Now that the first round results of almost all the b-schools are out, we get regular queries about which b-schools to join. There is rarely any confusion about A, B, and C but after that, it seems as if aspirants are having a lot of trouble choosing between the IIMs L, I and K and other top b-schools such as FMS, XLRI, MDI, and others. How does one go about making the right choice between the IIMs and other top schools? One of the terms thrown around a lot these days is ROI.
How you should really calculate ROI
A few years back, an aspirant I was speaking to after an ISB info session said
- Sir, these days even IIM-A does not offer a great ROI, the average salary and fee are close to each other.
A lot of aspirants tend to use ROI to evaluate colleges. They tend to use ROI in conjunction with batch size to decide which college to join where ROI is simply taken to be the Average Salary/Cost of Education.
Well, once you do an MBA you will realize that more than an ROI, the better tool to use will be a Cost-Benefit Analysis since you are not investing in a purely financial instrument or land or gold.
Whenever one does a cost-benefit analysis one has to consider not just the tangible but also the intangible costs as well as benefits.
The intangible benefits or the benefits to which you cannot put a number are the ones that most aspirants on the verge of joining an MBA program, those who are doing their MBA and those who have just graduated are unaware of. This post will deal with all of these intangibles that might help aspirants to make a decision.
The three letters I-I-M carry more weight than you can imagine
Firstly, no aspirant should forget that the second most prestigious & valuable prefix that an institution in this country can carry is IIM. When most aspirants start preparing for the CAT, they do not tell themselves that they want to crack XL or MDI or FMS, it is always the IIMs that are on most people minds.
The same holds true for the rest of the business management fraternity — the word IIM carries a lot more weight than you can imagine. People evaluating you at your workplace are more likely to pull down an IIM grad at the slightest hesitation saying “How can this person be from an IIM” than they are to say “How can this person be from MDI or XL” (I overheard this as recently as last Sunday at a cafe).
The IIM-tag predisposes people to think positively about you
When you introduce yourself as an IIM graduate, people’s perception of your ability becomes vastly exaggerated. People will tend to treat you as being good unless you yourself prove them wrong. Whereas those from other brands are viewed neutrally and they have to prove themselves. It goes without saying the same applies when people look at your resume.
And if you are from say L, I and K and become a great professional, people might tend to think that you are from A, B or C; they might even assume you are from an IIT as well!
An MBA is about a lot more than your first job
The problem with the ROI method is that it places unduly high importance on the short-term result — the first job you get out of campus. Don’t you think that is barely any return! Good investments yield returns over a longer time period and a good MBA is also supposed to do the same.
You might not get your dream job even at IIM-A
On-campus recruitments are very unlike recruitments off-campus and this difference is key to understanding the long-term value of an MBA.
During placements on campus, recruiters are constantly comparing you with a huge list of other candidates they have at their disposal. For recruiters it is like a buffet with many awesome things to choose from but with one constraint — time and competing recruiters!
So what do companies do? They start using various filters to ensure that they look at fewer people and somehow get the people they want before their competitors get them. What are the filters that get applied? They vary from company to company but to name a few
- the brand of the college you graduated from (everybody wants to get into McKinsey but they can’t possibly interview everyone, so they use the college brand as a filter)
- leadership positions held (so guys with big leadership roles on campus get filtered in over may be people with a better CGPA) etc
So intense is the competition among companies that this year one prominent consulting firm at IIM-A was even willing to forego the final interview round if the people who they shortlisted so far were still not picked up by others. Imagine, they were scared that by the time they finish their process, they will no have candidates left!
Compare this with an off-campus process. Firstly, it is not a 3-day affair, so companies are not in any hurry to shortlist and interview people as fast as possible. So you will end up getting a fairer shot and enough time to make a good case for your candidature.
Companies do not need people only at the time of campus placements. In fact, most fresh MBA graduates quit their first jobs within a year! There is a constant need for people all year round and they scour various portals and recruitment agencies to get resumes.
So you do not need to worry about the campus placements being final summit or crowning point to reach. In fact, it is just the beginning of the climb.
What the MBA gives you is a platform to reach the top over the course of your career.
It’s your peer network that will get you jobs in the long run
Campus placements last only a few days but your peer network, network of immediate seniors and alumni network will be the ones that will be getting you jobs over a longer period.
When you graduate from an IIM, you graduate with access to a network of people working in the best companies in the country. You will not come to know of openings through Naukri or other portals but from your peers since firms hire a lot through referrals.
Also, you get access to platforms such as IIM Jobs through which candidates and recruiters find each other. A student who just graduated from IIM-A told me that after graduating this March he was approached by three companies via IIM Jobs.
Can you place a monetary value to the opportunities that this network will open up for you?
If you want to start your own firm, the tag is invaluable to attract investors
Investors are always taking bets on people as much as they are on ideas. Even before you pitch your ideas, investors will be aware of all the hot ideas and opportunities that are present in the market. So, in essence, they are only evaluating the capability of the team and one of the things that goes a long way in boosting your credentials is the IIM-tag.
So keeping all of this mind how should you make your choices?
IIMs – L, I & K versus FMS, XLRI, S.P.Jain, MDI
Technically I would always place the old IIMs above all other schools purely for the reasons mentioned above.
The only exception can be FMS, for the almost non-existent fees! How does one break this deadlock? Choose FMS over the others if
- If you have already done your graduation from an IIT and/or
- If you are sure you want to explore entrepreneurship options immediately after your MBA
What is the rationale behind this?
Firstly, If you have not studied at a premier national-level college, whilst staying on campus in the hostel, an education at FMS or S.P.Jain will be incomplete in terms of the experience.
You will do an MBA only once and the experience of studying in an awesome campus (in contrast to FMS, S.P.Jain, and NMIMS) dedicated primarily to the program you are doing (in contrast to MBAs at IITs) is something that you will cherish for life. You are not going to really enjoy life again (maybe for a few years after you graduate) 🙂
If you have already experienced the same during your graduation then you can go ahead and choose FMS, else the IIMs.
Secondly, if you want to start working on your own venture straight out of college then an education loan will always be an albatross around your neck, making FMS best option.
A slightly more nuanced take can be this particular order(with the caveats mentioned about FMS) — L, FMS, XL, IIM-I, IIM-K, and the rest.
There is a case for choosing SPJIMR-Ops over IIM-I and IIM-K if you are really keen on getting the full range of core operations jobs to choose from, the IIMs might not offer you such a vast selection since they do not admit based on specialization.
Choose other colleges over new IIMs
When it comes to the choice between new IIMs and other schools, choose other top schools over them since you will get the benefit of the degree only over a very long-term, when they are no longer considered new.
Also, everything else right from campus, to college culture and placements will just be beginning to take root and hence leave you quite a bit on the backfoot in the short-term. There is also be no network of peers of seniors through whom you get access to jobs.
You are not investing in a college you are also investing in yourself
Most view the expenditure on an MBA from the what-am-I-getting-for-what-I-am-paying lens, making it the college’s responsibility to deliver. Well, unfortunately, the college owes you nothing.
The college deems you suitable for a career in management and has offered you a seat giving you access to
- the learning that they can offer and
- the best firms in the country
You are investing this money to acquire this education and this network to maximize your potential and your career opportunities.
Most of the time what you study during the course will barely be used in the first few years of your life as an MBA. It will only start making sense when you come into big decision-making roles later in life (even those subjects which you will find most useless on campus).
You are not learning subjects that will help you do your first job better. You are learning and developing the skills to lead a company later.
So it makes a lot of sense to view things not from an immediate placement perspective but from the perspective of maximising your chances of leading the best firms or starting a successful firm of your own.
A few years back this post elicited a lot of aggressive responses.
