ISB Forums | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business
Moderators: MBACrystalBall, mcb_mg
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Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by pradeepm08 » June 8th, 2012, 4:19 pm
Name : Pradeep Jain
10th std - Not very known school-CBSE-64%
12th std- Karnataka state- 73%
BE in electronics and communication- 2006 passout - 68%
GMAT score - 650 (Q45,V35)- yet to receive the AWA scores
Work Exp:
Totally in IT
Role: Software quality assurance engineer (Testing)
3.3 years in Tata Consultancy Services
1.3 Years iGate Global Solutions
1.2 years till date in ORACLE India
Totally around 5.9 years of experience as of today
Have received multiple appreciation emails from clients and managers on the hard work I put into my work..
Have received a star of the month award for my performance as a team lead for the QA team in iGate Global solution last year
I worked in banking domain for around 4.5 years in TCS+iGate. Then moved on to retail domain in Oracle.
I have worked for clients like JPMC, AC Nielsen, Deutsche bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Royal bank of Trinidad and Tobago.
I was sent to WI for a month to train the RBTT business employees on using the new application because I was the only one who understood the requirements well and could answer the business people on their queries..
Have been to the US for 10 days from Oracle for a Design summit on a new product going to be launched in 2013-14 time frame..
I and a couple of friends started a group called IGNITE in Bangalore. As part of this, we distributed used clothes and food a couple of times to the needy in Bangalore. We also organised a health awareness camp for women on women issues with the help of a doctor working for FORTIS hospital.
Additional professional certifications - NCFM (done in 2008), Oracle certified associate, ISTQB (International testing board), Certificate programme in banking competency by TCS.
Now my question is, I know my gmat scores are on the lower side. I dont think i have enough time to study so i can improve my scores. I want to know if I can still crack ISB this year. If not, can it be done if I improve my GMAT scores (which I am not sure i will be able to do now with my current work pressure)? Also, what will be the schools i should be aiming for with my profile?
Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by mcb_mg » June 9th, 2012, 5:32 pm
Nabhaite wrote: So, I have this opportunity to work on sales side in a start-up that is into recruiting business and this is where I am on slippery ground, whether to go for it or not as it doesn’t bring any brand name onto resume, hardly known in the market, not sure if joining it would be a pragmatic move for finally getting into ISB.
Can you please enlighten me with your wisdom, as to should I join this start-up or not.
Nabhaite,
Some of the points below could be a repeat from an earlier post but for the sake of completeness, giving the longer version of my thoughts:
- You have created your end goal as ISB. That is a bit incomplete - I hope you reckon the fact that ISB or for that matter any other bschool should be a means to an end and not a means unto itself. In daily parlance, that means you have to be clear on what your post-MBA career vision is. I dont get that from your post. Basis that, ISB may or may not be the ideal choice
- Joining a start-up can be a double edged sword. The way to make that work in your favor is to ensure that you are not joining the startup just to get into a b-school but actually to learn and create a difference. Being part of a small team, one can really pick up all aspects of business and if you are resourceful enough, you could for instance contribute to 100% revenue expansion of the firm. Anything less than extraordinary in terms of learning or impact is a tough to defend story.
- From what you explain, it appears the role is into recruitment consulting. I am struggling to understand how that would be relevant unless your long term aim is to start a recruitment consulting yourself. Be very careful not to get into something that is not in line with your past or does not feed into your future.
Cheers,
Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by mcb_mg » June 9th, 2012, 5:39 pm
Psychedelicnadeem, like I mentioned in the previous post, dont treat ISB as a means in itself. You have just started your professional career - and it is totally fair if at this stage you are not clear on why or if at all you want to do an MBA. If its only the big $$ that is prodding you to think of MBA as the goal, stop right there. As there are tons of people out there who earn much more than MBAs.psychedelicnadeem wrote:Hi,
I have various extracurricular achievements and positions of leadership, and my dream b-school is ISB, Hyderabad. I wrote my GMAT last December and scored a 730. I was wondering if I need to write it again, because I studied for less than a fortnight and I feel that I can score more if need be. I also wanted advice on how to build my profile to apply to ISB's 1-year programme. Do I necessarily need to do work for an NGO or the likes? Also, what is the appropriate time for me to apply, in how many years/after how much work ex et al?
Thank you
:)
My advice would be to take your time, excel at your workplace, understand the world and opportunities out there and then make up your mind as to what sector/function/area appeals to you most. Once you get that clarity, start working on understanding more about that area and your profile will build up on its own. And no, dont think of doing NGO/social work unless you want to do it with or without an MBA.
