After all those hours of studies, balancing work and preparation, taking multiple tough national-level exams, and surviving intense grilling by the interview panel, you've finally made it! The feeling of opening your e-mail to find your acceptance letter staring back at you is almost unfathomable. This is a great achievement, and the two most exciting years of your life lie ahead of you. But are you prepared for what comes next?
There is a reason why forums like ours are filled with stories about "surviving" the first year at a B-school. In the hyper-competitive and high-pressure environment of a B-school, it is easy to lose your way and become overwhelmed by the blinding speed of the MBA life. Sleep will become a luxury, summer placements will pop-up out of nowhere, deadlines will loom-up on you, and life will become a challenge to balance extra-curriculars and maintaining good grades. So how do you manage all of this? Can you "survive"?
Life at a B-school will not be easy, but there is always a way to excel! To help you take cognizance of and survive what is about to come your way in the next 12 months, our team has created a highly comprehensive and in-depth survival kit that you can refer to at any point during the next year. This guide, should you choose to refer to it, will give you a distinct advantage over your peers, simply because the contents of this guide come straight from the experiences of MBA students and alumni that are part of our vast MBA community.
How To Use This Survival Kit
There are two simple points to observe to make the most out of the MBA Survival Kit:
1. This guide is made up entirely of important excerpts from some of the best content on InsideIIM hand-picked by our editors and is split under important headings pertinent to the first year at a B-school. From the very first month at your B-school to MBA life hacks and case competitions, we cover every single aspect that you need to be aware of when you step into your campus. Therefore,
we do not recommend skipping any of the posts in this guide, as these are real-life experiences which will go a long way in helping you figure out your first year at a B-school.
2. This is a very comprehensive guide, and unless you're a voracious reader with ample time and patience, it will take you many hours to go through all of the insightful content that we have compiled here for you. So take your time reading this to avoid becoming saturated.
Refer to the Index below to jump to any section of this guide. If you haven't yet joined your B-school, here is the
ultimate pre-MBA guide to refer before you step into your campus!
Index
- Surviving The First Month At A B-School
- Summer Internships
- Surviving The First Year At A B-School
- More Important Tips From Students & Alumni
- Case Competitions
- Must-Read Insights Into Life At A B-School
The First Month(s) At A B-School
The first few months at your B-school is when you will get a flavour of what the next two years will look like. It will be a completely new environment, requiring an immense amount of prioritisation and time management, and this can often be overwhelming for some. Therefore, we begin this survival kit by giving you a glimpse of what can be expected of you in the first month of your MBA, and some good practices to follow:
1.
The Academic Project Group - In a lot of institutions, project groups are formed by the program office itself, while many give this flexibility to students. Project group mates would be the people with whom you would interact the most initially. As it happens in a lot of teams: 80:20 rule might apply here as well, where 80% of work is done by 20% of members. Free riders exist everywhere, make sure that you don’t get one in your group. Try to bring diversity to your group; the more you debate and re-iterate, the greater is the learning.
2.
Don’t make Competitions your priority - This is the time when registration for a lot of corporate competition opens. Folks who have just joined the b-school and started taking basic classes, start registering for these competitions. Cracking these competitions need an in-depth understanding of various frameworks and their application. A marketing competition would involve finance and operations into it as well as the HR aspect. All of this would not be mentioned in the problem statement but it comes naturally when you complete a few basic courses. Riding many boats at a time would only undermine your prospect of getting to the shore. Utilise your time first to understand the concept, models and their applications and strike hard once you are ready. Read the
complete article by this author here.
3.
Stay in touch with Academics - I can’t stress enough the importance of this, especially for freshers. The curriculum is tailored well in line with today’s industry needs. Be regular with classes. Classroom discussions happen on faculties experiences of providing consulting services. Since Industry employs the consulting services of Professors at NITIE, try to be in touch with them to get to know about recent industry problems and how have they been solving their problems.
4.
Health - Between all these activities, don’t ignore your health. The sleep cycle often gets disturbed with all the deadlines and meetings. You need to make sure that you are having a proper diet and staying healthy because if you aren’t well, it will surely be seen in your performance. Try to be careful with your health. Read the
complete article by this author here.
5.
Never get into a panic mode - Remember, it is just a phase that will come and go. Our seniors survived it, we have survived it and so you can survive it as well. Never lose your self-confidence, if you are not able to gain control over any situation, then simply go with the flow, keeping your eyes and ears open, being aware of what is going around. Moreover, anything else, keep things light and playful and enjoy the process. Read the
complete article by this author here.
