SCMS’ PGDM Class of 2014- 2016 witnessed a strong placement season with recruiters from multiple sectors with multiple profiles to offer

Placement Report 2016: Placement season at SCMS Cochin School of Business had got off to a strong start and ended with astounding energy. Average compensation, maximum salary, number of recruiters and profile of recruiters showed healthy trends for the latest graduating PGDM Class of 2016. A total of 50 companies across Banking, Insurance, Consultancy, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Retail, Telecommunications, Travel & Tourism, Pharmamade offers to the students, covering about 85% of the eligible batch.

The average CTC based on packages offered so far is Rs. 5 lakhs p.a. with the highest offer being Rs. 7 lakhs p.a. Some of the leading companies out of the 50 that have recruited already are Deloitte, Indian Oil Adani Gas Pvt. Ltd., Speridian Technologies, Tufropes Pvt. Ltd., Colgate Palmolive, Idea Cellular, TCS, Asian Paints, Godrej & Boyce, GIC Housing Finance, South Indian Bank, Exide Industries, Abbott Healthcare, Somany Ceramics, Infoedge India Ltd., Maxeed Telecom Utility Services, Gemni Software Solutions, Agape Diagnostics, Ujjivan Financial Services, to name a few.

SCMS has a track record of providing placements to all the eligible students, ever since it was started in 1992. In the academic year 2014-15, 56 major corporate houses hired from campus. With its entrepreneurial culture and variety of programs, SCMS strives to offer the industry the best talent. The school ensures students get the kind of job they desire and have the benefit to sit for companies of their choice that the school brings.

Studying the hiring trends for the year 2015 and 2016, George Joseph, Placement Coordinator, SCMS Cochin School of Business rightly pointed out- “Markets seem to have opened up and good corporates are in search of good talent. At the same time, recruiters remain very choosy with regard to their commitment and recruiting attitude. Newer companies have visited campus this year with compensation offer going up substantially well.”

Dr. Filomina P. George, Director, SCMS Cochin School of Business highlighted- “We at SCMS endeavour to prepare our students to take up the emerging challenges and groom them towards excellence as they pass through the portals of this institution. Recruiters appreciate this quality about our graduates.” With its transparent system of posting job profiles and matching students with recruiters, SCMS Cochin continues to strive to maximise opportunities for its student.

Over the years, SCMS Cochin students have gone on to occupy leadership positions in reputable corporates both in India and abroad, which is a testament to the quality of its programs.

SCMS Cochin to host a FDP on Management Consultancy from 26-27th Aug, 2016

July 6, 2016, Cochin: Consultancy Development Unit of SCMS Cochin will host a Faculty Development Programme (FDP) that will sensitize management professionals, in academia and industry to focus on management consultancies and opportunities it offers them. The two day FDP will be held on 26^th and 27^th August and has been organized under “Building Capacities for Consultancy Development & Knowledge Management with Partner Institution (KMPI)” programme of Consultancy Development Centre (CDC).

Management Consultancy is all about helping organizations improve business. It includes organizational change management assistance, development of skills, capacity building, process studies and analysis, technology implementation and other services. Unfortunately consulting as professional activity in management institutes isn’t explored the way it should be. The FDP will try to address that by emphasizing on the role of management consultancy services and the scope it has to offer.

Helmed by experienced professionals, the FDP will be ideal for faculty members from B-Schools, consulting firms, government departments, consultants and Corporates companies from different industry sectors. Modern, engaging training pedagogy will keep things interesting for participants as they get an overview of consulting and find out more about its process life cycle. The programme will also focus on consultant-client relationships besides ethics and professionalism in consulting.

Marketing of consulting services, proposal preparation and costing of consulting services, securing, planning and delivery of consultant assignment will be some of the other topics covered during the programme. B School representatives will benefit from the session based around consultancy in Management Institutes covering skill gaps. There will also be a segment on “Consultancy as a Professional activity of faculty members in Management Institutions” to look forward to.

Who should attend the FDP? The FDP is designed for faculty members from B-Schools, Department of Management Studies, Consulting firms, Government Departments, Consultants and Corporates / Industries.

Thus the FDP has something for all participants with their own requirements and focus. They will not only go home richer in knowledge and experience but with participation certificates from CDC, New Delhi and the institute too.

