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What did you learn about life from your time at IIM Ahmedabad?
One of my friends recently graduated from IIM Ahmedabad and as per his experience it is a snapshot of the real world.
You will learn to survive amongst people smarter than you. Most importantly, you will learn to challenge your limits with 3-4 hours of sleep.You will strive to look for more time in a day apart from 24 hours.
You will find faculty members saying that they are preparing you for the real world. It is so to help you analyse the market out in the world. However, out in the world, you cannot excel in everything. It is important to accept this fact and not feel bad about what you cannot achieve.
You must hold on to your strengths and find a path for yourself that makes you happy. The time spent in the institute will truly transform you. You will not only see the world with a different perspective but will find new capabilities of yourself.
Why did IIM Ahmedabad discontinue its public policy course?
I am aware that this has never been the case. In reality, the Jindal School of Public Policy at IIM-A has started the process of constructing new campus facilities and hiring new academic staff. The public policy course was established with the support of the JSW Group. The JSW School of Public Policy (JSW-SPP) has already hosted numerous dignitaries and presentations from eminent academics from around the globe.
In order to create a cadre of leaders with advanced knowledge and abilities in public policy and management, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) introduced the Post Graduate Programme in Public Management and Policy (PGP-PMP) in 2015.
How is life at SPJIMR compared to the old IIMs?
When compared to the top IIMs, SPJIMR is a rather moderately good B School. Yet the placements and roles offered by the B School are at par with that of IIMs. The major USP of the B School is its profile-based evaluation. This means a certain candidate can make it into SPJIMR even if he was unable to get a high CAT or XAT score of 98-99 percentile provided that his profile is excellent. With the required skills, qualities, and a decent academic record you could get admission and meet not necessarily get a very high CAT score. This gives a wider spectrum for students to showcase their skills other than academics. There are some more key points where SPJIMR fares rather well when compared to IIMs or other B Schools.
Fees: The primary factor that distinguishes SPJIMR from the top B Schools is the moderate fees. SPJIMR PGDM fees for 2 years is ?20.42 Lakhs (Total Fees) while that of top IIMs is above 20 lakhs.
Placements: The entire placement drive is concluded quite fast and is at par with the top IIMs. SPJIMR Completes Final Placements 2023 with 46% Rise in Highest Salary at Rs. 77.8 LPA and 3% Rise in Average Salary at Rs. 33.02 LPA; Accenture, BCG, HUL, Godrej, ITC, KPMG, P&G being the major recruiters.
Batch size: This is an often underestimated aspect when in reality it affects both, placements and the quality of education. SPJIMR batch size is around 300 while that of most IIMs is 350-500. The low batch size results in better bonding between peers and close relations with the faculty.
Location: Located in the Finance capital of India, SPJIMR offers a plethora of advantages. Easy access to CXOs and practitioners gives the learning experience at SPJIMR a practical approach.
Curriculum: The curriculum is unique in the sense that it targets not just the student's IQ but also EQ and creates socially and emotionally aware managers. This unique course curriculum at SPJIMR offers three distinct levels of learning:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Societal awareness
Pedagogy: Apart from the regular courses and teaching methodology employed at other premier B Schools, SPJIMR takes five key initiatives in the ‘Non-Classroom Learning’ area which include ADMAP, DOCC, Abhyudaya, PG Lab, and Science of Spirituality.
All these unique aspects make life at SPJIMR a very good experience compared to old IIMs.
Why are IIMs more popular than ISB Hyderabad among Indian households?
There are many major reasons why ISB Hyderabad is not as popular as IIMs among Indian households. Some of them include
- ISB Hyderabad is a private non-AICTE affiliated institute that functions under a totally different model.
- Owing to its hefty fees(around 30+ Lakhs), it's almost inaccessible to an average Indian.
- The batch size is huge becoming a major obstacle during placements
- The 1-year program fails to provide in-depth exposure and is just a source of Certificates and a brand tag.
- It does not provide International placements to the majority of students who do not belong to the elite class.
All these reasons are strong enough to persuade one against joining ISB Hyderabad and is thus not much popular among Indian households.
The reason why IIMs are popular in contrast to ISB Hyderabad are
- Provided jobs similar in nature to the ones provided by ISB Hyderabad at a much lower fees.
- The 2 year MBA program provides an in-depth exposure to the curriculum in contrast to the 1 year program at ISB Hyderabad
So all this makes IIMs much popular in India despite ISB Hyderabad global rankings.
Which one is more prospective between marketing and finance & accounting to pursue in an MBA at IIM, Ahmedabad?
MBA in marketing is a more popular prospect than in finance. An MBA in marketing opens up a wide range of highly valued career options for a fresh graduate. For positions such as marketing manager or executive, the typical compensation paid to MBA marketing graduates is INR 9,03,076. Even they offer CTCs as high as INR 27 LPA.
Students are taught cutting-edge ideas including social media, brand management, digital advertising, and more. As a result, MBA Marketing, together with its fresh perspective, aids in creating a successful career filled with cutting-edge methods and ideas.
IIM Ahmedabad has a strong faculty base. There would be the chance to pursue this course under eminent professors like Arindam Banerjee, Sourav Borah, and many more. Even Ajay Banga, Chetan Bhagat, Harsha Bhogle, etc. are notable alumni of this institution.
How can an IPM student get admission for FPM at IIMA?