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Summer Internships
A few months into your MBA, you will be faced with a colossal challenge - Summer Placements. For some, it will be a first step into the corporate world and a chance to test the waters. Your Summer Internship is a chance for you to prove your mettle, and aim for the ultimate prize - a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO). But before you reach that stage, there are certain hurdles and challenges you must take-on and overcome; for starters, being selected by your dream company.
Here are some important points to keep in mind while sitting for Summer Placements at a B-school, as these will point you in the right direction and help you streamline your preparation efforts.
Resume Building
"Reasons why you should select me:
- I know Pivot Tables.
- I am hard-working and a team player.
- I know Pivot Tables."
Your CV is, for an employer, a glimpse into your potential as a prospective employee for their organisation, and allows them to get a brief idea if you're the right fit for their company. A CV with weak content, without a doubt, can and will go against you, and it is imperative that you put a lot of thought behind what goes on that A4 sheet before sitting for Summer Placements. Here are some tips from B-school students and alumni on how you can build your CV and tailor it to make you stand out from the crowd:
1. "Build a good resume that efficiently allows the recruiter to select you.
A good resume is one which presents all your achievements and experiences in a neatly categorized format. Unless you have more than 7-8 years of work experience, I would recommend not going beyond a one-page resume. The real estate on one page is more than enough to capture all your highlights. Few other points to note:
- Instead of writing prose, use bullets
- Keep bullets crisp, preferably within one line
- Categorize, Categorize, Categorize: Add your achievements in 3-4 sections, academic, work experience/internships, positions of responsibility, and extracurricular activities. This quickly allows the recruiter to jump into a relevant section and scan out the details.
- Add a timeline: It’s almost always necessary to add the month/year alongside your resume bullets so as to help the recruiter draw out your professional timeline. It also shows consistency in your achievements.
- Mention your contact details in the footer of the resume
- Run your resume through a spell check: many candidates overlook this tiny aspect. A spelling mistake on your resume shows that you are not serious about the position you’re applying to."
Read
4 things you need to know while preparing a Resume.
2.
"Before you start making your CV make a complete list of every significant event in your personal, academic or professional life. Right from the poem recitation of class two to the competition in an MBA. This list should be as comprehensive as possible (5 or 10 pages) and would help you not just in your CV but company-specific forms. Keep updating your master list and look for answers to all HR questions there."
3.
"Each individual is unique and different in his own respect. It is imperative to highlight your individual strength. If you were a gymnast, highlight that because it is what differentiates you. Look for these unique factors if you haven’t already found one. Think long and hard, you’ll find something."
4.
"Take up projects that are relevant to your field of interest. If you are an IT engineer interested in marketing then your CV must show your passion for marketing. Take up the right projects (not just anything that comes up) and do well in them. Ask your project mentors to give you a letter of recommendation.
If you succeed in showing your passion for the job and your ability to fulfil it – you have nailed it!"
5.
"There are many positions of responsibility up for grabs in b-schools but not all may be relevant for you. You must have a story that connects.
Your graduation, your job, your reason for MBA, everything you did in your MBA and why you want a particular Summers must all connect and have a smooth flow. So the POR must fit in the bigger picture." Read
5 more points from this author on CV building here.
6. "Know when to stop making your CV and start on your prep. A 10-day head start leads to an exponential return in the longer run. Know that ALL and more resources are available on campus, and just like help, you need to ask for it."
Also, read - CV Preparation For Summer Internships - How Much Is Too Much? - A Counter-Intuitive Approach From An IIM Bangalore Alumnus
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Pre-Interview Preparation - GD/PI
The Group-Discussion and Personal Interview round is a process to filter out candidates that do not have adequate communication skills, have little to no conviction while speaking, lack clarity of thought, do not have a vision for their future, etc.; in other words, the GD-PI process filters out candidates that do not make the cut.
Since even to get into a B-school, most candidates will have undergone a high-pressure GD-PI round, this particular round should not pose many problems in terms of handling pressure. But a B-school GD-PI is quite different from that of Summer Internships. Here are some pointers from B-school students and alumni on how you can ace the Summer Internship GD-PI process:
Group Discussion
1. "A Group Discussion is not a selection round but a rejection round. Avoid creating a fish market and if there is a fish market at any time, avoid contributing to it. Wait for your turn when the group becomes quiet for just a second. Calculate the average time you get to speak i.e.
