How To Make the Best of Your 2 Years At Business School
Did you know that making a great CV for your placements could come down to you asking the right questions? Or that having the best electives in your second year is an elaborate management game in itself? Did you know that the rules of dating work differently on a business school campus? Talk to Ankit Doshi, Creator of InsideIIM.com & Konversations.com to know how you can make the best of your 2 years at Business School
Ankit Doshi
05:00 PM
06:15 PM
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VARUN JAIN
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Mohan Mishra
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VARUN JAIN
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Athithyan Ramanujam
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Ankit Doshi
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VARUN JAIN
What advice do you have for CV prep?
11:22 AM
Good question. The sooner you start work on it, the better. We have a two part video series on resume making in association with Reliance. You can check it here : https://insideiim.com/summer-time-madness-how-to-make-a-resume-part-i-reliance-insideiim/ - You will find many more stories on it on InsideIIM.com. You will get help from your seniors too.
11:29 AM
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Mohan Mishra
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Mohan Mishra
What advice do u have for someone not having great CV points
11:30 AM
Well. Start building one with good resume bullet points. Participate in everything that interests you and do bloody well in it. Work really hard in the first two terms as it will help you build a base for the entire two years.
11:31 AM
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I like to get into some good clubs during MBA. But I have a few challenges. 1) I don't know Hindi and I presume that most of the seniors of my b school will be from Hindi belt (hopefully I will join FMS, currently waitlisted, converted Indore). 2) I don't have any alumni from my college. 3). I don't have anything unique to offer to the club's. In this case, what should I do in order to get into some clubs
11:30 AM
I don't think language has ever been a challenge to get elected/selected. You're good if you're good. It is an interesting challenge to interact and do well in an atmosphere where people have different cultural roots. This is how life will be in the real world from now on. You need to shake up the shyness and go and talk to people. There is no easy way out. Unlike engineering, management requires people skills.
11:33 AM
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Will doing some certifications like Google analytics helps to improve my CV ?
11:32 AM
Yes. It will help.
11:33 AM
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Nitin Pillai
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Mayank Sahu
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Pritesh Saha
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How is dual major in reality? What kind of electives would you suggest for someone keen on both marketing and finance?
11:34 AM
Too soon to think about it. Take a call after 6 months.
11:35 AM
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Nitin Pillai
Hi, could you tell me more about what exactly are "CV points"? I keep coming across the term and hence can't understand what exactly it is.
11:34 AM
They are essentially accomplishments that make you stand out from the rest. For e.g. Winner of National level Basket ball competition held in xyz place or published a research paper in a prestigious academic journal or led a team of 50 people etc.
11:36 AM
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Nitin Singh
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Harsh Gandhi
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Shrey Singhal
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Can u please provide some examples of courses which would enhance my CV as a MBA candidate?
11:35 AM
Tough question. There used to be a time when everyone used to do NCFM certifications. Then there is the CFA craze. Then there are MOOCs now. I am not sure having interacted with recruiters if any of this really maters. I think it helps for interviewers to ask you questions on the same and for you to demonstrate interest in those courses. It will not make a very big impact on shortlisting. Being a CA, ICWA, CS helps for sure. By the way check out the two courses on konversations that we have beta launched too :-) Give us feedback!
11:39 AM
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Indraneel Pise
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What do companies look for mostly for summer placements?
11:36 AM
High acads mostly. Diversity of profile. Accomplishments in the extra-curries field. You should come for our event in Mumbai where we are getting people to meet DBS, Vodafone and RIL to help with exactly this! its happening on 26th May in Bandra in Mumbai - will post link too separately
11:41 AM
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Nitin Singh
what should we do before joining campus?
11:37 AM
Read YOBO! https://insideiim.com/you-only-bschool-once/ - honestly, this covers everything!
11:42 AM
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Harsh Gandhi
Hi Ankit sir, I had some PORs in Junior College i.e. in 2010-11, would those matter? Or I should only focus on recent achievements?
11:37 AM
College PORs do have weight. School has less weight
11:42 AM
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Miti Vaidya
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ns
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Shrey Singhal
I have a month with me before I join a b-school so is there anything I can do to utilise this time which can overall develop my CV?
11:37 AM
Read. Read. Read. Read everything that is important right now - GST, Telecom wars, Aadhar etc. Apart from that read insideiim for context on competitions, festivals, events you may want to be part of. Read YOBO ( i just shared the link). Also, you may want to do Konversations.com courses. We will be putting up specific placement preparation courses soon too! For e.g. how to crack a marketing interview etc.
