IIM B vs IIM C vs ISB – Which one is right for you?

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Admission season is in full flow in India and many students who have multiple admits are confused about which MBA programme to pursue. To help matters, we explore a common situation – deciding between the One year full time MBA courses at IIM A (PGPX), IIM B (EPGP), IIM C (PGPEX) and ISB ( PGP). 

The choice of which school you go to is completely dependent on your own dreams and aspirations and your own unique profile so we do not intend to share a recommendation. However, we felt that sharing information could aid prospective students in conducting their own analysis of which business school is right for them. 

IIM B vs IIM C vs ISB - Which one is right for you?

Disha Chhabra, an alumni of the PGPEX programme (Class of 2013) shares information on the three programmes.

Note – IIM Indore‘s EPGP, IIM Lucknow’s IPMX , XLRI’s GMP and some other business schools which are pertinent to the discussion are not included in the analysis currently. We may add these schools to the article at a later date.

  

IIM B EPGP vs IIM A PGPX vs IIM C PGPEX vs IIM I EPGP vs IIM L IPMX vs XLRI GMP One year MBABy Disha Chhabra 

Admission time is back again. Like every year, a lot of lucky folks have received multiple calls from IIM A,IIM B, IIM C and ISB etc and are in a serious dilemma. It is a tough choice to make – a problem of plenty. But it is also one of the most important decisions of your life and it is natural to talk to people around and research the options before making this call.

Thanks to my book that traces the lives of students pursuing a one year MBA in India – My Beloved’s MBA Plans; off late, a lot of people have approached me seeking my advice on choosing one among the four business schools.

I may not be a subject matter expert and by no means do I intend to make this choice for you. With this post, I will try to present facts to the best of my ability and knowledge, based on my understanding and what I would have done if I had been facing a similar choice. What follows is my personal opinion and your opinion may vary depending on what is the key decision making criterion for you. So, I would like to keep this post as factual as possible.

First, if IIM A appeared in my list of choices, I would not have evaluated any of the other options. IIM A is the biggest brand in management education in India by a fair margin. The PGPX course from IIM A stands out in terms of its batch profile, brand value and global ranking (No. 11 in 2012 and No. 26 in 2013 in the Financial Times Global MBA ranking). So you are lucky if you get a chance to be there.

Now, coming to IIM B, IIM C, ISB, I am trying to do a factual comparison on some of the key decision making parameters. All the data has been either pulled from the college’s website or research papers on the topic:

CriterionIIM B (EPGP)IIM C (PGPEX)ISB (PGP)Significance
Batch size6350770The smaller batch strength is an advantage both in terms of better student-faculty interaction as well as when it comes to placing students.This is inline with the higher work-ex requirements at IIMs as senior slots in industry are fewer.IIM B and IIM C, are similar as far as their batch strength is concerned.In general, IIM C is known to have a more diverse profile compared to IIM B which tends to have a higher number of engineers.
Avg. GMAT695705710The batch profile is important because of several reasons:1. Seeing this, one can gauge where one will stand among the peers if selected.

2.This is presented to the industry during placements and helps companies decide if a particular campus is suited for the openings they have.

Avg. work experience9.585
BrandingFairly activeNot so activeAggressive & well known for its PR!For a relatively new course (the one year MBA started close to a decade back in India) branding is extremely crucial. The industry needs to know and reminded of the USPs of one year courses – the only globally accredited MBA courses in India.Prospective aspirants have to take huge risks and have several questions in their mind. Branding and PR plays a important role in ensuring good roles on graduation.ISB is a clear winner on this front. Over the last few years, its info sessions across the country, industry connect activities, competitions have all ensured ISB is the first brand people think of when someone says one year MBA.
Class room contact hoursIIM C and IIM B – 800 to 900 hours, ISB – 680-700 hoursGives a sense of the pressure you will face. IIMs tend to cram in more learning which has both advantages and disadvantages
FacultyThe faculty at IIM B and IIM C have been teaching the two-year PGP students for a long long time. They also have experience conducting Management Development Programmes (courses lasting a week or less for experienced professionals) and so understand difference between teaching freshers in PGP vs the students in a one year course. While the faculty at IIM B is known for their marketing courses, IIM C has finance oriented faculty.Coming to ISB, it has most of its faculty coming from several international reputed B-schools and hence brings with them a new dimension of international exposure in the class-room learning. Unlike business education in India which till date has been focused on the PGP (accredited globally as a Masters in Management meant for freshers), faculty abroad is used to teaching an MBA level audience. ISB benefits from this.
Course AlignmentKnown for marketingMore analytics and numbers drivenNo such known area of focusThis can help you decide based on the function you want to get into.  If you aspire to be a marketing guru, choose IIM B.If you love numbers, go to IIM C (which boasts of India’s only fully-equipped finance lab).
Fees23 Lac18 Lac25 LacThe fees can be a big differentiating factor on the affordability front and in terms of an immediate ROI calculation
Accommodation and other facilitiesStudents stay outside the main campus and miss the fun of campus life.But Bangalore being a great city, amenities are not likely to be of any problem.Beautiful campus! Situated on the out-skirts of the city and good medical facilities outside remain a cause of concern. A new hostel is under construction with better amenities for students.Amenities best so far in India!On the outskirts of Hyderabad, MohaliA big factor for people planning to move in with families.
Other avenues of personal developmentNot much at IIMs. Students do not indulge much in other activities and tend to be mostly academically focused.ISB scores here with a plethora of activities the students indulge in. Students party hard here!
EntrepreneurshipThinking of doing something on your own post the MBA? Don’t even think twice! Go join ISB! IIM B and IIM C also have one off courses on entrepreneurship, but those are a grounding in entrepreneurship in name only.The entrepreneurship cell is also not that well developed.Many students coming out of ISB develop good business models and head to their own business instead of a job. IIMs tend to train you to be great managers but not great entrepreneurs.
PlacementsWhile for many applicants, this remains ‘the most important criterion’ for selecting a B-school and tend to look at the immediate placements after the college to evaluate such an important degree, ideally this should not be the case.When it comes to IIM B and IIM C, they are at par with respect to placements. IIM B has a definite locational advantage being centrally located in the city of Bangalore, India’s IT hub.From whatever I understand, IIM-B is more adapted and geared towards placing people in the IT/ITES sector.IIM C shares an advantage for the manufacturing background folks as one of its other flagship course (PGPEX-VLM) attracts many hard core manufacturing firms.Having said that, most good companies visit both these colleges and recruit.On the other hand, ISB has such a huge batch strength that while the top 10% students get the best of jobs, the bottom 30-40% tend to struggle. At ISB, given the lower work experience of the class, similar to the situation in the PGP courses at IIMs, recruiters often rely on performance in the course as an indicator of future potential. At IIMs, extensive past performance of the candidate is seen as a better indicator of capability and marks take a backseat.The numbers: Average CTC in 2013 at ISB (middle 80%) – Rs 17,41,081, at IIM C – Rs 19,73,000, at IIM B – RS 26,18,186 An honest suggestion: a lot of us tend to attach too much importance to the numbers given in their placement reports. Numbers are subject to interpretation and hence my sincere and honest advice is not to rely too much on these.

EdAlso, no student gets the average CTC – its a notional number. The range is more important which can typically vary between 12 lakhs to anywhere upto 50 lakhs (domestic). Your number of years of experience has a bearing on what salary you command on graduation.A healthy hike though can be expected – students typically gain a hike between 40% to 100% after these courses.

An important placement parameter that often gets overlooked is the companies visiting campus. This determines the choice of roles available to candidates. This number is healthier at ISB where 423 companies visited campus in 2013. At IIMs this number is typically around 50-100 companies for the One year MBA.

ISB benefits from its head start over the IIMs here (ISB’s One year MBA started in 2001, the first one year MBA at IIMs started in 2005) and this reflects the depth of ISB’s corporate connect.

The bottom line is that each college has its own USPs. One may be easier on the pocket, the other may be offering more international exposure. One may be more tuned towards marketing, the other towards finance. Think first of what you feel is important for you and then choose for yourself.I hope the above comparison has given the readers some sense of what to choose and I have not left you even more confused.

Feel free to comment, criticize, suggest or ask for more information.

Need more information or suggestions based on your unique profile? Post a question to current students of IIM C, IIM B and IIM C on the here: IIM B admissions, IIM C admissions, ISB admissions 

The author of this article besides being an alumni of IIM Calcutta’s PGPEX is the author of My Beloved’s MBA Plans – a first of a kind book that explores the lives of people pursuing a One year MBA at Indian business schools. The author can be reached at [email protected]

Disclaimer – The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Oneyearmba.co.in

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IIM B vs IIM C vs ISB - Which one is right for you?
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IIM B vs IIM C vs ISB - Which one is right for you?
Description
Admission season is in full flow in India and many students who have multiple admits are confused about which MBA programme to pursue. To help matters, we explore a common situation - deciding between the One year full time MBA courses at IIM A (PGPX), IIM B (EPGP), IIM C (PGPEX) and ISB ( PGP). 
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One Year MBA
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126 Comments

  1. Prof. O P Monga on

    Congrats to Disha Chhabra for giving exhaustive comparative analysis of management institutes offering one year MBA. She is also right in saying that institutes other than IIMs and ISB should also be considered. To me IIMA occupies the first rank for providing dynamic and vibrant educational environment. The ISB comes at second but is most preferred business school for placement by the corporate world.

    • Thanks Sir for liking the article. The placements part could also be because

      1) 770 offers a good diversity to choose from and a better bargaining power as well
      2) ISB is the BEST in terms of branding, industry relations and PR, much needed in the nascent one year MBA culture.

    • Hello Admin
      Sorry for repetitive question but this is very critical to take a decision whther MBA is feasible or not for me so I humbly request you to go through my profile and rate it accordingly for admission in IIMs 1 year MBA programs, your valuable guidance help me to take decision in my career.

      Academics:
      10 cbse 76%
      12 cbse 60%
      2 years gap before Engineering.
      Engineering 66.5% (Electronics and Telecommunication from SGSITS Indore)

      work exp:(9+ years)
      5.0 years in Polaris Software Lab Ltd. as a Developer/production Support/onsite coordinator to gather clients requirement.(Includes 1 year UK experience)
      4.0 years in Product based company as a Poject leader (Application database design ,development and migration analysis).

      I would like to ask that with this type of experience how can I showcase my working profile effectively in order to stand a chance of getting shortlisted to IIM?
      What should be my ideal GMAT score?

      Also I have 2 years of gap before engineering, it may give a negative strike to my admission chances and placements thereafter. Please clarify this point. I will be dependent upon placements after the course so this question is very important for me.

      I am appearing for GMAT in December this year, Is it worth applying for IIM Indore ? can I get admission with this profile?

      Thanks in advance.

      Best Regards,
      Pavan

  2. Dear Disha,

    Nice comparison on most parameters.

    As far as entrepreneurship is concerned, I totally agree with you that IIMs (be it A or B or C or L) tend to produce great consultants & CEOs but leg behind ISB by a fair margin.