Average Time = (Total time given by moderator)/(Number of GD participants), and make sure you speak for at least that duration."
2. "Whenever you speak, make relevant points, which can drive the GD or give it a new direction. Do not be in a hurry to be the first to speak or panic if you haven’t contributed early on. Do not squander the opportunity you get to speak by blabbering out as much as you can. Remember “Content is King” everywhere. This will make sure that you stay out of the ‘rejection list’." Read the full article
here.
Personal Interviews
3. "It is likely that you know quite a bit about the company you are going to intern at already since you prepared for the interview. In the weeks leading before the internship, try to find out everything about the company using Google, LinkedIn, Bing, Glassdoor, et tout. Dust the stalking skills from the time you had that huge crush, and whet them. When and how did the company begin? Who founded it? What are its major achievements (and weak periods)? Has it been in the news in the last 6 months for anything? Don’t leave anything out. You want to come across as someone who has done their homework. If the company runs a blog on its website, skim through that too. It will give you a better idea of the kind of work culture and environment to expect at the internship."
Read the full article here.
4. "Most of the companies will give you a pre-process either in the form of video resume, online tests like Quants, Verbal etc. (Come on you guys have cracked those huge b-school entrances, you will be fine.. just brush up the basics in case your brain has rusted a bit.) and/or give you basic questions about yourself like explain a situation where you failed, your success story, a time when you realised the importance of teamwork etc. Write nothing but the truth here.
Interviews might be based on these questions and trust me HR personals have their ways of finding out if you had used another person’s story or not. Also, write crisp answers. Recruiters have hundreds of copies to read and it is excusable if they drift off with your long answers. Make the first two lines and the last two capture the essence of your whole answer. Your b-school seniors might send you certain sample questions in advance. Take it seriously and start framing your responses in advance. When summers start you need not hither and thither around for your responses. Also, keep in mind that shortlists will happen based on your responses."
5. "Interviews can be anything under the sky. It might include “guesstimates”, about you, your resume points, your work experience, MBA technical knowledge and even cases discussed in classes. Mostly by the time summers start, you would have your preferred domains. Dive in depth for knowledge in each of your preferred domains.
For instance, finance enthusiasts, listen to classes well and grasp all concepts taught in all finance classes well. (There is a lot more of preparation you can do. I am not much of a finance enthusiast so I would suggest your seniors who share your interest can guide you better), marketing guys, Kotler should be your mantra- And trust me Kotler is NOT overrated! And also pay attention to all the cases in class. At the bare minimum, have at least 3 cases you can talk in detail for each domain and know at least the problem statement and solution for the other cases. This would seem overwhelming now but pay attention in classes and you are good to go."
6. "Prepare a good response for “tell me about yourself”. Make it captivating and have at least one point of differentiation. Strategise what you would do and how you would respond to a question for which you are not sure about the answer. And most importantly, research about the company and check whether the values of the organisation is aligned with yours. Other than this, you guys would have just freshly cracked b-school interviews, the same mantra follows here."
Read the full article by this author here.
7. "It is very important to remember that a two-month internship, does not necessarily define your entire future. Handling rejections is a key learning from the process for most of my friends. By the end of the process, you have a fair idea about your competition at b-school and helps you be better prepared for all that lies ahead."
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MBA Summer Internships - The Path To A PPO
Summer internships are excellent opportunities for learning, but what's even more important is utilizing these few months to impress your employers enough to give you a Pre-Placement Offers. Here are some tips from B-school students and alumni on how you can make the most out of your Summer Internships!
1.
Survival Tips And Fact Checks To Sail Through Your Summer Internship - In this article, this IIM alumnus lists out some extremely important points to keep in mind that, while not directly affecting your Summer Internship performance, indirectly help you bring out your best in the 3 months you spend interning at your dream company. A must-read for all fresh B-school joinees!
2.
How To Get A Pre-Placement Offer - Tips From A BCG PPO Holder - In this article, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus lists out
four of the most important things to do during your Summer Internship to get a PPO. From understanding the importance of team-work to getting your mentor to trust, this author provides some excellent tips for getting a Pre-Placement offer. If you do manage to get a PPO, here
3.
PPO Holders' Stories - A Complete Archive - There is no better way to learn more about getting a PPO than to understand the journeys of those who managed to achieve this feat. From BCG to Unilever to Accenture, this archive is comprehensive enough to give you an idea about what it takes to get a PPO after your Summer Internship.
