If I ask a random student walking on the street in India, what he wants to do in life, he would most likely say an MBA. Obviously, I would not do that in Mumbai; all I will get are abuses! The point being, everyone wants to enter a B-school and the reasons are obvious. But what happens inside this magical recruitment agency?
Here is a list of common questions people have asked me repeatedly on several platforms. Read on. I am sure you will have at-least one of them in your mind:
Q. Do IIM students sleep only 4 hours a day?
Ahh, this feels so good to say to your relatives and in job interviews. But you know why the IIM students sleep 4 hours a day? Because they are watching some Netflix series and do not feel like switching it off! Except for the first term (which is literally hell) and exam time, nobody in their right mind needs to sleep only 4 hours. And why would you want to sleep so less? YOU WILL DIE! If planned well, you can easily manage your quota of 8 hours. And even if you only manage 6 in the night, what are classes for anyways?
Q. Does ragging take place in IIMs?
Contrary to what we keep hearing in engineering and medical colleges, NO ragging takes place in the IIMs. Who even has the time for all this? Most of the seniors are very co-operative and guide you on how to go about MBA life. From CV writing to where to get the project submissions from, they help you in everything. Also,
agar seniors ragging karenge, toh Placecom kya karega?
Q. Yaar, I want to get into finance. Mil jayega na?
Half of the engineers want to get into finance. The commerce people obviously want to do the same. Do you know what percentage of the batch finally gets placed in that domain? Around 20%. After having 2 years of IT/factory experience, it is tough to change your field. There is a high chance you will not get shortlisted because there is nothing related to finance on your CV. Make sure you have something by which you can try to convince the recruiters. Certifications like CFA/FRM would go a long way. Do not come here and suffer.
Q. People would be very hard-working na?
I think more than hard working people, what I have seen in IIMs is smart working people. You would see people studying 75% of what you do and score more. The trick is in anticipating what is going to come in the exams. Trend analysis anyone?
Q. Do you guys study daily?
Well, before I entered IIM Kozhikode I also thought, students might be studying daily. Regular readings and making chapter notes would be the norm. This is far from the truth! Yes, there are case studies to be read, but that is it. More than half the public starts studies in the week before the exam. More than half of this half does it 2-3 days before the exam!! IIMs do not test your ability to learn by rote. Most exams have a behavioural aspect and test your ability to apply the knowledge. Hence the quantum of study decreases.
Q. Will I have to wear formals daily?
The IIMs are particularly liberal when it comes to your attire. Except for during formal sessions or corporate PPTs, you can wear what you want.
Hope this helped clear some doubts. Cheers!