People accused me of favouritism in placing L over XL since the former is my alma mater. People have pointed out the average salary at XL being higher than the one at L, and so and so forth.
Firstly, I live by Groucho Marx’s dictum — I refuse to join any club that will have me as a member. So, there is no special attachment that I have to IIM-L or any other institution. Wherever I have studied, it has always been a few teachers, the architecture and the library, that I have had an attachment to or fondness for rather than the school or college as a whole. It goes without saying that the moment I meet any person from IIM-L, I do not get particularly excited since that particular individual should be someone with whom I will get along (one has conversations with a person not a tag).
Secondly, yes, the average salary at XL is higher than that at L, but the fees at L is lower. Higher average salary does not mean that every student at XL will get a salary more than every student at L. Also, the average is a function of the denominator. If you take the salaries of the top 180 students at both colleges, I am sure the comparison will look different. Now if you feel that you will end up in the bottom 120, then it is a different matter altogether.
Thirdly, I am not sure if the everyone in the cream (the ones who score 99.5 and above on the CAT) of the test-taking population takes the XAT. IITians would always like to add a few more Is to their resumes instead of other alphabets. I myself eased off when taking the XAT since I was sure that I had aced the CAT. Also, XAT is verbal heavy than LR-DI or QA heavy, so the CAT ends up filtering out a different set of toppers. So as a batch goes, I feel the kind of peer group you are likely to find at the top at L might be different from the kind you will find at XL.
To validate my arguments we need to slice and dice a lot of data that only the b-schools can give us and they couldn’t care less. So readers can take “my take” with a pinch of salt and ignore it, instead of launching into tirades.
I am sure XL can be argued to be a better choice solely on the basis of its sporting rivalry with IIM-C and the events surrounding this rivalry. After a point, it always boils down to the premises that you use to reach your conclusion, with a different set of premises or criteria you can arrive at a different conclusion.
Another major accusation that a commenter hurled was that people like me perpetuate the Sharma Ji ka beta and elite college ke peeche bhaagne wala syndrome. Well, relying on labeling people en masse seems to be a major national malaise that starts at the top. It is any day easier to label and discredit rather than having to tease out the rationale.
Did I ever make a statement saying if you have to do an MBA, do it only from the IIMs? Nope. In fact last year, I convinced a student to take up NMIMS and not waste yet another year running after an IIM without a job in hand. In most of my replies to queries on this blog, I always ask students to take not just the CAT but XAT, IIFT, NMAT and SNAP. So the commenter was attacking an argument that I did not make!
All I am saying is that if you have the luxury of choosing between the old IIMs and other schools, my personal vote would be for the old IIMs, and you are welcome to crumple it and throw it in the dustbin.
The reason I am making these things clear is that I do not want to go through the drudgery of defending a personal opinion in the comments section. As Oscar Wilde said, there are two kinds of people, charming and tedious, one of my other dictums in life to avoid the latter variety as much as possible.
I hope this article goes some way in helping aspirants view things from a different perspective and resolve the queries in their mind.
The CAT Writer 
Where would you place IIM Shillong in this list?
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Hi,
It would be between the new and baby IIMs and after old IIMs and the other top schools.
It has been ten years since it was started. It takes alums reaching leadership positions across various sectors for the school to start gaining significant momentum in terms of placements and that takes about 15 years.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hi sir
I a mechanical engineer with 36 months experience in oil and gas industry.
I have calls from IIM Indore and SJMSOM. How do you rate these institutes comparatively?
I will prefer job roles in operations and supply chain management.
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Hi Sumit,
If you want to stick to operations and want the best possible spread of roles within Operations, join SJSOM. If you want a larger spread, keep your options open, have a shot at a few Gen Mgt firms then join IIM Indore.
Honestly, you will not make a mistake if you join either, it depends on how you view your skills sets and aspirations — specialist or generalist.
But purely in terms of brand, IIM-I.
All the best!
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How do you rate IIM shillong and MDI.
I have both as converts and wanted to know what you believe would be a better choice.
I am a GEM fresher
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Hi,
Given that you will be graduating into a recovering economy, it is better to stick to campuses have attracted recruiters for a long time. So placement-wise MDI will definitely be the safer bet. If you have a decent risk appetite then choose IIM-Sh.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Thank you, sir. I hope you and your loved ones are safe. I would like to follow up on RBG’s question.
As you said, initial placement wise MDI wins hands down.
How would you prefer the aforementioned institutes based on career prospects (short and long term) and also career growth?
Moreover, would MDI give me the same mileage(if not better) as IIM Shillong during future prospects?
Also, where would you stand in a pre-covid world when given with the same comparison?
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Hi Roy,
Even in the pre-COVID world, I would give the same comparison since Shillong has been around only for a decade, and for a school to become fully established it takes at least 15 years during which time its alums would have reached senior positions across various sectors.
MDI has been a solid brand for years now and I have personally known and worked with MDI alums at leading firms.
It will be sometime before Shillong and the rest of the baby IIMs catch up because they have still not earned the tag and with so many of them it makes it more difficult.
In the longer-term, the credibility of the new and baby IIMs depends on the economy growing to twice or thrice its current size, which will mean that there will be a need for a lot of managerial talent and their campuses will become hunting grounds for recruiters. As long as that does not happen, the current lot of recruiters will keep going to the firms they have always gone to there is no reason for them to drop an MDI for an IIM-Shillong.
Over the longer-term, a lot depends on what you bring to the table as well.
Suppose you are someone who is extremely driven, can easily get into the placement team at Shillong, or finish among the toppers then you can join Shillong since you know that whatever the best jobs are at Shillong you will land them and you will be connected and networked during your career as well and can hence use the IIM-tag to your advantage then you can consider IIM-Sh, else MDI.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
Thank you for your nuanced post. I have been fortunate to convert A & B this time.
How would you rank both these institutes amongst themselves? (especially in terms of culture and batch camaraderie). Do people have any internal bias amongst ABC or are they equal?
Would highly value your take on this. Thanks and stay safe!
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Hi Kunal,
Congratulations on having the problem worth having!
The choice between A & B can be made on two parameters.
If you want to get into Fin then A is definitely the better bet. The competition for the best Fin jobs is usually between A & C. In terms of placements, all other things are equal.
The other criteria is competition and pressure. The environment and competitiveness at A is equivalent to B,C, & L combined and this goes back decades.
So in the past I have advised my student from the south who preferred B to join A since I felt he could take the heat.
At the same time I have asked others to join B since I felt they would thrive in a slightly more easier environment and if they feel good about themselves, they will end up doing well.
A lot of people drop out of A as well since they cannot handle the pressure.
So the reason to choose B over A will be lower stress levels overall.
Otherwise all three are equal, it’s just that the alphabetical sequence orients the head in one direction.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hello Sir,
Thank you for this post with an elaborate explanation. But I have to choose between two different programs of two different IIMs. IIM L ABM vs IIM I PGP.
I do not wish to get placed in core agribusiness sector. But according to IIM L ABM graduates, they get placed with the PGP people and not in core agribusiness roles. Two of the ABM graduates I had a talk with got placed at Barclays (IT) role and analytics role. Another one grabbed a PPO from BCG. Also, L is a greater brand than I. All these points led me to give a serious thought to IIM L ABM.
On the other hand, ABM students have to take predecided ABM subjects in second year. PGP people at Indore choose electives of their choice in second year (subjects dealing with core marketing and finance concepts). If I choose ABM, I will have to let go of these core management subjects. Is it advisable to do so?
From placement point of view in the post covid times, is going to Indore risky given that not all of their students get into MNCs?
If you enlighten me on the same, I will be able to make a wise decision.
Profile: 96.8/93.53/7.86
22 months work ex in IT at Oracle financial services software limited.
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Hi Divya,
Given that the placements are combined I would say go ahead and join L since there is a huge gap between L and Indore in terms of quality fo placements.
