The headline today morning in the paper - Online Admissions Servers Crash, MNS run riot.
I am a proponent of increasing IT in general, and when i read about the Online Form filling for junior college admissions, I was very happy and very very afraid. I was happy since it was extremely necessary for such a system, as the old system of slogging it out in the rains to each college was a waste of time and energy, and stress for parents more than kids.
I was afraid of the whole new system because of all the bitter experiences i have had with government agencies handling IT matters. Every time i have had to log on and view my engg admission details or even as menial as to see a new notification on these government run websites, it invariably takes half of my day. Earlier i used to blame it on my dial-up connection, but even with broadband they still remain the same.
So when this headline flashed in the papers today, I was left feeling both the pain of the students, the pain of the few good government men who thought of making this system work. How much do the IT technicians or administrators who wrote the source codes for these admissions network get paid. Do they even know the seriousness of the work they do. Do the officials overseeing them know the mental trauma just one website crash can cause to the thousands of students out there. Believe me you there are many frail parents out there than there are students. Or are the officials still working with the chalta hai (let things be) attitude, which is the bane of Indians in general. We live with a very short memory span and sooner rather than later things will be pushed under the rug. We have to get rid of this attitude.
Hence again when i saw the attack that was done on the Maharastra Knowledge Corporation Limited office, i was sad that again MNS workers have resorted to violence to resolve any matter. But then I thought about the chalta hai attitude, that must prevail within the governing bodies of MKCL. I don't support this violence, but a question arises in my mind that, Is this violence a stick on the knuckles of the MKCL to take things seriously and act more responsibly?
I am glad to see that there is a support structure for students in distress for such things where politics can flex its muscles. Reminds me of the lost ABVP. looks like MNVS is looking to take that mantle away from the shiv sena supported ABVP like the parent MNS is trying for every other thing. Let me stay away from this topic for now.
But surely there was a way that the crash of the admissions site could have been taken care off. I spoke to a few friends of mine working in some of the top IT firms in India. They said that before any such site, even for internal purposes are set live in their firms, there are rigorous tests and overloading done on the servers to ensure that once the site went live, there would be no hiccup. Who holds the MKCL accountable for this small but important failure??? Can anyone answer that.
All i am asking is, 'Will some heads roll at the MKCL to ensure that no such thing happens in the future?'. 'Will the MNVS be held responsible for riot and vandalising?' 'If so will they be duly punished or will the officials sit quiet not to stir the party bosses?'
I am happy that the papers are bring to notice the inadequacies of our education e-governance systems. I am happy there are groups out-there to help students realise their goals, with or without force. I am happy people are raising questions. I am happy that even though with their inadequacies there is still will in the government to bring in e-commerce and e-governance and bring education to the masses. (read about the MKCL here - http://www.mkcl.org/corporate_mmt.htm). I just wish that they had more tangible and plausible and measurable goals stated on their website. If i were to set such goals at my organisation, our division head would roll his eyes and say that you are wasting your and my time, and dismiss the paper from his presence.
Also read about MNVS here - http://mnvsena.org/index.html. They have listed some good work they have done on their website. Loved the part about the work they intend to do for Valentines Day celebrations in Mumbai.
I shall dedicate another blog on another article about how some 'International Schools' who charge people 2 years CTC for admissions and then have tie-ups with 'Private Coaching Classes' to extort even more money. Untill then.
Cheers and Listen to MJ... Let his music live on :)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
One of my icons left us all today...
I am writing a blog after a few days interval and it is a very sad thing that i write about...
While driving down to work today i heard on the radio, that one of my icons and so to million others has passed away.
Micheal Jackson - Music for the kids of my generation was defined by this one man, every school dance, every party song was an MJ number. Everyone wanted to moonwalk and everyone wanted to squeal in high pitch every now and then while singing. His power was such that even when you talk to a village urchin if he knows english music, the first thing that came to his mind was Micheal Jackson. Today he leaves behind all his fans with memories of his famous rise and fall... A rise so spectacular that gives hope to even the most down-trodden, and a fall to mighty that leaves the most ardent critic in a sombre mood.
Reading through the headlines and eulogies pouring throughout the world, I am compiling some and posting it below. I am left sad by both his demise and the way he left. I only wished he could have sang to some packed houses in London before he bid his final farewell.
Micheal Jackson - We love you ... Owww
Pop icon Quincy Jones, the producer of Jackson record-breaking album ‘Thriller’, said. "For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don`t have the words. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I`ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy said, "true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and sheer star power carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim".
Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour - way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," said black leader Al Sharpton. "Michael did with music what they did in sport politics and music. No controversy will erase his impact."
While driving down to work today i heard on the radio, that one of my icons and so to million others has passed away.
