Dear Students,
LAST WEEK WE ASKED: In a dull job market, do you think B-school students should avoid being selective of profiles during placements?
BEST RESPONSE
Companies with their debt laden balance sheets are succumbing to their rising administrative costs and adopting strict austerity measures like wage-cuts, limited hiring and mass layoffs. Thus the choices with the freshers are very less and from these limited options good opportunities must be opted for at hand. Moreover, such flexible attitude towards work acceptance shows the risk bearing and leadership traits of B-school grads who thus can make good careers with any profile.
- Nandish Agarwal, Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida.
OTHER RESPONSES
It is only logical for a B-school student to be selective and wait for that perfect job. Joining a B-school is one of the biggest decisions in life. It needs a lot of effort and commitment to make it to that coveted school of one's dreams. Thereafter, the two rigorous years at a B-school is meant to make the student industry ready and well equipped with business acumen. If a student has done all this, he/she will be confident enough to wait for that dream profile rather than settling for an out-of-fit job just because of a dull economy.
- Jishnu Roychaudhuri, IIT Kharagpur.
The students of premier B-schools deserve and afford to be selective about the profile of job during placements irrespective of the current economic scenario. It is reasonable for them to opt for a job that best suits their choice. It would be the worst outcome if someone spending resources involving two years of time and paying hefty fees is unable to work in a particular area of interest. But for those students in average B-schools cannot necessarily be selective in their choice of profile considering the fact that the dull job market might even force them to remain unemployed.
- Shivam Chhabra, Integral University, Lucknow.
Campus placements are the concrete base on which the career is going to build on and based on two important factors perks and profile. Taking into consideration the dull job market students should avoid high perks expectation rather than profiles as perks can be compensated at later stage but if wrong profile is selected, it's hard to replace in near future.
- Jimit Parikh, St. Kabir Institute of Professional Studies, Ahmedabad.
The time when you just complete your MBA is crucial as everyone else surrounding you has expectations from you. At this point of time decision is about will you be able to accept what the destiny has in for you and collect your arsenal for the future or you want to be disappointed temporarily today and triumph tomorrow. Ultimately, it is the road traveled which will ignite a difference.
- Aayushi Tulsiyan, School of Petroleum Management, PDPU, Gandhinagar.
MBA is one of the costly programmes in the post graduate arena. The cost the students incur as the fees of the B-schools must be compensated by a fat salary so that they can pay up their loans. A reputed company along with a handsome salary is a requirement that every B-school student look for during the placement seasons. However, in this dull job market emphasis should be more on company which provides diverse learning opportunities rather on steep salary as it will help them immensely in the long run whenever the market situation gets better.
- Debayan Daw, ITM University, Gurgaon.
B-school students should definitely be selective as this would help them get a profile which would fulfill their expectations out of the job which in turn would encourage them to give their best which will be beneficial for the students as well as his employer. But at the same time, being selective would just be for the profile, i.e., the job description and not the salary and incentives. During a dull job market, a student shall take up a profile which best suits his requirements and qualifications irrespective of the salary given for the same.
- Kavita Oswal, Vishwakarma Institute of Management, Pune.
Placements at B-school being a significant decision for lifetime should not be made at haste depending upon particular business cycle sentiment. Rather an individual should focus on basics of profile he wishes to land in so that he emerges as a competent candidate when market sentiments improves and similar profiles of his interest comes up. One may also undertake certification courses offered by various prestigious institutes worldwide in almost every management domains which will help an individual position himself as an apt candidate when business cycle claims the crest again. It’s about having faith in oneself than in market scenario.
- Tushar Shah, School of Petroleum Management, PDPU, Gandhinagar.
Students should not avoid being selective for particular job profiles.Selection of profiles must be purely based on their interest and subjects of post graduation. In long run,only those profile in which you are interested will give you ultimate success and more and more promotions. The student can enhance his/her mental ability because of psychologically,emotionally and keenly attached to the field of interest. Market is dynamic, it keeps on changing. You have to wait a little bit for a favorable opportunity and condition. This is all from my side.
- Varsha R. Menghrajani, BK School of Business Management.
Being selective of profiles is not at all bad, what needs to be considered is being selective to the salary packages offered by the firms during this dull job market situation. Graduating from a B-school having a profile of your choice, is dream come true, than come what may excelling in that profile gives you monetary benefits as well in the long run. Compromising on profile for which one have worked hard just because of salary package is like losing out long term benefits in the dream of short term benefits as profiles are offered but not hefty pay packages.
- Gaurav Vyas, School of Petroleum Management, PDPU, Gandhinagar.
In a dull job market, connections will be the source of job leads in the future. By nurturing fresh connections, maturation and value increases for both parties which becomes a reliable source of future job leads when either party needs referrals. The more people who cares, have hiring authority and appreciates potential contribution, the greater the chances of being personally referred which is the best way to find a job in a dull job market because it is an advantage over other candidates who are strangers to the hiring authority.
- Pratik Bairagi, Regional College of Management, Bhubaneswar.
It varies from student to student what they are looking for. Some look just for job, some job with profile, some entrepreneurship etc. But when market is gloomy, it is highly probable that students will not get the choices which they aspire for. So instead of being adamant on profile per say, one should bag the offer one is getting. As in the short term, this job will utilize their time and provide them experience which will help them to get profile they seek in futures.
- Nilaya Mitash Shanker, IIT Roorkee.
In the current dull scenario, where companies are aggressively focusing on the agenda of cost cutting and even postponing their fresh recruitment plans, it is will be a herculean task for the B-school students to get their dream profile and package. Students should be get placed in the corporate rather than waiting for the profile to come. Students should be flexible and realistic in their approach. The placements are just the entry door to the corporate where as it is the caliber and hard work of the candidate, which will determine his future career road map in the corporate.
- Harsh Mehta, St. Kabir Institute of Professional Studies, Ahmedabad.
The whole system of campus placements has run its course, the companies that come to various B-schools offer different salaries for the same profile. The companies would hire candidates without seeing their profile as the market conditions are subsided. This is because of price/quality issue-not a demand supply. The B-school students should avoid being placed in a dull job market, as it would be product-centric companies rather than the people-centric ones. Additionally, students are likely to opt for more qualifications after graduation, instead of entering the job market.
- Lokesh Pravin Jain, Vishwakarma Institute of Management, Pune.
When a person decides to pursue a management degree, it is a conscious decision after sufficient forethought and detailed discussions with peers and family. The choices relating to courses of study, internship program and projects during MBA are all strategic choices which are taken keeping a career goal in plan. Compromising on a profile is a detrimental option for oneself as well as for the company that he chooses since the choice was made out of situational compulsion. While there can be compromises on package, location or recruiter's brand, profile is one thing that B-school students should not compromise on.
- Deepa Sastry, School of Petroleum Management, PDPU, Gandhinagar.
B-school students are expected to be torch bearers of rationality and be clear about what they want to achieve in life for themselves as well as their organisations. In line with this thinking B-school students should be selective about what they want to do and should not settle for anything other than what they want to do. There would definitely be societal and peer pressure to accept the 'perceived' best offer available lest one might not get something as good later on. But this would amount to compromising with your career interests and result into job dissatisfaction and sub-par performance.
- Shivang Ganatra, IIM Ranchi.
Your responses should reach us at edu@business-standard.com by Monday evening every week. Please ensure that your responses do not exceed 100 words. Avoid attachments and email your full name, institute's name, batch and complete mailing address. The student who gives the 'Best Response' will be awarded Rs 500.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Do you think IIMs should also get a Council on the similar lines of IIT Council?
