Work experience for MBA

Pervin Malhotra             
email your queries to [email protected] 

Q.I have been working as a sales executive in the retail sector. I now want to pursue an MBA. Will my work experience be considered at all? — Reena Phadnia

A. It’s not clear from your query how long you’ve been working in sales. But if you look at the typical class composition of any of our top B-schools, you’ll find that students have an average of two to four years of work-experience. If you have less than two years of work-experience, it will hardly get any weightage in MBA selection or in placement. You’ll be treated on par with fresh graduates. Companies prefer people with prior experience in their functional areas because they can hit the road running and have a lot more to offer.

But too much experience can also go against you — particularly if it’s in an industry other than that of the recruiting company. Some companies at times, prefer relative freshers for their energy, enthusiasm and trainability.

Also a stint at work will help you face the interview panel with a convincing answer to “Why an MBA?” While participating in case-studies, you can relate better to managerial and professional problems if you have come across similar situations in real life. Work-ex also bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience. It gives you clarity of goals and a sharper overview and perspective of what’s happening in the marketplace. All told, it also helps you extract greater value from your MBA.

Rely on authentic sources only

Q.I have seen some ads in our local papers issued by consultants who are recruiting candidates for training as airhostesses. Are they genuine? I’am in Class XII right now. —  Sarena Anand

A. While at times third-party consultants are appointed to conduct the initial selection of cabin crew on behalf of the Airlines (mainly foreign ones), not all of them are genuine. When in doubt, do check-up with the airline concerned to confirm whether they’ve indeed authorised the firm to recruit candidates on their behalf.

Beware of those who demand a fee in lieu of a job. Some of these are known to charge astronomical sums(in lakhs), to get you a job in a “foreign” airline, that too in advance. Avoid them like the plague. Similarly, watch out for those who claim to train or groom you for selection. Barring a few genuine ones, the rest may simply take you for a ride. The actual fact is that airlines prefer to train candidates at their own centres and in their own style, at their own cost (either in India or abroad, depending on where they originate).

At best, these finishing schools will groom you in communication and social skills with some tips and training on grooming, deportment and handling interview questions.

The good news is that domestic as well as foreign carriers are augmenting their fleet of aircraft. This will in turn, boost the requirement for cabin crew.  It is estimated that India will need 26,325 cabin crew by 2027 up from the 11,000 presently. So if you’re looking at a high-flying career and have what it takes — get ready for take-off!

As for now, concentrate on doing well in school. A decent aggregate in class 12 sits well on every resume and bio-data. Plus it will keep your options for further study wide open.

Scope in chemical engineering

Q.What work is involved in the field of chemical engineering? Does it have a good scope these days? — Naman Baxi

A. Chemical engineering is a highly complex and specialised field that investigates how chemicals can be used for research and manufacturing. Building a bridge between science and engineering, Chemical engineers have played a major role in introducing many products that have become an indispensable part of our lives today e.g., synthetic fabrics, plastics, nylon, rayon etc.

Chemical engineers design a range of products from torpedoes to cigarette filters to control systems. Employment opportunities for chemical engineers lie mostly in the refining, plastics, chemical, petroleum and pharma industries and in the field of environment, although most other industries also employ chemical engineers. Even those like textiles, cosmetics and footwear require Chemical engineers.

Given the diverse fields in which chemical engineering finds application, courses in Chemical Engineering are offered at almost every engineering college including the IITS and NITs. The Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology (MUICT) is considered a very prestigious institution for chemical technology (www.udct.org)