    One reason for this, I believe is the social strata of students opting for (or getting through to) ISB. Though I wont be able to fetch correct figures but I believe that being a private institution, it tends to attract lot more business background students.

    On the other hand, IIMs get lot more people opting for Education Loans and hence going back to Jobs instead of being an entrepreneur.

    So my two cents: “ISB” if you wanna be Entrepreneur( as you may get lot more networking and similar minded rich people) otherwise IIMs.

    • Hey Devrat

      On the entrepreneurship, I don’t quite agree with the reasoning of the student background. It is something more fundamental. It is in the institute culture perhaps. If IIMs start a good entrepreneurship cell and courses, I am sure people will go to IIMs as well. I don’t think this has anything to do with social strata. ISB has students with even higher education loans but the support given to them by the institute goes a long way!

      • I disagree with the assessment that IIMs don’t provide as much support for entrepreneurs. When I look at the facilities and coursework available at IIMA, I feel that anyone who wants to start their own company would be well equipped to do so. CIIE has been reasonably successful in their incubation efforts. I know that IIMB also has a prominent incubation cell on campus

        Factors that could lead to a lower entrepreneurship rate out of campus include:
        1. The older age profile, which leads to a lower risk taking appetite
        2. Having to pay educational loans while having a family, which would deter a lot of entrepreneurship candidates

        When I look at my batch from PGPX (I graduated 4 years ago), more than 20% are entrepreneurs. There are now a large number of entrepreneurs across batches and we ping each other for help/guidance. Most of these entrepreneurs gravitated towards entrepreneurship a few years after leaving campus, which would not reflect in placement statistics

        • Thanks Senthil for throwing light on the same. I agree with your analysis. Entrepreneurship with family and kids is a tough choice to make, indeed.

  3. I clearly dont agree with a lot of things here, although I appreciate that you have a decent job of comparing the various 1 year MBA programmes in India.

    Before I make my comments, would like to hear why IIMA PGPX wasn’t listed here for comparison 🙂

    Here some key things that you missed to cover:

    1) IIMs have an excellent support in Entrepreneurship (read more about NSRCel at IIMB). Certainly, because the batch size is small (which has its own advantages too), the number of Entrepreneurs that typically are produced by the IIMs is certainly less compared to ISB, which has a humongous batch size of 770.

    2) Other avenues of personal development: I think you did not do your homework properly. There is hell lot of activity that happens every week. Something worth mentioning about the IIMs 1 year MBA is the ‘Seminar Series’ offered by IIM A,B,C where to get to hear from world-class speakers from diverse industries every week and the mandatory ‘International Immersion’ program wherein students get a chance to study and do a live project in one of the emerging economies.

    3) EPGP at IIMB is a more known for Strategy, besides Marketing and Analytics. IIMB has one of the best Strategy that the country has to offer. Besides, the Analytics courses at IIMB are one of the finest in the country.

    Besides, there are Marketing, IT, Startup and Consulting conclaves, B-schools fests and much more. And parties are everywhere. We are a small bunch but nonetheless we party equally hard 🙂

    In nutshell, its tough to make comparisons between the schools listed above.
    Overall, ISB is a great school for the lesser experienced folks, say 2 to 4 yrs, however, beyond 4-5 yrs of work experience, IIMs are a better choice.

    • Dont take me wrong !! . By any chance are you a PR officer from IIMB ? NSCREL of IIMB is no match whatsoever compared to Wadhwani centere at ISB. Get your facts right.

      • Harry Baweja on

        @S G P: Well, IIMs lack in Marketing their programs, unlike ISB that is superb in Marketing their programs..I think they shell out a lot of money and effort on advertising and media etc. So no questions of someone being a PR officer here 😀

        I never made a comparison between Wadhwani centre at ISB and NSRCEL at IIMB..I think you didnt read my comment properly…I said the batch size of the 1 year program at IIMs is hardly 10% (or infact lesser) than the intake at ISB – so the proportion of people who end up being an Entrepreneur from 1 year MBA from IIMs is typically less..Its simple maths, hope you understand this time 🙂

  4. I am working as manager in rbi….work ex 5 years….age 32 ….cleared 2 levels of cfa….but
    10th…59%
    12th…61%
    btech….74%….frm plain vanilla clg.
    is it worth applying for 1 year mba ….and most importantly….will they gv me admission…..

    • Hi Ankit,

      You surely qualify for the One year MBA – the eligibility criterion for schools in India do not specify any minimum scores in school.
      Your scores in school do pose a challenge but it could be addressed
      with a well rounded application focusing on aspects such as your work experience and other achievements.

      Other aspects that schools with a one year programme look into include – GMAT, your career aspirations after the MBA which will come through in your essays,
      extracurricular achievements etc. I would advise you to focus on getting a stellar GMAT score to balance your scores in school. Try for a 700-740.

      A question that may crop up during admissions is why you are looking at pursuing an MBA when you are pursuing CFA. Plan this aspect
      when working on your essays.

      Whether it is worth applying to a One year programme is something you are in the best position to evaluate. Most mid level managers do gain a substantial jump in salaries and profile after a One year MBA in India. You can check the BIG List of placements, eligibility, fees of One year MBAs in India to help you evaluate this aspect.

      PS – Adding the question to IIM B’s forum thread where a lot of current students can help your further on your journey

  5. Hi Disha,

    Very well compiled comparison sheet. Had heard about your book, and was nostalgic about my time on the campus. I am from the second batch of IIM-C PGPEX.

    For aspirants, a few tips on evaluating choices, particularly from the standpoint of placements and RoI. I wouldn’t claim to be an authority on placements, but have shopped for talent post-MBA at all top schools.
    Caveat emptor: I have no personal injuries to resent, as it were. Just practical tips based on my experience over the past six years.

    1. If your Indian salary is INR20L-25L and if you do not have an IIT first degree, please do not rely on an Indian one-year MBA to bump you up to the bulge bracket. Go to INSEAD or invest two years in Ivy League schools.
    2. Follows from point 1 that the 40%-100% increase in pay is a function of the incoming salary. If you have less experience, or if career-track change is an over-riding priority vis-a-vis RoI, then choose Indian schools.
    3. Remember that the `Ex’ or `X’ tag will hurt you (the degree of pain varies, based on the ignorance of the hiring manager), and that is where ISB stands out. The one-year program is ISB’s flagship offering, and flagships have entrenched supporters in the hiring community. Somehow, the X’s and Ex’s are associated with inferior quality/relaxed selection criteria or both.
    4. The trade-off (in choosing ISB) is that it is a rat race: You have to be in the top decile or quintile of the class to get a look-in at the bulge-bracket bank or PE firm. At IIMs (one-year programs), the learing is more experiential and relaxed, although Fin placements might prove elusive.

    Ashok

    • This particular topic is very close to what i think lot of people having 7-8 + years of work experience would be able to relate to as ISB result deadline is nearing…I though still not have a choice to make between the IIMs and ISB but not sure if this 7-8 years work experience bracket fellow should go ahead with ISB this year( 2014 intake) if he/she gets final admit offer from ISB or take a step back and try IIMs for next year entry.

      Ashok’s fourth point i think is making folks a bit apprehensive for the simple fact that for somebody having 7+ years of work experience and to compete on academics with let say 3-4 years experience fellow is a bit difficult and i think the balance tilt towards the less experienced guys.

      I have a specific thing on this and would be happy if Ashok can reply….How does then a 7-8 years work experience guy should leverage his comparatively higher work experience in ISB settings.I can be more specific. This particular high experienced fellow is looking for career in energy, chemicals and manufacturing and not per se PE or IB.

      Any viewpoint from any contributor on this would be highly helpful.

  6. Hi Disha/Admin,

    I am Soham. I am looking to persue 1 year MBA programme in ISB next year. For that i have already started preparing for GMAT.Since in earlier posts you have mentioned that working profile is rather more necessary than academics, so i am briefing my work experience below and want you to feed some valuable advice.

    I have total experience of 5 years.Presently, i am working as an Assistant electrical engineer in WS Atkins (An UK based Design Engineering consultancy firm) in Gurgaon & responsible for delivering design to various international projects in UK & Middle East. I am an active & certified ERT(Emergency Response Team) member in the organisation responsible to cater aspect of Health & Safety.I also fulfill the role of Internal Auditor of my team(responsible for QC of documents) .Previously I have worked with an EPC firm,Technofab Engineering Limited where i have fulfilled roles of both as an Engineer & Senior Engg. (Design Electrical) of various turnkey projects pertaining to clients like NTPC,NPCIL etc.I have had enginners and Cad Technician(Draftsmen) working under me in succesfully delivering a lot of projects. I have also fulfilled additional responsibilities of site commissioning of NPCIL and met with a lot of last minute on site challanges while handing over the plant to the client.In additon to it i was also responsible for inspection of Electrical Panels(MCCs etc.) in line with Clients QA .

    Additional Info :

    10 th – 80.8 %
    12 th – 79.2 %
    B.Tech – 7.74 (DGPA)

    I would like to ask that with this type of experience how can i showcase my working profile effectively in order to stand a chance of getting shortlisted to ISB? What sould be my ideal GMAT score? Please suggest some points where i can effectively showcase my career aspirations from here on?

    • Hi Soham,

      Just to clarify, profile and quality of work experience is given substantial weightage in admission to One year MBA programmes, but academics are equally important. Most schools tend to give 15-25% weightage to a range of criteria including GMAT, College and sometimes school academics, Extra-curricular achievements, Interview, Quality of work-experience and major achievements at work.

      Now lets look at your profile.

      1. Your work experience of 5 years is ok – it is the average work experience at ISB
      2. GMAT score to target? 720-730 is the safe zone. 700 would be the minimum we would recommend given past admission trends at ISB – ISB tends to give more weightage to GMAT score than many other One year MBA programmes.
      3. Your experience as mentioned by you is very interesting. A bulk of applications at Indian b-schools are from professionals from the IT sector. As an electrical engineer you have a very different story to showcase. We would recommend that you capitalize on this. Play up the nuances of your role as an electrical engineer – what you did, how and the challenges within this industry. Include specific instances where you managed people, displayed leadership potential etc. Since you bring in the diversity factor to the class, capitalize on this: showcase your past work experience and indirectly cue the distinct flavour you will bring to the class.
      4. If you have worked in Dubai, build this into the application: international work experience is valued.

      You will find ample opportunities to showcase these aspects within the ISB application and in the interview. Looking at some past ISB essays as an example:

      ISB Essay 1 – Attitude, skills and knowledge differentiate people. Elaborate with two examples on how you would differentiate yourself. (300 words max) – a big chunk of the aspects touched on above would fit well in this essay

      ISB Essay 2 – How does the ISB PGP tie-in with your career goals? (300 words max) – ideally, and if this ties in with your career goals, show a progression from your current role into new role, why ISB would enable this transition.

      ISB Essay 3 – Pick the most significant achievement (professional or personal) you have had and elaborate on the key learning you took away from it. (300 words max) – great opportunity to build in instances specific to your field and build your unique story

      In a nutshell, don’t lose sight of aspects specific to your profile as an electrical engineer in your application and interview. Will hold you in good stead.