Micheal Jackson - Music for the kids of my generation was defined by this one man, every school dance, every party song was an MJ number. Everyone wanted to moonwalk and everyone wanted to squeal in high pitch every now and then while singing. His power was such that even when you talk to a village urchin if he knows english music, the first thing that came to his mind was Micheal Jackson. Today he leaves behind all his fans with memories of his famous rise and fall... A rise so spectacular that gives hope to even the most down-trodden, and a fall to mighty that leaves the most ardent critic in a sombre mood.
Reading through the headlines and eulogies pouring throughout the world, I am compiling some and posting it below. I am left sad by both his demise and the way he left. I only wished he could have sang to some packed houses in London before he bid his final farewell.
Micheal Jackson - We love you ... Owww
Pop icon Quincy Jones, the producer of Jackson record-breaking album ‘Thriller’, said. "For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don`t have the words. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I`ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy said, "true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and sheer star power carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim".
Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour - way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," said black leader Al Sharpton. "Michael did with music what they did in sport politics and music. No controversy will erase his impact."
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Jargon... Is that what it is???
When does an MBA student get converted to an MBA??? does anyone have the answer to this question??? I may be able to answer this about this time next year, but for now i seems to have stumbled upon a very disturbing but true fact of becoming an MBA...
In one of my recent interviews, i was barraged with a range of questions, which flummoxed me to no end. I had been stumped for the first time in a very long time. I call that interview a crash course in humility. But now that i think back, the questions did not stump me at all. It was the jargon that kept me guessing. And no, it wasn't that they used too big words or too technical. It was just that i am so used to over-simplifying things at work to explain to others around me and even to myself, that i lost track of many of the most common jargon used in and around.
Just to name a few words that left me gasping... Geoengineering - very common i must say, considering i have even watched all the parts of X-men released in India, i should have known this, but since i come from the O&G sector, I misunderstood this with geotechnical engineering. Now if you go to wikipedia, they also state that you can very easily confuse these two terms. Other time i got confused was when i was talking about my aims on progress and usage of energy to reduce wastage, i was asked whether i knew how e-wastage was affecting us. Okay this i must say is another simple topic, but again since it went a bit out of my focus content, i was stumped and was groping, and then when the discussion of how India and China are dumping grounds for e-waste, i was again shocked that i knew that. My mind went couldn't you have spoken about the reference with context. That's high school english right. But i guess with me now embarking upon my MBA, by default i have to be prepared to answer any and everything. I am supposed to be superman now.
One more example amongst the many that were there, was a question on whether i knew what "gallium nitrate" is??? again this pertained to energy consumption and conservation. If i were an Electrical Engineer, i would have shot back with an answer that, its one of the older components used to make LEDs. Then again, it does not matter i am a mechanical engineer anymore, remember, I am SUPERMAN. i wish i knew the answer, because no one in the panel knew about it, that its one of the older materials. They thought it was a breakthrough that has been done in Cambridge this winter. They mistook the new technology of using this material in a new wafer to empower LED bulbs to a new material itself. Wish i knew these words.
I must say that the interview was a tough one on me, and i will not base this only because i was taken back by the sharp jargon used by the panel, but overall, even after mentioning that i had a previous experience in Oil & Gas sector and with manufacturing and project management in particular as my focus, they insisted on talking about the environmental norms and latest technology in energy conservation.
This made me realise one thing. I was no longer 'only' an engineer. I was now becoming an MBA. World where you are expected to know any and everything remotely related to the topics or infact words you utter from your mouth. I must say its not rocket science and its not too much to ask for the with the kind of positions you will be applying for in the future and the kind of responsibilities you will handle. Let me quote one more example i heard from Deepak about an MBA hired at his workplace as Business Development Manager. He isn't the most experienced guy and he does not possess many years of experience in different companies to garner contacts to develop business the way the organisation wanted. But since he got one degree from a very well established Indian Univ with an MBA stamp, he is expected to know the top honchos of his industry and get more and more business by the day. But unfortunately, it seems till date its the contacts of the old horses of the organisation who have been getting the phones ringing and business in as compared to our dear MBA. I do not believe its his fault at all. I understand he got the skills from his school. But unless he is under tutelage of some senior BDM at his organisation he will not be able to get grips and progress for his own sake and his business sake.
So a stark reality hits me hard on my face. I have to de-simplify the things i do in my daily life. forget about the definitions and focus on the jargon to keep my language short and management-like. Somehow manage to confuse the people around me and make myself look like a walking talking dictionary. Somehow i doubt i can do that.
Somehow i doubt i will succeed in that. I still think Simplicity is the best way to get a point through. Simple like Ross Lovegrove's Designs, who is my latest google topic. go look at the DNA staricase and the car on a stick concept.
In one of my recent interviews, i was barraged with a range of questions, which flummoxed me to no end. I had been stumped for the first time in a very long time. I call that interview a crash course in humility. But now that i think back, the questions did not stump me at all. It was the jargon that kept me guessing. And no, it wasn't that they used too big words or too technical. It was just that i am so used to over-simplifying things at work to explain to others around me and even to myself, that i lost track of many of the most common jargon used in and around.