The only case in which I will choose Indore over L-ABM is if you want to get into Finance and plan to do a CFA. In that case, having a PGP degree will with the requisite specialisations be more important.
If it is IT, Marketing, and Analytics placements you are looking at then go ahead and join L.
Hope this
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Could you do a course on the PGP-IM course from MDI? The pros and cons of the same
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Hi Pratheek,
In the pre-Covid world, I would have asked you to take up the program, if you do not mind the extra cost since you will be better for it in terms of the experience and it is always great to have these experiences in your formative years than later years.
But given the uncertainty all around and the fact that you will be graduating into a recovering economy, I am not sure of the extra expenditure will yield the same returns as in days past.
If you have a decent risk appetite (in terms of the additional financial burden in times of uncertainty) then you can go ahead and join.
Hope this gives some direction if not a solution,
All the best!
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Sir, what is your take on IIFT when we start looking for options other than IIM?
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IIFT is a pretty good school and apart from the number and width of Fin and Consulting there will not be any difference between most of the other placements between the IIMs and IIFT.
So yeah surely a school to join.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Sir, I will be graduating this year and have good acads (9/9/8). So if I don’t convert IIM(waitlisted in IIM I), is IIFT K worth joining or should give another shot?
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Another shot if you feel you can crack the test. I hope you read the post about the retake.
There is no point regretting that you could have done better and you have time.
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Hi Sir,
Thanks for this post. I have IIM Indore and SP Ops convert right now.What will be your take on this considering my profile as below? Also, whether I will be limiting myself if I prefer SP ops over Indore in terms of domain? How do you rate SP Jain College in general?
10th : 96
12th: 94.33
B tech: 9.02
Work ex: 35 months (Bajaj auto – Project Management)
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Hi Shubham,
For Ops, anyday SPJIMR and NITIE are much better than the IIMs in terms of width of recruiters and roles. So if you have a clear Ops-only focus then join SP.
SP overall is a good college, the lack of great infra is a drawback that SP and other Mumbai colleges such as NM have.
If you want to keep your options open beyond Ops, then join IIM-I for the overall experience and the IIM tag.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi Sir. Thank you for the great article.
Currently I have the option between IIM Bangalore and FMS.
My parents’ annual income is less than 3 lacs.
Should I take a loan of 25 lakh for my MBA at IIM Bangalore or should go for FMS?
I already have 3 years or work ex in Operations and come from NIT.
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Hi Hiren,
If you have major financial responsibilities/liabilities, if you feel you have gained vastly from the fully-residential program at NIT, and do not have much to improve on any front and all you need is a good break, in terms of placement, then join FMS.
If you feel that there is a lot more scope for improvement in terms of what you can gain from a fully residential program then join IIM-B.
It is finally a decision that you have a take, a good break and career is guaranteed through both.
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
Thank you for this great article.
My current dilemma is between MICA Ahemdabad & the new IIMs : Ranchi, Trichy, Raipur, Udaipur. (Female, 9months workex in IT.)
I’ve no specific inclination to marketing or any other specialization for that matter.
Although , am very sure I don’t want to get into finance. What will be your stance on the same, what would be a better option for me to join?
Thanks & Regards,
Apoorva.
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Hi Apoorva,
If you don’t have a thing for advertising or marketing then do not join MICA since it is a specialised college with a lot of roles in advertising.
Choose among one of the new IIMs, may be Trichy edges out the others marginally.
All the best!
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I have a slightly different dilemma.
I have core operations work ex of 35 months ( Automobile ) and I’m confused between NITIE and MDI-G ( Both convered ).
Please enlighten with your personal views.
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Hi Atharva,
If you want to stick to operations and want the best possible spread of roles within Operations, join NITIE. If you want a larger spread, keep your options open, have a shot at a few Gen Mgt firms then join MDI.
Honestly, you will not make a mistake if you join either, it depends on how you view your skills sets and aspirations — specialist or generalist.
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
My profile- 10/12/btech – 83/96.5/92.9
36 months of work ex from Infosys as a developer
I have converted MDI and expect to convert SJMSOM.
I am so much interested in product management in IT/ tech sector. If not this even a bit inclined to consulting.
Sir,Could you please tell me which college I should choose between these and what would be the pro and cons.?
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Hi Nikhil,
Between MDI and SJSOM, for the overall MBA experience, I would say MDI. You will get the product management and IT consulting roles easily at MDI as well.
Also, as an MBA brand, MDI is much stronger and has delivered over a long period of time.
If you have a specific set of recruiters and roles that you are dying to work for then speak to students at both places, check out the placement stats and then take a call.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Wonderful article Sir.
I have converted Raipur and Udaipur. I have 2 years of work-ex in core operations- automobile production and 1 year work-ex as business development in a digital media start up. So total 3 years and I do not want to drop.
I have finally decided to choose Ops and SCM as my field of MBA.
Kindly help which college to choose for ops and SCM?
Stay Happy, Stay Safe
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Hi Rachit,
The baby IIMs are like babies and thus their growth from year to year will be drastic.
Honestly, between the two there is little to choose from, and nothing to differentiate.
It is too early for them to have established themselves strongly in any specialization as well.
All I can say is that you see the placement reports and look at firms that you will be interested in joining and take a call based on that.
All the best!
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Sir, I am a BCA graduate working as subject matter expert in one of the renounced MNC. Now planning to add qualification as not happy with the package, shift n work. Shall I go with EMBA with IIMK or EMBA from NMIMS. The fees of former is comparatively 3 times more then latter. Duration of IIMK is 2 yrs where as that of NMIMS is 15 months. For both I have to take education loan
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Rahul,
I am not sure whether an e-MBA is even worth it in terms of options. If you genuinely want a change then you should take up a full-time MBA.
eMBA helps those who have been in a field for a long time and want growth within their field into the business side. These programs in a way deliver revenue to the schools but am not at all sure in terms of outcomes for the candidates.
Hence, my advice will be that you take the CAT this year and join a top-30 full-time MBA program.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Sir, I am having 10.8 years of experience in F&A domain and current profile in Data analysis. not in a position to leave the job and do a full time program. hence planning to add qualification as not happy with the package, shift n work. Shall I go with EMBA with IIMK or EMBA from NMIMS. The fees of former is comparatively 3 times more then latter. Duration of IIMK is 2 yrs where as that of NMIMS is 15 months. For both I have to take education loan.
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Hi Rahul,
Honestly, since both of these programs do not offer placements and only a degree, it is very tough to measure outcomes such as a post-program jump in salary, role etc. And I personally do not know of individuals who have done these courses to verify the same.
And they seem like two different programs given the duration and the fee one cannot compare a 4L product and a 12L product.
I am afraid I cannot offer advice on which one to choose since I have very little information about non-core programs offered by top schools; my information is limited to the flagship programs.
I would suggest trying to find someone who has done either of these courses via LinkedIn or Quora and getting first-hand information.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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What are your views on IIM rohtak? Is it very different from other IIMS established around the same time like IIM Udaipur and Raipur? Will it be worth it to lose the 1 lac invested in Rohtak in lieu of the other two mentioned above?
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Hi Sayandeep,
Honestly, I have not had as many students from Rohtak and these other schools to be able to confidently differentiate between them.
I would say there is no enough of a difference to let go of the 1 lakh.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
I am a NITIE convert awaiting IIFT and SJMSOM results. I’m not yet sure of the specialization I want to pursue but I know it’s not finance. In the fortunate event that I convert both IIFT-D and SJMSOM, which college of the three would you suggest that I join?
Also, in the event that I have only NITIE, IIM Trichy & Udaipur, should I join NITIE fully aware that I may not opt for SCM & Ops, just because it’s a better college overall?