  7. Hi,

    Thanks for such a valuable platform for enlightening others. I would like to go for an executive MBA.
    I did a google search for the same and luckily I got into your forum.

    Let me tell you my work experience first(All in IT/Software).
    ICICI-Infotech – 3 years
    Bank Of America – Merrill Lynch – 2 years
    Royal Bank of Scotland – 3 years

    So I am having a total of 8 years of experience. I have been awarded for my exceptional work in all of my organisations.

    Academics :

    10 – 75 %
    12 – 70 %
    B.Tech(Computer Science) – 63 %.

    Can you please let me know what could be a good score in GMAT to get in ISB or in Any of IIM

    How much weight is given to extra curricular activities(I am an avid reader and engaged in lot of sports but have no certificate of playing at any level).

    Thanks

    • Hi Kumar,

      first, for the benefit of all our readers, we clarify once again – the the One year full time MBA programme in India is a regular, full-time programme and should not be confused with Executive MBA programmes! 🙂 As per global accreditation, the One year MBA is the only MBA in India.

      The confusion arises because the One year MBA demands work experience from candidates – but that is the norm globally. In India, where this is all new, people have taken to calling the one year MBA an Executive MBA. – which is actually a part time programme.

      Unless, a candidate is an ‘executive’ while he is pursuing an MBA, the course he/she is pursuing is not an executive MBA! The person pursuing a full time MBA is simply a student and the course being pursued simply an MBA.

      Read these for a quick recap of the status of these programmes –

      http://www.oneyearmba.co.in/one-year-mba-iim-c-pgpex-awarded-mba-accreditation-by-amba-uk/

      http://www.oneyearmba.co.in/1-one-year-full-time-mba-in-india-executive-mba-no-indias-first-globally-accepted-mba-yes/

      So if you are headed for a One year MBA, be assured that you are about to pursue India’s first bonafide MBA – not an executive course.

      Now, coming to your profile – GMAT at Indian b-schools vary from school to school. You can check the individual school pages for more info on average GMAT at each school. As a ballpark for candidates with an IT background, 730 plus is the safe zone. That does not mean a 680-720 cant work – it could well work given the strength of your overall profile.

      As far as extra-curricular achievements are concerned, B-schools don’t reveal exact weightage for this criterion. However, it surely plays a role in informing the adcom about the overall capability of the candidate. B-schools are looking for well rounded candidates for their one year MBA class who bring diverse perspectives to class.

      However we do feel that professional/ classroom achievements are till date, valued higher than extra-curricular at Indian B-schools. This could be partially due to the approach to education in India – more about scoring marks rather than learning. But things are changing!

  8. I am a probationary officer in SBI and have a total of 3 years experience. I am trying for one year mba for next year. My target is IIM-A, ISB. Is experience the eliminating criteria in these schools?

    • Hi Rahul, IIM A specifies no minimum work experience – though you need to be aged at least 27 by the start date of the course. ISB specifies 2 years work experience and you meet that criterion.

  9. Hey there, I’m currently pursuing MBA from a B-school affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala. I had scored average marks in my school years (76% in 10th and 74% in 12th) and I have a commerce background. I did comparatively better in my degree (scored 86% in B.com). After having got a bit more exposure I understand that my profile needs to be better if I want to get better opportunities. I was planning to get CFP certification after my MBA and work for a few years. My question is am I eligible for any Exec MBA from any institute (because of my marks I am asking this)? And would additional certification, like CFP, give me any added advantage?

    • Hi Avg Abhi,

      You are not eligible for executive mbas (part time programmes for working exedutives with substantial experience). But you could look at part-time MBAs many of which don’t need work experience.

      If you are actually interested in One year full time regular MBA programmes for students with work experience (often confused with executive mbas in India) then you will have to gain 5 years work experience. Don’t worry about eligibility – One year full time MBA programmes judge students on multiple factors and your marks will be only one factor – and they seem fine.

      PS – The Indian education system with its focus on marks alone can make the best feel average. Einstein was below average in studies. Don’t let it get to you.

  10. Thanks Disha / Admin for the information Provided above regarding one year MBA Programs.
    My Query is
    I am an MBA Passout from Central University of Hyderabad 2010 batch specialized in Marketing, and since working with Colgate Palmolive in Channel Sales. Now that i have almost 4 yrs of work exp and seeking foward to grown in Career, i am facing hindrance to get promotions as Sales Manager since people in sales are asking for similar Sales manager experience or else asking for atleast 7-8 yrs exp of executive level. Now that i am well qualified but NOT a mba Graduate from top 10 Bschools to become a management trainee and get into next level i am planning to opt for One year course of MBA from either India or abroad. Now my query is
    1- As i have already done MBA in 2010, is there any change of doing MBA again from top B Schools?
    2- whether my experience is valued in these 3 schools mentioned above?
    3-Suggest a way forward?

    Anticipating your reply at the earliest?
    Thanks

  11. Hi,
    I am working at a managerial level as a business analyst in an MNC with a total work exp of 12 years. I have done B.Com(Hons) from DU and later on did my distance learning MBA from AMITY. At this stage of my career I am not able to move up the ladder in the organization. Recently I came across an online programme from IIM-C on business analytics costing about Rs 2.5Lacs. Would require your guidance about the program, and its usefulness in shaping my career. My expectation from this course is getting a meatier role in the organization , possibly a promotion or move outside at a better remuneration. Thank you.

    • Hi Amit,

      Given that you have twelve years work experience we think you may be better off exploring an executive MBA for the same money (for clarity sake, here we are referring to part-time programmes and not full time one year MBAs which many confuse with executive MBAs).

      For about the same amount or less as the course in analytics, you could get an executive MBA. Some options you should check out are MDI’s after work hours Exec MBA and FMS’s Exec MBA.
      IIM L also offers an Executive MBA – the working Managers programme which could be another option.

      Exec programmes from good institutes, can give you a leg up in your career.

      Most online programmes in our view will not give you the requisite bump in your career. However its a great way to stay on top of your domain and learn which will eventually help you progress in your career. But if your aim is direct career progression after doing the course, we are not too sure that will happen.

      PS – Is a full time one-year MBA completely ‘out’ for you? Since you already have a distance learning MBA, if possible try for a full time degree. A full time degree will certainly help you meet the aims you listed.

      • Thanks Admin for your wonderful suggestion. Even, I had thought of doing Part time MBA from IIM-L noida campus but since it is 3 yr programme, it put me off. One year online in my view is helping me get a IIM certification as well as domain expertise. Regarding one year full time MBA, then it is costing too much. IIM-A,B, C all cost in the range of Rs 20L and leaving job at this juncture will hardly make sense for me since I am the lone bread earner in the family. Any idea what would be the course fee of MDI or IIML part time MBA. THanks.

        • Hi amit, check the latest numbers from the respective B-school websites, however the last time we checked, MDI was in the 3.5 lakh range and IIM L WMP at 8 L. Also FMS’s evening programme is quite affordable (fee is around 1.5 lakh).

          • Thanks a lot Admin!!

            Your suggestions are really valued . FMS Evening programme will definitely make more sense for me . Will try to discover all the details about it and give my best shot to this.

            Thanks once again!!

  12. An outstanding amount of information on this website! I’ve just forwarded this
    one onto a friend who has been doing a little research on this.
    And he actually bought me dinner because I stumbled upon it for him…
    lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!

  13. Hi Disha,

    I am Vasudha. Can you please evaluate my profile for 1 year MBA. I am targeting IIM-A, B and C. My particulars are as follows:

    percentage marks in 10th: 89%
    percentage marks in 12th: 82%
    B.E (Hons) from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh -70%

    I am a civil engineer by profession. have 7+ years of experience in Civil and Structural design for power plants at Siemens. Have worked on projects of major electrical utilities in the South American region and have also done proposal engineering for Nuclear projects. Most MBA, i would like to go into Infrastructural finance. I have also cleared 2 levels of the CFA exam.

    Thanks

    • Hi Vasudha,

      Here’s our take (disha, do pitch in! :-))

      1. civil engineer – excellent that you have a non-IT profile, which is a tough applicant pool to be a part of
      2. 7+ work ex – puts you in the whereabouts of the average work ex of a candidate applying to IIM B and C – so no issues here. IIM A’s PGPX tends to have an average work ex of close to 10 years, but this doesn’t seem as too big a red flag to worry about
      3. school scores are perfectly ok
      4. great that you have cleared 2 levels of CFA. The fact that you are planning to combine management knowledge, with your knowledge of finance and
      engineering, seems like a well thought out plan which should impress the admission team
      5. hopefully, PGPEX will also give you bonus points for being a woman – most top schools are taking gender diversity seriously

      Your profile is competitive for the schools you are considering – but your GMAT score will also impact your chances. Have you taken the exam yet?

  14. Dear Disha,
    i am gonna ask same common question that other aspirants have asked here. i am in to IT with 9 yrs of experience in ERP implementation. I have worked across various clients like ernst & young and united nations.
    I am currently working for United nations in new york. I am planning to take GMAT and want to opt for exec- MBA from India. Do you think acedemic marks does matter if I score well in GMAT.

    10th: 50%
    10+2: 50%
    Grad in computer: 71%
    Master in computer: 71%

    Many Thanks
    Itban

    • Do you also think working with non profit organisation like United nations gonna add some weight in getting call from these institutes??

      • Hi,

        Contributing to society by working for an NGO/ humanitarian body such as UNICEF etc would surely count and schools should award you brownie points for this. But be aware, no one knows for certain how much heft this really adds to your application, for at least B-schools in India. Some schools have adopted global language in their brochures, as well as selection criteria followed by the west, but in India, schools still tend to focus a lot on academics.

        But, in your case you have been working in IT for UN havent’ you? We doubt the folks in the adcom will see that very differently from say working for Infosys, or an IBM.

        That said, UN is a top notch brand to have on your resume and that should count for a lot.

    • Hi Itban,

      From exec MBA, we take it you are looking at a regular One year MBA in India (commonly confused with exec MBA’s which are part-time programmes for working execs).

      Academic marks will not matter too much with 9+ years of work experience and if you weave your academic story around your GMAT score. Score well, and your school scores should become irrelevant. If you messed up on some specific subjects such as math, then ensure you have a stellar score in quant.

      Most one-year programmes will tend to focus on marks up till graduation (college). Some also focus on 12th class marks (such as ISB). Here’s a helpful clarification from ISB on the exact question you have asked;

      What do we look for in a prospective ISB student?

      1. Consistent academic record

      2. Clarity of thought in terms of career aspirations and goals

      3. People who have demonstrated attributes of leadership.

      Consistent academic record is a good indicator of the applicants ability to take up the rigor of the programme. And to this effect, we look at the school 12th scores, graduation grades and the GMAT scores. For those who are worried about a not so good academic record, I have only one piece of advice – do well in your GMAT. The school and undergraduate performances are in the past and cannot be changed however what can be changed is the GMAT score. Each applicant should make an assessment of his/her academic performance in relation to that of other applicants ( an applicant may not know who else is applying but certainly knows what his/her position in their respective graduating class was). If one is in the top half of the class an average to above average GMAT score would be good to have but for a person in the bottom half of the class a well above average GMAT score would be desirable.