Just to name a few words that left me gasping... Geoengineering - very common i must say, considering i have even watched all the parts of X-men released in India, i should have known this, but since i come from the O&G sector, I misunderstood this with geotechnical engineering. Now if you go to wikipedia, they also state that you can very easily confuse these two terms. Other time i got confused was when i was talking about my aims on progress and usage of energy to reduce wastage, i was asked whether i knew how e-wastage was affecting us. Okay this i must say is another simple topic, but again since it went a bit out of my focus content, i was stumped and was groping, and then when the discussion of how India and China are dumping grounds for e-waste, i was again shocked that i knew that. My mind went couldn't you have spoken about the reference with context. That's high school english right. But i guess with me now embarking upon my MBA, by default i have to be prepared to answer any and everything. I am supposed to be superman now.
One more example amongst the many that were there, was a question on whether i knew what "gallium nitrate" is??? again this pertained to energy consumption and conservation. If i were an Electrical Engineer, i would have shot back with an answer that, its one of the older components used to make LEDs. Then again, it does not matter i am a mechanical engineer anymore, remember, I am SUPERMAN. i wish i knew the answer, because no one in the panel knew about it, that its one of the older materials. They thought it was a breakthrough that has been done in Cambridge this winter. They mistook the new technology of using this material in a new wafer to empower LED bulbs to a new material itself. Wish i knew these words.
I must say that the interview was a tough one on me, and i will not base this only because i was taken back by the sharp jargon used by the panel, but overall, even after mentioning that i had a previous experience in Oil & Gas sector and with manufacturing and project management in particular as my focus, they insisted on talking about the environmental norms and latest technology in energy conservation.
This made me realise one thing. I was no longer 'only' an engineer. I was now becoming an MBA. World where you are expected to know any and everything remotely related to the topics or infact words you utter from your mouth. I must say its not rocket science and its not too much to ask for the with the kind of positions you will be applying for in the future and the kind of responsibilities you will handle. Let me quote one more example i heard from Deepak about an MBA hired at his workplace as Business Development Manager. He isn't the most experienced guy and he does not possess many years of experience in different companies to garner contacts to develop business the way the organisation wanted. But since he got one degree from a very well established Indian Univ with an MBA stamp, he is expected to know the top honchos of his industry and get more and more business by the day. But unfortunately, it seems till date its the contacts of the old horses of the organisation who have been getting the phones ringing and business in as compared to our dear MBA. I do not believe its his fault at all. I understand he got the skills from his school. But unless he is under tutelage of some senior BDM at his organisation he will not be able to get grips and progress for his own sake and his business sake.
So a stark reality hits me hard on my face. I have to de-simplify the things i do in my daily life. forget about the definitions and focus on the jargon to keep my language short and management-like. Somehow manage to confuse the people around me and make myself look like a walking talking dictionary. Somehow i doubt i can do that.
Somehow i doubt i will succeed in that. I still think Simplicity is the best way to get a point through. Simple like Ross Lovegrove's Designs, who is my latest google topic. go look at the DNA staricase and the car on a stick concept.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Prelude to the quest
Before anything i write today... One note of sarcastic condolence to the Australian Cricket team, which shamefully made an exit from the T20 world cup... now that that's done...
Yesterday after i spoke to Deepak, one of my bestest friends on my quest for MBA blog entries, he suggested that i should also give a prelude to how the whole quest started. I agree, this is the main part in how to determine which schools i concluded in applying to and what my research was.
When i started thinking about my MBA, i had to categorise my search in the following manner:
1. My Aims v/s Schools strengths.
2. Job prospects.
3. Cost of MBA.
4. Return on Investment.
5. Legacy for future. (personal whim)
The first and the most important point was to understand what was it exactly that i was looking for in my MBA program. What are the areas that i needed to focus on? What were my weaknesses i needed to improve on? What were my strengths i need to build upon? So i categorised the schools i needed...the list i came down with finally looked something like this...
1. London Business School
2. Judge Business School
3. INSEAD
4. HEC- Paris
5. Cranfield SOM
6. IESE
7. IE business school
8. RSM Erasmus
9. Imperial College
10. Said Business School.
Now the choice was made on my requirement of not wanting a 2 year MBA, with focus on international business, entrepreneurship, strategic management and marketing. Note that there are some colleges in the list which are exceptional in the terms i set, but were more focus on finance than others, Like INSEAD and HEC, i still gave it a try and got a reject.
LBS was a very strong entrepreneurship course, but i felt i was falling short on the international exposure part, hence i eliminated from my list. IE, IESE and RSM were sort of my second attempt schools, if i had to re asses my application, if i failed in my first 5 attempts. Thankfully, i didn't have to.
Now the thing to be noticed is, that with my kind of background - Project Management, Oil & Gas - i would have been better suited for the North American Programs, but i did not want to go for a 2 year course and bet myself to get thru the recession even in a short span from the top schools in Europe.
