In XLRI or SPJIMR, having relevant work experience is not a requirement for admission. Having 1.5 years of experience in a different field will not give you an advantage or disadvantage during placements as candidates with less than 2 years of experience are considered the same as freshers. Moreover, any work experience is valuable and can contribute to your MBA education as it's not limited to specific areas such as Marketing or Finance.
In SPJIMR, if you opt for Finance as your specialization, relevant experience may slightly enhance your profile. However, for other specializations, you will have to compete with other candidates on an equal footing.
I have a friend who recently got admission to MDI Gurgaon. Through the conversations with him, I have gathered a lot of insights about the institute. So, I can guide you fairly with the query.
A majority of students in MDI Gurgaon do not have any relevant work experience. Look at the table below for batch profile:
Fresher |
36% |
1-12 Months |
12% |
13-24 Months |
26% |
25-36 Months |
20% |
36+ Months |
6% |
Most of the students are freshers and have work experience between 1-2 years. The average work experience of the 2020 batch is 24 months.
Having a work experience of 1.5 years will not give you any additional points. Even the recruiters club the candidates with work experience of fewer than two years and the freshers. A relevant work experience in your field of specialization can boost your profile. But you stand an equal chance like any other candidate.