Thank you for this extremely helpful blog.
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Hi Anand,
Since you are not hell-bent on Ops my order would be IIFT-D, IIM Trichy, SJSOM, NITIE, Udaipur.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
Where would MICA stand here if the specialization has been already fixed as marketing and allied fields, the target job profiles being branding, category/product management, account management, sales/BD/pre-sales, market research/analytics etc?
Would it be a safe bet looking at a 2022 exit, and your take on it in terms of alumni network, tag(brand name) and any other important, relevant factors that I’m missing out on?
Also, I’m done with Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing course, going after all 6 certificates under Google Ads and Analytics each, 7 Coursera courses on Brand Management, Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Analytics, Digital Transformation, etc all within brands such as London Business School, Uni of Virginia – Darden, Urbana Champaign, IE Business School in progress, couple of other misc. courses on the side. Given that I’ll complete all/most of these, would these be really valuable in summers/finals given that I’ll express these favourably in the interviews?
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Hi Another GEM,
MICA is a specialized institute that primarily creates professionals to work in the advertising space; the core roles being offered to be in client servicing.
It has been around for a long time and has a consistent placement record.
But the catch is that the average salaries at MICA will be a tad lower than at regular MBA programs.
The firm pays the advertising agency, the marketing guy at the brand team, speaks to the guy from MICA at the agency, so the former pays the latter!
There have been cases of people making the shift from the agency side to the brand side(HUL) based on their work since they develop a lot of contacts.
So if you are okay with the salaries offered at MICA and are okay with primarily starting in the agency, then go ahead.
Your certifications should give you an additional fillip in placements.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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They’ve shown the overall PGDM-C full batch size(180) average as 13.9 for the 2020 finals with industry wise average being 22 for FMCG and 17 for IT/E-Commerce.
Recruitment under FMCG includes L’Oreal, Colgate-Palmolive, Amul, Britannia, etc and IT/E-Commerce has Amazon and Flipkart for category management, Google for campaign management, Intel, Oyo, etc. Electronic Arts(EA), a big-time video game publisher comes in too, I’m not sure on the profile.
I’m not sure whether I’ll prefer/like agency work and it looks like the recruitment happens across industries like the ones I mentioned above with profiles that I’d mentioned in the previous comment. There’s Deloitte, a couple of banks, Target, Mahindra Motors, ONGC as well in the report.
If you can clarify on the ballpark percentage of agencies coming in with client servicing and other roles, as in if they’re the majority and the candidates would be forced to take up those roles, that’d be great.
I’ve worked as a software engineer in a product based company, therefore, I’m exposed to and am interested in roles like pre-sales, product/project/program management, business analyst, consultant etc. Not too acquainted with the culture, growth options, work-life in agencies although I’m open to it if it checks the right boxes.
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From the stats that they have shared, the agency roles will be the roles that fall under advertising and media and together they account for 52 offers.
The Analytics, e-Commerce and IT/ITES offers are around 63 and FMCG 20.
The key thing that you need to consider is this — if you join an agency then you are taking up the job that MICA was set up for and you have a shot at leadership roles within the advertising space and the same also may apply for Marketing since the average FMCG offer is around 21.7, which means that the roles are the same as the ones offered at other schools
If these roles are not your cup of tea and you want to take up Analytics and IT/ITES roles and you are fine with the firms and the average salaries, you can go ahead. But you should know that you are ordering Chinese in a famous Punjabi restaurant 🙂
So over the longer-term, the credibility of MICA for a career in Analytics/Consulting/IT/ITES will be on the lower side, you will have to rely on your own skills and quality of work-ex to pull through. An equivalent college for your interests and work-ex that would make sense is Great Lakes since they offer exactly these — Analytics/Consulting/IT/ITES.
Please understand that this is not to dissuade you from MICA, it is just to help give you some perspective.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Couldn’t find a reply button in your latest comment, so replying here. Thanks for the analysis, Sir!
Taking up the job that MICA was set up for, therefore, a shot at leadership roles which may be tougher in other sectors is precisely what I was thinking as well.
Not a big fan of coding/testing. Even on the analytics/data science side, Excel/Tableau and other lightweight products are fine, but when it comes to R or Python, I’ll prefer not to be in those shoes.
Was in the in-house technology department(they have a product) of a boutique procurement consulting firm, so, was thinking of linking that up to a post-MICA E-Commerce Category role.
Coming to agencies, from what I gather, the client servicing, account/relationship management roles are pure sales/business development/strategy kind of roles, right? Or would they be required to be a part of the creative process too, as in creating and designing ads, graphics/video editing, etc?
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Hello sir,
Hope you are doing well.
I have converted MDI PGP-IM and there is a 95% chance that I can get into JBIMS as well.
What do you believe is the right choice between the two?
I have 31 months of work ex in automobile sector and post that a 2 year career gap which I believe I can justify well.
I aspire to work in the operations domain.
Thank you.
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Honestly, there is very little to choose between the two. As I wrote in the blog, if you are looking at purely RoI and Finance join JBIMS, else I would always suggest MDI for the overall experience (Mumbai campuses cannot be called campuses, they are buildings) and width of placements.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Sir your views on IIM rohtak?
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Is it a worthwhile decision to let go the 1 lac fees already deposited at iim rohtak for iim udaipur and raipur if i convert the latter in the subsequent waitlist movements?
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Hi Sir!
Great insight as always ..
I have 3.5 years work ex in a govt organisation and I have a convert from L and I
I wanted ur insights on the following things..
1) How is covid going to affect the whole MBA program and the placements at old IIMs?
2) Would u recommend leaving a stable govt job and go for MBA this year or wait for a year and go for an MBA next year?
3) Also if the first term happens to be online then is it worth doing an MBA this year considering that an online MBA is a deal breaker. How do u analyse this part of it ?
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Hi Siddarth,
1) Placements for the 2022 batch will not be easy but surely it will be a recovering economy into which you will be graduating, so if I were you I would not worry too much about that.
2) Another year would mean more work-ex and you might be better off doing a 1-year program then since your profile will be a bit of an outlier in a 2-year program. As far as stability goes, all I can say is that no risk no reward, so it depends on your personal risk appetite.
3) If it is online, then yeah, half the meat goes out of the window, all you can hope for is that the second year is in person. Honestly, if you had less than 2 years of work-ex I would have maybe said take another shot but at your work-ex it is a bit tricky.
If you decide to not overthink it, then over the longer-term an IIML-22 MBA will always have great prospects, do not forget that there were people who graduated in 2009 as well.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Sir SIBM pune vs New iims?
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In this uncertain climate, I would say SIBM just to be safe.
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Hi Sir,
Loved this article.
I had an admit from ISB for 2020-21 , but deferred it owing to the Covid scenario .Now I have the choice of waiting 1 year for ISB (2021-22) or joining IIM-L this year.
While I value the IIM-tag & 2 year campus experience, I also appreciate the professional placement body & global recognition & international faculty that ISB offers.
I am a B.tech (2017) with 2.9 yrs work ex in Business Development & Product Mgmt.
I left my job in March’2020; so I would I have to spend the year doing internships/up-skilling myself.
Should I wait a year for ISB or go ahead with IIM -L?
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Hi Riddhi,
ISB is primarily good for Consulting placements and the quality of the academic program.
The average work-ex is also close to 5 years there so it is more of a batch of specialists and consulting profiles. If you were asking me this question with 4 years of work I would not have batted an eyelid and said ISB.
You are right to defer the program to next year and thus when evaluating the placement scenario in terms of the economy both are on the same page.
What you need to look at is the kind of firms and roles you are looking for. If you want a larger width of roles, I would say join IIM-L, your work-ex as of now is in the sweet spot for a 2-year program.
