Here, we have tried to relate Bahubali’s 07 popular characters with the office personalities in terms of their traits

Incase if you can also relate any of these personalities with someone you know, share this article with them

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1. Group Discussion holds bigger importance than written test – For Top B-Schools, candidate’s approach & thoughts during an extempore discussion holds greater value & it helps them to explore candidate’s insights for an unprepared topic. Hence, many B-Schools give more weightage to GD during final score computation.

2. Market Awareness is vital than Aptitude knowledge – For students, awareness is the ladder to success & in a course like MBA, awareness related to economy & market dynamics is that ladder. Such awareness also helps students during “Group Discussion” & “Personal Interview” to remain competitive.

3. MAT is not less important than CAT or XAT – Many times students weigh CAT more important than other exams but the reality is exam like MAT offers wide choice of B-schools to the student even at a low score. So, treat every exam equally.

4. Don’t run after every exam – In coaching centers scenario is “to follow up”. Students follow advice of teachers / friends & generally try to write almost every entrance exam. But, it is always recommended to prepare a list of target B-Schools based on your preparation / priorities & choose exams accordingly.

5. College should be decided based on market reputation rather than newspaper ad size – Now a days, B-Schools are spending huge money to attract new students. TV commercials, big newspaper ads, aggressive online promotions have been planned to reach every student. Even many B-schools tied up with coaching centers to pitch students directly in the classroom. Rather than relying on promotions alone, try to explore reality through discussions, expert advice, secondary research etc.

A bad decision related to B-School selection can ruin the entire career so choose wisely.

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— A Famous Proverb from Indian B-Schools –

Indian B-School classes often echo with similar phrases to keep the morale of students virtually high. Such proverbs are actually drawn from Top B-Schools where students possess professional work experience. But, in India, irrespective of student credentials, this phrase easily finds its accommodation.

Also, some common discussions among MBA students are about their desire to get into “core” job fields. Every marketing student wants job in niche fields like “market research”, “market communications” etc. whereas students in Finance, dream about “Corporate Finance” or “Investment Banking”.

But when we look into job market, reality is absolutely depressing.  What we found is nearly 90% MBA graduates from a particular specialization are into similar functional area. Let us analyze the job profiles of graduates with the popular specializations.

1. Marketing – Marketing is one of the most popular specializations among students. Marketing covers areas like Sales, Advertising, and Branding etc. but when it comes to job majority of students have been employed by sales (in the name of marketing). Retail Sales (B2C), Institutional Sales / Corporate Sales (B2B) are the job profiles offered. Also, “Inside sales” is the profile offered to students with solid communication skills where task is to sell products through tele conversation.

2. Finance – The scene in finance is no more different. Banking & Financial Services are the major employers but with the profiles centered on Sales. In Banking, it’s about selling CASA (Current Account – Saving Account) while in Financial services, the responsibility is to sell Demat Accounts, Mutual Funds, Insurance Policies (in the name of investment portfolio advisory).

3. Human Resources – In Principle HR is popular among students those who are not willing for a field job. But, the reality is major of HR pass-outs have been employed as “recruiters” where the responsibility is to fill job vacancies by lining up suitable candidates for hiring managers. Many job / manpower consultants also hire HR graduates to line up candidates for their clients. Whereas HR as a field also offers crucial roles & profiles like HR Generalist, Employee Rewards & Benefits, Grievance Handling, and Statutory Compliances.

So, if you are really looking to get into the niche job profile then you should aim for Tier-I B-Schools.

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For MBA students also there are many part time opportunities available with competitive payouts & more importantly quality work experience. Below are some of the fields where students can go for short duration assignments

• Content Writing – For MBA students the best way to enhance communication skills & the power of conceptualisation is to write. With the evolution of digital media & subsequent realisation about the importance of content marketing, the role of content writers has become extremely vital. Whether it’s a news publisher, e-tailer or an edutech company, every business working in online space requires good content to keep their audience engaged. Many web portals even hire reviewers to write reviews on products & services in order to push positive word of mouth. There are also many websites like ODesk.com, Freelancer.com those which list freelance projects for content writers on niche domain like Travelling, Food, Places etc. Compensation for content writers is fair & one can earn upto Rs 2 per word for a researched & insightful but an original write-up.