      – See more at: http://blogs.isb.edu/admissionsdirector/2011/07/04/what-do-we-look-for-in-a-prospective-isb-student/#sthash.dqgFcqfs.dpuf

      That said, there are some exceptions- some schools such as IIM Shillong have minimum cut offs for schools scores. here there are:

      Check this link for more on this – http://www.iimshillong.in/pgpex/shortlisting-criteria.asp

      We would advise you to shortlist a 3-5 schools, check their FAQ’s on this subject and if required mail their admission team asking this very question.

  15. I humbly request you to go through my profile and rate it accordingly for admission in IIMs executive programs, your valuable guidance is solicited.

    Academics:
    10 cbse 85%
    12 cbse 86%
    Engineering BIT Ranchi 82.1%

    work exp:
    2.8 years in CSC India java developer.
    2.0 years developed my own portal and tried hand at entrepreneurial stint.
    2.0 years management trainee in Punjab national bank (govt sector).

    I came to know from sources that my work exp is too varied so it may give a negative strike to my admission chances and placements thereafter if selected, please clarify this point as you are the right specialist in the field to ask such precision questions.I will be dependent upon placements after the course so this question is very important for me.

    thanks in advance.

    • Hi Saurabh,

      1. varied work ex – why is this bad? Some people have multiple talents and try and find their way in life before settling down on their chosen path. While this may not yet be the norm in India yet, peoples perspectives are changing and in our view if you can weave a story on the choices you made at each stage, the schools should not have a problem.

      2. Placements – again if you are clear on your future path, this should not be a problem. You may however have to take a small hit in terms of converting your past years of work experience in a new role – some firms may see some years of work-ex as relevant work-ex and may discount a few years of work-ex thats not so aligned to the new role when calculating your pay and position – just be clear about this that’s all. What new role are you aspiring to by the way after the MBA?

      • Thanks for your reply and analysis
        you have pointed the exact question which i was facing in my mind.
        I have blend of experience which could be perceived or presented from different angles
        1. software development experience along with banking industry domain knowledge makes me a good contender for managerial position in IT sector
        2. As I am working in finance sector dealing with a broad sector of issues ranging from administrative branch level problems to credit and foreign exchange ,retail lending, priority sector lending etc I can probably opt for a Multi national Banking institution.
        3. A very different way for looking at the whole thing purely depicts that since i have worked with a range of people from MNC to Rural public sect bank i have a wide spectrum of customer need analysis and this I can utilise during my course also it will be a different contribution towards batch profile.

        This was all i think i can become( you better know value of my points made above, inside a B school) please evaluate my view point and guide.
        i want to specialize in market exploration and business acquisition.

  16. Hi..!
    I have overall ten years experience in financial services industry and currently running my own ‘Equity Advisory Franchise’ set up with a nationally renowned stock broker for the last four years. Prior to this I had a stint with a few financial services companies for six years in junior and middle management cadre in Wealth Advisory and Equity Broking. I have a solid understanding of the products and the overall sector. I also have detailed study on the operation / risk management and legal aspects of stock broking and wealth advisory.

    I am B Com(Hons) with 45% marks from Calcutta University ( Year 2002 )and have also completed ‘Master of Corporate Management’ course with 65% marks from Lucknow University ( Year 2004 ). The master degree course was a two year full time course and was approved by AICTE.
    My scores in secondary (10th) and higher secondary (12th) examination have been 84% and 67% respectively.

    I do not score much credit on the extra curricular activities.

    Now that I want to gradually shift to the Investment Banking / Private Equity domain and want to pursue a good one year MBA course for acquiring the academic grooming on the subject and also the managerial and leadership skills relevant to the domain. ISB offers PGP which is known to be one of the best in the country. I am taking preparation for GMAT and hope to clear it by July 2015 and looking forward to apply to ISB.

    Please suggest if I am eligible for the PGP 2015-16 course.

    Regards.

    • Hi arnab,

      Officially you are eligible for ISB. Here is what the school needs-

      1. A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
      2. Preferably two years of full-time work experience after graduation. Exceptional candidates, with less work experience, will be considered for deferred admission.
      3. GMAT score
      4. TOEFL / IELTS / PTE score, only if language of instruction during undergraduate education was not English.

      Unofficially, ISB is known to be a stickler for good scores – so GMAT, College marks etc. The 45% seems in grad could be potential issue at ISB. We would recommend whacking the GMAT out of the park – hopefully the school will then focus on that (as it should!)

      You may also want to give IIM C a look – the school has had a finance focus and has a good alumni base in the sector which counts for a lot.

      Check the below writeup from the horses mouth – you might find it helpful:

      What do we look for in a prospective ISB student?
      Posted on July 4, 2011 by Admissions Director
      We are primarily looking at the following attributes in prospective applicants:

      1. Consistent academic record

      2. Clarity of thought in terms of career aspirations and goals

      3. People who have demonstrated attributes of leadership.

      Consistent academic record is a good indicator of the applicants ability to take up the rigor of the programme. And to this effect, we look at the school 12th scores, graduation grades and the GMAT scores. For those who are worried about a not so good academic record, I have only one piece of advice – do well in your GMAT. The school and undergraduate performances are in the past and cannot be changed however what can be changed is the GMAT score. Each applicant should make an assessment of his/her academic performance in relation to that of other applicants ( an applicant may not know who else is applying but certainly knows what his/her position in their respective graduating class was). If one is in the top half of the class an average to above average GMAT score would be good to have but for a person in the bottom half of the class a well above average GMAT score would be desirable.

      Career aspirations and goals: The essential question here is why does the applicant want to do a programme in management. We do look at clarity of thought and purpose in the applicant. We are looking at answers to questions like – where do you see yourself in say 3 years time, why is management education important to achieve the goals you have set yourself, can your current career path lead you to your goals even without management education etc. We certainly are not expecting answers like “I see myself at XXX position in YYY company in the next 5 years time” Such assertion are difficult to make and we do not expect such statements.

      Leadership attributes: Our applicant pool can be broadly divided into two categories
      1. Who have had sufficient work experience to have had the opportunity to lead people
      2. Those who have not yet had the formal role of leading people. How then do we evaluate leadership in these two categories. The first is relatively simple – the role a person does has ample scope to demonstrate the impact of the leadership skills and that should be presented appropriately in the application. It is a lot more difficult for the second category. However all good leaders do have certain traits in common and these can be presented in the application. Leaders take initiative/ look for improved ways of doing things/are creative/encourage team work/are decisive etc. I have listed out only a few of the traits that can be demonstrated without actually having to lead a set of subordinates. Applicants who have no formal leadership role can highlight some of the traits I have mentioned with concrete examples in order to present their case well.

  17. Hi,

    I am a Law graduate from Mumbai University and I am too much inclined towards MBA Programs from well-known B-schools as it definitely adds on alot of standards to your professional profile.

    I was actually interested for my husband; who is B.Tech in Electronics and Telecommunications; to purse it but he has different mind set all together.

    I wanted some guidelines for myself as do u suggest a Law Graduate to purse with MBA and if yes then what all opportunities do fall in my way ? I certainly dont have much good percentile in L.L.B (58.9% ) and will it be a matter of concern in further pursuance? And if you give me a green signal for MBA then which one shall be good one for me as I hardly can choose one for myself.

    Looking forward for reply as I have to decide between MBA and L.L.M for my masters degree.

    Thanks.

    Regds
    Prerna Deol

    • Hi prerna,

      There are a number of options which can open for a law grad after an MBA degree. Some options you could look at are corporate side careers in
      M&A, HR where knowledge of law is a boon. You could also become a resident legal adviser in companies. Similarly, you could explore
      options with legal firms managing aspects such as investment banking and M&A.

      The right management course for you would depend upon multiple factors such as years of work experience and GMAT score etc. One course you may want to check on is NALSAR’s MBLA – masters degree in business law and administration which aims to enable exactly the kind of transition you are attempting.

  18. I am 33 year project manager in Cognizant with over 10 years of experience (8 years in US and still counting) working in financial services domain. Below are my stats:

    GMAT – 730 (Q49, V40, IR7 and AWA6)
    TOEFL – 112
    PGDBA Symbiosis (Corporate part time program) – 75% (Distinction)
    B.tech – 72% (UP technical University, one of the private colleges in UP)
    12th – 65%
    10th – 83 %

    Some background Information: I have applied to full time in US colleges (top 10-15) and INSEAD but did not get called from I think its because of Indian IT Male over represented pool and more than average age and experience and nothing unique in profile. In my long term future I plan to relocate to India so next best option for me is to look at 1 year MBA programs in India.

    Questions:
    1: I missed the deadlines for IIMs this year. Should I apply to ISB or wait for IIMs next year.
    2: Would I be a good fit at the IIMs, would I have a fair chance?
    3: Would it make sense for me to apply to other MBA programs in Asia such as NUS, HKUST etc or IIMs/ISB would be a better option. For me post MBA job would be the primary criteria as I need to support family.

    Eagerly looking forward to your reply.

    Thanks in advance.

    Best Regards,
    Vivek

    • Hi VPIT,

      You could apply to ISB but at 10 years work ex, you will feel more at home at IIMs where the average class experience is 8-10 years.
      We would need to understand your post MBA aspirations to advise you in greater detail – which geography do you want to work in and which domain and function?

      • Hi,

        Don’t you think ISB by increasing batch strength to 770 students is going the IMT Ghaziabad ,NMIMS Mumbai and ICFAI Hyderabad way? The 3 colleges mentioned above started in industry on a good note, established themselves as a brand amongst the student community and recruiters and followed this with an increase in batch strength which could not be sustained from placements point of view. ( Only the top 200-300 students are getting placed through campus placements and the rest have to fend for themselves.) I remember 6-8 years ago IMT Ghaziabad was a college where ppl who have narrowly missed the IIM cut-offs would go. Today the scene for the college has changed completely!!! Please share your views on the above….

        • Hi Pranay, that’s an interesting observation and surprisingly it connected to a discussion we were having internally about what ISB did differently to make a name for itself in a market where government institutions rule and the age and pedigree of the institute are an important factor for students.

          We thought of other examples such as MDI, SP Jain, and IMT which also managed to get immense traction. And now you made us think about whether ISB will also take a similar downward path eventually.

          The thing is that the market for management talent within India at a 17-25 lakh+ bracket is fairly limited as compared to the market in USA, China etc which are much larger economies – and which too have shrunk in recent times.

          So yes, unless the Indian economy recovers and more roles open up, ISB will certainly have a challenge on its hands.

        • Agree with you completely , things have gone to worse now.. all political and money making for them.. no interest in students.. there aren’t enough industries as there are number of MBA’s being churned out from these institutes.. and then they open IMT Nagpur, IMT Dubai.. whatever for ?? to Dilute there name ..>>

  19. I have around 5 years experience in pharma marketing. I am a medical graduate by qualification.

    I got selected for both IIMB EPGP and ISB.