Next i needed to know how much am i going to invest in this program. Amongst the colleges i selected, JBS, SBS INSEAD, Cranfield, Imperial and HEC looked in a reasonable range for me to burn holes in my pocket. And fortunately with JBS they had a tie-up with a local bank. Mind you this was a later thought, and the loan was not a criteria, as i was ready to take up my imperial admit without any such loan tie-ups. Indian banks will provide loans and the rest you gotta manage. But you have to pre-decide what your limits are.
Scholarships - This was another important criteria that i missed out scouting for. I understood the importance of scholarships once i got the admits. My sincere advise to all applying to these top tier schools is research more on the scholarships than anything else, because many do not ask for a confirm admit while applying for a scholarship and the deadlines are very early, normally December end.
Now the Job prospects and return on investment are the next most important criteria... My suggestion is do not rely on the MBA brochures 100%... they are sugar coated and are marketing brochures than information brochures... Suggest you research the web, go thru all MBA forums available online, look at facebook and orkut communities for discussion threads on alumni communities... Find people who are willing to talk to you on the tele and call them up with your list of queries... list your queries and then call... don't waste their time... its very important... alumni names you cantacted may be asked during interviews... its always better to have some names to back up... shows you are serious in the school... and if they contact the alumni... ensure your impressions on them is good...
OKAY... i digress... point i want to make is.. do your research on ROI and value for money... you don't want to end up impressing ad comms on your finance capability whereas you are very nascent and your go for the school extremely strong in finance and then when recruiters look at your last profile they decide you are inexperienced in finance and then you have to settle for something you didn't want... get to know the strengths of the school to then understand what your ROI will be considering what kind of jobs are normally offered in your preferred schools...
Last but not the least - Legacy of the school - the name matters in an MBA. It is a very clear thing that in the future when you talk to a person from high brass management, when you tell you are an MBA, you will be asked from where? and that's what matters... trust me...
I hope this info has helped you guys in some way... following were the reference material i used...
1. http://www.ft.com/ - rankings
2. http://www.pagalguy.com/ - MBA forums
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/international-indian-mba-schools-accepting/34602-oxford-said-cambridge-judge-mba-54.html (you can follow this thread where i update regularly... lots of info on JBS and SBS admissions on this thread)
3. http://www.accepted.com/
4. http://www.usnews.com/ - rankings
5. http://www.google.com/ - heheheh this helps everywhere...
Rest Later...
Keep dreaming... with your eyes wide open...
Yesterday after i spoke to Deepak, one of my bestest friends on my quest for MBA blog entries, he suggested that i should also give a prelude to how the whole quest started. I agree, this is the main part in how to determine which schools i concluded in applying to and what my research was.
When i started thinking about my MBA, i had to categorise my search in the following manner:
1. My Aims v/s Schools strengths.
2. Job prospects.
3. Cost of MBA.
4. Return on Investment.
5. Legacy for future. (personal whim)
The first and the most important point was to understand what was it exactly that i was looking for in my MBA program. What are the areas that i needed to focus on? What were my weaknesses i needed to improve on? What were my strengths i need to build upon? So i categorised the schools i needed...the list i came down with finally looked something like this...
1. London Business School
2. Judge Business School
3. INSEAD
4. HEC- Paris
5. Cranfield SOM
6. IESE
7. IE business school
8. RSM Erasmus
9. Imperial College
10. Said Business School.
Now the choice was made on my requirement of not wanting a 2 year MBA, with focus on international business, entrepreneurship, strategic management and marketing. Note that there are some colleges in the list which are exceptional in the terms i set, but were more focus on finance than others, Like INSEAD and HEC, i still gave it a try and got a reject.
LBS was a very strong entrepreneurship course, but i felt i was falling short on the international exposure part, hence i eliminated from my list. IE, IESE and RSM were sort of my second attempt schools, if i had to re asses my application, if i failed in my first 5 attempts. Thankfully, i didn't have to.
Now the thing to be noticed is, that with my kind of background - Project Management, Oil & Gas - i would have been better suited for the North American Programs, but i did not want to go for a 2 year course and bet myself to get thru the recession even in a short span from the top schools in Europe.
Next i needed to know how much am i going to invest in this program. Amongst the colleges i selected, JBS, SBS INSEAD, Cranfield, Imperial and HEC looked in a reasonable range for me to burn holes in my pocket. And fortunately with JBS they had a tie-up with a local bank. Mind you this was a later thought, and the loan was not a criteria, as i was ready to take up my imperial admit without any such loan tie-ups. Indian banks will provide loans and the rest you gotta manage. But you have to pre-decide what your limits are.
Scholarships - This was another important criteria that i missed out scouting for. I understood the importance of scholarships once i got the admits. My sincere advise to all applying to these top tier schools is research more on the scholarships than anything else, because many do not ask for a confirm admit while applying for a scholarship and the deadlines are very early, normally December end.