And just to add I do not think you will be making a mistake by joining either, you should join the program that you are excited about joining.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
I am confused between IIFT Delhi and IIM Indore.
I am a fresher, a BBA Grad, inclined towards finance.
Could you please suggest which one to choose?
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Hi Chirag,
IIM-Indore without a doubt, the IIFT-D brand is not that strong.
IIFT has a few Finance roles but not more than those offered at IIM-I.
And yeah, I would suggest taking the CFA if you want to build a successful A-lister career in Finance.
All the best!
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Hi sir,
Thanks for the post. I have converted SPJIMR IM and IIM Trichy and other baby IIMs. Which is better to join considering the IIM tag and I don’t come from a premiere national institution and have 3 years of experience in work ex from Deloitte Consulting.
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Hi Dharini,
We can leave the baby IIMs out and look at only SPJIMR and IIM Trichy.
If you want really good roles within IM — Consulting, Product Mgt etc. — join IM (since tag does not matter that much within IM and tech)
If you want a more generalised MBA and want to explore other options as well then IIM Trichy
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Thanks for the article Sir.
I had one point to clarify though. When you mention to choose ‘top schools’ over the new IIMs, could you please expand on the schools you are referring to?
Also, for instance, suppose you had to choose between one of the better new IIMs (Trichy/Ranchi) and SIBM Pune, which would you pick, and why?
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In the current situation given that you will be graduating into a recovering economy, I would suggest you play it safe with SIBM since it has been an established hunting ground for recruiters over many years, and when the times are out the recruiters will stick with their oldest relationships.
If you have a bit of risk appetite and want the TAG then the new IIMs.
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Hi sir,
Can a IIM-Shillong ‘tag’ out weigh the benefits of a long established institute, MDI-Gurgaon, specifically in a post COVID world and also in the long term.
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Profile- GEM; CAT- 99.1; 3 years Work Ex in automobiles.
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Hi Harshit,
In the short-term post-COVID MDI-G is definitely safe since it has been a preferred hunting ground for recruiters over the years and in tough times recruiters maintain old relationships.
IIM-Shillong is not a tag yet Harshit. For all the new IIMs to become established tags the economy has to grow to a size where there are enough jobs on offer at these campuses. So I am not sure when that is going to happen.
So I would definitely say MDI unless you have a bit of a risk appetite.
All the best!
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sir iim k pgp-finance Or Nmims, mumbai?
profile:work ex of 39 months in IT
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Hi Ujjval,
Step aside and evaluate. IIM-K has given you a PGP Finance admit without any profile for the same this means that the program is brand new does not offer the outcomes yet.
I would say NMIMS-Mumbai without a doubt.
Always join the top flagship programs or established specialised programs, never new programs launched solely to mint some money off candidates.
All the best!
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Hi sir ,
I have no questions to ask but i just want to thank you and other IMS team who gave test series analysis . I am in final year of graduation I prepared for cat on my own just took simcat test series and that support and other videos on simcat portal helped me a lot .Even 2 days before cat i watched your cat day strategy video .
Finally i have converted IIM k and joining the same
Thank you so much !!
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Congratulations, Nikhil!
It is always great to hear comments such as these since you are the kind of student we have the least direct interaction with unlike say with our classroom students.
That we could help you crack the test through this mode makes us believe that we are doing the right things on the portal.
And the blog has been an outcome of all the time I have spent with my students and thinking about the things they will need help with.
You are one of those ideal imaginary students/readers that I write for 🙂
All the very best for your two years at IIM-K!
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Hi sir!
Firstly thank you for the great posts throughout the year, I managed to convert IIT-B and I’m quite glad about it. I also have IIM-L in waitlist but it’s huge and rather impossible frankly.
I’m interested in marketing, not really anything else.
Do you think I should take an admission this year or try again and aim for IIM ABCL?
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Hi RF,
I vaguely recollect having some amusing exchanges with you in the comments section!
I would say take a look at the Marketing placements at SJSOM and only then take a call, it is not really known for Mark.
If you have less than 2 years fo work-ex and the energy to spare to mount another challenge then go for it.
All the best!
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Hi Sir.
I am a GEM candidate.I have converted IIM L this year. I have a doubt, whether I should take up IIM L or try another year for ABC. I had prepared for 1.5 months and achieved 99.23 percentile. I think if i prepare well, I can achieve much more than this. I have a work ex of 2 years currently. My acads are 95/96.6/86.7 (10/12/grad(NIT)). Please sir, help me clear this doubt and whether there is a vast difference in terms of opportunities that i would get in IIM L against that of IIM ABC?
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Hi Ayan,
The only reason to repeat is if your profile is way too good for IIM-L — X, XII, Grad Marks 90-90-90; Graduation brand is bigger than L (IIT-B,D,K, M, KGP); and you have a CFA or a CA — all three things that mean that you can crack the best Finance job at A, B, or C, you have to understand that you are as competitive as your CV so you might land A, B or C but not get the job you want (some Fin firms have rules such as JEE AIR 500 and below only apply)
As far as placements across all sectors go, L will lack only a small layer of the icing that is there at A, B, and C, this layer of icing in Finance will be missing at B as well.
My vote will be to join as there will be no repercussions in the long run.
My batch topper was from IIT-Kanpur, he topped at IIM-L as well (9.9 if I am not wrong), joined McKinsey from campus (way, way back in the day when L students had to go to Bombay for interviews) and is in a super-senior position at Amazon (he will become Amazon India CEO if he sticks around).
And most of my batchmates, CAs, who graduated when there were no Fin jobs at L, unlike now, are now in Fin roles of their choice.
And yeah, COVID effect should wear off by March 2022, so no issues on that front.
So yeah, go ahead and join.
If you are a fresher I would have said sure go ahead take another shot you have nothing to lose but with 2 years of work-ex you profile hits the sweet spot for a two-year program and given previous academic profile if you can do well at L, you have the pick of the best jobs.
So unless you have always had a great fascination for one among A-B-C in terms of the architecture, the culture and you have always dreamt of studying there, join L.
All the best!
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Thank you sir for replying.
Sir, but I have heard from various forums that there is a bias in the corporate world against non ABC graduates, during hiring or even during promotions. Is that true?
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I haven’t heard anything about it. I have not observed anything of the sort when I look at my batchmates and a senior recently became CEO. So yeah,no bias.
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A big part if your post-MBA progress hinges on what you bring to the table, your resume and your references should speak for themselves.
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If what you say about bias is true then no one apart from an IIT-IIM grad should even have a good career!
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Hello Sir,
I have converted A and B calls this year. I am a fresher from an old IIT. You have mentioned about the importance of the brand value of the B-School in the long run. Considering that A has a more established brand than any other B-School in India, would choosing B over A affect the job prospects in the long run? I am skeptical of the academic rigor at A and hence was contemplating of choosing B. However, the higher brand value of A is making it difficult for me to take a final decision.
Would love to know your thoughts on this.
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Hi Tejas,
This is a better problem to have.
As far as A, B, and C go at an aggregate level there is little to choose between them when it comes to placements. All three were started more or less around the same time so there is no difference in the spread of the alumni pool in terms of access to firms
At a domain-level, the difference is that A and C get more Finance placements with the fight always being between the two of them and B is not really counted. So if you want a Fin job then choose A over B, B attracts more Consulting roles.
The big difference between A and the rest of the schools is the rigour. The first year at A will be more difficult than those at B, C and L combined and I include L since L is modelled after A and would be second in the list in terms of rigour (20 people were kicked out at the end of the first year in my batch at L)
Students who are toppers in their graduation colleges have quit A after the first month and this rigour has been something that is a long-standing tradition. I remember my friend visiting A (from C) to meet a friend and telling me that it is a different place altogether.
You are also most likely to find the toughest and competitive people from across India end up there. So it is the cauldron it is made out to be.