    I am confused between the two. With 5 years of experience and >22 L p.a. package, IIMB looks more promising. But I have not seen any pharma company/ consulting recruiting from IIMB- EPGP and I intend to work in either consulting or pharma.

    A lot of pharma companies/ consulting firms hire from ISB. But with my work experience and package, would ISB be a right choice?

    Kindly advise?

    • Hi subir, pranay has shared some excellent points.

      A few things we can add:

      1. consulting companies in India tend to recruit at the entry level unless they are hiring for a very specific practice or a new upcoming domain where they lack specialists – they then often recruit at lateral levels. Check by talking to a few people at your target companies if pharma is one of these domains where you could get a leg in the door.

      2. The mid 80% CTC range for pharma at ISB was 14-21 lakh in 2014. This doesn’t necessarily mean that senior roles can not be got in this domain at ISB, it just means that has not been the case in 2014. With a senior candidate such as yourself, that number could well be different.

  20. Mr. Subir,

    ISB has a good group of pharma companies coming for campus placements irrespective of the economic scenario and they offer special electives in Healthcare Management. There are a number of students in the batch from the pharma sector. There are many pharma companies in Hyderabad. If you are very particular about going back to the pharma sector and are flexible in terms of salary….ISB is a better option. But remember u need to be in the top 250-300 students in the batch of 770….else you are headed for a big-time disappointment. If u r interested in Consulting…..ie the Consulting Companies mentioned on website ie AMC, MCK, Bain, BCG, ATK….other than the IT Consulting ones….u’ll have to be in the top 100. Why dont u try for sabbatical?
    IIM B EGPG is a generic MBA. Placement is guaranteed given the brand, your profile and the small batch size. The negative point is that they don’t offer any special electives in Healthcare Management unlike ISB and u might end up being the rare pharma student in the batch unlike ISB. Placement in the pharma sector for u will be an external one wherein the college pitches ur profile to pharma companies backed by IIM B alumni and the placement cell. For Consulting you will have generic campus placements and can hope to get a package higher than ur current one.
    ATB…

  21. Dear Subir,
    Nope. But you have PWC, Deloitte, TCS, Cognizant, etc.
    Not the ones mentioned in ur post.
    If you can share ur academic credentials ie 10th, 12th and graduation score….I can confirm on ur chances in the firms mentioned by u.

    • I have 80% in 10th, 77% in 12th, 857 rank in medical entrance, 65% in MBBS and 65% in Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research. I have been associated with several pharma companies like Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD, Glenmark etc and have handled both medical and marketing portfolios.

  22. Dear Subir,

    Your acads for 10th and 12th standard are on the lower side because u will be competing with ppl above 90% in 10th and 12th for Mck, BCG, etc. Your graduation score may be good as per your institute but ppl with CGPA system have got scores like 8.8/10, 9.6/10…..so ur score effectively turns out to be 6.5/10. ( Not ur fault but u r at a disadvantage due to percentage system. That is why many colleges have shifted to CGPA system.) With such scores it is highly unlikely that you will be shortlisted by these companies inspite of the quality of your wor-exp and ur performance at ISB. IT Consulting and Pharma will be the only options avl. For IT Consulting u will have to take a hit in salary at ISB. Your salary for pharma at ISB will be somewhat equal to the package you will get by switching companies at this stage without an MBA. The advantage at ISB is the group of companies which will be avl in front of u and ur work-exp projects u as a strong candidate for the same. If you want to continue in the pharma sector, ISB is a better option since u will study healthcare related subjects, network with Healthcare professionals through ISB alumni, be part of Healthcare club and finally get placed in a pharma company or if u want, in a start-up. ( Plenty avl at ISB.)
    ( Assumption: U come in top 250-300 out of 770, which I personally feel you will given your academic background.) Else from salary point of view and placement guarantee point of view it is IIM Bangalore EPGP. IIM Bangalore is a bigger brand than ISB Hyd. The placement cell will pitch your profile very strongly to all the pharma companies in the world given its vast alumni.

  23. Hi,

    I’m a working in a FMCG MNC as an Operations Engineer, Below is my profile:
    10th-91%
    12th-87% all from CBSE
    B.Tech from BIT Mesra (13th ranked)-74% (Distinction Holder)
    Work Ex; Around 30 months
    My work in involves supply chain production planning/execution and is all in all a factory based role.
    I’m pursuing APICS certs. which would end somewhere arnd Dec 15 , so in a nutshell , I’m developing myself into a supply chain expert 😀 .
    Now , keeping in line with my career preference , I wish to move more seamlessly in this field , as far as I know few courses are there for Supply Chain in MBA(IIM-C VLM course / some other not so known stuffs from NITIE), plus the placements are also not that great (10-15L) add to that tuition (15L ~) .
    So, all in all I will be investing close to 30 L (tuition + 1yr salary) for the sake of an Indian MBA.
    Is it justified ? Or there are any alternatives ?

  24. Dear Admin

    Could you please suggest me the countries that provide Post Study Work Visa for Indian Students.

    I am planning for 1 year MBA abroad

  25. I am Soham. I am looking to pursue 1 year MBA programme this year.I have appeared for CAT and also will be appearing for XAT 2015 and finally GMAT.

    I am briefing my work experience below and want you to feed some valuable advice.
    I have total experience of 5+ years.Presently, I am working as an Assistant electrical engineer in WS Atkins (An UK based Design Engineering and Management consultancy firm) in Gurgaon & responsible for delivering design to various international projects in UK & Middle East.
    I am an active & certified ERT(Emergency Response Team) member in the organisation responsible to cater aspect of Health & Safety.I hold the responsibility of being the floor leader of ERT. I also fulfil the role of Internal Auditor of my team(responsible for Quality Control of documents) .I actively participate in fun and sports activities such as Collage making competition, Quiz etc. organized by WS Atkins. This year my team won 3rd Prize in Independence Day Collage making competition. I recently organized a quiz in “Monthly Jamboree” of our business.
    Previously I have worked with an EPC firm,Technofab Engineering Limited where i have fulfilled roles of both as an Engineer & Senior Engg. (Design Electrical) of various turnkey projects pertaining to clients like NTPC,NPCIL etc.I have had enginners and Cad Technician(Draftsmen) working under me in succesfully delivering a lot of projects. I have also fulfilled additional responsibilities of site commissioning of NPCIL and met with a lot of last minute on site challanges while handing over the plant to the client.In additon to it i was also responsible for inspection of Electrical Panels(MCCs etc.) in line with Clients QA .

    Acads :
    10 th – 80.8 %
    12 th – 79.2 %
    B.Tech – 7.74 (DGPA)

    I would like to ask the following :
    1.With this type of experience/profile how will my profile be rated and what are likely chances of getting shortlisted to PGP of SPJain,XLRI,ISB,IIMs ?
    2.If I appear for GMAT what sould be my ideal GMAT score?
    3. Please suggest some points where i can effectively showcase my career aspirations from here on?

    • Hi soham,

      1. Your chances of getting an admit are dependent on multiple factors with the GMAT score being critical
      2. You have a engineering background, but since you are not from an IT profile that should provide you some scope of differentiating yourself from other applicants. Core engineering/ mechanical engineering profiles are fewer in the applicant pool to these schools. Build on this.
      3. GMAT ranges between 650 to 760 at B-schools mentioned by you. Ideal? 800 🙂 Basically, its very hard for us to give you one specific score – aim for 720+ to play safe.

  26. Hi,

    I went through your blogs and found it very useful for person like me.
    Pls help me with your invaluable suggestion

    Profile:

    Undergrad: NIT Trichy, Computer Science with CGPA:8.2/10 – 2006 passout(8.5 yrs exp)
    Ranked 11th in Madhya Pradesh Engg Exam (State level)
    State level scholarship

    8.5 yrs of Exp with semiconductor companies – Broadcom, Intel and Infineon – Working as a firmware(Hardware specific) developer of Wirless Modem chipsets (2G, 3G & 4G)

    Why I want to do MBA:
    1) With company exiting from the domain I work in (shrinking of job propsects), I am considering to make my profile a little generic so that I can traverse even in times this industry shrink, though I am kind of satisfied with the work I do.
    2) To increase the pace of my career progression since for now it’s going on the same traditional path.
    3) To move to some role which has bigger impact company wide with more recognition and pay check as well 🙂

    My post MBA goal is to remain in Telecom/IT/Semiconducotr product development company as either Business development manager or product management or any other strategic role(to achieve my desire as described in point 3 above)

    Considering -IIMA PGPx and IIMB EPGP(any other do you recommend?). Found Foreign MBA costlier.

    My question is:

    1) Whether MBA will help me at this moment as I saw that there are issues in getting placement(for IIMA PGPx and IIMB EPGP students) and heard that it takes time for them to get a role of their choice (given that experience is more)
    2) Will getting an MBAx from these programs(IIMA PGPx and IIMB EPGP) add a value to my profile.
    3) Will it be able to provide me a salary greater than(or equal to) what I earn (as finally I have to see the financial gain also) and a long term faster career growth. I already earn more than average salary scored after these 2 MBA programs.

    Finally, whether I should try for MBA or continue the work and try to get some diversified experience in wireless technology. Pls suggest and help me

    Thanks a lot for your time!

  27. Hi All,
    First of all thanks alot for sharing this valuable information!!

    Could you please scan the below profile and let me know if my profile stands competitive for ISB or IIM’s (A&B)?
    10th: 78%
    12th:78%
    Bcom: 61%
    MBA (Regular): 60%

    I have overall 8 years of experience and working for Asset Management companies operations (Hedge funds and Mutual funds). Working as Assistant Manager, and managing a team of 15 members from last 2 years.

  28. Hi.
    Read your blog and found the same extremely useful.can you please check my below profile and suggest.
    10th : 85.33%
    12th :- 93.3%
    B.Tech (CSE) : 71.78%
    have a total of 6 years exp in IT industry.But have took a break from IT for the past 1 year.Can you suggest whether this break might affect my selection.

    • Hi Nair, thanks, great that you found the site useful. The break should not affect your chances as your experience is within the range required. We aren’t robots and aren’t born to just make a career! Other things in life require our attention from time to time and any reasonable B-School will understand that. You could consider covering the gap in the mandatory essays or optional essay, if you feel the need.

  29. Wonderful blog article and very insightful comments!

    I am a medical doctor with a background in health economics. In all I have 12 years of work experience in the healthcare domain of which 7 have been in the pharmaceutical industry. My work (analytics) supports the developed markets and the approach is international and global in nature. I am involved in a particularly niche function without a lot of application in the Indian market – the group has been set up as a support system for the global organization and the approach (pharmacoeconomics with a heavy science focus) is not something that is used in the Indian market.