11:45 AM
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Vivek Sheoran
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Will the reference letter from my previous manager be useful during placements ??
11:38 AM
Not really unless its a very special achievement for which you have been given an award/recognition etc.
11:45 AM
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Nitin Pillai
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Nitin Singh
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Indraneel Pise
I want to pursue CFA as well. Should I appear for it this December?
11:40 AM
It is upto you. I can't really decide on your behalf. There is no evidence though that doing CFA will ensure good finance placements. None whatsover.
11:47 AM
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I don't have any prior exposure to Management subjects. So should I get to know the basics of some subjects or will it be not that big a problem?
11:42 AM
Don't waste time on this. If at all I'd say see if you can learn some accounting basics but nothing apart from that. Read about current affairs for your summer placement interview which could be between 3-5 months away depending on your school
11:48 AM
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Aditi Sawant
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Aditi Sawant
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ns
What do firms like mckinsey and bcg look for ?
11:44 AM
They look for spikes. Generally acads is hygiene - if you have bad acads stop obsessing about consulting firms. But you need to have spikes which is essentially demonstrated excellence in 2-3 spheres of life - Acads + extra-currics or Acads + work and so on. 2 is minimum - some people have spikes in all 3 spheres.
11:51 AM
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Vivek Sheoran
does software engineer experience help in b-schools
11:45 AM
Only to the extent of certain courses like MIS and that you can do quant better and faster hopefully. It won't help in placements for sure.
11:52 AM
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Nitin Pillai
My past academics are extremely bad (in the 50s) except for my 10th std score. Would it be impossible to get a good summer placement? What can I do to offset this disadvantage with respect to my CV so that I can get a good summer placement?
11:46 AM
Which school are you going to? You should try your best to enhance your cv with other things and improve your acad record at business school. Yes you will have shortlist issues if people around you have excellent 10/12 scores
11:53 AM
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Aditi Sawant
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Nitin Singh
how big that YOBO file is?
11:46 AM
You need not download it. You can just read it on insideiim.com - we have created a reader interface - check the link i shared earlier
11:53 AM
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Indraneel Pise
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Aditi Sawant
Can it be mentioned?
11:49 AM
Mention all that you want. Make sure you can answer questions about it in the interview.
11:54 AM
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Startup or well established companies. Which one should a student prefer for long term benefit?
11:50 AM
It is an individual's choice. Going by this year's numbers, people are struggling to get jobs. I'll be happy for you if you have the choice in your business school. As a rule I suggest doing things that make you happy. If you don't know that, go for something that you think will be interesting. If there are family financial pressures definitely an established brand has better odds of helping you rather than a start-up.
11:56 AM
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Aditi Sawant
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Aditi Sawant
Can we mention CFA level one if one passed in December in CV
11:53 AM
Yes if it was in Dec 2016.
11:56 AM
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Indraneel Pise
I have experience in a trading firm. Will it help me during the two years or for placements?
11:54 AM
It will help as much as it helps anyone else. What will matter is the performance in the interview when quizzed about your field.
11:57 AM
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Aditi Sawant
Well I meant CV is first checked by placement committee , and I heard you cannot mention an unpaid internship or level 1 CFA,is it true?
11:56 AM
Level 1 CFA everyone mentions. Unpaid internship should also not be a problem if there are documents verifying it.
11:58 AM
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VARUN JAIN
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Nitin Singh
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Nitin Singh
Will there be any problem while my program at IIMK because I did my grad from below average college and little bit skeptic how I could manage in MBA? wht about placement scenarios for me there?
11:58 AM
There will be no problem if you are confident and willing to work hard. By thinking negatively about these things you are harming your chances already.
11:59 AM
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Indraneel Pise
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VARUN JAIN
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Vivek Sheoran
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Nikhil Kumar
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VARUN JAIN
Do events like international conferences go into CV? I do not have any accomplishments in them other than working with a diverse set of people
11:58 AM
Yes it can in the cv. Again depends when someone asks you stuff about it how much you know
12:02 PM
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Nitin Singh
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Nitin Pillai
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Indraneel Pise
Does participating in sports or cultural activities help? If someone doesn't have anything related to sports or cultural on their resume, does it hinder the profile?
12:01 PM
Of course the more diverse personality you are, it will help your chances. Who wants to hire boring engineers? If you don't do sports, make sure you do something else!