Now the Job prospects and return on investment are the next most important criteria... My suggestion is do not rely on the MBA brochures 100%... they are sugar coated and are marketing brochures than information brochures... Suggest you research the web, go thru all MBA forums available online, look at facebook and orkut communities for discussion threads on alumni communities... Find people who are willing to talk to you on the tele and call them up with your list of queries... list your queries and then call... don't waste their time... its very important... alumni names you cantacted may be asked during interviews... its always better to have some names to back up... shows you are serious in the school... and if they contact the alumni... ensure your impressions on them is good...
OKAY... i digress... point i want to make is.. do your research on ROI and value for money... you don't want to end up impressing ad comms on your finance capability whereas you are very nascent and your go for the school extremely strong in finance and then when recruiters look at your last profile they decide you are inexperienced in finance and then you have to settle for something you didn't want... get to know the strengths of the school to then understand what your ROI will be considering what kind of jobs are normally offered in your preferred schools...
Last but not the least - Legacy of the school - the name matters in an MBA. It is a very clear thing that in the future when you talk to a person from high brass management, when you tell you are an MBA, you will be asked from where? and that's what matters... trust me...
I hope this info has helped you guys in some way... following were the reference material i used...
1. http://www.ft.com/ - rankings
2. http://www.pagalguy.com/ - MBA forums
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/international-indian-mba-schools-accepting/34602-oxford-said-cambridge-judge-mba-54.html (you can follow this thread where i update regularly... lots of info on JBS and SBS admissions on this thread)
3. http://www.accepted.com/
4. http://www.usnews.com/ - rankings
5. http://www.google.com/ - heheheh this helps everywhere...
Rest Later...
Keep dreaming... with your eyes wide open...
Back from bliss... into the inferno...
Step 5: The Interviews...
Well i was well and truly in a situation where i knew, that i am going to nail the interviews, as i thought that the percentages as explained earlier were in my favour... and i started to prepare for my Cranfield interview on January 16. I got some info from an alumni, who told me some questions to focus upon... and after i gave my interview i think he must have conveyed my conversation with him to the Dean of Admissions who tool my interview... cos the questions he asked were exactly the ones that the alumni told me to prepare for... Well me being me... was not 100% prepared for the questions and well i thought that the questions I answered were good enough... I was also told during the interview that i would be too young in the class to really contribute during the discussions... well i think he wanted to tell me you need to learn a lot more to come in sonny...anyways... it took them 2 days to reject me... my third reject after one wait list... This also made me realise that i am not comfortable giving telephonic interviews... something about it made me uncomfortable, i normally prefer looking into the eyes of the interviewer to get my confidence up... this did not help me with Cranfield's telephonic interview...
My morale was on an all-time low, i had by now decided that the prudent thing now would be to focus at my workplace more than ever and progress there as my MBA avenues seem to be closing fast... I was sure as ever that the wait list this late would not be converted...
Then came something out of the blue... a surprise i had not imagined... back in November i had a pre-application interview scheduled with Imperial College -Tanaka... post 26/11, the interview was postponed indefinitely... which they decided to fix on 31 January... I was ecstatic... my hopes enlivened... Dr. Ebrahim Mohammed - Director, Executive MBA from Imperial took my interview... I must say this was one of the finest interviews that i gave... somehow i connected with him and we bounced ideas off each other... He encouraged me to apply and said if i did it fast and inform him about it... well there wouldn't be another interview and that i should be considering moving to UK fast... So i was back to step 4: Applications... got down to business and finished the application in record time of 5 days... yeah that's fast for me... the essays were different from the others and hence copy paste did not come to rescue always...
After following up with the college for my application and then being informed that i would have to give an interview with the career development officer... i was finally given an offer for admission... i was happy was an understatement.... we jumped with joy and partied till we realised that they did not have a loan agreement with any bank... bummer...
Well we didn't let that deter us, we started working on our scholarship essays now...
And in between all this mayhem... we had another reason for party... I was called for an Interview to Cambridge... YAHOOOOOOO.....
but i couldn't go to Cambridge. I informed them of this and they informed me back that since the director of MBA admissions is travelling to India in March, i could have and interview with him... another YAHOOOOOOOOO.....
Well the interview happened after i got the Imperial admit and i was given a deadline of April 1 by Imperial to respond to their offer... i asked for an extension on that as i knew the result of Cambridge would take a little longer to come as Dr. Chander Velu, who took my interview went for a trip to Malaysia following the interviews in Mumbai... The interview btw was another one of my finest interviews (disclaimer: when i say finest... means i think so... the result may be positive since the interviewers thot this guy needs serious training also :P )... we had a very good conversation than an interview and i believe i could talk to him more about my work experience than anyone else... he listened a lot and asked very interesting questions and gave me a case study also... "suppose if i was the head of IOCL how would i go about implementing the Hydrogen fuel concept in India?" ... i think i said somethings that i was amazed i could say...
but then i got the admit... and another party... this time a bigger one... you know why?????? because HSBC has a loan agreement with Judge Business School... this made things so much more breathable for me.... i even got a scholarship - The Directors Bursary.... man were we over the moon...