    My issue is two fold:
    (a) The skillsets that I have developed are more suitable to the developed markets or as a support for the developed markets but have very little applicability to the Indian market. There are hardly any other pharma organizations in India operating in the space I am in currently. While growth will happen steadily, it also limits my choice of work. When I approach pharma companies operating in India (working on the core Indian business and not support for other markets) the lack of India market specific experience becomes a limiting factor.
    (b) The other factor is my current CTC which is at a senior manager level. As I grow in the current system I am concerned that I will burrow myself down deeper and deeper in this niche function and paradoxically limit my employability outside. I am not very keen on moving into support services function in Indian agencies servicing pharma companies operating in the developed markets. I want to be there where the decision-making and implementation on the strategy is taking place.

    Would an MBA from the top B-schools discussed in this column/forum help me acquire a broader and more generic set of skills with wider applicability to the business and help me move away from the service mould and break into the Indian pharma/healthcare space. My desire is to get into more strategic business roles and enable a wider playing field for me within India.

    Are these good practical reasons to pursue an MBA? What is the reality on the outcome? Will it help engineer a career shift (this is quite akin to planning a career change within the same domain).

    • Hi, you have a perfectly good reason to pursue an MBA – yes it will give you a broader understanding of different managerial functions and concepts, widen your horizon and eventually help you pick up a wider set of responsibilities at work.

      Given that you are planning to stick to the medical field, you will ready takers at the end of the course – problems arise when people want to take a complete u-turn in their career which is a bit tough when you have stacked up considerable skills in one area (possible, but tough).

      Why don’t you consider moving out of India if that’s where the market for your skills exists? Maybe an MBA is not even needed then? Even if you do an MBA, you could consider pursuing it in US or Europe, where the pharma market is more evolved.

  30. I am basically from Mechanical Engg Background with 7.5+ Years of Experience in IT/ITES industry

    Basically I am interested into stock markets from my 10th class and i trade with my mother’s money which has created the interest in the Capital Markets industry , So I wanted to join Investment Banking Operations to learn the markets and different areas which
    is connected with the Stock Markets , So I decided to start my carreer with the Investment Banking Operations inspite of different
    Education Background, I have joined TCS Eserve as Analyst , where i was offered with the profile of Securities Settlement Operations
    for the Global Investment Bank, It was smooth and life was comfortable which made me to do a lot of NCFM Certifictaions related to
    Capital Markets, But one fine day i felt I should move out of the Comfortable zone , and decided to enter into the IT industry with
    Operations Knowledge, I found that Software Development Companies not interested in taking the resources from Operations Back Ground
    So I decided to change my profile according to the Job Description and apply for it

    I had a Plans to move from Operations Background to functional Consultant profile in the next 5 years then I found difficult to do that
    because IT Companies is very much keen in taking resources with past COnsulting Experience, then I decided to Enter into the
    testing area , which i felt is the proper channel to reach my goal. So i decided to change my profile as per the JD’s and started my Job Search again, this time

    I am much focussed now to search for the job in Testing Services Side, which could be lay the path of becoming the functional consultant in the long run


    then I got the Oppurtunity to work in Syntel Inc in the areas of testing , now i am happy then more because i was put into the other side of my previous
    profile in the same Investment Banking Domain, I have put down my complete effort and learnt to the maximum , where i got the oppurtunity to travel to client site
    and do the Product implementation , but i missed out because i dont had passport, which had become big gap in my resume till date

    Finally I got the oppertunity to become Functional COnsultant but it doesnt last Long , I joined as Senior Functional COnsultant in
    Inautix Tech(BNY Mellon) , but my profile was changed to Developer , because of Project Unavailability , then i decided to Quit
    and search again for the JOb I dreamed of

    Last Finally I Got the oppurtunity to Join with the Oracle as Implementation Consultant
    I worked in the areas of Consulting, Product Implemetation, RFI Preparation, testing activity, Documentation, Training Activity and bit of presales
    and engaging with the Customer’s for requirements meet and Product Walk through , Designed a product flow process. some point in time i thought
    I was settled down and I felt the Profile has come to saturation point

    But again my Search is on and i need to get ready to fight the next battle, this time i am much matured then my previous attempts

    I am optimistic that I can push myself to the next Engine of growth, but my worries is I had a Carreer break in Education and Job combined to gether for 2.5 Years

    Why I want to do MBA:
    1. To move to role’s which has bigger impact company wide with more recognition and pay check as well
    2.I need to change my working area to the new area’s such as Digital Marketing , Direct Client Engagements or at Strategy level Roles
    3.In the Long Run , My goal is build a company on my own which should address the consumer problems with the use of Next Gen Technology

    My question is:

    1.whether this is the correct time to take up the MBA, If yes please let me know about one year MBA Program in india
    2.Please let me know about the Course and college which will solve my requirement

    • Hi Sriv,

      In our view, you should first clearly chart out your career story going forward. Maybe you have become fixated on a certain profile and are
      not using the opportunities that are coming your way – life is hardly a highway to where we want to go and the twists and turns in the journey have their own contributions on making us ready to for the journey ahead and for helping us achieve our final goal.

      There are a lot of technical aspects to your question and it might be a good idea to first chat with someone senior from your industry to plan your journey out and understand whether you require an MBA at all – if yes, whether now or later.

      Then we can chat about which MBA is right for you. Given that you have 2.5 years of work experience, if you are targeting a one-year programme in India, you need to get more work experience.

  31. I have converted XLRI GMP program. Below is my profile.
    XAT score: 98.61
    10th – 87.4
    12th – 69.4
    Btech – 73.2 (UPTU)
    Workex – 5 years., worked with HCL technologies.
    I have to submit fees for General management program (GMP) by 6th april ,so I was wondering whether I should take the call or not?
    What is the average , median salary specifically for people with IT background in GMP program?
    Also, what is the minimum and maximum salary offered to people with IT background in GMP program?
    and should I go for GMP or not
    I also heard that people with around 5 years of experience are rejected in HR no matter how good their percentile is because of the overexperience! Is that true?
    because in that case I will have a very high probability of not being able to convert the HR call despite the percentile
    and keeping that in mind, should I go for GMP or not?

    • Hi Jyoti, Congrats, XLRI’s one year MBA is a good programme. Unfortunately GMP does not share salaries by verticals so can’t comment on that.

      The ‘overexperience’ issue you mention is something we are yet to come across in hiring in HR though we have seen it in FMCG companies who have becomes so used to hiring freshers over the years that many of them are yet to figure out systems to hire proper MBA talent that’s now being produced in India. FMCG routinely hires freshers from PGP/ PGDM programmes and then spends a fortune putting them through a mini-MBA through extensive management trainee programmes.

      These mindsets leave us perplexed. As a nation we hold on to established practices and traditions long after they have lost their purpose and often fail to understand that change is required for any improvement to take place. An industry person with work experience would be preferred as compared to a fresh MBM (PGP/ PGDM) graduate anywhere else in the world.

      We would recommend you to talk to a few HR people in companies you want to work at and check on their openness to lateral hiring.

  32. Joy Sebastin. J on

    Hi,
    I am a MBA(marketing) graduate from second grade b-school.
    Ug(B.Sc- Mathematics). Have scrored above 80% all through my education except Mba(6.7 CGPA). Working in Asian Paints for 4 years in sales. My ambition is to get into marketing which is not possible with my current MBA. Now, Consider I secured 700-750 in GMAT.
    1. What will be the opportunity to get into marketing in FMCG companies?

    2. Is there any consulting firms recruiting the guys who studied marketing in the so called big institutes? If so, what are firms taking marketing guys? what are their roles?

    3.Which institute is good for a guys like me who has sales experience and wants to move towards senior management roles in marketing?

    4.Which institute give best learning experience in marketing?(as well as placement)..

    5.Is there people who come with fmcg sales experience and got into management roles?

    Kindly guide me.

    • Hey Joy,

      Congrats on working with Asian paints – its a good company. Here’s what we we advise:

      1. People with non-FMCG backgrounds have faced issues cracking FMCG after a one-year MBA in India because of the lopsided hiring by these companies in India – they typically hire only at the entry level through pgp/ pgdm (MBM) programmes. Since you already have a background in FMCG, we don’t see that problem for you. People from one-year programmes at IIM A and ISB among others have joined FMCG companies in senior roles. Marketing roles in other companies should also open up for you.

      2. Most MBAs are general management degrees and consulting companies do hire from from one-year MBA programmes. Roles change depending on the profile of the candidate – some students have reportedly been hired in retail consulting, supply chain consulting etc.

      3. With a tentative score of 700+ – IIM B, IIM A and ISB should be some of the schools your should aspire to. ISB has god connects with marketing companies while IIM B has some of the best marketing faculty.

  33. Hi,

    I’m wondering if you could evaluate my profile for the 3 programs and provide your opinion for the most suitable one. I can’t decide whether a EPGP is right for me.

    Age- 28

    GMAT- 710

    Graduated in 2008 from a Cardiff Business School in UK with a degree in accounting and finance. Topped my degree in year one. My final year grade suffered as I had to skip almost 2 months of college because of my dadsillness. Ended up with an upper 2.1 degree.

    -planned on working in UK itself, post graduation, in order to gain some international work ex but had to move back to India because of my fathers death (2 weeks after end of college). In order to take care of family affairs, moving back was the only option.

    Since then have garnered 6.5 years experience of working in the business development and strategy division of a firm with interests across hydropower, textiles and education. The firm has revenue in excess of $100 million. Have worked across all 3 sectors. Started out working as an associate overseeing the development of a 5MW hydropower plant. This gave me a great
    insight into the workings of the infrastructure space in a developing country like India, where the lack of infrastructure is a major stumbling block. Moved next onto designing and implementing a plan for expanding the denim division within the cotton textile vertical. The expansion of the denim vertical division played a crucial role in providing a hedge to the textile business against the downturn in the other textile divisions (cotton yarn, woven fabrics, etc) during the post lehman crisis. Currently leading a team in implementing the expansion/diversification of the education vertical. The firm runs 4 B-schools and 1 higher secondary school in India. My idea was to diversify in the higher secondary space by utilizing the
    franchising model of expansion. The idea for diversification was my brainchild from the start. The projects at a very advanced stage of implementation with one school having already opened up and 15 MoU’s having already been signed. The financial benefits of the project have already started trickling in with the firm having received over INR 75 as signing up fee. I’m also the youngest at the firm in a senior managerial role.

    -Short term goal: to make a transition to a top tier management consulting firm. Coming up with a strategy and then executing it is something I do in my current role as well. As my short term goal I would like to work within the strategy consulting domain with focus on industries such as infrastructure and natural resources (in both I will be able to utilize my current skill set and build upon it)

    Thanks

    • Hi Ramalo,

      As far as consulting jobs go, they are achievable with a One Year MBA (EPGP) at IIM B. The domains you have worked in are quite specialized. Most top consulting firms in India hire freshers for the typical generalist consulting profile but often lack specialists who can consult for them in specific domains. Firms such as Technopack have made a business out of offering consulting in very specific domains and you should be able to find roles at top consulting firms if you plan on consulting in areas related to your experience.

      You could also post your question on the IIM B thread and get a perspective from some of the alums active there.

  34. NIKHIL NARAIN on

    Hi,
    Iam having 6 years of experience in State Bank of India. Currently, Iam Branch Manager of a mid level Branch. My Acads are as follows:
    Xth – 58.6
    XIIth – 70
    BBA – 62.1
    I plan to take GMAT soon and expecting a score in 650-680 range.

