Got this query from a student on LinkedIn a few days back. Student: "I'm a gaming enthusiast. I always wanted to develop the gaming industry in our country, the way it is structured in the west. I want to connect with the big gaming companies and gain their trust. But people in those companies don't...

A guest blogger on MBA Crystal Ball whose article became very popular reached out to say: In last few months, I accepted every LinkedIn invitation (200+), talked to every person who asked for my time (despite their highly unprofessional behavior), reviewed essays (for free) and still almost no one e...

Query on LinkedIn. Young Student (YS): Hello Sir, I'm pursuing CA. But I think it's not for me. I dream to become the top executive in a company and join the management. I'm obsessed with power. I very well know that with power comes great responsibility and am ready for the same. I know what I want...

Many years ago, I called up a car showroom. A salesgirl took the call and then shared some basic details over email. Several days later, after we were done with our market research, my wife reached out to them again and for the sake of continuity, mentioned my name and the email. The same salesgirl ...

Candidate on LinkedIn: I am 25. I want my tech startup to beat Google & FB. Harvard & Stanford are my only choices. My sole purpose is to have networks. What's missing in my profile? Me: Why do you want the network? Candidate: I read an article by Mark Cuban from Shark Tank- where he mentioned about...

Query on LinkedIn: I'm evaluating part time certificate courses from top universities to spice up my resume. No job break, costs less, global brand on CV, alumni status, networking etc. Good idea? My Response: I agree with the 'no job break + low cost' point. Not too sure of the others. - The brand ...

"Asha...didi...Asha...didi..." The kids' chants from the public sports ground pulled me to take a closer look. It was the annual inter-school athletics meet, and the under 14 girls 600 meter finals were on. One girl was clearly in the lead. She was tall, athletic and had obviously trained hard for t...

Question on Facebook: The general tilt of your advice(s) is anti-MBA. I wonder how MBA Crystal Ball still makes money? You are the kind of 'halwai' who honestly tells his customers that the sweets are not worth their money. My response: I'm not anti-MBA. In fact, I think it can be a very powerful an...

Question on the MBA Crystal Ball Blog: I am earning more from equity trading than from my 10-year IT job. I want to pursue MBA in finance, work for a HF for few years, understand the setup, and then either continue in HF or have my own fund. Though there is no problem with my IT career, I want to fo...

Question on the MBA Crystal Ball blog: I received an application fee waiver from [XYZ Business School]. Do they just send out these emails to improve their numbers by rejecting more applicants or does it make me a potential candidate? I would like some guidance so I won’t waste time doing such appli...