MBA Crystal Ball

Hi Sameer,

I am looking for either Project Management Role or Consulting(Preferably in EPC or Energy domain).

Would like to ask you that doing a Master's in Engineering Management(MEM), in US/UK or Singapore could help me?

Is it better to do an MBA(full-time 1yr/2yr) or MEM in terms of value addition and job opportunities after the degree.

My profile in short;

10th- 84%
12th- 78%

National Scholarship: NTSE.
National Fellowship:
1.KVPY Fellow.
2.NIUS (May be less known, run by TIFR,Mumbai).

Undergraduate degree in Instrumentation Engineering (74.45%) from Jadavpur University, Kolkata(May be less know, but I have stood 346(GEN) in West Bengal Engineering Entrance to Secure the seat.

I plan to start application next year July.
During application time (july,2013)would have 5 years Detail Design Engineering experience (Instrumentation Engineer) in Energy Industry.

3 years in US EPC MNC (Fortune 200) in Refinery Detail Design.
2 years in 2nd Largest Offshore ship-building company (deputed in South Korea since july,2011) in LNG Floating Platform Design.

I would like to know which degree and which kind of college would you recommend for my profile, given the facts and my aspiration to work in either Tech/Strategy Consulting firms or to work in a project management role.

guess_who wrote:Hi Sameer,
I am looking for either Project Management Role or Consulting(Preferably in EPC or Energy domain). Would like to ask you that doing a Master's in Engineering Management(MEM), in US/UK or Singapore could help me?

Hi guess_who,

Before you take a call, it's important to know the difference between the two degrees and what they can do for your career.

Here's a quick comparison purely from a functional angle (I'm leaving out financing, location, duration etc):

Master of Engineering Management (MEM)

Pros: Excellent for those who have an engineering background and are currently working in a technical engineering role, and want to now move into the management level and want to stick to the engineering industry.

Cons: All those and's in the previous points can become a constraint later on if you decide to move out of the engineering domain.

MBA

Pros: Opens up its doors to anyone from any industry and with any qualification and with any post-MBA goal...well, almost.

Cons: Due to all those any's, the MBA program structure has to be designed in such a way that folks from all pre-MBA backgrounds benefit.

guess_who wrote:Is it better to do an MBA(full-time 1yr/2yr) or MEM in terms of value addition and job opportunities after the degree.

The MEM degree would get you into engineering companies that are looking of folks who understand technical as well as managerial aspects.

There are many top engineering companies across the world that value that combination (I worked for one too). But the degree per se isn't as brand heavy as an MBA.

Employers who don't know much about the MEM degree might bunch it along with the Master of Engineering (MS, ME, Mtech) kind of degrees that are primarily technical in nature.

guess_who wrote:Undergraduate degree in Instrumentation Engineering (74.45%) from Jadavpur University, Kolkata(May be less know, but I have stood 346(GEN) in West Bengal Engineering Entrance to Secure the seat.

Less known? Jadavpur is a pretty good universty, dada. Don't be so modest. Highlight the competition and your feat in your apps.

guess_who wrote:I would like to know which degree and which kind of college would you recommend for my profile, given the facts and my aspiration to work in either Tech/Strategy Consulting firms or to work in a project management role.

We are looking at 2 different things here, so you need to first toss the coin (or better still introspect) and firm up on one of those.

If you want to be in a project management role in an engineering set-up, then the MEM would help.

If you are looking at Strategy Consulting roles, I'd recommend an MBA. As a management consultant you'll be working on projects and with client that have nothing to do with engineering. So a broadbased education would be more beneficial.

Decide on the degree first. The school choice, though equally important, will be secondary and dependent on the first decision.

Hope that helps.

Hi
my name is sharath. I am planning to do ms finance or mba finance. I have already done a mba from edith cowan australia and working in india. I have 4 year experience in banking sales after mba. I feel that the mba which i did is of no great use to my career as it not a reputed one. I am looking for some finance or wealth management course.

1.Can i do a mba from US. If so should i show the mba which i completed already.

2. Also would like to know about ms finance options in US and australia.

3. Should i consider australian ms finance as i have completed mba from from there. Is it easy to get pr in australia then compared to US.

Also is there any other country u suggest for the course i am planning.

Thanks & regards
Sharath sasidharan.

sharath957 wrote:1.Can i do a mba from US. If so should i show the mba which i completed already.

Hi Sarath,

Sure, you can opt for a second MBA from the US.

This is a common situation in India when students jump into an MBA program when they aren't ready and feel the need to repeat the (painful?)process all over again. Several such candidates approach us each year for MBA application help.

The biggest challenge here is that you'd need to convince the admisssions officers why you need a second MBA.

sharath957 wrote:2. Also would like to know about ms finance options in US and australia.