IIM-A believes that you represent the school that is A and hence you have to be pushed to deliver what they feel the IIM-A brand should stand for. So in a way, they want to transform you and they do. So if you feel that you can handle the heat go ahead and join A.
I have advised students both ways. I advised one of the best students I have had to join A and he survived it and did fairly well but not with a gong through a breakdown in the process. But he is overall the better for it, I knew he had the strength to pull through.
I have advised students to join B over A since I felt that they will not be able to stand the heat, they will end up feeling miserable and this not making the most of their experience,e they are likely to feel better at B and thus do better at B.
B sits exactly between A and C, C feels that once you the right to vote you basically can make you own choices and are responsible for yourself, if you joined a course they are not going to force you to change, they will provide everything you need to be a great MBA, but the onus on becoming that is on you.
Both approaches you see are equally valid there is no right or wrong, it just depends on you choosing which environment you are likely to thrive in.
If you feel, you tend to chill and do well only when pushed, and you have had a chill time at IIT, and now want to push and can handle the heat, then choose A.
If you feel, you do not tend to chill and always do fairly well but would not want an entire system breathing down your neck, then choose B.
You can rest assured you will no be at a disadvantage by choosing one over the other. It is like saying D is better than M or KGP is better than Kanpur, no graduate worth their salt from the old IIMs or IITs should say they got shafted because of the brand, those who say so deserve the shafting, because that means you are a person do not matter at all, you bring nothing to the table, only losers (in temperament) whine 🙂
So yeah, A is only the first among equals, B and C are as good and you will be doing yourself no harm by choosing any of the three.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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What would you choose b/w IIM-I, MDI & IIFT Calcutta?Also I am pun in waiting list for IIM-C. Should I attempt another year if I don’t convert C? I graduated from tier-2 engineering college in 2018. This was my first cat attempt.
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Hi Gaurav,
I am shocked as to how you are putting IIFT Calcutta in the same list as IIM-I and MDI!
Between IIM-I and MDI, I would personally say IIM-I (over the last few years, IIM-I has had a bit of a negative press, but since the arrival of a new director a few years, I hear things are much better).
Whether you should make another attempt or not depends on the kind of placements you are looking for. If you want to get into great Finance roles then maybe taking another shot to get into C is justified, But even if you get into C, without a CFA, you will not get a shot at any of the Finance jobs (there are more than 75 engineers there with at least a CFA L1)
So, even if you want to get into Finance it makes a lot of sense to join now and focus on adding a CFA, you can easily get jobs Fin off-campus with a CFA degree.
If you do not want a Fin job then go ahead and join anyway.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hello Sir,
I would like to know your opinion on how you rate IIM A and IIM B on their method of teaching and brand name(Considering hectic IIM A life vs More balanced life at IIM B ). I got admitted to IIM A, IIM C, FMS, and currently Waitlisted at IIM B, As of now I have decided to join IIM A. I hope your answer will be helpful to me and few of my peers who are still confused in reaching a final decision.
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Hi Jagath,
This is a better problem to have.
As far as A, B, and C go at an aggregate level there is little to choose between them when it comes to placements. All three were started more or less around the same time so there is no difference in the spread of the alumni pool in terms of access to firms
At a domain-level, the difference is that A and C get more Finance placements with the fight always being between the two of them and B is not really counted. So if you want a Fin job then choose A over B, B attracts more Consulting roles.
The big difference between A and the rest of the schools is the rigour. The first year at A will be more difficult than those at B, C and L combined and I include L since L is modelled after A and would be second in the list in terms of rigour (20 people were kicked out at the end of the first year in my batch at L)
Students who are toppers in their graduation colleges have quit A after the first month and this rigour has been something that is a long-standing tradition. I remember my friend visiting A (from C) to meet a friend and telling me that it is a different place altogether.
You are also most likely to find the toughest and competitive people from across India end up there. So it is the cauldron it is made out to be.
IIM-A believes that you represent the school that is A and hence you have to be pushed to deliver what they feel the IIM-A brand should stand for. So in a way, they want to transform you and they do. So if you feel that you can handle the heat go ahead and join A.
I have advised students both ways. I advised one of the best students I have had to join A and he survived it and did fairly well but not with a gong through a breakdown in the process. But he is overall the better for it, I knew he had the strength to pull through.
I have advised students to join B over A since I felt that they will not be able to stand the heat, they will end up feeling miserable and this not making the most of their experience,e they are likely to feel better at B and thus do better at B.
B sits exactly between A and C, C feels that once you the right to vote you basically can make you own choices and are responsible for yourself, if you joined a course they are not going to force you to change, they will provide everything you need to be a great MBA, but the onus on becoming that is on you.
Both approaches you see are equally valid there is no right or wrong, it just depends on you choosing which environment you are likely to thrive in.
If you feel, you tend to chill and do well only when pushed, and you have had a chill time at IIT, and now want to push and can handle the heat, then choose A.
If you feel, you do not tend to chill and always do fairly well but would not want an entire system breathing down your neck, then choose B.
You can rest assured you will no be at a disadvantage by choosing one over the other. It is like saying D is better than M or KGP is better than Kanpur, no graduate worth their salt from the old IIMs or IITs should say they got shafted because of the brand, those who say so deserve the shafting, because that means you are a person do not matter at all, you bring nothing to the table, only losers (in temperament) whine 🙂
So yeah, A is only the first among equals, B and C are as good and you will be doing yourself no harm by choosing any of the three.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hello Sir, Hope you and your family is safe. I have fortunately converted IIM K and IIM I.
I would like you to give your views on which one to select and based on what parameters? Thank you.
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Honestly, Nikhil nothing at all to choose between the two but Indore has had a bit of an image makeover to do over the past few years due to their batch size and stuff so I would say K.
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Thank you for your reply sir. Could you please elaborate a little, since I’m having a hard time deciding. Because there is a word that due to kozhikode’s new lsm and finance programme, their batch size will almost be the same as Indore’s.
I’m a fresher, 91/86/8.41 grad(mechanical engineer).
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There are no parameters on the basis of which to differentiate between the two since both of them were established at the same time.
Supposing the batch sizes are also the same then there is no factor to choose one over the other.
Maybe the only differentiating factor ill be COVID since Kerala seems to have it under much better control and classes are likely to start in person there sooner than others.
My vote will still be K, the campus is really good.
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Sir, do you think the placements of PGP in K will be affected by this batch size increase, or won’t have much effect since these are newly introduced courses?
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Hi Nikhil,
Join it assuming you will finish within the top 100 of the batch or atleast within the PGP batch.
Whatever the size the people who finish in the last third half of the batch do not have very great outcomes.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir,
I have 1.5 years of experience. After that I took gap for preparation.But I didnt clear the verbal cutoff in CAT. Sibm and scmhrd are waitlisted. And tiss interview is still pending. And I dont know that I really want to go to tiss or not. I have started working with other company. And decided to prepare again. But my again that thought comes into mind..should I prepare for CAT at this point of time or for tiss interview. Kindly help me with dilema sir
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As of now do nothing else but prep for the TISS interview, if you have more time prep for CAT, once you get a call you can always reject.
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Hello sir,
I have converted FMS & MDI. And I am waitlisted in IIM I which has a high probability of getting converted in further lists. My profile is 9-9-9.
Right now, I am in a dilemma.
Should I choose FMS over IIM I (if converted) or IIM I over FMS for tag?
Or should I go for CAT once again?
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Hi Ayush,
I would need a few details:
Are you a fresher?
Was this your first attempt, what percentile did you score?
Which domain do you want to work in post-MBA?
All the best!
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Yes, I am a fresher and this was my first attempt. My percentile is 99.89.
As for the domain, I have not decided which specialization to choose.
