B-School Special: Game Changers

If you get on tete-a-tete with B-school graduates from anywhere in the world, they would vouch for how a Business School offers a life-changing experience that positions you to reimagine and pursue your highest aspirations, at both personal and professional level! They would also be quick to testify on how selecting the right Business School is crucial for aspiring students as that will be a life-saver for quenching their thirst for successful careers and maybe the most difficult decision one would have to make.

Solely because it will determine a student’s professional and individual development for years to come and thus, to choose a Business School, one has to not just look into the latest trends in the education sector but also the institutions playing the role of Game Changers in every aspect that can help every student shine in their career.

While there are many education sectors to choose from, statistics say that ‘Management’ has been the hottest sector for students to enroll for internships, at nearly 47%. This is more relevant than ever as companies seek people with real-time experience, according to online training and internship platform Internshala.

Did you know? Recruiters across sectors are relying on internships to assess potential candidates, to hire for full-time roles afterwards. E-commerce startups such as Grofers and Flipkart are leading the market for summer internships. According to the recent statistics, management graduates from top Business Schools such as Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode saw a rise in the number of internships and average stipend as compared to last year.

On the other hand, we also saw how the 437 eligible two-year MBA students of IIM Bangalore were recruited in summer placements by more than a hundred companies making 446 offers last month. Roles offered included Business Analytics, Consulting, E-Commerce, Finance, General Management, IT/Product Management, Operations, Retail and Sales and Marketing, IIMB said in a statement.

From cutting- edge specializations, more job opportunities through small companies venturing into the bigger domain, increase in salary, advanced teaching methods, emphasis on a 360-degree view of career path, the constant innovations and changing scenario in the management sector, has led a host of students become aspirants of B-school in India. Here are some of the real stories from alumnus of prominent B-school institutions that will reflect their successful shining careers.

One can easily agree that an MBA is really akin to a finishing school in many aspects. “Confidence, Credibility, Leadership Competence, Team Work and Collaboration (often with people with diverse backgrounds), Risk-Taking Ability, Rigor and Discipline, Strategic Analysis and finally the foremost, People Management skills are all that come condensed as outcomes from a good B-school. The MBA course at TAPMI definitely helped me practice most of these and fine-tune others, which could not really have been possible otherwise. Knowledge of domains is one thing, being able to practice the above is quite the other,” says Amit Sanyal, an alumnus of T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) and the SVP & COO, Consumer Value Solutions of Mahindra Comviva. He further credited TAPMI for getting him exposed to the nuances of business across discipline. “It fine-tuned my personality in a way that is still serving me well. You realize much later in your career that it was the MBA that shaped how you are,” he says.

There are students who also feel good B-schools need to give a 360-degree view of entire business components which in some way or the other will help students as they grow in their career. Rajarshi Banerjee, another proud alumnus of TAPMI, currently heading the Business Sector of Financial Inclusion at Axis Bank Ltd says that his B-school helped him exactly in that. “MBA from TAPMI has changed my personality as a whole. It has helped in the development of soft skills, how to engage with people, how to engage with a group etc.”

IBS is another topnotch management institution in India where they focus on transforming students into thought leaders with a global perspective, providing an environment conducive for sharing of experiences, problem-solving, decision making, teamwork and entrepreneurship to imbibe necessary knowledge and skills for excelling in the global business arena. Meghvi M. who says her choice of studying at IBS was the turning point in her life, is now working as a Business Analyst with Deskera exclaims, “The touch of real-time situation and discipline makes it a perfect combination to study at IBS. Honestly, the book knowledge what was embedded in my curriculum was redefined and practicalized. The Case Study method is the key Element at IBS – The efforts in creation of cases are done with proper analysis. These cases benefited me to take tough decisions independently at workplace currently.”

When we look at South India, Sona School of Management is one of the most sought after centers of excellence in Tamil Nadu. Recognised as “AICTE – CII Award for Best Industry – Linked Technical Institute in India 2018,” it stands as a testimony to the commitment of the management to impart quality higher education. “The University has incredible faculty members who put full effort into making every aspect of student life meaningful. It’s a place where you can be yourself and there will always be a welcoming place for you to enrich your academic endeavors,” says Prakriti Koirala, currently pursuing a Postgraduate in Business from the United States of America.

And obviously one wouldn’t deny the strength of the alumni gives immense brand value to the B-school and the MBA program. It would otherwise be impossible to get in touch and get connected to the network of such stalwarts who are spread across the globe, who are all from the same B-school and have done the same MBA program. This is an important aspect to be considered while calculating the ROI from an MBA program, which as aspirant B Schoolers should look into. The power and strength of the alumni network are of great value to the students, as it helps them to connect faster and reap benefits much faster when compared to others.

Among the most reputed Business Schools in South India are Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore, Indian School of Business (ISB), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode, Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME), ICFAI Business School (IBS), T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Great Lakes Institute of Management, Acharya Institute of Management & Sciences (AIMS), VIT University, SRM University.

Now, that we have understood why it is important to select and compare business schools, let us look at the process to shortlist them:

Here is a 5-step process to shortlist the Best Business School customized to your need:

– Identify your post MBA goals
– Do a Self-assessment
– Research Online – Non-Tangible Factors
– Speak with alumni and current students
– Attend admission-related events (online and offline)

Remember when you look for the best Business School among the thousands available, the school should be able to address your academic and professional needs and goals and that in the end, it’ll only be you who can say which one is the right fit for you. Start your search today and learn more about Business Schools and degrees from our Game Changers series.

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