Cheers,
Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by Nabhaite » June 11th, 2012, 12:43 am
First of all, a big thanks for taking out time to respond to my queries. And as per your response following are my viewpoints.
a. I am clear on post-MBA career vision. Its the leadership roles that I intend to take and to work in that direction. I feel corporate world places lot of importance on brand names which is a part of the reason of my targeting ISB. The other big reason is my love for management. I know internally that I have the caliber and the management/business aptitude to make it. Its like an avocation. I feel like I belong to the fraternity. Also, I tried in my present organization but in vain to switch to sales/business side which would allow me to not only fully utilize but also acquire the skills that I want in me, which would help me in making most of MBA programme. And I am not averse to joining other good b-schools in India or abroad but since I am planning for GMAT and very few good Indian B-schools accept it and also ISB is best among the lot. Also, I want to study for real with super people and from professors which are in it for the pure love of subject. So ISB would be a jumping board for me in terms of career, my goals and also to fulfill my intense desire to study the management from godly profs.
I know that after 5-7 years academic concepts would fritter away but still.
b. I would be moving to a sales strategy in this start-up and my aim is to make a difference, grow its revenue to more than double of the present levels. I KNOW that its easier said than done but I am very positive about it and now my big question is if this happens, will it enhance the chances of my getting in than lets say I keep on working in my present profile wherein I can work only on technology part.(I feel my present work profile equip me with the skills which are inconsistent with my long term goals). Will this decision and change of track be seen positively by adcoms and not just positively but as plus point, an advantage or something which I am not able to write here at the moment.
c. This start-up is in staffing, recruiting and filling mid-level, senior level and executive level positions in organizations in various sectors. And I believe joining the sales side would be an huge learning opportunity and will provide me with space to make a difference and as team is small may be I can learn other aspects of business like budgeting, cost reduction etc.
Luckily, I have the opportunity to understand the business and work in this start-up for 4-5 days before taking any decision. So after that may be I can better look at things.
Kindly be brutally honest with your views.
Appreciate it.
Many Thanks.
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Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by psychedelicnadeem » June 12th, 2012, 3:29 pm
Thanks a lot for your reply. Appreciate it. I will act accordingly :)
Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by mcb_mg » June 14th, 2012, 2:33 pm
Pradeep,pradeepm08 wrote:Profile-
Name : Pradeep Jain
10th std - Not very known school-CBSE-64%
12th std- Karnataka state- 73%
BE in electronics and communication- 2006 passout - 68%
GMAT score - 650 (Q45,V35)- yet to receive the AWA scores
Work Exp:
Totally in IT
Role: Software quality assurance engineer (Testing)
3.3 years in Tata Consultancy Services
1.3 Years iGate Global Solutions
1.2 years till date in ORACLE India
Here are a few observations and tips post reading your thoughts:
- Given that you are in a pretty competitive pool of candidates, and also the fact that the average GMAT at ISB is way higher, your score is definitely a handicap that u have to overcome. You can do that either by increasing the score or really beefing up the application.
- The overall work-ex looks fine; just be careful about how you communicate your achievements. A lot of folks in the IT domain have the tendency to use jargons and abbreviations. For instance, I have no clue on what ISTQB is and why is it a big deal. And trust me, many on the adcom will share the same feeling. So whenever you communicate your achievements, make sure u translate them into everyday parlance :)
- On other schools, Sameer is our in-house expert. The MAP report is what really helps u decide that.
Cheers,
Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by Nabhaite » June 14th, 2012, 5:02 pm
You didn't reply on my query. I need your help.
Just tell me whatever you feel about my plans. If you think they are practical, just castles in the air...anything.
Thanks.
Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGP
Post by mcb_mg » June 15th, 2012, 2:17 pm
Nabhaite wrote:Hi mcb_mg
First of all, a big thanks for taking out time to respond to my queries. And as per your response following are my viewpoints.
a. I am clear on post-MBA career vision. Its the leadership roles that I intend to take and to work in that direction. I feel corporate world places lot of importance on brand names which is a part of the reason of my targeting ISB. The other big reason is my love for management. I know internally that I have the caliber and the management/business aptitude to make it. Its like an avocation. I feel like I belong to the fraternity. Also, I tried in my present organization but in vain to switch to sales/business side which would allow me to not only fully utilize but also acquire the skills that I want in me, which would help me in making most of MBA programme. And I am not averse to joining other good b-schools in India or abroad but since I am planning for GMAT and very few good Indian B-schools accept it and also ISB is best among the lot. Also, I want to study for real with super people and from professors which are in it for the pure love of subject. So ISB would be a jumping board for me in
Many Thanks.