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Hi Ayush,
You have a stellar profile.
If you have a job in hand you should take another shot, read up more about specializations (watch the recording of Part-I of my webinar on the same on myIMS), build your profile for the same, so that you can make the most of your MBA.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Actually I don’t have a job in hand right now. And given my family’s financial condition and current global scenario, I was thinking of joining FMS.
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In that case, it makes sense to join FMS.
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Hello sir,
I have a 9-9-8 profile, working in automotive industry with a work ex. of 36months. I have high chances of converting IIML PGPSM (Sustainability management).
What do you think about the course? Will it be a risk to take a niche course in such troubled times?
P.s: I have also converted SP Jain (Operations)
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Hi,
I am a Mechanical engineer who has been working in M&M for about 32 months in manufacturing.
I have calls from NMIMS, NITIE and MDI. I am a bit confused. Any suggestions ?
Thanks.
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Hi Sir,
I am a GEM and have received admits from IIM I, MDI, IIFT and IITB for this year and am waitlisted in IIM L. Given the prevailing situation, with most institutes starting late/going online,and the post-MBA prospects will be not great in the immediate future, I am highly confused of going from an MBA for 2020-22. Is it advisable to join this year? Or is taking another shot at the CAT next year feasible. I currently have 2 years of workex and graduated from one of the top 3 NITs. Thanks!
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Hi Sandeep,
2021 sure will be a horrible year to graduate but 2022 should be a decent year since the economy should be on the path to recovery.
Unless you want to take absolutely no chances, ensure that you have a proper 2-year program, and are confident of cracking it again, join this year.
Taking another shot is okay work-ex wise since you have only 2 years of work-ex as of now.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Sir, sorry to reply on another’s comment. But as you said there will be problem during summers and placements. Also, with online semesters, the mba experience will not be wholesome. So, is it really recommended to join this year? Also, which colleges are a safe bet to join even during this situation? Please tell it from the perspective of someone who has a fair bit of assurance in cracking CAT another time.
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Hi Ayan,
Let us take up the issues you have outlined one by one:
1. Is it worth doing an MBA online, even if it is partial.
This is a problem that cuts across colleges and goes directly to the larger question of whether it is worth doing an MBA where a trimester or two is online. This is something that every single person who has an admit this year has to consider be it an admit to Harvard or to IIM-A. And it goes without saying that it is a personal question. Some really might need the in-person experience and peer group interaction for all 6 trimesters for the program to make an impact on them. Others might feel this is the best life-stage for them to do an MBA in terms of the age they are at and that any delay with spoil other plans. Honestly, schools should drop the fees for the trimesters that are conducted online.
2. There will be problems with placements but that will not be because of the colleges. Even students from the batches of 2020 from A-B-C have put up posts on LinkedIn saying firms have rescinded offers; the problem will be because of the sectors within which firms are operating. So to put it clearly it will not be that all students from A will be immune but those from other schools will be affected to varying percentages. Students looking for jobs in a particular sector might get badly affected say Consulting and Finance, while others such as Tech/e-Commerce/IT Consulting should be better off.
3. Summer placements are up in the air but they can happen in the third trimester and not the first one.
So finally it boils down to your appetite for uncertainty. If there was an open and shut answer then all the MBA aspirants in the world with an admit would go one way or the other — join only Top 3 India, Top 10 International etc.
If you would rather not have to deal with any of this and take another shot and are confident of cracking the test then go ahead and postpone your plans, one more year of experience, and a clearer view of the future will not hurt.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir,
It is really a nice experience reading your articles. I joined IMS 2 years back because of my poor VARC scores and my seniors told me about you. Unluckily, I couldn’t get a chance to interact with you, as you shifted to Mumbai branch that time.
This year I scored well & have mediocre calls from SJMSOM, IIM Shillong, MDI, SIBM and CAP. I am an Electrical engineer with 34 months of workex and wish to make career in operations. I analysed these colleges on multiple factors but couldn’t land on a firm decision. I request you to give me a suggestion. Thank you 😊
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Hi Sanket,
I am assuming you must be an IMS Pune student (COEP?). I don’t actively teach anymore, I work at the IMS Head Office.
Congrats on the calls. I would suggest that given that you have 34 months you take up the program at SJSOM if you really want good Ops roles or MDI if you want to keep your options open in terms of domain and firms.
Both of these will be the best given the current situation.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir,
Hope you’re safe with your family. Your posts have been quite helpful throughout my MBA preparations. I want to pursue a career in Finance. I have a choice between IIFT Kolkata and Sibm Pune. Which college would be a better option for academics and learning experience.
Thanks in advance
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Hi,
Glad you found the posts useful.
I would say SIBM Pune is the bigger brand (always main campus over satellite/secondary campus).
All the best!
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Hello sir,
Thank you for the great articles over the last year of CAT prep!
I have converted MDI & NMIMS and am a resident of Mumbai. I am still contemplating whether to specialise in Marketing or Finance as would prefer to stay in Mumbai post MBA.
Profile : GEM 10th -96; 12th -80 ; Grad-6.93
Work ex – Market Research & Machinery Sales in family business.
Extra curriculars- National level swimmer & International Engineering competition winner.
What would your recommendation be NM or MDI Gurgaon ?
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Hi Vishwam,
Congrats on the admits.
I would definitely recommend getting the full experience at MDI working in a different city for a while and then getting back, especially if you are interested in Marketing since the width of experiences one matters a lot in the long run in Marketing.
If you are certain about Finance then it should be NM
If you are uncertain then definitely MDI schools in Mumbai do not offer a complete MBA experience since the main thing a campus is not something that is actually, there are usually just a building.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
CAT 2019 was my first attempt. I scored 93.58 %ile. I am a BBA graduate with profile 86/92/74. I have a work ex of 1.5 years. I have converted SCMHRD. Should I join this college or should I go for CAT’20?
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Hi Pranjal,
SCMHRD is a college of good repute that gives good outcomes in terms of placements and salaries; even students who wanted non-HR roles got roles that they wanted.
What you need to do is evaluate the question of a retake by asking yourself the right questions — https://thecatwriter.com/2020/02/17/to-re-take-or-not-to-re-take-the-cat-3/
If are looking at the super-niche super-remunerative roles in Finance & Consulting that are offered at only the old IIMs and that too may be only in A-B-C-L and some only at A & C, then go for another attempt.
For a decent selection of roles across all domains, you can join SCMHRD.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hello Sir,
I would like to thank you for this post.
I don’t have any questions, just one suggestion.
I and a lot of other IMS students feel that the old IMS tab was better in both analytics wise and preview wise. It would be great if you could pass on this suggestion to the concerned department.
Thank You.
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Hi sir 🙂
I hope you and your family are doing good. Firstly, i attended your sessions at IMS Achievers workshop, they were amazing. 😀
Secondly the query :
I have converted IIMK and wait listed at L (bleak chances of converting). As i have done masters in economics (2020-22) and intend to go into finance specialization as of now, might change in future if i’m not able to handle it. I am sceptical about joining an MBA program this year. This is my 4th and last attempt , hence i do not wish to land into it, just for the sake of doing MBA.
Can you help me sort it out?
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Hello sir,
Hope you’re in good health in these unprecedented times.
Sir could you give your two cents on IIM-I vs IIM-K vs JBIMS vs IIFT?
I want to pursue a specialization in marketing and have work experience of 8 months in a sales role. I have checked the placement reports of the above four B-schools and it seems to me that all the major companies which offer roles for sales and marketing go to all the four colleges. I am not able to decide which college would be a good fit for someone who wants to pursue marketing in the future.
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Hi Tarang,
The difference between colleges that fall more or less into the same bracket will not be in the Marketing placements since Marketing recruitments happen in much larger numbers and so is the case with IT, the difference is in domains that pay much more it have limited manpower Finance and Consulting.
