5 Things to Avoid During Campus Interview atan IIM Campus

There are lots of things that you should avoid when you are in a campus interview at IIM institute; here we have mentioned the top 5 things that you should avoid during an interview. Always remember that the interviewer will select you on the basis on your skills and knowledge, so improve them as much as you can. Give your best and try to stay relaxed in front of the interviewers. Following are some key points that you must avoid during an interview:

·         Be unprepared – Going for an interview, but don’t know anything about the IIM campus except its name? If you haven’t prepared anything then how will you answer the questions of the interviewer? Prepare a list of answers about the frequently asked questions in interviews. Gather all the necessary and relevant details about the IIM campus where you are going for the interview and don’t forget to carry an extra copy of resume with you.

                                                   

·         Dress unprofessionally – As we all have heard it, “your first impression is the last impression,” so always wear professional clothes while going for an interview. It will make a good impression in front of the members of IIM campus. You are not required to look very classy and stylish, instead do look simple, neat and fresh.

·         Too much ‘I’ – A large number of people use a lot of ‘I’ in front of the interviewer such as I did this, I will do that, I can do that, this is very easy thing for me to do, etc. This leaves no space for other people. You should show team spirit. The ability to work and cooperate in a team is a key skill that recruiters look for inpotential candidates.

·         Lie –Although it is the easiest it may not work in your favour. Don’t lie about your education, qualification, past employment, etc. Lying during the job interview can also become a problem later on if you get selected. The interviewers may not know that you are lying during the interview but they will surely come to know about it later. This would create a bad impression and may affect your future with the company.

·         Coming late –Avoid being late. To do so, you can select your dress a night before, visit the location of the IIM campus a day before if you do not know the exact location. This will help you save time on the day of the interview in searching for the location or wasting time in searching for the right thing to wear.

Careers for MBA in Marketing

Students aspiring for a corporate career with a great start can opt for MBA in marketing. It is one of the highest paying fields after finance. Even during financial crisis, there will be demands for Marketing Professionals. It is considered one of the primary sources of management out of which other specialisations have rooted out. A Job in MBA marketing is all about market research, consumer target, marketing campaigns, understanding consumer behaviour, assessing demands and supply, and marketing strategies.

Functional Areas:

1.    Market research: Developing market plans for introducing new products, expanding existing lines of products. Assessing and determining competitors of the new line of business. Understanding and creating customer segments. Conducting survey to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to improve decision making.

2.    Advertising: It involves conducting advertising, fund raising campaigns, marketing campaigns to launch a product or communicating the product to the public. It is basically the promotion of the product or business through print media, press releases, television and digital marketing.

3.    Sales: Developing marketing strategies to realise maximum sales. It includes giving presentation and demonstrations for sales promotion, organising and assessing distribution network of both retail and wholesale, cold calling and introducing various schemes for clearance of sales.

4.    Branding: The brand is what you promise to deliver. So, branding is an important aspect of marketing because it is through brand that customer perceives your business. Branding involves promotion of the brand, maintaining consistency in quality of your product, coming up with brand strategies. It is one of the high profile jobs in the marketing field.

Skills required:

·         Out of the box thinking

·         Great command over communication skills

·         Good presence of mind

·         Leadership quality

·         Impressive personality

·         A positive mindset and attitude

Colleges and courses:

There are many colleges all over India which offer a MBA degree in Marketing. To name a few: Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Delhi, IIM Bangalore, Faculty of Management Studies in Delhi, Jamunalal Bajaj Institute of Management in Mumbai, SP Jain Institute of Management in Mumbai, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management in Mumbai,  Welingker Institute of Management in Mumbai. One has to write Aptitude tests like CAT/XAT/MAT/NMAT/MH-CET/SNAP/ATMA to seek admission for MBA in marketing. Course duration is of two years. Many of the colleges provide campus placements in the most sought after companies.

Jobs and Careers:

Job opportunities for MBA in marketing graduates are abundant in both public and private sectors. With the advent of technology, now marketing is not just confined to door-to-door sale. A candidate with Marketing degree can earn about 3-8lac per annum, depending on the job profile, experience and reputation of the organisation. Marketing jobs are available in sectors like FMCG, Hospitality, Health care, Luxury, Retail, Fashion, Beauty, Education, Banking, Telecom, Public Relations, Media, Advertising,etc. A job in marketing is challenging but always an uphill. There are tremendous growth prospects for any hard working, innovative and creative candidates. Top recruiters in India are:

1.    Exim

2.    SEA

3.    Sony

4.    Spencer’s Retail Ltd India

5.    KPMG

6.    Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. India

7.    Raymond Ltd.

8.    Landmark

9.    Cognizant solutions

10.  Retail

MBA in HR

Human Resources Management is one of the most sought after management specialization now-a-days. HR Professionalsplay a key role in an organisation as nothing is more important than hiring and training the right people for the right job.HR professionals work as middle men between the organisation and its manpower. And it is them who maintain a correct balance between the growth of an organisation and the growth of its human capital. The main objective of any HR professionals is to create a healthy working environment for the utmost satisfaction of its employees. Good HR Management is the founding stone to a great organisation as Jim Collins has rightly said, “Great vision without great people is irrelevant”

Functional Areas:

1.    Assessing Manpower: Understanding and assessing the needs of present and future human capital in an organisation. And deciding who the right people for the job are and what ought to be their qualifications/skills.

2.    Selection and Recruitment:  It involves drawing out the job descriptions, setting up of selection criteria, conducting interviews or screening processes and the final recruitment of the successful candidates.

3.    Orientation and Training: Herein, HR professionals introduce the new recruits with the company policy and norms. They also conduct orientation programs to welcome the new recruits to the organisation. Training and development involves providing technical and behavioural skills to employees.

4.    Compensation analysis: Deciding salary, leave structure, incentive benefits, employee welfare facilities, pensions, etc. Compensation and benefit management is considered the heart of HR work as it helps in retention of employees.

5.    Performance Appraisal: Using the right techniques and methods to review performance of the employees. Such assessment is needed for promotions and training and, also to maintain a competitive work environment.

Other important functional areas are labour relation, industrial relation, retention, motivation, corporate head hunting, etc. To carry out all these functions successfully, following are the skills that are expected from a HR professional.

Skills Required:

1.    Leadership quality

2.    Brilliant communication skills

3.    Ability to work in a team

4.    Motivating skills

5.    Quick decision making ability

6.    Good listening power

7.    Empathy

8.    Quick learner

9.    Adaptable nature

Colleges and Courses:

One can pursue MBA in HR after graduation in any field. Even a law graduate can apply for MBA in HR. Generally course duration is of 2 years but in some cases it is less than that. The Top colleges in India for MBA in HR are XLRI in Jamshedpur, IIMs, Tata Institute of Social sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, Faculty of Management Studies in Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, University of Delhi, etc. Apart from these there are many other colleges under regional and national universities. One has to write XAT/MAT/CAT/NMAT/SNAP/ATMA entrance exams to get through these MBA colleges. TISS in Mumbai conducts its individual entrance for admission. One can also do a distant course through Symbiosis University, Sikkim Manipal University and IGNOU.

Jobs and Careers:

There are many employment prospects available for HR professionals.  One can join organisations, MNC’s, Educational Institutions, HR consultancy firms, and also do freelance work. PSUs and Banks also hire MBAs in HR. One can also apply for govt jobs after MBA in HR. There is scope for both personal and professional growth. HR professionals are paid lucratively. Some of the top recruiters are:

1.        ABC consultant

2.        Adecco India

3.        IKYA Human Capital

4.        AON Hewitt

5.        Career Net

6.        Randstad India

7.        Naukri