Also, there is a lot of misconception about the MBA. It is a program, where you just don’t learn from the faculty; peer-to-peer learning is equally important. Starting from the academic group projects to section/hostel competitions, always try to widen your “network” and learn from each individual in the college. These things will help polish your communication skills, much required in the corporate world. You will be amazed to see the diversity among the students. Diversity in profiles helps you to gain multiple perspectives on the same topic. Extra-curricular activities help you to network with like-minded people, and also to purge the B-School pressure. Sports-meets, cultural fests, management fests, etc. further help you to expand your network across B-schools. All the things you do make good stories. And these are the stories that help you sail through the HR rounds of the interview.
I personally believe, “There is no point being a ‘nobody’ in a B-School”. You should certainly aspire to get into reputed clubs and committees on campus and work for the college, as most campuses are student-run. These activities, though not mandatory, certainly help you to improve your multitasking skills, team management skills, leadership skills, among others. Candidates holding good positions in college are often preferred for a few domains such as consulting, marketing, etc. during the shortlisting phase. Companies offering leadership positions prefer people who have shouldered important responsibilities.
Now, the primary motive of joining a B-School for the majority of the students: placements. It is certainly very significant, as it forms the foundation of one’s professional career. For many companies, B-School campus placements constitute the major source of hiring, and in some cases, the only source. As for students, campus placements provide a relatively easier ingress into few companies. Talking about placements, often, summer placements are undervalued, whereas, in reality, the chances of getting placed with a good company are higher in summers.
So, how do you prepare yourself for the big day? Indeed, it is a continuous process. Your preparation for placement would start with making an impactful resume. It is essential, as this is the only piece of paper that an interviewer has, to understand and assess you. You may ask, how does one go about making such a resume? Always remember that an impactful resume is one that has an impactful content and is equally good in presentation. Your focus should be on highlighting the impact created in each part of your life rather than just mentioning the task completed.
After the resume is done and dusted, it is time to prepare for the interviews: technical and behavioral. It is recommended that you prepare and practice general behavioral questions on a regular basis. The preparation for the technical part is very specific to the domain targeted and needs to be done in a planned way. Apart from interviews, group discussions are an important part of the placement process as in most cases, it is an eliminator. So, a good practice of GDs is essential too, and you do so, by arranging a few mock GDs with your friends. Knowledge of various sectors and current affairs play an important role in any GD. So, do read a newspaper regularly to be aware of the things going around in the business world.
Also, there are many case study competitions and live project opportunities in a B-School. Though there are ample opportunities, running after everything is a mistake. Time is the biggest resource in a B-school. So, look at the opportunity costs and choose projects and competitions wisely.
B-School life, as everyone knows, is very fast-paced and hectic. But, try your best to find time to enjoy with friends and create memories, because probably it is your last academic pursuit. Try to make the most of it.
All the best for the amazing journey ahead!
It is also pertinent to mention here, that having experienced these opportunities and challenges first-hand, we have designed a specialized program to guide you through the first year of your MBA. This encapsulates all nuances of the B-school journey, including those discussed above, and offers personalized mentoring to B-School students to maximize their learning and ROI. If you are interested in this program, including mock GDs and interviews for Summer placements, you may contact me on shahrukhmk2017@email.iimcal.ac.in.
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