12:03 PM
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VARUN JAIN
Are there any cheap exams similar to CFA in authenticity?
12:01 PM
I am not aware. Also, I am not saying CFA always helps either. Please don't think I'm endorsing CFA in anyway. It is NOT necessary.
12:05 PM
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Nitin Singh
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Rohan Gupta
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Profile-80 plus throughout does help?
12:01 PM
You tell me if it will help? Why will it not help?
12:06 PM
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VARUN JAIN
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Vivek Sheoran
i am currently working as software engineer with 1 year experience ...will appear for CAT 2017....what should i do now to have edge over others in terms of placement and selection both
12:02 PM
Keep following InsideIIM.com - Go through the 10 part video series on placements that we have created with Reliance Industries. Check our youtube channel. or search on homepage of insideiim. Do courses on konversations.com. Participate in activities that interest you and do well - Win stuff, have an impact.
12:07 PM
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Nikhil Kumar
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Vivek Sheoran
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Nikhil Kumar
I have converted IIM K till now. I have 3 years 10-month work exp till now. My current wl in IIM B is 9 and waiting for IIM L subsequent list result. I am thinking not to join IIM K. I am planning if I did not convert IIM L or IIM B then I will give cat this year again. I am not planning to give GMAT. This was my first attempt at cat. My current CTC is 11 LPA. I am working in IT field. What shall I do sir? Please provide a genuine answer, sir. I am totally confused. My Profile. 10th - 89.5 12th - 70.67 B.E. - 83.27 3 years 10-month work exp in Samsung R&D India. Category - NC-OBC CAT %ile - 97.12
12:02 PM
You need to think of the world in 2019. Will IIM K offer a salary of close to 20 Lacs in 2019 when you graduate? Is that enough for you? If you are going to do MBA at some point of time in your life in India, then IIM K is not a bad option. Is it IIM ABC - definitely not. But thats a call you need to make. Also, how confident are you of repeating your performance again. One thing going for you is that you are applying in category. So there could be a chance again even at 95 percentile.
12:10 PM
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Nitin Singh
what prep should i do beforehand going for my MBA?
12:02 PM
Read YOBO.
12:10 PM
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Nitin Pillai
Regarding the previous question about my past academics, I am targeting FMS and XLRI next year (since my academics are bad). So will I be able to get a good summer internship even with abyssmal academics?
12:03 PM
People with bad acads always have a disadvantage during summer placements.
12:11 PM
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What should I do in this time before I join IMI New delhi on June 11th considering I'm a GEM fresher and a marketing aspirant?
12:06 PM
Read YOBO. It is a 220 page book. Do our two Marketing related courses on Konversations - they are free - Market Research and Social Media Marketing. Spend time with family. Spend time with girl friend. Watch movies.
12:12 PM
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Nitin Singh
foe what courses can I go if interested in marketing? pls provide link sir.
12:05 PM
konversations.com
12:13 PM
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Vivek Sheoran
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Aditi Sawant
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VARUN JAIN
How much work experience actually benefits an engineer in summer placements and final placements respectively?
12:06 PM
different companies have different criteria. There is no rule except that if you have too much work ex (4 years plus) you will not be a preferred candidate for many companies during SUMMER Placements (summer placements only)
12:14 PM
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Does taking a drop year affect the placements in any way?
12:11 PM
It could if you don't have an answer for Why in the interview
12:15 PM
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Vivek Sheoran
I am planning to resign 3 months before CAT 2017...will that be a good choice or i am making a mistake here?
12:13 PM
Keep working for as long as you can. IIMs don't like people who can't manage different things together.
12:15 PM
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Aditi Sawant
What would be good acads? I got convert from.iim Indore And acads are 90 , 90.6, 85
12:13 PM
You have excellent acads
12:16 PM
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VARUN JAIN
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Indraneel Pise
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Indraneel Pise
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Indraneel Pise
How important is it to maintain a high gpa during the two years?
12:18 PM
It is very important. It becomes more important in schools like IIM Indore and IIM Kozhikode where there are fewer top notch companies as compared to IIM ABC. The ones with high GPAs always get the consult and finance shortlists. Even marketing companies prefer a good GPA. It doesn't matter for summer placements as at that time except in IIM ABC first term GPAs aren't even available and hence not put. So, if you can get a good company during summers and then if you get a PPO, GPA won't matter
12:20 PM
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How can one apply to companies through off-campus?
