General management roles are highly preferred roles by a lot of MBA Students. It gives an opportunity to explore all domains such as sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, etc. and also has a leadership aspect attached to it which is not typically found in other roles. It also gives you a flexibility in terms of switching roles and largely why is offered by top conglomerates.
While the job provides a better work-life balance, it also provides tremendous chances for professional advancement through exposure to various roles, businesses, and regions (including foreign stints) (these programmes are known to be fast-track growth leadership programs).
TAS, Mahindra, Reliance, Cairn, and other corporations provide general management services. TAS, one of the oldest leadership programmes, was one of the first to establish such a position. In Gen Man, there are typically two sorts of positions available. While some companies, such as TAS, offer projects in a variety of industries and functions, as well as a lot of international exposure and lifelong guaranteed mobility (you can move to different companies or functions depending on your capabilities and the company's requirements), others require you to choose a specific industry and function and grow within it.
Consultancy is a job that is similar to General Management in terms of mobility and exposure to a range of company challenges (I will restrict my focus to Management consulting only here). However, there are some significant distinctions between these two jobs. In a consultant job, the projects are often shorter in duration, and you may be working on numerous projects at the same time. One of the main contrasts is that in consulting, the result is generally strategic in nature with minimal implementation, but in a GenMan job (which is more like internal consultation), the output is strategy creation, implementation, and execution. Furthermore, you are frequently confronted with pressing issues.
The selection procedure for such programmes is just as demanding as the programme itself. Companies often prefer a lengthy GD round (which may include a Chairman GD) as well as several additional rounds like as psychometric testing, group activity, group interviews, and so on. Individual leadership abilities, communication skills, understanding of functions (typically a preference for a role is questioned), team skills, and time management are frequently evaluated. Individuals that can think in a systematic way (rather than guessing) are typically chosen.
Personal questions (yes, they won't leave you in your grave) should be given top priority while preparing for such interviews. At reality, in some firms, the interviews are restricted to just personal HR inquiries. Situational questions, generally in the form of minor business problems, may also be given to assess both your functional preference knowledge and your organisational decision-making ability. Such interviews, in my opinion, should not be left until the eleventh hour because these firms are seeking for people who will be able to manage the organisation (and not just a function). At the very least, you should be able to talk authoritatively on issues concerning your functional choice. Also, in my opinion, having a strong grasp on the disciplines of behavioural science and human resource management will aid you in structuring your thought process when dealing with people management issues that need some fundamental understanding of organisational and human behaviour. It may provide you with a variety of topics to discuss during the interview.
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