    Considering my profile, do u think it is worthwhile applying for one year programmes of IIMA, B & C or ISB?

    • Hi nikhil, your class X school marks are a bit of a red flag – this could be compensated for with a good GMAT score, but 650-680 won’t cut it. For ISB you will need 700-720+ to be competitive. You can always take a chance, but history points at the score we mentioned.

  35. May I request you to evaluate my profile for the executive MBA program in IIMs/ISB? My academic profile is:
    MS (Elec) – 81%
    BE (CSE) – 73%
    XIIth – 87%
    Xth – 81%
    I have work experience of ~12.5 years in semiconductor domain, where my roles is to help chip designing engineer design high quality chips, faster & sooner. I had worked in companies like Infosys, Synopsys and Intel. Since my work profile is too technical and looking forward to get into roles of devising strategies/business development in the same industry, I feel EPGP program would be a way to meet my aspirations. I haven’t taken the GMAT exam. May I know what is the score that will put me on safe zone? Looking forward your inputs.

  36. NIKHIL NARAIN on

    Thanks for your Response to my Query, Admin. I do realise that my acads will prove to be a hindrance in getting admission in Top three IIMs & ISB. Also, crossing the 700 mark is difficult for me in GMAT as I have a very hectic work schedule and get very little time to study. So, can you suggest other good colleges (in India providing 1 year MBA) looking at my profile. I have wide experience in almost all the facets of Banking including high value loans i.e. > INR 5 Cr. Post my MBA, I seek senior Management positions in Banking sector only. So would prefer campuses where Banking & Finance companies come for recruitment.

    • Sorry didn’t notice you were also considering IIMs. If you manage a 680 you could try your luck at A, B, C, I, L – if you have a strong enough work history you might be able to get through. ISB is a younger school and in order to raise its profile tends to favor students with higher GMAT as its a factor that matters on certain rankings – IIMs in our opinion seem to have more tolerance for a lower GMAT score as long as a students overall profile shines. IIM I specifically has built in some focused courses on BFSI and analytics in its curriculum and could be suitable for you. XLRI is another option among the top tier schools.

  37. NIKHIL NARAIN on

    Thanks for your comment, Admin. The biggest doubt cropping in my mind now is – is it worthwhile to quit my current job & go in for MBA from a not so descent college(I think XLRI’s , IIM I’s one year MBA falls into that category). Will it help in my career, will I get a good return on Investment in the long run? My current CTC is around INR 12 Lacs.

    How is S P Jain 1 year PGPM course? What is the actual average pay package there & do finance companies/Banks go there for recruitment?

    • Hi Nikhil, Whether IIM I and XLRI suit your needs has to be decided by you – the data is as follows: IIM I’s average salary was 18.75 lakh in 2014 and XLRI’s average hovers around 16.75 to 18 lakh. That is within the range quoted by ISB and IIM C in certain years. 8-12 lakh is the typical incoming salary for most students at IIMs/ ISB/ XLRI – most students have been able to get 35% to 100% jumps after the MBA – a lot depends on the sector, the gap between the market rate and what you are drawing, your years of experience etc. More on this soon.

  38. Abhishek SIngh on

    Hi Disha,
    Thanks for providing with such an insightful article supported by some beautifully compared data.
    It duly helped me to resolve my skeptics on IIM’s One year course. I’m Planning to take GMAT this year and my profile is as follows:
    Work Ex.: 5 years as Project and Commercial Exec. at a Manufacturing maharatna PSU.
    Acads:
    CGPA: 8.04 (BITS Pilani)
    12th(CBSE): 80.1 %
    10th(CBSE): 72.8 %

    Pretty decent with extra curriculars: Basketball, College Sports rep.

    Is my candidature good enough to apply for IIM-A, B and ISB one year course? And how about applying to NUS MBA and NTU MBA as well ? Could you suggest me on what areas to work on to further build and make a strong profile for these BSchools.

    Thanks and Regards
    Abhishek

    • Hi Abhishek yes your profile looks good as far as academics go, but admissions for a One Year MBA is holistic – the quality of your work ex. and achievements will also count for a lot so focus on building these in the time you have. Your GMAT score will also determine your chances at IIMs, ISB, NTU and NUS etc. While the article covers quite a bit on IIMs and ISB, here is some info on NUS and NTU.

      National University of Singapore (NUS)
      Globally ranked 31 as per FT, MBA programme at NUS is a bit longer and is of 17 months duration. The MBA at NUS in 2016 is proposed to commence in August 2016. MBA programme fee at NUS is SGD 58000 (appx Indian Rs.27.31 lakhs). The admission application for MBA 2016 is proposed to open in the month of October, 2015. There is no application fee to apply for MBA programme at NUS. A minimum work experience of 2 years and a valid GMAT score of 680 would be required to explore admission in NUS. MBA abroad aspirants seeking admission at NUS also need to have TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS score of 6.5 if they have not done their bachelors’ degree in English medium.

      Nanyang Technological University-Nanyang Business School (NTU-NBS)
      Ranked 40th as per FT,MBA programme at NTU-NBS is of 12 months duration. The MBA at NBS in 2016 is proposed to commence in the end of July 2016. MBA programme fee at NUS is SGD 55000 (appx Indian Rs.22.89 lakhs).A minimum work experience of 2 years and a valid GMAT score between 600 to 670 would be required to explore admission in MBA programme at NTU-NBS. MBA abroad aspirants seeking admission at NBS need to have TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS score of 6.5 if they have not done their bachelors’ degree in English medium.

  39. Aniketh Nair on

    Hi Disha,

    Thanks for the valuable insights you have highlighted between the IIM’s and ISB in your article.

    I am presently working as a Manager – Design in Tata Motors Ltd from past 1 year. Prior to this, I have worked for 6 years in Hyundai India R&D in Design and Engineering field. I plan to pursue MBA since I want to shift my role from technical to managerial. I am more interested in the automobile market research & strategy development.
    Academics are as follows :
    1) B.E (Mech) from Pune university :- 63%
    2) 12th :- 84%
    3) 10th :- 80%

    I would like to know if my profile is suitable for 1 year MBA programme in either IIM’s or ISB, and what GMAT score should i target for in this pursuit? I would also like to know about the equivalent institutes outside India I can apply for.

    Thanks & Regards,
    Aniketh

  40. Hi Disha,

    Please find my below profile,

    •GPA – 8.4 / 10 ( First class with Distinction) UG Degree – Bachelor of Engineering from Anna university.
    •12th – 86 %
    •10th – 91%

    GMAT – 640 (Q47 and V30) , WE – Around 9.5 years in IT, with international experience.

    Will my profile competitive for IIM A and IIM B one year MBA. Should I retake GMAT to reach 700?

    Please let me know your suggestions.

    Thanks.

  41. Hi Disha,

    Thanks for providing insights on the One year MBA programs in India offered by different B schools!

    I have around 9 years of experience in IT consulting & technology sector, currently working with TCS, having worked with HCL – T (2 yrs), CSC (3 years) & Global Logic (1 Year). I completed my B.Tech. degree with honors ( 81.33 %) – college topper, XII – 89.2 & X – 82.8 %

    My overall profile is on technical side with very little managerial experience. Can you advice me the minimum GMAT score I should target for IIM-B, C & ISB, SPJIMR and XLRI based on my profile ? Thanks!

    • Hi Ankit this is the site admin here. A specific GMAT score is impossible to specify based on data shared by you however a 700+ is the bare ‘safe’ score recommended if you are pool of IT, Indian, Male. if your profile is stellar in terms of accomplishments, you could get by with a 680+ at some of the schools such as XLRI, SPJIMR etc.

  42. KAPIL MAHESHWARI on

    I am working in Supply Chain since 5 -years. I am B.Tech from HBTi kanpur.A brief overview of my profile is:

    5-years experience in Supply Chain(4-years in TATA Motors & 1 Year with Kohler India)
    B.Tech-70.78%
    12th – 78.8%
    10th – 83.4%

    I am planning for an MBA in Supply Chain. Any suggestions will be a great help to me.

    • If you are looking for a course in India check out IIM U’s One Year Full Time Regular MBA in Supply Chain management. If you can consider going abroad, you have some specialized programmes available such as Michigan Ross School of Business’s One Year Masters in Supply Chain Management.

      • KAPIL MAHESHWARI on

        Thanks for the reply admin…

        Are their any specialized MBA programs in IIM for Supply Chain?
        For the Great Lakes, what is your take on that?
        Also, what is the best time for an MBA as I have just completed 5 years….. Kindly suggest as I am aggressively looking for the same…..

  43. Hi
    Must say,a well compiled article.
    Please review my profile
    X-88.2 CBSE
    XII-76.8 CBSE
    BS MARINE ENGINEERING,BITS PILANI-passout 2009
    5 years experience (4 with Denmark based and 1 with Sweden based company), until 2014.
    Medals for sports at college level.Some NTSE certificates at school level. 2015 I quit my job. Started teaching at a coaching institute,participated in fashion show(won Mr.Popular title ).Recently joined ngo for teaching underprivileged children. Career goal – switch to a land job,preferably in operations.

  44. Hi,

    A nice article indeed. I came here looking for articles on 1 year MBA in google. Can you please comment on my chance in SP Jain, IIM-C ,ISB

    10TH 73.5% (State Board)
    12th 69.7% (State Board)
    B.tech 7.35/10 (Electrical Engineering)
    MS 3.583/4 (Electrical Engineering, Uni of California,Riverside)

    Work EX -5 yr 1 month (Gas Manufacturing / Telecom)

    3yr2month – Industrual gases MNC (Linde ) – Role – Deputy Manager / Plant lead in Operations.Leadership role with many exciting experiences

    1 yr 11 months – Engineering Role in RF Industry in USA. High complexity projects and handling team of 12 field engineers.

    Current- Entrepreneur. Partner with my cousin in Security system business.

    Extra-Curricular- 2yrs of NGO teaching & trainig Work in rural bengal over internet.
    Award- Merit certificate from Indian science Congress. – 11th Std.
    Appreciation – top performer in my first company . 100% increment in 3 years.
    Hobby- FX Trading

    GMAT -680 . (Attempting again hopefully to enter 700)

    Any chance to get interviews in any of the above 3 schools , especially in view of my 10 th and 12th score

    Best Regards
    Kaushik Guha

  45. Hi
    Well .. just like every one here i too am looking at a 1 yr full time MBA …
    Reason being , unlike others, i am at the tip of the hill in terms of technical profile…
    I am leading a cross functional team to deliver a program .
    just a bit about me
    10th – 70%
    12th – 64%
    BE – 64%
    MS – 3.65 / 4 GPA
    MS + 15 yrs expereince in Automotive R&D
    4 yrs work in US
    Current CTC – 20 +

    GMAT – 650

    am looking to get into Strategy or Technical management.
    why MBA – to learn about financial and marketing aspects, and understand corporate strategy principles.