4.
Summer Internship Experiences - InsideIIM is one of the best repositories for MBA Summer Internship experiences. We have 500+ Summer Internship experiences across a plethora of companies and industries that can give you a holistic perspective of what Summer Internships are all about, and what will be expected of you. We recommend that you start with our
Summer Saga series - an annual competition that brings out the best Summer Internship stories from across top B-schools in India. As you go along, you will discover more such stories on our platform.
5.
Summer Placements - Class of 2020 - It may also benefit you to understand the Summer Placements scenario at your B-school - it never hurts to know the type of recruiters on campus, the most sought-after domains, and other information that can help you get some clarity around the Summer Placements process. This archive is for the Summer Placements for the Class of 2020, and you can find similar reports for the
Class of 2019 here, and for the
Class of 2018 here.
If you do manage to get a PPO, and we hope you do, here is
what life at your B-school will look like for you after your Summer Internship.
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First Year At A B-School
1. "During the first year, a typical MBA student has to study around 24 subjects. Each subject has score components of quizzes, PPTs, group assignments, group projects, class participation etc. Ultimately you end up giving at least 3 exams per subject. That makes a total of 72 exams in the entire year. With everything that happens around the year in college, you are bound to mess up some of those exams. The best way to keep your scores out of danger is to study when you are taught in class. Paying attention to classes actually is sufficient to help you score well."
2. "There is always a way to manage your schedule, but it requires you to be at your 100% throughout the day. Procrastinating anything in a B-school is a crime, and repercussions are manifold. A lot of other things also happen on campus such as competitions, events, bonding with seniors, parties, travelling out of campus etc., but how well you manage it depends on your priorities and the sacrifices that you are willing to make."
Read the complete article by this author here.
3. "As a part of the placement prep committee at IIM Lucknow, I would tell you that it’s all about the
delta you add to your CV is all that the firms are looking for when you sit for finals. But, as a senior now, I would tell you this – find a way to keep yourself busy. These two years would be transformative just by the virtue of how the program is devised. But, the extent of it is on you."
4. "In all, this hustle and bustle, do not forget your larger goal. Quizzes and insti parties will become part and parcel. The mess will still serve food 4 times a day. But, what did you come here for? Are you on the right path or have you given to redundancy? Take a step back every time you feel overwhelmed. Walk around the campus and take in some fresh air. In trying to do revolutionary things, we forget the power of fresh air, some flowers and hot chai/coffee."
5. "Every school has an induction program for the new batch and every school has a couple of rebels that decide to while away their time refusing to participate. DO NOT be that rebel. Induction week is the perfect time to make connections with your classmates and seniors." Read
10 tried and tested methods to ace your first year at a B-school.
6. "When a lot of assignments happen in groups, it is important to learn that you are NOT supposed to do all the work alone. If you do all the work once, more work will follow in the future. One must be smart while working in groups and skip a few assignments because it will always get done whether you do it or not."
7. "While one may think making PowerPoint presentation is no major skill, you’ll learn as you progress that there is always someone making better presentations. It is one key skill that you need to acquire to be called an MBA graduate. There is a lot you can do with simple slides and you’re expected to do all of it."
8. "All’s not about studies. It is sad that we learnt this only after the first 3 months passed but something we are thorough at now. It is more about personality than those numbers on your score sheet. Even companies look for people with such differentiating factors which separate you from the crowd. Build character for a career and not just certificates."
Read what this author learnt from his first year at IIFT.
9. "In a batch of over 450 students (for IIMs), you are competing with each of them. But the irony is, you cannot do without them. You need their help at every stage from now, and they will, in due time, become your closest companions. So, what do you do when your friends are your competition? Well, the idea is to do your best. Be the best version of yourself and put in your 100%. Try not to focus too much on what others are doing, but rather put your best foot forward."
Read 5 mantras by this IIM Lucknow alumna on surviving the first year at a B-school.
10. "It is not wrong to accept that you don’t know. You aren’t alone when all the credit, debit and z-values are going over your head. It is not possible for everyone to know everything. Give it your best shot and things will definitely start getting better. Being insecure definitely does not help."
11. "Get to know yourself better and prioritise the different tasks that you need to do. You might think that you will be able to handle everything that comes your way. This ends up in you overestimating yourself. You are no demigod who can manage everything at the same time. Prioritising was what became important and taught its value. It also taught me to accept myself with all my weaknesses too (we often tend to focus only on our strengths, while we ignore our weaknesses)." Read this author's
lessons From PGP 1 at SPJIMR.