To download registration form for the event, click: http://www.scms.edu.in/FDP-16.html

“First we are taught how to follow and then we are shown how to lead,” says latest graduate Asheeta Prabhu who just joined Deloitte as a Tax Consultant

Asheeta Prabhu, a recent graduate of PGDM Class of 2016 of SCMS Cochin School of Business, believes that the biggest advantage she got from her institute was the leadership skills she developed. It helped the PGDM Batch 23 student throughout her stint at the institute and during the all-important placement process as well. The anxious, bumbling girl who came to SCMS Cochin School of Business with hopes for a career in the corporate world has been rewarded with a placement with Deloitte. Here she describes her journey from classrooms to one of the leading corporate brands in the world.

Two years ago

Asheeta remembers her first day at the institute vividly and reminds us that it’s where the journey began for her. “There was a lot of anxiety and tension all around; we were meeting new faces but had no idea what MBA life had in store for us, she says, looking back. “I had decided to go with the flow and give it my best shot every step of the way. That attitude has helped me immensely because I have been able to make the most of the opportunities the institute offered me. And it indeed offers a lot! You just need to know how to make the most of the opportunities presented.”

She believes that one of the crucial learning opportunities during her stint at the institute has been understanding the value of time. It has not only made her punctual but also well organized to take on different responsibilities and deliver on them. “We have had tight schedules all through these two years. Earlier we would have one week’s time to study for the exams, now it’s just one day along with 5-6 assignments. We have been made to pick up the skill of coping with pressure very well –  this is a skill that will come handy forever” she says with a smile.

The leader in Asheeta shines through

According to Asheeta, what sets SCMS Cochin’s Management students apart from the rest is the fact that they are trained to be Leaders from day one. “We learn how to follow and then we are taught how to lead,” says Asheeta while thinking of her journey. “I will rely on these leadership skills in my work life. I know I can be a leader in individual situations but at the same time function well in a team environment. This will help me in my career, which I can’t wait to start now,” she says enthusiastically.

The number game

Asheeta has done her specialization in Finance and is happy that she has bagged a placement in keeping with her interests and skills. She will be working with Deloitte as a Tax Consultant, and is thrilled about her profile. “I will be dealing with clients in the U.S. and it’s a huge responsibility. But I see it as an opportunity to shine and showcase my talents. I will do that from day 1, so in few years’ time I manage to establish myself as a competent manager in Finance,” she says. And given her confidence and focus, you would put good money on her accomplishing just that.

“Do not underestimate the importance of Team Work” – Danish Xavier, PGDM Class of 2016, placed with Coffee Day Beverages

Danish Xavier, student of SCMS Cochin PGDM 23 – Class of 2014-2016, believes that teamwork has been instrumental in his learning and growth as a budding professional. Now that he has been placed as a Sales Management Trainee with Coffee Day Beverages in Bangalore, he plans to invoke that team spirit at work. According to him, this trait and every other skill he has gained at the B-school will help him work towards being a successful professional

A bumbling start

Danish describes his first day at SCMS Cochin as awkward as he had stepped onto the campus as a nervous Electrical and Electronics graduate. After two years, he is not only walking away with a PGDM, specializing in Systems and Operations, but an experience that will help him throughout his life. “I made a few friends on the first day but I was pretty nervous. Two years later I would say it has been an enlightening journey that has brought about several changes in me,” he says with a smile.

Time to smell the coffee

According to Danish, every day at the institute was an eye-opening experience, and he had reality checks every step of the way. “There were three important takeaways for me in these two years: the importance of hard work, discipline and teamwork. The biggest challenge was keeping up with the deadlines. The IMLP sessions not only tested our presentation skills but the ability to deliver on time as well,” he says, reminiscing on his time at the institute.

But the challenges taught Danish ways to improvise and that held him in good stead. He mentions how he started making a set of timetables for the day, which helped him distribute the work load over a week to keep a handle on things. “It taught me so much about time management that I am grateful for today. I used to be quite lazy but I would like to believe I have become more efficient. SCMS Cochin has given me the perfect combination of knowledge and confidence to go into the professional world with a strong belief in my abilities,” he adds.

Time to sell the coffee

Now that he will be working with the sales team of a big brand like Coffee Day Beverages, Danish is reminded of the importance of teamwork. It’s something he learned in SCMS Cochin and plans to use it to good effect. “You can’t function in the professional world on your own. I will be a team player at work, where I have plenty of opportunities to grow,” he says, buzzing with energy. “After a month of training I will be the Territory Sales Manager. I will be meeting with clients, setting up dates, negotiating proposals etc. It’s going to be one exciting ride that I am really looking forward to.”