Advantage of this domain – Helps in enhancing written communication, data research & conceptualisation skills

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• Market Surveys – Market Survey or Primary research is the process to gather vital on-ground information from the market related to a product or service in order to make business decisions. MBA students with interest in field jobs or direct sales can opt for market surveys. Here students need to visit the “survey sample” (it may be retailers, consumers, distributors or any other stake holder related to research), collect accurate information (through questionnaires, interviews etc) & send back to the data processors to draw conclusion out of it. Sometimes surveys are also conducted through telephone. Compensation for this domain depends upon project type & company for which survey is to be done.

Advantage of this domain – Helps in enhancing presentation & people management skills

• Event Management – This industry is among the fastest growing industry in India. From corporate to individual level, events are everywhere, so as the event management companies. Guest Management, Vendors coordination, roping in sponsors are among crucial aspects of this domain hence skills are required. Compensation in this industry depends upon event to event & the companies managing them.

Advantage of this domain – Helps in developing Time Management skills, teaches team spirit & coordination

• Tuition – Tutors now days are high in demand. Parents are ready to pay on an hourly basis for quality home tutors for subjects like Mathematics, Science, and English. As a tutor an MBA student can earn good money without affecting the regular studies by devoting few hours on a daily basis.

Advantage of this domain – Helps in developing skills related to oral communication & presence of mind.

• Backend Operations – SMEs often need helping hands in areas like accounting, data processing and MBA students are perfect fit for such assignments because of their background & proficiency in computers, hence perfect domain to get real work exposure.

Advantage of this domain – Helps in achieving greater insights on subjective knowledge by linking it with the real work.

Real essence of management education is the practical learning rather than classroom theories hence it is recommended for students to go for atleast one such short term assignment during the course.

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In US, a number of job sites have cropped up to match MBA graduates and B-school students with companies seeking short-term help on projects

Advantage of this model – The companies get trained talent to help them with marketing, financial analysis, research work, surveys for a fraction of amount what they would have to pay to consulting firms. For the MBA graduates & students, such freelance projects can sharpen their professional skills before they get into a full-time job. Such assignments also provide them good cash on the side or sometimes full time job offer from the employer.

Difference between a Freelancer and a Consultant?

Both freelance and independent consultants work for clients on a project-by-project basis without any formal direct association with the client. However, a freelance consultant is someone who works for himself with multiple clients; whereas an independent consultant can be someone who either works for himself with multiple clients or for a company those contracts out to multiple clients. Independent consultants aren’t always freelancers, but freelancers are always independent consultants.

In US, startups are the frequent users of this “Rent an MBA” service but recently big companies like American Apparel Inc. and Ogilvy & Mather have become users, too. According to Ryan Holiday, the marketing director at American Apparel, last year they offered $1,400 for about 20 hours of work and got a Harvard Business School grad to do it. “It’s the kind of expense that goes on a credit card,” says Mr. Holiday, noting that he didn’t need to seek multiple approvals from higher ups before hiring the consultant.

The response for this new arrangement is also been amazing. HourlyNerd, a global online marketplace that connects companies with independent business consultants for project-based work (backed by Shark Tank famed investor Mark Cuban) has signed on more than 2,700 M.B.A. consultants from top-tier business schools and coordinated about 150 projects since its September debut.

For MBAs as well, this model is more satisfying as it offers a level of ownership to them rather than being just an employee

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• Communication: The best quality of a true leader is his / her ability to convincingly communicate with the target audience. PM Modi is a great orator with the capability to charge & mobilize people. The USP of his communication is the “Glocal approach” where he interacts with people in a local perspective (language, issues, even dressing, references & examples) but with a global or broad outlook (to attain a common objective).

• Flexibility: Close analysis of Modi’s personality clearly underlines two vital elements i.e. flexibility & willingness to learn new things. With the emergence of digital media & penetration of mobile internet, he learnt the art of crowd engagement & interaction on social media and today he is among top leaders in the world with maximum social followers. Not only at the individual level but at the party & government level, Modi has equipped ministries, departments, bureaucrats, office bearers with technology & digital arms to reach the masses.