12. The first year at an IIM made me realize that nothing is as bad/good as it seems and there is no point whining over things that are not in your control. When later in time you look at those instances where you had spent your time crying over things, you then realize it wasn’t worth the time and energy you had actually spent on it. It reinstilled my belief over the age-old adage “Jo hota hai acche ke liye hi hota hai”. Once you develop this thought you become more accepting of your surroundings.
Read this complete article by this author here.
13. "Don’t go in with a lot of expectations.
Joining a B-school comes with a lot of expectations from yourself, from placements, from professors and from the college as a whole. But if you go in with a lot of expectations you are likely to get disappointed after failed attempts at things (Believe me there will be many). So it is important to go in with an attitude of giving your best and learning from whatever comes your way."
14. "Have a very strong support system
. I cannot emphasize this point enough but one cannot survive B-school without people who will support you in any situation come what may. Every person who joins a b-school is going through a similar phase and building strong relations with like-minded people can provide a very strong mental support even in tough times. Needless to say, it will be the moments spend together that will be cherished in the long run and not the classroom studies or placements." Read the complete article by this XLRI alumnus on
surviving the first year at a B-School.
15. "You would have got your pre-reads even before the first day of lectures. This is usually the time when everyone is very diligent about them and understandably so. First Impressions last. You start behind the 8-ball, you will never make it to the front. So make sure you read up before your first day and make an impression. The grades that you get throughout the term will depend on what impression the professor has of you. There will be some professors who will peak your attention every single minute while there will be others you can barely stand. Given the attendance policy, there is not much you can do about this."
16. "The 1st term will demand a lot of commitment and it may not be possible to be at your best all the time. So it makes sense to go in with some kind of a strategy. Before your lectures start, there is an important choice you should make. Grades v/s Learning. You may be very lucky and manage to do well on both fronts. But in a majority of the cases, you will be able to maximize only one. And there is no right or wrong choice. It’s completely personal. If you decide to focus on learning and value addition, the best strategy is to read extensively on the subjects taught by the professors who give invaluable insights in each and every lecture."
Read the complete article by this IIM Bangalore alumnus here.
17. "Unless you are a prodigy, chances are you will need to appropriately network at all points of time. The race for the same begins even before the academic session starts. Some most sought after committees (*those who can’t be named*) fetch you the best alumni network and summer internships. The same will see a plethora of applications during selections and rightfully so."
18. "Darwinism will be constantly at play during this two-year long affair, courtesy of the necessary evil of relative grading. There will be no scope for complacency. Even the fact that you might have been a board topper or a 100 %iler, won’t be enough to beget any mercy from the PGP office. Only constant dedication and a proactive approach will help you make it until the very end."
Read the complete post by this author here.
19. "Get into the habit of speed reading. This is not the advice you’ve been hearing since school. You may or may not get the time to read books or newspapers once you start. But be sure of the fact that you will be required to read tens of pages (if not hundreds) on any given day in preparation for class the next day. The sooner you learn to finish it, the more time you will have to spend on other things."
20. "Everyone in an IIM is there because they are strong people. Everyone around you will have strong opinions about something or the other. It will often seem like they’re making a life-and-death issue out of every tiny thing. Figure out what is important for you and learn to ignore everything else."
Read the complete article by this author here.
You may also be interested in reading - Guidelines For The First Year of An MBA, and MBA First Term Ultimate Survival Tips.
More Important Tips From Students & Alumni
1. "One should try to maintain a balanced sleeping schedule, stealing at least 5 hours of sleep in a day, despite a rigorous schedule stacked with assignments, quizzes, inductions for clubs & committees, pre-reads, podium sessions etc. You can sneak every possible opportunity to take a nap because a healthy and active mind is necessary for the body to function properly."
2. "Take the academics sessions taught in the class very seriously including the pre-reads, case studies and the assignments because they would build your foundation and clear basic concepts for the future MBA journey and prepare you for your
Summer Internship (SIP). In-Depth knowledge of subjects such as ITT (Information Tools), MM (Marketing Management)-I & SDM (Statistical Decision Making) would come in handy in your SIP interviews."
Read the complete article by this author here.