This wasn't the end of the interview cycle...this was followed by 2 other interviews for 2 other scholarships... one which i succeeded in and the other i wait for the result... looks like for now the inferno of the application to Cambridge is coming to a simmering climax... but now the euphoria of starting a new career at the river-backed Cambridge university builds by the day... i am sure the next inferno will test me and let me out like a fine shining sword.. ready to take on the best in the world...
Well i was well and truly in a situation where i knew, that i am going to nail the interviews, as i thought that the percentages as explained earlier were in my favour... and i started to prepare for my Cranfield interview on January 16. I got some info from an alumni, who told me some questions to focus upon... and after i gave my interview i think he must have conveyed my conversation with him to the Dean of Admissions who tool my interview... cos the questions he asked were exactly the ones that the alumni told me to prepare for... Well me being me... was not 100% prepared for the questions and well i thought that the questions I answered were good enough... I was also told during the interview that i would be too young in the class to really contribute during the discussions... well i think he wanted to tell me you need to learn a lot more to come in sonny...anyways... it took them 2 days to reject me... my third reject after one wait list... This also made me realise that i am not comfortable giving telephonic interviews... something about it made me uncomfortable, i normally prefer looking into the eyes of the interviewer to get my confidence up... this did not help me with Cranfield's telephonic interview...
My morale was on an all-time low, i had by now decided that the prudent thing now would be to focus at my workplace more than ever and progress there as my MBA avenues seem to be closing fast... I was sure as ever that the wait list this late would not be converted...
Then came something out of the blue... a surprise i had not imagined... back in November i had a pre-application interview scheduled with Imperial College -Tanaka... post 26/11, the interview was postponed indefinitely... which they decided to fix on 31 January... I was ecstatic... my hopes enlivened... Dr. Ebrahim Mohammed - Director, Executive MBA from Imperial took my interview... I must say this was one of the finest interviews that i gave... somehow i connected with him and we bounced ideas off each other... He encouraged me to apply and said if i did it fast and inform him about it... well there wouldn't be another interview and that i should be considering moving to UK fast... So i was back to step 4: Applications... got down to business and finished the application in record time of 5 days... yeah that's fast for me... the essays were different from the others and hence copy paste did not come to rescue always...
After following up with the college for my application and then being informed that i would have to give an interview with the career development officer... i was finally given an offer for admission... i was happy was an understatement.... we jumped with joy and partied till we realised that they did not have a loan agreement with any bank... bummer...
Well we didn't let that deter us, we started working on our scholarship essays now...
And in between all this mayhem... we had another reason for party... I was called for an Interview to Cambridge... YAHOOOOOOO.....
but i couldn't go to Cambridge. I informed them of this and they informed me back that since the director of MBA admissions is travelling to India in March, i could have and interview with him... another YAHOOOOOOOOO.....
Well the interview happened after i got the Imperial admit and i was given a deadline of April 1 by Imperial to respond to their offer... i asked for an extension on that as i knew the result of Cambridge would take a little longer to come as Dr. Chander Velu, who took my interview went for a trip to Malaysia following the interviews in Mumbai... The interview btw was another one of my finest interviews (disclaimer: when i say finest... means i think so... the result may be positive since the interviewers thot this guy needs serious training also :P )... we had a very good conversation than an interview and i believe i could talk to him more about my work experience than anyone else... he listened a lot and asked very interesting questions and gave me a case study also... "suppose if i was the head of IOCL how would i go about implementing the Hydrogen fuel concept in India?" ... i think i said somethings that i was amazed i could say...
but then i got the admit... and another party... this time a bigger one... you know why?????? because HSBC has a loan agreement with Judge Business School... this made things so much more breathable for me.... i even got a scholarship - The Directors Bursary.... man were we over the moon...
This wasn't the end of the interview cycle...this was followed by 2 other interviews for 2 other scholarships... one which i succeeded in and the other i wait for the result... looks like for now the inferno of the application to Cambridge is coming to a simmering climax... but now the euphoria of starting a new career at the river-backed Cambridge university builds by the day... i am sure the next inferno will test me and let me out like a fine shining sword.. ready to take on the best in the world...
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Step 4: The application...
This step is really the lynch pin... as if i had to state that... i common guesstimate is that about 20% of the applications are called for interview of which 80% are selected of which about 90% convert...
so the main chaffing happens at the first stage... here you gotta ensure that you have got the credentials that the school is looking for... Hence the research on if the school is a fit for you... you gotta ensure that the experience and GMAT levels you got are good enough to get in the school... these are elementary, but defining criterion...