Along with me there were people from B, MDI, and IIFT recruited first the same marketing role.
So I would say choose the bigger national brand, the IIM, and the best campus, IIM-K.
All the best!
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Hi Sir
Hope you and your family are in good health. I am a GEM with following accads
10th : 89.3
12th : 91
Btech in mechanical engineering : 73.27
Work ex of 1.5 yrs with Infosys in testing domain
CAT 2019: 97.1
I converted NMIMS MBA Core, MDI PGPIM and waitlisted at VGSOM(likely to convert)
I may have a slight inclination towards operationa but dont want to take up sales and marketing. Kindly advice on the colleges considering the current situation.
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I would say VGSOM out, you have to choose between NMIMS and MDI-IM (which in the current circumstances is an expensive proposition)
I would suggest NMIMS given that you are not keen on Marketing.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
Is it advisable to join NMIMS this year after 2 years of work experience? I have already quit my job but am a little skeptical of the online MBA. I had 91 percentile in CAT this year and this was my first attempt. I did not study to the best of my abilities because high pressure at the job front
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Hi Dhruv,
If a partially online MBA is the biggest deterrent for you then you know that you are in the same boat as anyone across the world who has got an MBA to admit this year be it from NM or Harvard!
If you the feeling that you can do better and crack a bigger college is the biggest deterrent then you have to use a different process to evaluate.
Since you have only two years of work-ex you can afford to take another shot, so that is not a hindrance. Go through this post that will help you take a call — https://thecatwriter.com/2020/02/17/to-re-take-or-not-to-re-take-the-cat-3/
All the best!
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Thank you for your response sir. Just wanted to get your views on the magnitude of difference between NM and colleges like IIM I, K, MDI? Also is any new IIM comparable to NM?
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The difference between MDI and say the other premier colleges that are not old IIMs is not very large, say MDI or SPJIMR or IIFT but the old IIMs are in a higher bracket and NMIMS does not have a campus, it is a building (please note than it does not make NM in itself bad but if you ask me to compare a building and campus it is not fair to campus :-))
The new IIMs are not yet comparable to NM in terms of placements. It takes at least 15 years since inception for alums to spread across enough sectors, reach senior roles, and make an impact for the brand. Also, in parallel, to sustain so many new IIMs the economy has to multiply manifold so even if 15 years pass but the economy remains at the same size then NM will still be better than the new IIMs in terms of placements.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello Sir,
I would like to thank you for this post.
I don’t have any questions, just one suggestion.
I and a lot of other IMS students feel that the old IMS tab was better in both analytics wise and preview wise. It would be great if you could pass on this suggestion to the concerned department.
Thank You.
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Hi Pranjal,
Glad you found the post useful.
I am the one who is responsible for the Analytics and the preview. Our vendor redesigned his system at the back end to a serverless architecture since the number of people taking SimCATs wen through the roof last year and we redesigned the front end. Everything including the stats that everyone is missing was supposed to be in place before the first SimCAT.
Then COVID struck and we have had to shift all of our and our vendor resources to creating and managing the delivery of all our classes online on our LIVE Classes platform.
That part is sorted now along with some crucial parts of the new back end admin portal that helps us create tests and we are back to working on getting all the Analytics on board.
Everyone should be able to get the same days as before by the end of this month.
All the best!
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Thank you for replying Sir,
Does this mean that we will have the old interface again?
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You will be be having all the old Analytics in terms of stats not the old interface.
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Thank you for replying Sir,
Does this mean that we will have the old interface again?
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Hi Sir, needed your response to an unanswered query, probably got lost in the long list of queries above…
Your previous reply:
“From the stats that they have shared, the agency roles will be the roles that fall under advertising and media and together they account for 52 offers.
The Analytics, e-Commerce and IT/ITES offers are around 63 and FMCG 20.
The key thing that you need to consider is this — if you join an agency then you are taking up the job that MICA was set up for and you have a shot at leadership roles within the advertising space and the same also may apply for Marketing since the average FMCG offer is around 21.7, which means that the roles are the same as the ones offered at other schools
If these roles are not your cup of tea and you want to take up Analytics and IT/ITES roles and you are fine with the firms and the average salaries, you can go ahead. But you should know that you are ordering Chinese in a famous Punjabi restaurant 🙂
So over the longer-term, the credibility of MICA for a career in Analytics/Consulting/IT/ITES will be on the lower side, you will have to rely on your own skills and quality of work-ex to pull through. An equivalent college for your interests and work-ex that would make sense is Great Lakes since they offer exactly these — Analytics/Consulting/IT/ITES.
Please understand that this is not to dissuade you from MICA, it is just to help give you some perspective.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!”
Follow-up query of mine to the above reply of yours:
“Thanks for the analysis, Sir!
Taking up the job that MICA was set up for, therefore, a shot at leadership roles which may be tougher in other sectors is precisely what I was thinking as well.
Not a big fan of coding/testing. Even on the analytics/data science side, Excel/Tableau and other lightweight products are fine, but when it comes to R or Python, I’ll prefer not to be in those shoes.
Was in the in-house technology department(they have a product) of a boutique procurement consulting firm, so, was thinking of linking that up to a post-MICA E-Commerce Category role.
Coming to agencies, from what I gather, the client servicing, account/relationship management roles are pure sales/business development/strategy kind of roles, right? Or would they be required to be a part of the creative process too, as in creating and designing ads, graphics/video editing, etc?”
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Hi,
No, the creative teams are separate, the job of the MBA form MICA at the agency is to liaison with the MBAs in the brand team and work with the various teams at the agency or external teams an get things executed. So you might find yourself being a part of the ad campaign shot but having no role to play in the creative process.
Regards,
Tony
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Had a hunch along similar lines, now confirmed, thanks to you, Sir! The webinar that you hosted on marketing roles and your experience has made things clearer than before to me as well.
Can we connect over e-mail for a profile and career outcomes discussion? I was a CAT-19 MBA Catapult classroom student. Would love to hear your advice. You can ping me on the email that I’ve shared in the details if that’s okay, Sir.
Thanks
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Hi,
Glad you have more clarity.
I usually have too many things on my plate to handle in the role that I handle for IMS, the blog is an extra initiative, so would not be able to take up 1-1s with students.
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
I have achieved 98.3%ile in CAT 2019 but due to a low score of 76%ile in LRDI, could not manage to get calls from the old IIMS. I have converted SPJIMR Finance. Should i go for it or take another attempt at CAT?
Profile: 98/95/90
B.Sc Economics (H), 2 years of work ex in middle-to front-end PE
Thanks in advance
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Since you have two years of work-ex, I suggest joining, since Fin firms do not prefer grads with a lot of work-ex. Join and add a CFA and you should have enough options. Do not count on great (on par with A-B-C-L) campus placements for Fin at SPJIMR (they are certainly nowhere close to the Ops placements). But if you have an MBA and a CFA then you should be able to get decent roles off-campus.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi Sir. Thank you for the prompt reply.
I am a level 3 candidate in the CFA program. Just wanted a follow up with a couple of questions:
1. Is a drop-year (without work) viable in this scenario?
2. Is it possible to give another attempt at the CAT whilst attending SPJIMR?
Thanks again for your advice and your helpful blogs.
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Hi,
You can take a drop; it should not be an issue provided you are sure to go above 99 and crack a better school — you can take your percentile up and you will not crack under pressure.
Joining SPJIMR and retaking — the worst thing you can do in my opinion, you will waste one year at SPJIMR because you do not want to be there and your CAT attempt won’t be the best either.
All the best!
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Hi Sir,
What is the better choice MDI PGPIM or new/baby IIMs ?
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MDI-PGPIM if you can afford the extra fee.
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