12:20 PM
By going to company websites career section, websites like naukri and iimjobs, by asking alumni
12:21 PM
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Mohan Mishra
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Vivek Sheoran
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Mohan Mishra
Are summer interviews an extension of college admission PIs? Or are they based on the 2-3months of learning at the bschool?
12:21 PM
There is new content of course. You will know once we launch the pre-placement prep course on konversations.com. But yes, a lot of the interview will be about your pre-MBA life.
12:25 PM
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Tushar Kaul
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Do freshers have a shot at consulting firms? or they prefer laterals only?
12:22 PM
What matters is strength of profile not whether someone is a fresher or a lateral. Anyone who gives you such random generalisation is someone who is making an excuse because he/she couldn't get through. Unless a company explicitly says that they want people with work-ex everyone is eligible.
12:26 PM
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Vivek Sheoran
does 18 months of software engineer experience counts in lateral placements?
12:23 PM
Depends on school to school and definition that the placement committee sets that year.
12:26 PM
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Mudit Agarwal
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Tushar Kaul
Going for summer placement does a divergent work ex make up for not too good acads ...I will b joining TISS, have a total work experience of 2.5 years in telecom and IT. My acads 10- 78.5 12-69.66 grad-70.62
12:25 PM
You will get a good placement Tushar. TISS has 60 students and 35 odd companies - most of them are great companies. Don't worry but yes people with good acads will have an advantage.
12:27 PM
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Mudit Agarwal
Since no one has asked it yet, I'm going to ask it in light humor. How exactly do the rules of dating work differently on a business school campus?
12:27 PM
Awesome question. I really suggest you read YOBO for this. We have an entire chapter dedicated to relationships. I'm serious. My suggestion would be : Don't let dating get in the way of having a blast at B-School.
12:29 PM
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Mudit Agarwal
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VARUN JAIN
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Nitin Singh
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Anwesh Gaurav
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Mudit Agarwal
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VARUN JAIN
Could you explain how the two years of bschool differ functionally?
12:31 PM
Year 1 - Basics. Year 2 - Industry specific. You have the internship in the middle to help.
12:32 PM
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Nitin Singh
Sir, what is the scene here. Total students at IIMK is 385 approx but in final placements only 356 approx participated. Why is it so? are they failed candidates or they opted out?
12:31 PM
It could be signed out. Opted out. Forced to sign out. Failed. Can't be sure. You should clarify with the committee.
12:33 PM
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Tushar Kaul
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How to prepare for iim interview with average cgpa (6.36) and 2.5 -3 year IT experience
12:31 PM
First crack the entrance test. Enough time for this later. Check our youtube channel for content which shall answer this question of yours.
12:34 PM
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Nitin Singh
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Nitin Singh
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Tushar Kaul
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Tushar Kaul
In the dying moments ..I have one question, are there any of the companies which only come for summer placement and not for final ?
12:35 PM
That happens all the time. For e.g. Marico doesn't go for finals and most other companies also prefer giving PPOs and have small requirements during finals.
12:36 PM
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How to start preparing for case study competitions?
12:36 PM
You can't prepare for it now. Go through material on LIME, Mahindra War Room etc on InsideIIM.com and see what you can learn. Know the kind of cases asked. Go through the case interviews video in our series with reliance called summertime madness
12:38 PM
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Indraneel Pise
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Indraneel Pise
Any books other than yobo to read before joining?
12:38 PM
Anything by Malcolm Gladwell. 7 habits by Stephen covey. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. I'll be impressed if you can finish these before joining b-school
12:40 PM
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Indraneel Pise
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Nikhil Kumar
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Nikhil Kumar
How different is placement for someone with 4.5 years work exp in IT Field from IIM B or C as compared to average placemnet in terms of both salary and profile offered??
12:44 PM
Didnt understand the question
12:45 PM
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Nikhil Kumar
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Nikhil Kumar
Is it difficult to get placed for someone with almost 5 years work exp in IT field in college like IIM B or C?? What profiles can he expect in the future??
12:46 PM
It is not difficult but choices are reduced. For e.g. unlikely FMCG companies will be interested in such a person
12:47 PM
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Nikhil Kumar
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Nikhil Kumar
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Nikhil Kumar
If i want to go into IT field or Consulting. Then it will not be an issue. I guess??
12:48 PM
No
12:49 PM
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Nikhil Kumar
We’re so glad that you are participating in this live chat. We’ve made a one-time addition of 100 Kredits to your Konversations account – hope you will use this soon to learn something new.
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