Expectations Management: Are B-Schools truly sought out for Academic Nirvana?!

Prospective students have their own reasons for seeking education at B-Schools. Though ‘Academic Nirvana’ is somewhere on the list, getting a ‘dream job’ is by far the most popular reason. While this may be a compelling reason, it would help to remember the following:

• Job market buoyancy depends on macroeconomics cues 
• It also depends on Immigration Rules (visas) for those requiring work permit in a specific geography
• Networking - though does not guarantee jobs – goes a long way in understanding industry culture and making good first impressions to those from the industry

B-Schools, of course supplement the journey towards ‘Dream Job’:

• Provide an academic background required to appreciate and contemplate on all career options available – Banking/Private Equity/Asset Management/Consulting/Industry
• Organize networking events (seminars/guest lectures/recruitment events) to meet and interact with industry experts
• Pride themselves on their ‘Career Services’ that acts as a ‘Mentor’ to help set realistic goals while treading the path of ‘Dream Job’

So what is a student’s responsibility?

• To do the homework on choice of B-school and Programme in cognizance with career goals
• To take advantage of the supplementary role played by the School to find a ‘Dream Job’. There would be situations where you are discouraged and demotivated by feedback from various people – career services/industry experts etc. However, keeping reality in mind and going with ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ is the right attitude that would accelerate your journey towards your ‘Dream Job’!

MBA vis-à-vis MiFs @ LBS

MBA is a more general programme – a pool of people from diverse backgrounds who are looking to switch careers; hence their career options subsequent to graduation are innumerable. They have the choice of specialising in general management, finance, PR, marketing and/or a combination of these. They also significantly outnumber the other programs at LBS. 

Those applying to MiF are the ones who have a background in finance (majority) and are keen on a career in finance – looking to gain international exposure, shift geography or shift areas within the finance sector. Obviously it is a specialized program for people with focus in the niche area of finance. Recently it has been made a 10-16 month format to introduce an element of flexibility to the students relating to the course pace.

Comparing MBAs and MiFs would be like comparing apples and oranges!!! Which course suits an individual is completely a personal choice based on various factors.

Hope this article throws a reasonable perspective on reality.