3. "Go ask the boy/girl out
. Love is rare to find; rarer when you have time and are juggling 1000 different things. Amidst the plethora of things, if you find a special someone, don’t hesitate to let them know. Usually, (Not all) people in a B-School have the maturity to deal with these things, so there is no need to fear. Also, a peer will be able to understand you better as he/she would have gone through the same grind." Read more about how you can
make the most out of your MBA, as per this author from XLRI.
4. "One thing which I have seen a lot of people ignore is what they can learn from their peers at a B-school. What we need to understand is that these are the people who would either be your customers or business competitors in future. In both the cases it makes it really important to understand how your peers think, react, decide and strategize. This is like a live consumer behaviour and psychology class. One has to carefully listen to their arguments during case discussions and understand their thought process. If you can really decode all of it in the little time you spend at a B-school, you can be one step ahead in the Industry." Here are
5 more ways to extract the most out of your MBA.
5. "Utilise unique opportunities offered by your college.
Every college has certain unique features and opportunities that it offers. For instance, IIM C offers students the chance to pursue a dual degree in a B school abroad along with an MBA here. This program is known as CEMS. It need not only be such macro-level initiatives. Even opportunities such as taking part in the lecture series of famous personalities at your college or interacting with alumni during reunions are also avenues that you should utilise. All one needs to do is keep an eye on the official emails sent on your college noticeboard or ID." Read more from
this IIM Calcutta student here.
6. "Forgo sleep.
Complete your quota for a year’s worth of dreamy sleep before you come to campus. Because as soon as you come in, you’d first be hit with a wave of assignments and readings, following by CV reviews and finally the internship preparation. Going to bed at 3 AM will be a luxury and watching the sunrise will be a common affair."
7. "Have a hobby.
You’re in an IIM with 400 other people. You had similar scores in CAT and possibly similar scores during under-graduation. You all probably have a few months of experience and all of you have had “hardships in life which have made you the person you are today”. But is there something that differentiates you from them today? If you’re good at a sport, practice every day and aim at captaincy. If you love writing, then take some time out to write something other than just assignments every week; even if you don’t let anyone else read it. Have a hobby, not just for a USP, but for your sanity in the super busy life of a PGP1." Read
9 more tips and tricks from this IIM Calcutta student on surviving the first year at an IIM!
Also add to your reading list -
Case Competitions
Case competitions are not just opportunities for immense learning, but also a gateway to actually working with some of the world's largest brands! Across
major case study competitions, the final prize is not just a hefty cheque and bragging rights, but a Pre-Placement Offer/Pre-Placement Interview opportunity! Clearly, case competitions have a lot of value to add to your management education as well as your future job prospects. Here is how you can crack these competitions:
1. "However clichéd it may sound but it is true that well begun is half done. So, it is crucial to start in a proper manner as this will set the foundation for your overall presentation. You should read the case study thoroughly by giving it a significant amount of time. You should be able to figure out what exactly is it that the case wants from you. You should be able to identify the crux of the case, around which the presentation of your team will revolve."
2. "In most of the case competitions, students are expected to present their solutions in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. By content planning, I mean that you should plan the content for each slide. Discuss with your team members the order in which you want to present the ideas, and try to maintain an approximately equal amount of content on each slide. You can also interchange among text and infographics to cover the vacant space. Often, there is a limit on the number of slides. It becomes imperative to present your recommendations in a planned, coherent, concise and efficient manner." Read
similar tips by this author for case study competitions here.
3. "There are different kinds of skills needed for different competitions. Finance ones have some requirements while marketing ones demand different skills. There are also strategy competitions. My observation is that, in marketing cases, they basically look for an idea which is not disruptive. They are looking for implementable and practical solutions. They mostly focus on primary research done. Presentation skills are more valued here as compared to consulting case competitions. On the other hand, consulting case competitions totally look for a properly structured approach where everything is MECE (Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive)."
Here is how IIM Calcutta students win case-study competitions.
5. "When everybody works on the same case there is bound to be some overlap in the ideas. This is why you require a differentiator in your final presentation. A unique video, animation, some new model etc. is required to separate you from the lot."
6. "Analytics and consumer insights is a lot about how good you fudge your data. It is almost impossible to come with effective market research at our levels but one is expected to do it. So, a lot will boil down to how effectively you manipulate your data to validate all your insights."
Read more from this author here.
7.
Regret And Reflections – My Learnings Through B-School Competitions - In this extremely insightful post, a SPJIMR student lists out his learnings from the 5 major case-study competitions across B-schools in India!
Also add to your reading list:
Must-Read Insights Into Life At A B-School