MBA Crystal Ball

Hi Gaurav,

Thanks for sharing your experience. Lots of positive vibes. I specially like the sports analogy as I am big fan myself. I am working in this industry but would like to change the domain of my work. I was wondering if MBA from a top school would be beneficial in this transition?

A bit about my background- I am working in Switzerland for International Boxing Association as a Competitions Coordinator. Before I worked for the International Olympic Committee as well. So I am basically involved with lots of event operations and general planning. Eventually I would like to move to the commercial side i.e. Marketing and Sponsorships. I am initially looking to work in CPG companies like Nike, Coca-Cola etc. in their sports marketing divisions in the US/EU before making the journey home. I also read/heard that most companies do not hire international candidates for marketing roles in the US/EU so it is another thing that is bothering me before making that BIG decision.

Any help on these questions would be much appreciated.

Hi vranjan,
In a nutshell, yes, a top MBA with smart course selections will definitely help you in the transition. You should check out IMD or INSEAD. Both the schools value diverse experiences as you seem to possess. Yes, there are stringent admissions criteria but if can crack those, it should help open quite a few doors. Also, research schools in the US that offer electives in sports marketing/management which could add relevance to your profile.
Good Luck,
Gaurav

Hi Gaurav,

I am in an IT role in a good company for the last five years. I have tried to get into a business analyst role within the company but because of internal policies (bureaucracy, politics, etc.) I don’t think it will happen. So I’m thinking of an MBA.

My career goal is to become a strategy consultant and get into a reputed top-tier company. I am expecting around 730 in my GMAT. I am targeting one year programs in Europe. I read your story that you too moved from IT into strategy consulting.

I have been advised on another thread by Hitesh that INSEAD would be the best choice to move into a role like this. I know INSEAD will be very difficult to get in for someone like me. I was thinking of IE, ESADE, IESE as well.

I would be interested to know how you managed your application. What was your GMAT score? Can you give me some tips that IT people can use to make their application strong? Which other programs should I consider? Also please let me know the funding options for Indians in INSEAD. Does INSEAD give scholarships?

Abhi

Hi Abhi,
As you must have heard before, a lot depends on packaging. A business school is as interested in having a good student on board, as it is the other way around. Think of it as a win-win deal and evaluate your USP and put it up well in the application.
In all the top business schools, GMAT is just one parameter that goes into evaluating the fitment, as are others like work experience, diversity, maturity, global exposure and leadership potential. Insead, being a one-year program, is well-suited to those aspiring to be in the consulting arena. The curriculum, pace and structure are aligned to a consulting job role. For a better and detailed evaluation of your profile, I suggest you write to Sameer at - info at mbacrystalball dot com
Best,
Gaurav

Personal -
Gender : Female
GMAT1 : 650(Q45,V35)
GMAT2 : 710(Q49,V38)
Nationality : Indian

Academics -
Class 10 : 89%
Class 12 : 95%
B.E(Mechanical) & M.Sc(Mathematics) : 7.81/10
Graduate from BITS Pilani, Pilani campus

Work experience -
First job : SUN Microsystems for 1.5 yrs as Member Technical Staff
Second job : ORACLE India for 6+ yrs now as Project Lead
Total work ex : 8 yrs

Professional achievements -
Lead a team of 3 people
Received many client appreciations
Developed many new features with high quality independently
Part of many major product releases

Other activities -
Performed couple of dance shows at office and in the city and won awards.
Part of couple of volunteer activities at office
Chief event organizer in the team

Expectation after MBA -
Product management/Consulting

Can someone please evaluate my profile and provide views/comments if/how I can secure an admission into INSEAD Singapore?

Thanks much.

Hi Gaurav/Sameer,

Appreciate if you could please help evaluate my profile.


I've been pretty confused with regards to my chances at INSEAD lately, especially with regards to my work exp. Also I'm interested in working globally(having worked in multiple countries over the years,currently based in Australia). Any form of suggestion would be appreciated

1) Brief description of your full-time work experience. What do you do?

Senior Engagement Manager with a Fortune 500 company handling accounts ranging from USD 50- 100 million. I design strategies,mentor team & do business development,developing the practice geographically.


Work Ex- 9 years by the time of admission(8 years full time,1 year part time),

International work ex- more than 5 years(US, Europe,NZ,Australia,APAC region)

Work Sphere- Technology/Management Consulting,General Management
2) Your GRE

313 ( Q 163, V 150)

3) College info: The name of the college, your GPA or grade average, your major, year of graduation. For any graduate degrees, please provide the same info. If you grades are low, please indicate if there were extenuating circumstances.

Institute of Management Technology,Ghaziabad(India)-MBA
GPA - 8/ 10
Major - Marketing & Systems
Year of Grad - 2007

B.Tech(Honors)-India
GPA - 8/10
Major-Electronics

4) Significant college and post-college extra-curricular activities or community service, especially leadership experience.
Community Service -

Local community service based in Melbourne,Australia(for Origin foundation)
An NGO working for education of children on a routine basis

Extra Acad -
Co founded of a SEO(Search Engine optimisation) start up during engineering
Successful in technologies implementation & support to the multiple industries
Organised road shows on behalf of the institute in various cities, to market technologies.
Played table tennis at district level
An avid photographer - Photograph put up in a famous blogs
Received multiple awards in debates and quizes at school and college level
Recently opened a new Retail start up with two franchises operating in Sydney & Melbourne,focusing on POS(Point of Sales)

5) Important certifications like CFA, CPA, FSA, or CA.

SAP certified in CRM (Customer relationship Management) & BI(Business Intelligence)

PMP certified(Project Management Professional)

ITIL certified

Certified in Supply Chain Management from APICS
6) Your target programs.
INSEAD
KELLOGG

7) When you plan to apply? Please specify round and application cycle, for example R1 2013-14 or R3 2012-13.

R2 2014 INSEAD
R1 2014 KELLOGG

8) Your post-MBA goal.

Working in Corporate strategy group/consulting powerhouse in product or service industry. Also want to work in general Management & business development,essentially want to use MBA to get network & guidance to lead the start up business to great heights .



Regards,Ashish