• Professionalism: Another important aspect of a great leader is the ability to act professionally. Look at the time when PM Modi (during his tenure as Gujarat CM) was denied visa by the US government & today he has been hailed with praise by US President itself on a number of occasions for his capabilities & work. Modi also welcomed US gesture keeping aside the past issues. One more example is his oath taking ceremony, when he has unexpectedly invited leaders of SAARC nations including Pak Prime Minister thus clearly indicating his vision as Head of a government but not any more as a leader of an opposing party (who was against any diplomatic tie with Pakistan)

• Team Management – Efficient utilisation of human resources & delegation of authority is the personality trait of a leader. He brought veteran like Ajit Dhobal who possess a successful & proven track record as former intel hero, back to work while Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu was inducted to the party just a day before appointing him as a minister. Similarly then Chief Minister of Goa was elevated to take care of one of the most sensitive, controversial but highly important portfolio of Defence. These instances clearly define his ability to recognise capabilities of people & trust on them.

• Hard Work – “With authority comes the responsibility” & PM Modi looks like a perfect ambassador of this old phrase. Recently after the tour of 5 nations when Modi holds back to back review meetings in his office at South Block, the trend #WorldWinnerModiReturns rocked the micro blogging site Twitter. Many even tweeted that this PM did not know what a jet lag was as he did not take a day off after a whirlwind tour.

In management chapters, we often read about theories & principles but Modi through his 360 degree approach seems to have brought an entire era which can be used by B-Schools as case study for students.

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All of a sudden flag bearer of Indian ecommerce story, Flipkart is into media limelight, not because of any fresh funding or exclusive launch but due to its decision that restricts its new hires to believe in its vision of  “अब हर विश होगी पूरी” (Ab Har Wish Hogi Poori – Flipkart tagline)

The fresh salvo occurs as a result of ecommerce biggie decision to defer joining of IIM Ahmedabad recruits for six months & the subsequent warning letter by IIM Placement committee to Flipkart HR & its top brass.

The episode is definitely chaotic for students waiting to kick off their corporate careers but the practice is not new. In the past also, recruiter’s majority of which are IT companies, just not have deferred joinings but even have dishonored their own offer letters issued during campus placements. Since, the present crisis is between a billion dollar startup & one of India’s top B-School; hence it is bound to catch the shutterbox. Some industry experts are considering this event as a “Bad PR” for the etailer while many think that this is the indication of the turbulence in the entire startup space. But, if we evaluate the big picture of this fiasco & analyze the outcomes at the B-School & Startup level, we can draw some interesting conclusion, as

At B- School level

1. Many times, placement cells consider all the terms laid down by the recruiters in order to place few students. This encourages exploitation of candidates in terms of salary package, work profile & even deferred joining dates.

2. Once the students are placed, B- Schools restrict them to participate in other company’s selection process, thus forcing students to obey recruiter’s terms.

3. Post placement, B-Schools never ask for student’s feedback for the recruiter like company work culture, learning environment, growth opportunities ; rather it try to rope the same recruiter for the next placement season

At Start-up level

1. Majority of funded startups, hire additional manpower to enter new geographies that causes pressure on revenue. Example – TinyOwl, Zomato, Foodpanda operations shut down in many cities few days after the roll out.

2. Investors force startups for aggressive expansion sometimes even at the beta product level that compel them to hire people without any strategic thought process. Example – Ex. Housing CEO Rahul Yadav alleged allegation on the company’s investor Sequoia Capital to force the startup to roll out multi city operations.

3. When expansion doesn’t work as per revenue targets, investors force startups to restructure company by cutting cost, layoffs and even shutting down the non-core business segments. Example – Jabong’s Founders quitting company after Investor Rocket Internet pressure & subsequently selling its third-party logistics service JaVAS (Jabong Value Added Services).

The above analysis clearly highlights the overhaul required at the B-School & Startups at the policy level. B-Schools should follow the example set up IIM – A placement committee to protect the interest of the students while startups should have a well thought plan before any hiring as any turbulence (in the name of restructure, pressure on revenue etc etc) directly hit careers, lives as well as the startup ecosystem itself.

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1. MBA means “Package of Crores” – In India it is a popular notion that every MBA pays you a big fat salary. People generally compare all MBA degrees (even correspondence & part time) with IIMs

2. MBA means “AC Cabin” – Another popular myth about MBA in India that degree holder must have got a personal AC cabin in the office.

