Often I encounter this situation that many budding B Schools in India remain perplexed on how to get their students placed (hired). Looks like for most B Schools that remains a more priority item than the education itself. But one can't blame knowing the amount of investment (?) done by the students to get in! Having taught at a range of B Schools across the country, I realise the problem and have a solution too to propose. (provided wisdom takes over greed).The whole business of most of the budding B Schools looks like this:
They start with a rented building with a minimum of infrastructure and start promoting their institution. Mostly with some fictitious facts. Remember they are not AICTE affiliated and hence are mostly free to design their own rules (if any). Catchment typically remains the Tier- II cities in India, mostly North India. As MBA has become the new defacto (once it was an Engineering degree), people feel helpless but to join. Intake is huge and often not much heed is paid to the quality. They get lured by the bloated promises and fancy photographs shown during the hunt and the induction. At times these students are not even clear as to what does an MBA course mean to them or do they really need one degree. The hope remains that paying a huge sum (avg. 4 lakh/ 2 yr + 2 lakh for misc) would get them employable.
Two years just pass by. Limited number of classes coupled with a fast realization of the status often render students frustrated and hopeless. It adds to injury when placements do not happen as expected (or promised) and these young sparks slowly douse off. And then comes the next batch, lured with some fake promises and poor support infrastructure. In short, the causes to this dismay are:
- Greed of the institution to make quick bucks, overnight
- Lack of awareness on the part of students as to choose the right career and (then) institute
- No investment (or very little) on infra, both soft and hard.
On the other side there are these numerous start-ups and emerging (small) firms that need such talent to work for them. They can't afford a bomb which MBAs expect and they often remain deprived to such (average) talent. So what's the solution.
Simple- Match the following!
The emerging B Schools must only eye at emerging Corporate, not the large ones. Both need each other.
As always its easier said than done. Some of the operational issues remain:
- How to lure students knowing that they would be working with start-ups
- How does the institute take that chance to only start working with less recognized companies
- How these small firms make the most of this (average) talent, and most importantly
- How the course and delivery gets designed to make more sense to the start-up and small firms.
Am sure there are institutes working towards the same. I would be happy if they Match the Following!
6 comments:
Colleges and students should look for companies that are small, that are flexible and that allows their employers to think and break the normal route...
This could be done through word of mouth marketing. Companies and colleges could spread the word that they are looking for these kinda companies
The next one is colleges should look for companies that are expanding or just now got venture funding or expanding.. They could be big or small to
sir i think placement cell of a B school plays a vital roles in marketing of colleges. they should act as liasion between college & companies .i think in this time the emerging B school candidate can plays a vital role if they can prove there calibre.the main point is getting a oppurtunites.this oppurtunities should be created by placement cell of the emerging B school.
Sir,This is very focussed point you have given about the b-schools.As far as i have observed ,respective students also get to know the reality once they get inside the institute.
So here's the Point of View:
Like any market there would be suite of products at various price point to choose from. Bad products will get advertised while there would always be brilliant products not needing any axplicit sound.
It's the customer who needs to be educated and prudent enough to make a call and invest.
Remember, both the entry barrier as well the exit barrier are high here. There's a enormous opportunity cost to be paid as well the real cost ($).
Sir,
What i think is both college as well as students need to set the expectation right....so that rather than looking for short term monetary gains both should stand for long term perspective.
Well said Ankit.
Be ware of so mant Snake Charmers that you would see around. These are the 1500 plus B Schools in the country. The students have two arrive at two things to start with:
1- do they really want an MBA course
2- Is this the best choise available today.
I have seen more than a few students missing on the first question completly. They are not bad or poor performers or anything- they are just misfits. Believe me misfits are everywhere, even at the most coveted institutes of the world.
Bottom line remains- It's your career and take a control of it, before somebody else does.
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