Where the 1 year MBA wins

India is belatedly seeing a trend of education sabbaticals among corporate workers. The late 20s, early 30s and in some cases, even late 30s is a time when many executives are looking to retool or take a break, call it what you will. In terms of decision points, outside of the institute itself, the crucial one is the choice between 1 and 2 year programs.  There are many arguments made for and against both ranging from course coverage to internships to bonding opportunities.

However, when it comes to experienced MBA candidates, the 1 year program makes for a more compelling case. Reasons why:

• The opportunity cost

Opportunity cost is defined as the amount that you lose while engaging in an alternative activity. For a person with say 5-10 years of experience, taking a career break is an expensive proposition in terms of lost earnings. Very crudely and effectively, the opportunity cost of a 2 year program is twice that of a 1 year program, all else being equal.

• The optimal utilization of time

In a 2 year program, time would be spent on elementary and introductory business concepts that an experienced student is expected to be well versed of. Besides this, a valuable period of 3 months is spent on internships, which are meant to acquaint an inexperienced student with corporate life, something that on the face of it appears needless for an experienced person.

• The focusing ability

One of the oft cited arguments against the 1 year program is that it crams in a lot of content into half the time. This is a fair point to some extent since the contact hours in a 1 year program are just about as much as that in a 2 year one. However, a person with work experience does bring in the focus, concentration and stamina that is expected to cope with this load.

• The relevance

The case for the 1 year program becomes somewhat self-fulfilling given that such programs attract more experienced candidates, who can relate to each other in a classroom setting. On the contrary, a bulk of the class in a 2 year program will be fresh out of an under-graduate program, with no work experience.

The popularity and relevance of the 1 year MBA is borne out by the number of institutes offering this option. While ISB was the only port of call in India among the reputable institutes, in the last few years, all the major IIMs have added the 1 year option. XLRI, SP Jain and host of other established B-schools also now offer a 1 year MBA. The growing popularity and relevance of this option has seen a number of new programs coming up from established institutes/universities, among them are NorthCap University, Gurugram’s 1 year PGDM (specializing in Technology and Digital Businesses) and Crescent Business School, Chennai’s 1 year PGPM. Both these programs are targeted at students with extensive work experience and both focus on practical learning opportunities.

Goa Institute of Management Announces Program On Compensation & Benefits

Panaji. April 21. Goa Institute of Management (GIM) is holding an Executive Learning Solutions Program, on ‘Compensation & Benefits’ between 13 and 14 May 2016 at its campus in Panaji. The Program focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of compensation & rewards and is targeted at HR professionals involved in compensation planning or desirous of entering this field.

The Program aims to address aspects such as developing an understanding of the linkage between rewards & business strategy, compensation survey, preparation & benchmarking, negotiating with business on rewards, mapping the rewards to “talent pools”, rewards analytics & performance excellence and finally crafting a rewards structure & strategy.

The Program will help the participants gain confidence in designing relevant compensation structures and systems. This is also a certification course that leads to the ‘Certified Compensation & Benefits Expert’ qualification.

Elaborating on the utility of the Program, GIM Director, Dr.Venkatesh, who is the facilitator, said “Compensation is the core of the employee offerings and organizations are looking for innovation in terms of design and administration of compensation & rewards for this talent. This course aims to introduce a formalized and structured methodology to this all important aspect of HRM.”

Further details of the Program and enrollment guidelines are available at http://mdp.gim.ac.in/program.php?id=23

About GIM’s Executive Learning Solutions:

The Executive Learning Solution sprograms at GIM provide intense and transformative learning experience designed to fit the constraints of seasoned mid-career executives. The programs will equip the participants with the various critical capabilities to succeed in an ever-changing global business environment.The different programs are designed to create value for participants from a diverse background. The participant’s diversity in such open programs contribute significantly to cross learning and provides a platform to network beyond their own organization.The various programs have been developed by keeping in mind the various value propositions that each executive brings along with himself. The courses try to leverage on the experience of the participants, and are completely aligned with the latest developments in the industry. The programs focus on experience sharing and help an individual to gain an overall perspective for making critical decisions integrating their functional knowledge and general management approaches.

