Brush up on Excel and PPT: Good Excel knowledge and PPT skills are the basics of an MBA. No matter what domain you plan to pursue, you will be required to work on these tools extensively during the next 2 years. There are many Excel courses available online, ranging from beginner to intermediate level. Depending on your proficiency, you should brush up on your Excel skills. Similarly, you will be required to submit PPTs for classroom presentations and case competitions. Effectively communicating your ideas while keeping your audience engaged through PPTs is an art that requires extensive mastery. You can go through the case competition PPTs online as well as start practicing on Canva, Beautiful.AI, Microsoft Office, Figma, etc.
Mastering the Core Concepts: While it might seem like it doesn’t create a big impact, doing online certifications to master the core concepts of your domain can go a long way. If you are a fresher or someone who has a lot of space in your CV, having online certificates from credible platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and edX is a good start. As well as having in-depth knowledge of your domain will help you stand out in summer and final placements. Some of the courses to explore as per your domain:
Finance: Financial Modeling, Accounting software like Tally, QuickBooks. Certifications like CFA L1, Wall Street Prep, and NSE Academy
Marketing: Learning tools like Google Ads, Google Analytics, and SEO. Certifications from HubSpot
Analytics/Operations: Learn SQL, Python, Tableau/Power BI. Certifications like Google Data Analytics, IBM Data Analyst
Case competitions or internships: Apart from certifications, having hands-on exposure adds huge value to your CV. Most students aren’t aware of the fact that the summer internship process starts within a month into MBA. This means you have only 2-3 months to get an internship or participate in a case competition. While top colleges conduct numerous case competitions on campus, if your university doesn’t host any, you can always check out platforms like Insideiim and Unstop. In addition to a summer internship, you should also look out for pre-MBA internship opportunities off campus. This opens up new networking avenues in your post-MBA domain and lets you demonstrate the impact you have made in these projects.
Use LinkedIn to network: Nowadays, LinkedIn is just as important as a CV. Many recruiters look at your LinkedIn profile to assess you. Apart from maintaining an updated LinkedIn profile, it’s important to regularly share your learnings and actively engage with industry leaders and alumni. This increases your visibility to your connections and potential employers. Sending personalized notes to connect with people currently working in your dream organisations. Engaging with their posts and slowly trying to establish a connection with them can pave the way for referrals in the future.
Prepare for interviews the smart way: All your efforts of doing certifications and internships will go to waste if you don’t know how to leverage these in interviews. Learn the STAR method to frame your answers to some of the HR questions asked regularly in interviews. Practice with mock interviews with your peers to overcome any weaker areas. You can’t give up on reading news after your MBA selection interviews are over. You have to continue reading current news and trends related to your domain.
It isn’t necessary to start working on all these points right away. Pick a few things that you believe align most with your goals and provide the most value addition to your profile. Remember that you have come this far on your MBA journey, and while belonging to a tier 2 or 3 MBA might feel limiting, it doesn’t define your career trajectory. You still have an opportunity to show your potential and fulfil your dreams!
Please note that these course and certification recommendations are based on Google search results. None of these are endorsed by us.
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