But most importantly you have to answer the numerous questions the ad comm is asking you in those questions... the most gruelling part for me throughout this process was the constant barrage of same questions in different formats... once asked in passive voice, then active... then change of tense and every time i had the same answer in my mind... i felt like marking like a typical mechanical engineer i am... refer essay number 3 para 2... trust me applying to 5 schools will make your patience go thru the roof and in the end all i wanted to do was copy and paste answers... but patience is all that is tested from the time you gave your GMAT sitting for 5 hours solving elementary questions to writing elementary essays about your own personal experience... and believe me you answering stuff about oneself will never seem this tough to you... at least i am a super-self-critic and hence to write anything good about me or for that matter bad was getting more and more difficult...
Slowly but steadily you will appreciate the slight nuances in the questions asked by each school, as each essay will look seemingly similar but will have extremely different answers... the faster you appreciate this the better for you...
Now the main thing... when i said you have to be sure of why you want to do an MBA, Why now and why from the particular school... cos these will be the main questions asked throughout the essays... and don't try to give standard off the shelf answers... the ad comm have vast experience and they can sense a fake in one look.... so get this answer first...
anyways I personally started with INSEAD, the essays for which i must say i started over 2 years ago and i evolved the essays slowly and steadily. I was confident of the 7 different essays but alas the people who mattered didn't think so. Something similar was the case with HEC, when i wrote 5 different essays and one was a great topic given that if i were to live a life entirely different than my present what would it be... i thot i nailed these essays also... but then they had opposing views... 2 Royal French Rejects...
In between INSEAD and HEC.... i applied to JBS and that was the longest essay set i saw... 13 in all... well the most tricky part of JBS was that just 2 weeks before the deadline, they got a new application form and they changed it completely from the last years form... BIG SURPRISE... but i tell you this form was a test of patience and according to Garima, my best set of essays... worked our ass off working daily till 2 in the nite... well the result... i was waitlisted... WAITLISTED FOR AN INTERVIEW.... who does that man... why ???!!! why??? !!! the agony... and this comes in mid-november... the results were to come out... only in MID FEBRUARY... so the wait began.... then was the last application before my wedding... and that was another slogger with Cranfield... the questions were again all introspection types... no abstracts... got the good news of the interview call for Cranfield couple of days before my wedding... great that it was after our honeymoon....
Step 2: Now that you have decided that you need an MBA...
You need to do your research... I shall focus on International MBAs, since i decided on that.
Find out which schools match your portfolio... very much like finding a job, finding the right MBA for you is an important step, you need to know what the strengths of an MBA school are before you think of applying for it... say you have a background of SCM and logistics, there is a great chance you will get into georgia for your MBA.. but this may not feature in the top schools so you may skip it... say you are have a background of financial consulting, with fantastic acads, then an INSEAD will prove to be your greatest bet, this all i say with the research i have done, as to which schools are good at what and what has been the trend of students who apply and get an admit... hence if you want to focus on entrepreneurship with a one year MBA, with international business as your focus, which would match my requirements... then you will apply to schools, such as JBS, SBS, Imperial and Ashridge... to name a few...
Step 3: now my quest starts...
I started my research with my research partner and then fiance (Garima), we clamped down on a few fantastic MBA programs, which we "thought" were ideal for us... let me list the schools i applied to...
1. INSEAD
2. Judge Business School (University of Cambridge)
3. HEC - Paris
4. Cranfield University Business School
5. Tanaka Business School - Imperial University
there were other schools we contemplated, if I had a bust at all the above schools... not mentioning those here...
From the above, i feel my reseach on INSEAD and HEC may have been wrong, as indicated by them with a reject without an interview (HEC was the fastest reject i got .. 5 days flat... man are they prompt in rejecting... arrow thru my heart...) and also the post-reject research on the profiles of people who got thru to these colleges clearly show that finance was high on their priority list, and given that in this time of recession, many finance pros were applying.... anyways... the remainder three were sort of in the range of what i was looking for and my profile i guess was in what they were looking for... Although in JBS and Cranfield... my age bracket was a bit on the lower side and hence i was bit circumspect... they even mentioned that in their interviews... but the industry experience i had and the final focus of my MBA as entrepreneurship and international business was matching their final aims...
You need to do your research... I shall focus on International MBAs, since i decided on that.
Find out which schools match your portfolio... very much like finding a job, finding the right MBA for you is an important step, you need to know what the strengths of an MBA school are before you think of applying for it... say you have a background of SCM and logistics, there is a great chance you will get into georgia for your MBA.. but this may not feature in the top schools so you may skip it... say you are have a background of financial consulting, with fantastic acads, then an INSEAD will prove to be your greatest bet, this all i say with the research i have done, as to which schools are good at what and what has been the trend of students who apply and get an admit... hence if you want to focus on entrepreneurship with a one year MBA, with international business as your focus, which would match my requirements... then you will apply to schools, such as JBS, SBS, Imperial and Ashridge... to name a few...
