JOIN USShankar Muralidharan suggests certain general rules to be kept in mind while making a decision on the institution best suited to one’s requirements.
Making choices is one of the most capricious aspects humans face in life. The realization of the predominance of career-considerations when weighing your options makes the situation even trickier. In such a tricky situation, blending your own prudence and your elders’ as well as seniors’ wisdom with a tinge of impulse does not seem like a bad idea, provided you know on which platforms you should weigh the relative importance of these often-conflicting ingredients.
Aspirants for a management degree have often been seen struggling with the grueling dilemmas on how to opt for the most suitable B-school, along with keeping in mind the comfort-level which they have vis-à-vis factors like reputation, location, placements, etcetera.
Well, nothing is more universal than subjectivity; that is to say, different people have different criteria when it comes to validating the determinants that are likely to come to the fore when it comes to deciding on their kind of business school.
Yet, here we are, making an attempt to expound some general rules one could revert to when making a decision on the institution best suited to one’s requirements.
Location
Some of you might not wish to move too far away from the comforting environs of your home, and may not be really able to mentally connect to a place that threatens to culturally isolate you. In other cases, you may not envision your dream-career in a particular place. Both these preferences count as essential elements when making that pivotal leap in your career.
Reputation and credentials
When it comes to discerning between an over-hyped B-school and one that genuinely boasts of a credible prestige, online and print sources work the best for you. Apart from these, you can utilize your network of friends and colleagues in order to research more and more on the institution that has occupied your mind. Also, you may be interested in knowing if the institution is recognized by the government or not, and if it has any links to a foreign university, in terms of student-exchange programs, affiliation, placement co-operation, etc.
Personal goals
It is of utmost importance that you are able to very well fathom your own strengths and aptitude. Everyone has different expectations from a management school. You must ensure that the curriculum and the basic academic approach of the B-school are well aligned to areas you are enthusiastic about and are keen to excel in. A B-school may be otherwise extremely high-profile, but may lack an expertise, in terms of facilities, infrastructure or faculty in the domain you are interested in pursuing.
Placement records
Now, this is one instrumental aspect to dissect when researching on the B-school of your interest. Remember, an institution’s past record reflects on its preeminence and dependability in the corporate sector. It is wise to speak to alumni or check the institution’s official website to verify its recruiter records, thereby ascertaining what the place may offer you in both materialistic terms as well as advancing your social standing.
Focus especially on the inclinations of the particular industry that you wish to join after your graduation towards the institution you have in mind. In fact, you can even talk to a potential employer or a friend who is in the same industry to determine their impression of that particular institution.
Facilities
It is paramount to inquire about some extremely critical elements about the B-school you are feeling positive about- faculty, building, library, diversity of pupils, hostels, scholarships, field-trips, exchange-programs, etc. An institution that has facilities amenable to its incoming students is likely to result in a fulfilling experience.
The writer is the Senior Manager of a career bureau.)