yourself to grow the most.

One of the major objectives of MBA Informer community is to spread the awareness among all the MBA aspirants about all the available options for them. Soon the results of MBA entrance tests will be declared and the hunt for B-School will begin as per your scores.

Now question is -

How to select the best program as well as institute for you. This article is to tell you about some of the factors that, as an MBA aspirant , you should consider for, while  searching for the B-School for you.

Additionally, we offer suggestions as to additional points to think about and steps to take when deciding upon which programs you will apply to.

Available Program Types

• Two-Year MBA

• One-Year MBA

• Executive MBA

{ Some Institutes offer Distance Learning MBA with PGDBM(AUTONOMOUS) at the name of Dual MBA, never go for it.}

Explore your MBA Options ( Other then IIMs and other Top MBA Institutes)

• Indian Colleges in North India

•Colleges in South India

• Specific Cities

The Rankings – understand what they are telling you

• Internet

• Business Week

• The Wall Street Journal

• The Education Times

But never go only with the words of these sources as there is a maximum probability of getting biased information.

Formal Channels

• The Internet

• Admissions Offices

• Literature

Informal Channels

• Alumni

• Corporate Recruiters

• Faculty

Research, Planning & Preparation are the Key Elements :-

A good Business schools, no doubt offers an unique learning experience, quality education  to the students that spans all management disciplines including the latest research, theories, practices—and, ultimately, a highly regarded degree recognized across the world. Likewise, business schools recognize the valuable dimension, depth and diversity that international students add to their MBA programs. In fact, the insights and perspectives international students bring to the classroom have become integral to the MBA experience. The result is a mutually beneficial experience that enhances all students’ perspectives of the global business community. And the key to realizing the quality education and door-opening opportunities of an MBA program lies in an intensive research, preparation, and planning process on the part of prospective international students.

Qualities and Goals:-

One of your initial steps in pursuing an MBA should be exploring business schools for program types that match your personal style, educational objectives and career goals. Fortunately, there’s a world of information right at your fingertips, courtesy of the Internet. You’ll want to examine the curriculum and various areas of specialization offered at different business schools, along with each school’s unique culture. Equally important is finding out what kinds of services are available specifically for international students. By exploring Web sites for business schools, you can get a good feel for curriculum and campus life. At the same time, you’ll find a wealth of resources specifically to assist international applicants, ranging from admissions requirements, visa information and immigration issues, to English language classes, support networks, scholarships and loan information. In addition, you’ll want to look at the schools’ event calendars for key dates including the admissions information sessions many business schools host around the world. Such sessions provide excellent opportunities to network and learn more about what the schools have to offer.

The Earlier You Start the Better the Result:-

Business school admission is extremely competitive and the earlier you start preparing the better. In addition to practicing your English language skills, you should also be thinking about your application—and interview—long before you actually apply. For starters, you’ll want to make sure your credentials, academic ability and achievement-oriented experiences align with the requirements of the MBA programs you’re considering.  Admissions directors will expect you to effectively position, differentiate and sell yourself in terms of your leadership potential, interpersonal skills and the overall value you will bring to the program.

Your Budget, Be Prepared for it:-

Also keep in mind all the expenses you need to make for your MBA. Its not less than any investment. So be concerned about it. Make a proper planning. If want to go for education loan, check all the available options as well as be careful about all the terms and conditions of banks. Also check all your available funds to make the payments at the time of admission.

You should plan to make contact with those business schools you’re interested in about one year before you intend to apply. This gives you plenty of time to find out each school’s requirements and ensure all required exams  (including TOEFL and the Graduate Management Admission Test [GMAT]) are completed well ahead of their deadlines. With that said, ample preparation for the GMAT is essential. While the GMAT addresses skills that have theoretically been developed over years of schooling and work experience, you can still sharpen your skills by strengthening your foundations and taking practice tests to highlight those areas requiring additional focus.

In the End

The payoff to your comprehensive research, program consideration and preparation, financial aid assessment, and application submission, however, is a comprehensive global experience that will embrace you in a collaborative community, challenge you to reach new heights, forever widen your scope of the world and provide insights that will guide you throughout your business career.

Geographical location and career goals, these are two important points to consider for  all the candidates looking towards MBAs.  Although, there are many programs which have a global focus,  regional knowledge may certainly be enhanced through the location of a Business School and will influence availability of opportunities including field trips, industry speakers, management projects and internships as well.   International exchange is one avenue students might look at to gain exposure to a new geographic region and to strengthen international networks.  While making decisions related to B-School for yourself, you should also assess fit between the School and your career goals.  Looking at diversity amongst the student body, on-campus recruiters and placement data can help candidates do this. You can use the opportunities of GD and personal Interviews to talk with other aspirants, current students and alumni about their experiences.  Lastly, exploring where future opportunities are likely to lie can be extremely important.

Source: {Research Work}

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