That's a very broad question, buddy. You need to be more specific.

sharath957 wrote:3. Should i consider australian ms finance as i have completed mba from from there. Is it easy to get pr in australia then compared to US...Also is there any other country u suggest for the course i am planning.

You are mixing up too many things here. You need to decide what's important for you - degree, career, country, citizenship.

You've already burnt your fingers once. And you seem to be approaching the second degree in the same manner. Major reality check needed here, bro!

I'd suggest that you take a few steps back and give some serious thought about where you are right now, what got you here, what you shouldn't have done last time, what you should do next.

I'm guessing someone oversold the idea of what a foreign degree can do. Let that not happen again.

Talk to a knowledgeable friend or relative who will give you some no-nonsense advice without sugar-coating it.

Hi,
I am Abhishek, I am planning to apply to MS in SCM in Fall 2013.I have shortlisted a few universities in the US
1. Georgia Tech
2. University of Texas Dallas, Jindal School of management
3. SUNY Buffalo school of management.

How is the MS programme at these universities?

Also, there is a programme 'Malaysia Institute of Supply chain innovation'in collaboration with MIT USA, a nine month programme with one month to be spent at MIT.
Can you tell me how this programme is? I have talked with the programme director,he seemed quite positive.

Regards
Abhishek

abhi0988 wrote:I am planning to apply to MS in SCM in Fall 2013.I have shortlisted a few universities in the US
:
How is the MS programme at these universities?

Abhishek,

Among that list, the order in which you have listed them reflects the relative strength of the program.

However, if your profile and credentials permit it, there are much stronger programs that specialise in Supply Chain Management.

abhi0988 wrote:Also, there is a programme 'Malaysia Institute of Supply chain innovation' in collaboration with MIT USA, a nine month programme with one month to be spent at MIT.
Can you tell me how this programme is? I have talked with the programme director,he seemed quite positive.

I am not familiar with that specific program. But as a general rule, tie-ups and exchange programs (even if these involve the strongest brands) don't have the same impact as doing it directly from a top university.

So take it up if you find the original course useful. Don't look at it as an easy way to get the MIT brand on your CV.

Hi Sameer,

Hope you're doing well.

It was only today that I chanced upon your forum and registered because I need some guidance with respect to pursuing a doctoral from the U.S. Am I at the right place? I could certainly use some help regarding the GMAT at least.

I am not all too comfortable with sharing my details in public view so was wondering if there is an option of sending you a message (like that on Pagal Guy). I presumed if I added you to my friend list, I may be able to do so, but I can't seem to, still. Could you help me with that, too, please?

Thank you for your time.

Take care.

PS: This is a great initiative.

Dear Sameer Bhai,
What are your thoughts on these two courses with respect to parameters like(ROI,JOBS,COURSE QUALITY) etc.
Course 1:Masters in Management
please refer this link from the financial times,can cracking into these top B schools be a safe bet?
http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolra ... ement-2012

Please let me know your thoughts (positives,negatives etc)

Course 2:Masters in engineering management

Awaiting your detailed reply Sameer Bhai.
Thanks
Rgds
Mehran

mehran112002 wrote:What are your thoughts on these two courses with respect to parameters like(ROI,JOBS,COURSE QUALITY) etc.

Mehran,

From the rankings you might have realise that the Masters in Management (with all its variations) are more popular in Europe.

Unlike the MBA degree that's more universal, your job opportunities will be localized to the region.

Course quality is less of a worry for the top ranked programs.

mehran112002 wrote:Please refer this link from the financial times,can cracking into these top B schools be a safe bet?

The only safe bet is when you have a job in hand to come back and join. For all other cases, you are taking up varying degrees of risk.

So always have a backup plan in place.

Hi Sameer
I really need your point of view on the dilemma I am facing right now.

I am an IIT and IIM-Calcutta graduate working in a consulting role (Deloitte Strategy & Operations practice) in India.

I need to move to the US as my girlfriend works in SF in tech and we are getting married by Nov this year. In order to make this transition, I had applied to MIT MSMS program and had an interview with them lately.

Do you have any point of view on this program (Recruiting, Reputation etc)?

I would have 2 years of consulting work-ex on matriculation. The other option I have is to wait another year and apply to Kellogg's one year MBA program. By then I would have 3 year's of work ex(which is the norm/mimimum expected) that might help me during recruiting. But I cannot be sure if I would definitely get that opportunity. So, I am in a fix.

Woud I face difficulties in recruitment on graduating from MIT MSMS as an international student with wor-ex on the lower side?

Some highlights from my resume/background so you can guide me better-

IIM Calcutta (PGP) (Institute rank 10)
IIT(B Tech)
2 years at Deloitte in S&O ( pre MBA an analyst; currently a Consultant; on a fast track to promotion to Senior Consultant this year)
GMAT 740 (with 92%tile each in Q and V and 97%tile overall)