Step 3: now my quest starts...
I started my research with my research partner and then fiance (Garima), we clamped down on a few fantastic MBA programs, which we "thought" were ideal for us... let me list the schools i applied to...
1. INSEAD
2. Judge Business School (University of Cambridge)
3. HEC - Paris
4. Cranfield University Business School
5. Tanaka Business School - Imperial University
there were other schools we contemplated, if I had a bust at all the above schools... not mentioning those here...
From the above, i feel my reseach on INSEAD and HEC may have been wrong, as indicated by them with a reject without an interview (HEC was the fastest reject i got .. 5 days flat... man are they prompt in rejecting... arrow thru my heart...) and also the post-reject research on the profiles of people who got thru to these colleges clearly show that finance was high on their priority list, and given that in this time of recession, many finance pros were applying.... anyways... the remainder three were sort of in the range of what i was looking for and my profile i guess was in what they were looking for... Although in JBS and Cranfield... my age bracket was a bit on the lower side and hence i was bit circumspect... they even mentioned that in their interviews... but the industry experience i had and the final focus of my MBA as entrepreneurship and international business was matching their final aims...
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Quest for my Ideal MBA...
It wasn't long ago when i was combing the carpets for the best blogs online to find information on the MBA that i wanted to pursue. I had to research everything, every small article written in the most obscure newspapers, every comment on every MBA social networks, every blog that had anything to do with how to select the best MBA and the blogs that wrote on the MBAs that i was interested in. Now that people who know me, know that i am headed towards Judge Business School for my MBA, have asked me numerous questions on this quest.
So i thought i would write a series of blogs on this quest of mine and what i learnt. So if any of you want to do an MBA in the future, i would like to help you out and hope this blog benefits you.
Step 1: Do you need an MBA...
Its a very simple question... take your time to answer. I know that its become a fad around us to have an MBA irrespective of what your final goals are, and i would tend to agree little to those arguments.
Choosing to do an MBA is a very important step in your career, let alone be the bazooka bursting holes in your pockets, no matter how deep they are. There are a few questions that you should answer to yourself before embarking upon your MBA quest. Before that let me clarify one more thing... I am not a supporter of the MBA right after graduation theory, a bare minimum of 2 years work-ex is my advise. Okay now the questions...
1. Is an MBA going to help me further my position in the organisation i work for?
2. If yes, what kind of MBA is required for the kind of change i intend to have?
3. Do i need a quick MBA decreasing my work absence or am i okay with an extensive course allowing me more networking time?
4. What is it that i want the MBA to teach me? (inshort what are your lacunae you need to work on?)
5. How much am i willing to invest? (mind you... invest not spend)
6. Do i need an international MBA?
These are a few basic questions that you must answer to yourself and have concrete ideas for your future... (there have been people more confused for each answer but still have been super successful MBAs, but they are exceptions) more questions will come up in due course and i shall tackle them as they pop up... but firstly you must have a resounding Yes as an answer to the first question. Because many people mistake lack of skills as a need for an MBA. you may actually need a Masters in say SCM or Manufacturing instead of an MBA to succeed.. so understand why you need an MBA then proceed... i will tell you later why this question needs an emphatic answer...
So i thought i would write a series of blogs on this quest of mine and what i learnt. So if any of you want to do an MBA in the future, i would like to help you out and hope this blog benefits you.
Step 1: Do you need an MBA...
Its a very simple question... take your time to answer. I know that its become a fad around us to have an MBA irrespective of what your final goals are, and i would tend to agree little to those arguments.
Choosing to do an MBA is a very important step in your career, let alone be the bazooka bursting holes in your pockets, no matter how deep they are. There are a few questions that you should answer to yourself before embarking upon your MBA quest. Before that let me clarify one more thing... I am not a supporter of the MBA right after graduation theory, a bare minimum of 2 years work-ex is my advise. Okay now the questions...
1. Is an MBA going to help me further my position in the organisation i work for?
2. If yes, what kind of MBA is required for the kind of change i intend to have?
3. Do i need a quick MBA decreasing my work absence or am i okay with an extensive course allowing me more networking time?
4. What is it that i want the MBA to teach me? (inshort what are your lacunae you need to work on?)
5. How much am i willing to invest? (mind you... invest not spend)
6. Do i need an international MBA?
These are a few basic questions that you must answer to yourself and have concrete ideas for your future... (there have been people more confused for each answer but still have been super successful MBAs, but they are exceptions) more questions will come up in due course and i shall tackle them as they pop up... but firstly you must have a resounding Yes as an answer to the first question. Because many people mistake lack of skills as a need for an MBA. you may actually need a Masters in say SCM or Manufacturing instead of an MBA to succeed.. so understand why you need an MBA then proceed... i will tell you later why this question needs an emphatic answer...
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