3. MBA means “iPhone” – In India, if you are an MBA degree holder you should maintain not less than an iPhone else you might be considered working in a XYZ company or even a struggler

4. MBA means “no work only management” – This myth commonly persist among many MBA students & also with the parents. For them after MBA “you just need to manage people”

5. MBA means “mergers & acquisitions” – MBA curriculum in India is so unpractical that students have been taught “mergers & acquisitions” but not the communication skills, hence giving wrong picture of upcoming work profile.

6. MBA means “life at luxury” – For many prospects, MBA degree is a way to luxury & reaching the niche class of the society.

7. MBA means “Business tycoon” – In India, people believe in comparison. Students keep on comparing themselves with Business leaders with MBA degrees (…also the parents

8. MBA means “foreign Trips” – If you are an MBA, there is a high possibility that some of your neighbour or relative or even from family will ask you “ Are you not getting chance to Travel abroad”?

9. MBA means “nothing less than TATA & Birla” – For many MBA will be the game changer & you will a currency machine.

10. MBA means “no cricket only GOLF” – Many MBA graduates (especially Tier-1 B-School grads), GOLF is not a sport but a networking hobby & cricket is a waste of time.

Last but not the least, the common phrase, “MBA means life set”!

इस आर्टिकल को हिंदी में पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करे 

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• Incubator Cell – The first & most important factor to consider before deciding your B-School is to explore whether it has an in-house & active incubator cell. This cell is the foundation to nurture & promote student ideas which helps them to realize their entrepreneurial potential. The real objective of the courses like MBA or PGDM is to create new age entrepreneurs those who can contribute to the economy through business innovations & sustainable ideas.

• Training & Placement Cell – The second point of consideration is the active training & placement cell (T&P).All students can’t be entrepreneur, may be due to the priorities, family background or self-goal. This department or cell acts as a bridge between B-School & the corporate world in order to arrange skill oriented trainings & ultimately the placement to the students. Usually, T&P cells in Tier-II & Tier-III B-Schools have been managed by some senior faculty member/s which does not serve the purpose. This cell is extremely strategic & must be managed by someone with corporate background only.

• Number of Full Time Faculties – Quality Trainers or Faculty members are the pillars of a quality training or education, hence it is necessary to know the no. of full time faculties employed by the B-School especially those with research background or PhD titles. Such faculties just not help in imparting quality education but also their industry linkage helps the B-School & ultimately the students in the long run.

• Average No. of Events – Management is not an education but it is about attaining the skills so events plays crucial role for the students. Guest Lectures, Business Quizzes, Seminars, Interaction with Corporate Managers offers the inspirational & enriching experience to the students along with a launchpad to apply their classroom lessons into real scenario. Managing the events equip students with the skills like Team Play, Time Management, Deadlines, Inter Team Communication, Financial Management, Operations, Leadership etc.

• Internship Opportunities – In-campus internship opportunities always has an edge over internship arranged by students themselves. For in-campus recruits, employers just not pay stipend but also involve interns in their real business processes hence a great source of practical learning.

• Previous Years Recruiters – History of previous year recruiters can give you an idea about brand value of the B-School in the job market. Premier companies like KPMG, E&Y, ITC, Google, Microsoft only visit B-Schools with highly innovative & state of the art teaching pedagogy.

• Alumni Network – The Alumni network of any B-School acts as a reference for new graduates in the corporate world. Therefore, alumni in good companies can add value to the CVs of the freshers.

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The investors in these startups are the “followers” those who invest their loyalty (without asking for any reward card, effective than a regular customer or a full time employee) ,faith (without asking for any insurance) & also buy these “opinion products”, thus pumping “stake free” & “interest free” money into these startups

Followers also act as “brand ambassadors” those who influence others buying decision without charging any endorsement fee. These followers also contribute to the distribution network in order to maintain & supply the opinion products without asking for competitive margins. Same force of the followers are also the PR agents those who manage crisis for these opinion products (example- Pantanjali Noodles FSSAI certification issue). Last but the most significant role, these followers are also the consumers those who are ready to consume the “opinion products” with “no question asked” philosophy.

With the above insights, the old notion of management theory that “Customer is the king” seems no longer relevant atleast to this emerging & powerful market category.

The objective of this write-up is to bring a new term into the light i.e. “Opinion product” so as to clearly demarcate the lines between spirituality & business.

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