Nabhaite,
"Management" and "Leadership" again cannot be goals. For instance, all IT companies have "leaders" in their core technology areas as well as sales, as well as finance etc etc. One can also choose to call them managers; so they are part of management.
So in nutshell, I get no more insight than your previous post on what you want to do :)
Regarding the move - I repeat my response. It totally depends on the domain you want to enter it. And by that, you need to have some idea on both the sector as well as the function you'd like to go to. Those two axis pretty well define ur short/mid term goal. Long term goal ofcourse could be something visionary. To me, recruitment consulting is a pretty specialized area and not sure how it can help in case, for instance, you want to do product marketing, or business development in an IT company.
Long story short, think about which companies (3-5 names) you'd like to see yourself in, and what role. Then decide whether this is a prudent move.
Cheers,
ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGPMAX
Post by AMBI » June 25th, 2012, 10:35 pm
I have a question regarding ISB’s PGPMAX (http://www.isb.edu/pgpmax/whatisit.shtml). Here is a summary of my background, my story, long term & short term goals
Background
• Total experience: 13.5 years in IT
• Specialization: 8+ years in Project/Program Management. Handled large complex projects spanning multiple geographies. Good experience in managing people, fixed price & time and material projects.
• International experience: 4.5 years (Europe & N. America)
• Current location: Sunnyvale, California.
• Currently working for a mid-sized company based out of Bangalore.
• Education: Bachelor of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, Karnatak University. Graduated in 1998 with 71%.
• Certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Current Designation: Delivery Group Manager (a.k.a. Program Manager), middle management tier.
• Achievement: Part of Leadership Talent Pool. Get opportunities to work on special assignments and trainings.
• Community service: Involved in CSR events sponsored by employer. Currently managing a project which is to build a south Asian community center in Silicon Valley.
Story
• Goal is to prepare for leadership roles/complex assignments within the company.
• Looking at MBA as a tool for making better business decisions, better risk assessment, & to see the bigger picture.
• My current focus is on execution, would like to shift towards strategy.
• I have commitment from my manager & HR to support me in pursuing my goals.
• No change in industry
• Why PGPMAX? – Course format, profile of participants, ranking & brand. Curriculum includes project management which will be an opportunity for me to share my experiences and bring value to the class.
Goals
• Short term: Business Development
• Long term: Business Technology Consulting (Application Management & IT Strategy)
Now, the question is with my current profile what are the odds of getting into PGPMAX? ISB prefers candidates should have around 15 years of work experience. I am planning to apply in September of this year when window for round 1 opens. Do I stand a chance?
Thanks
Re: ISB | Hyderabad Mohali | Indian School of Business PGPM
Post by mcb_mg » June 27th, 2012, 9:46 am
AMBI wrote:Hello MG,
I have a question regarding ISB’s PGPMAX (http://www.isb.edu/pgpmax/whatisit.shtml). Here is a summary of my background, my story, long term & short term goals
Background
• Total experience: 13.5 years in IT
• Specialization: 8+ years in Project/Program Management. Handled large complex projects spanning multiple geographies. Good experience in managing people, fixed price & time and material projects.
• International experience: 4.5 years (Europe & N. America)
• Current location: Sunnyvale, California.
• Currently working for a mid-sized company based out of Bangalore.
• Education: Bachelor of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, Karnatak University. Graduated in 1998 with 71%.
Thanks
Dear AMBI,
Here are my reflections on your profile plus the question you pose:
- Keep in mind that the program recommends professionals between 10-25 years. 15 years just happens to be the average. So in terms of year's of work-ex, you are pretty much there
- I frown a bit when pre-MBA candidates think of moving to strategy without backing it up with specific examples of what they mean. Strategy is a very broad term. The question you need to answer is, for instance, does your current organization have professionals who are doing strategy work? By Strategy, do u mean planning? Business Development? Strategic Marketing? Need to be clear in your head on that and then also understand whether such roles are on offer in your current organization. It doesnt harm to have a fairly firm backing from your HR/Manager regarding whether they'll absorb you in such a role post Graduation. Even better will be some sort of funding commitment
- Reiterating, I feel a bit troubled when you mention that your long term goal is business technology consulting. Unless you tell me otherwise, I take that to mean you would like to work in a company like maybe Accenture/PWC etc in their technology arms. The issue I have is that with your years of work-ex, moving into a consulting firm (that too as a long term goal), will be considered a little late. So need to bear that in mind.
Cheer,