The I-Global MBA from Shiv Nadar University

• Shubhro Sen

The School of Management & Entrepreneurship (SoME) at Shiv Nadar University has launched its two-year I-Global MBA Program. The I-Global Program is symbolic of our core vision to be a globally recognized institution for developing outstanding leaders and entrepreneurs and for advancing the theory and practice of management.

I: Let me start with explaining what the ‘I’ in I-Global is all about. This symbolizes two aspects. The first aspect is the preparation of students for a business world disrupted by technology. The second aspect is that we view each candidate as a distinct individual – each of them will be put through detailed personality and educational profile assessments so that we can fill gaps in their capabilities as well as channel their energies in the appropriate direction. So this ‘I’ is really about making it a personalized program, and that this program is about you as an individual.

Global: At SoME, we are working towards creating global leaders… in India, for India and the world. For this, we have introduced a number of global elements in the program that will allow them to achieve these objectives. This begins with courses and projects that have an explicit cross-cultural and international dimension.It will be heightened further via exposure to global universities. Our partner universities are Babson College, Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, as well as one of the top universities in China, the Peking University, where a number of our students have already visited. In addition, global internship and project opportunities will be available to students.

Capacity Development: Out-of-the-box thinking is a prerequisite for success today and in-class learning in the traditional form is inadequate. From program design to curriculum and pedagogy, the entire emphasis at SoME is on multi-modal learning. What students learn through academics is applied by them in real life situations to develop hands-on experience while still in the two-year program. Students are also formally taught creativity and innovation. For example, we have one of the world’s finest professors in this area, Michael Gelb, author of 13 best-selling books, as a visiting professor to teach innovation and creativity workshops. The former Chief Innovation Officer of GTE Sylvania, who pioneered LED lighting, is also part of the visiting faculty roster.

Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship is in the DNA of Shiv Nadar University. Given that we are founded and driven by the vision of one of India’s foremost and most successful entrepreneurs, Mr. Shiv Nadar, it follows naturally that we try to inculcate some of those sensibilities in our students. Apart from core courses in Entrepreneurship and electives such as Negotiation, Starting Your Own Business, Business Planning and Technology Prototyping, we encourage exposure by way of workshops, where prominent entrepreneurs come to share their journey and the wisdom that they’ve acquired. We want our students exposed to a variety of such people so that they can learn vicariously and not perhaps repeat some of those mistakes. More significantly, Shiv Nadar University is committed to a full spectrum entrepreneurship incubator. Unlike most universities in India, we are a multi-disciplinary university. Apart from the SoME, we have the School of Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, School of Humanities & Social Sciences and School of Law operating out of the same campus. The exposure that students get across all of these disciplines comes together in the incubator. So if you are an existing entrepreneur and you are coming into the program or while in the program you develop a great bankable idea, Shiv Nadar University will not only take that idea and help you sharpen it, we may also help you with the technology prototyping and commercialization. Every summer, starting in 2017, we will have an entrepreneurial “boot camp”. This is for people to come in and take an intensive ten-week course, which will take them through all dimensions of successfully navigating the hurdles from generating an idea and making it a successful commercial business.

In these ways, we plan to make our Program distinctive and more valuable for our students. We look forward to welcoming the future managers, business leaders and entrepreneurs to the SoME.

——

The author is Director of the School of Management and Entrepreneurship at Shiv Nadar University

The best MBA colleges of 2010

CAT has started. Now the next thing to panic about is: which college to choose in order to do justice to career and all hard work invested. Well, indeed it is something to be stressed about, especially when the options are so many. But it is not a decision to be taken over night. Students are advised to research thoroughly before leaping into this one crucial journey of life. Every college or management institute comes with assurance of promising placement records and sky-rocketing claims to the throne of success but the inside scoop is totally different. So when it is something as important as career, nothing should be done without total awareness and knowledge. Why taking risk? If you got the marks go for the best. India now has got every facilities for its management students. Top institutes like  XLRI, FMS, International Management Institute (IMI), Narsee Monjee, IIFT are bagging awards every year in categories of best Asian business schools and are globally credited. These schools are not just known for their faculties but are popular for the faculty strength. Since years they have been securing the top most positions in the rankings of business schools and yes, if you want to be the best, these are the places which can show you the way.

Courtesy: CAT GMAT Aspirants Page