For the FPM program, IIM Ahmedabad selects students based on their performance in CAT. Students with good scores in a standard test in lieu of CAT can also apply for the program. Different specializations of IIM A FRM has different standard tests that aspirants need to take. For most programs, IIMA accepts GRE, GATE, GMAT, UGC JRF scores.
Which is better for an MBA in Operations, NITIE Mumbai or IIM Ahmedabad?
For MBA in Operations, NITIE Mumbai will be better than IIM Ahmedabad. All big FMCG and Operation Consulting firms hire from the institute. During NITIE Mumbai placements 2021, the highest CTC of INR 35 LPA was offered by the Operations sector. The institute has a large alumni base owing to its legacy of more than 55 years. So, you will have good networking opportunities.
Can I get a call from IIM Ahmedabad if I have 87.5 percent in 10th, 95 percent in 12th and I am IITian with a 9 CGPA?
If you are a general (or even an OBC) candidate, with 87.5 in 10th, 95 percent in 12th, and a CGPA of 9, you at least need 99.5+ percentile.
If you are an SC category student, you can get a call from IIM Ahmedabad with 85+ percentile. For ST, it goes to the 70+ percentile.
But considering you are a general engineer male student, there is no chance of you getting a call at this profile. You need to appear for CAT next year with a better CAT score. Suppose you are targeting BLACKI institutes.
For Bangalore, you need to score 99.9+. For Lucknow, you need to score 99.6+. For Ahmedabad, you need to score 99.8+. For Calcutta, you need to score 99.7+. For Kozhikode, you need to score 99.5+. For Indore, you need to score 99.3+ in the CAT exam to get an admission call.
What would be more beneficial, a sales and marketing internship at Oyo Rooms, or a market research internship at IIM Ahmedabad?
Both are very different career paths, it mainly depends on you and what your goal is. Both these choices will lead to different paths. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of two different streams – sales and marketing, keeping the institutes aside.
When asked to choose between the two, what will you as a student choose – sales or marketing. Let us take a look at both these streams, briefly –
Sales –
- Sales, as a profession, is a constituent of direct marketing. It expects the volunteers to interact with people, play the communicative abilities to their strength and convince the customer to become a potential customer at first, later into a loyal customer.
- Sales is a game of numbers, plus it is a traveling job.
- Career opportunity- You can become a sales head, a marketing head in the near future. Thus, getting appointed at two diverse, yet related levels of hierarchy. If you are keen on sticking around, then you can aim for higher posts in the upper level of management. It provides a fast-growing career with incentive-based income.
- Sale is a job of monotony, where the only change available is the products and the projects. Although, a successful salesperson can choose to be a consultant, motivational speaker, professor, spear-header of communication development programs, etc.
- Being a salesperson can be your ace card if you want to be an entrepreneur in the future.
Market Research-
- It is the most fundamental stream. In the pyramid of career options, market research is at the start/base. From here the ways to varied career paths opens up after a while.
- The procedure of market research involves a few steps which are – being abreast with the altering trends; forecasting; use of multiple sources to prepare a lengthy report; etc.
- Market research is strictly restricted to the desk, very often it involves traveling as a part of the job.
- Scope- A person with achieved excellence in this field of work can turn to management, get associated with a management group where his/her forecasting skills will be of great use. However, if presented with the right opportunity it can be a tasking job. There is unprecedented growth in this industry due to the small hierarchy, there are but a few steps between level one and upper level of management. The salary provided is mediocre at the end of the day.
- Career options- You can either be a portfolio manager, consultant, media planner, or marketing manager.
Now, let us take a look at the differences between the two professions through a differential table:
|
Salesperson requisites |
Marketing person requisites |
|
Impressive communication skills |
Mathematics aficionado |
|
Traveler |
Reporting with precision |
|
Good with Cabin work |
Apart from these, a hard-working person who is equally smart, skilled, and passionate will get his due no matter what profession he/she chooses. The ultimate decision has to be made by you keeping their strengths and weaknesses in mind. Otherwise, you will be left with regrets and wasted efforts.
I am a GEM fresher and have confirmed admission offers from IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta, but have been waitlisted by IIM Bangalore. Which offer should I accept and why?
It is quite apparent that if you haven’t met people who actually studied in either of these institutions. That’s why this answer is based on my graduation batchmates who successfully managed to secure a seat at IIM Ahmedabad.
Comparing the two IIM Calcutta and Ahmedabad, both the institutions have a big alumni network and claim to be at par. However, that doesn't mean that both are identical or similar because the internal factors matter a lot.
Here are some insights about these IIMs you must have a look at before deciding.
- Although both IIM Calcutta and Ahmedabad would have the same curriculum being IIMs, you will see slight modifications in the course structure for both.
- You will also notice a huge difference in batch profile which changes each year with the new admission.
- In terms of placements, you might find a few recruiters who don’t visit all three institutions, but luckily, most reputed and top-notch firms are likely to visit all of them.
- However, you can see a difference in the sectoral distribution of placements.
- But the right CV and preparation will help you land your dream job no matter which IIM you choose.
- As my friends complete their MBA at IIMA, their amazing learning experience and successful job profiles create an inclination towards IIM Ahmedabad.
- Although all three of them are some of the best B–schools in India.
However, in your case, if you want to wait for IIM Bangalore's waitlist to proceed, do check the past years’ records. Check if the waitlists of the past few years have created a huge difference for the waiting candidates. If not, go for any of IIM Calcutta or Ahmedabad without giving a second thought.
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