    Need advice on which college to choose … and if possible , why you suggest the same..
    I am looking at IIM A or IIM B … ISB may not suit my experience …

    would you suggest an international MBA over an indian MBA ??

    Cheers

    • With 20 years of work ex. you may be a bit too old to leverage a full time MBA. Not that it hasn’t been done in India before, but know that there will be challenges if you try and move away too much from your profile. Moving into general management roles in the domain you are already familiar with will be easier.

      IIM A and IIM B would be more suitable as compared to ISB. Yes, you could look at foreign B-Schools too such as IMD and INSEAD where the class age is older than the 5 years average you will find in USA.

      Here is an interesting article you should read by the way that talks about the right age of doing an MBA: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-22/the-best-age-to-go-to-business-school

  46. Hi Admin,
    I am preparing for GMAT. n looking for one year Full Time MBA Program. Below are my stats.
    10th 85%
    12th 79 %
    BSc ( Non Medical ) 64 %
    Work Exp – 6 Years
    4.8 Years with IBM ( BPO ) – in Transactional Quality
    1.4 Years as MIS Executive

    My major concern is my work experience, Will I be eligible to get an admission at ISB , my target to crack GMAT with at-least 700. If that will be considered , then what specialization I should choose further in MBA ? As I am totally clueless for now. Also there was a gap of 1 year between these two work ex i have added.
    Please help.
    Thanks
    Sarita

  47. hi admin,
    you are doing an excellent job by clarifying the doubts of the aspirants.
    i am requesting you to look at my profile.
    10th: 80
    12th: 93
    B.Tech(CSE): 66
    M.Tech(CSE): 70
    very good in extra curricular activities: cricket, kabbadi, carroms etc and extended my service as president to two student clubs(elected unanimously), oganised many events etc

    I have enrolled in Ph.D Program in 2013 and completed pre-phd.

    Right now i am working as Asst.Manager in gramina bank and have a work experience of 2 years.

    please evaluate my profile for getting admission in ISB R1 batch

    I am awaiting for your reply.

    Thanks in advance.

    • Hi,
      thoroughly impressed with your guidance and feedback for all the above queries. Please find my profile below:-
      Class X – 84% (2002)
      Class XII – 64.2% (2004)
      Engineering (Electrical) – 7.99 cgpa (2008) – CIEM
      MBA (Marketing) – 7.45 cgpa (2010) – Icfai Kolkata
      Currently with Hindalco Industries as Asst. Manager-Marketing with total work experience of approx 5.3 yrs.
      However facing difficulty in rising up the ladder with attractive package mainly due to absence of a degree from premier institute.
      Would it be wise to take a gmat and try for pgpx course from IIM? Can my profile be shortlisted with a proper GMAT score?
      Please advise.

  48. Hello admin,

    I am CPSM certified procurement analyst and have 4+ years of experience. I have worked primarily as market research analyst for top 20 global pharma companies. I have 73% in 10th, 79% in 12th and 81% in btech ( bioinformatics). I have 3 years of gap before enginnering.
    I want to know :
    A) what would be the safe score for me to get select in isb or iimb?
    B) what are my chances for getting into consulting company post mba such as bcg or mck. ?

    Thanks

  49. Sabyasachi Das on

    Hi Admin I have read the above posts and gain overall view. But in my case I am little confused.. I have x class marks-70.8% xii-64.8% B. tech in Biotechnology – 78.8%. After I have a one year job experience in a small firm. Then two years gap.. After that I have done M.E. from Jadavpur University – 65%. Then work as analyst in PwC for two years. Later join in Allahabad bank from February 2012. I have a question.. Am I eligible for one year MBA programme? First of all I want to study one year MBA programme from IIM or ISB.. Is it possible? Please guide me admin. I have very eager on your guidance.. Thanks in advance..

    • baba eto change…..newys u can do 1 year mba there is no poblem but why u changed so many jobs lastly landing in bank???

      • SABYASACHI DAS on

        Thank you for your reply.. I was little bit confused to aim my career in early stage. But now I have total view for my future life for what I want to go. I want a good managerial profile in financial institution. I have a question If I want to go for ISB or IIM institute then which score range of GMAT score needed for qualify or at least get a call from this institutes. Please help me so that I can prepare myself properly.

  50. I have got 60% in ssc 45% in hsc n graduation 55% one year job experience as an executive in small firm. I’m bit confuse about my career plans should I go for job or do gmat. Or if I have to do job for work experience for top bschool. Is top bschool consider bpo jobs like ibm n cognizant. Please reply admin

  51. hi admin,
    Out of curiosity what kind of MBA does civil engineers having around 3-5 years opt for?Put it in other way,How realistic is it to go for MBA for a person from civil engineering background?Examples of any good profile with similar civil engineering background,..please?

  52. Hi Admin,
    Thanks for the really valuable information indeed !!
    I wanted to evaluate my profile for 1 year MBA at ISB/IIM. Requesting you to have a look at my Profile.
    Class X: 82%
    Class XII: 77%
    Bachelors (Mechanical Engineering): 69%
    Masters from NIT (Mechanical Engg): 9.35/10 CGPA

    Total Work Experience: 5 years out of which,
    – Bosch: 2 years and 4 months (in Supply Chain Mangement, Between Bachelors & Masters degree)
    – GE: 2 years and 3 months (R&D Role, Product Design & Development)
    – Rolls-Royce: 5 months (System Engineering, Ongoing)

    I am planning to appear for GMAT very soon and hope to target score around 710 or 720. The reason behind doing MBA is to move from technical role to management role. Particularly related to the consulting and product management roles. Could you please suggest me the good college choice and chances of me getting into the same (As I have most recent experience into the technical related domain).

    Also the information related to pay offered for these roles?

  53. What are the sectors in IT that I could move to or expect to get hired in after doing PGPEx. What schools should I target.

    I am a 31 year old Indian IT male.

    My short Bio:

    Close to 7 to seven years experience.

    Experience in software development & IT business development. Start up experience. What kind of roles can I expect to move to after completing the PGPEX programme.

    No experience in MNCs and no international work experience.

    I do not have experience in MNCs. Assume that getting 700+ will not be a problem. Class X – 82% , Class XII – 84% , B.Tech – 66.6.

  54. Hi Admin,

    Greetings, need your advise.

    My profile is 10th = 72% , 12th 59.6 % , B-Tech (El& Com) : 75.1% (With Hons).

    Total 9 years of exp, out of 9 years I have nearly 4.5 Years of exp of onsite (worked @ client location USA, I am currently working as Sr. Project Lead in IT firm, got tons of achievement certificates from my Comp, I have done CSM as (certified scrum master).

    So can you please evaluate my profile and suggest me what GMAT score should I target to get admission in IIM B or IIM C or other lower rank IIMs.

    Thanks

  55. I am IT professional working in Bangalore with over 12yrs of experience. Initially, I had shortlisted SIBM-Bangalore or NMIMS, Bangalore to do executive MBA but dropped the idea based research done by me which doubt on Return Of Investment if done from these colleges/institutes.

    I also came across EPGP or some PG course from IIM-B but can’t afford to spent 22L or 15L. I also came across Executive General Management Program & General Management Programme for IT Executives. Will any of these program help me going towards leadership role in other companies? Please provide some inside.

  56. I am ketan completed b.tech (Food Technology) having 5 years of experience in operations and QMS planned to do a One year MBA And determined to continue in same sector (Food Manufacturing and FMCG) here i am giving you brief about me having modest scores in academics (10th – 78%, 12th – 67%, B.tech – 74%) experience comprises 2 year in India and 3 years in gulf here just give me an idea how much suitable candidature i have for this course from anywhere (IIM’s, ISB, XLRI’s) and also give me idea how to apply or how i should go for it from scratch mean what are requirements or exams need to crack to get admission in such courses.

    Regards
    Ketan

  57. Hi Admin,
    I am Vishu. I have 8 years of IT experience.Right now I am working as an individual contributor, I mean not like Team Lead/Project Lead.
    I scored 50% in 10th, 64 % in 12th, 66 % in B.Tech(Computer Science & Engg.), 70 %in M.Tech(Computer Science).

    I am looking for executive MBA from IIM (A,B,C).
    As I got low scored in my academics, Is there any possibility to get admission.

    Your advise matters for me.
    Please reply

    • There are no cutoffs for school marks. A good GMAT score can overcome the concern and prove your academic potential to the AdCom.

  58. Hello Admin,

    I have a work experience of 10 years in IT industry and now looking for higher management studies which would help me give me insights going ahead , I looking for executive 1 year options among IIMB, IIMC or IIMA.
    My scoresheet is
    10th – 62%
    12th – 67%
    B.Tech – 67%
    Could you kindly let me know what should be my GMAT score to crack the business schools I am looking for.
    Thanks in advance

  59. Hi Admin,

    Need your suggestion on my profile :

    Work Experience of 11 years (Working in automobile industry as automobile Trainer). I am Looking for 1 year full time MBA(from IIM – A , B, C or ISB) .

    My Score :
    10th : 62 % (U.P Board )
    12th : 60 % (U.P Board )
    B.Sc : 68 % ( CCS Univ)
    M.B.A (2 year Regular Full Time Major : Marketing , Minor : Finance) : 72% ( UPTU – UP Technical University)

    Work Experience
    2 years (Car dealership as AGM)
    9 years (Automobile Product Trainer for Car dealership manpower)

    My queries are as below :
    1) With my current profile, do I hold a chance in getting to any of these 4 top institutes ?
    2) If yes, what GMAT score should I be targeting ?
    3) What should be my order of preference for the above institutes ?
    4) Would my diverse job experience be considered? If yes, would it have an edge over other regular profiles or would it make a negative point ?
    5) What options (placement , job) would I have and would be best for me after completing the course ? I am willing to change my domain as with my current profile I travel extensively (almost 25-28 days/month) across the country which is a concern for me as I am unable to spend time with my family (2 Kids – 7yr & 1yr). Also odd hour travel, irregular and hectic schedule is taking a toil on my health.

    Thanks,
    Kumar

  60. Shishir Chakraborty on

    Shishir Chakraborty

    Hi everyone,
    Truly enlightened by the flow of information on this forum thread. I am presently serving in Indian Air Force as a technician enrolled in 2006 with 15 yrs of military experience. Like many fellow apirants here, I am also very keen to pursue one year full time MBA from elite institution (ISB, IIMs)and my credential are:

    Class 10: 78
    10+2 : 79.8
    AMIE (B.E): 7.9 (CGPA)
    Branch : Elec telecomm.

    In my work experience, I have been deployed in many places under challenging work capacities where my main role was to keep my assets war-ready and was always a part of inspiring team of soldiers. My responsibilities were not just limited to technical aspects of my service but were multi faceted in the sense that I had to be battle-ready to any sort of contingency ,situations may bring up to me for which I have been graciously trained. At this point, I only know that MBA is most coveted feat which forges problem solving trait in a dynamic and multu-pronged challenging environment and this brought me here.

    I would be obliged if i am guided on how should I proceed from here and how my combatant traits would serve any good purpose in a world i am looking forward with hope. Thankyou.

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