Lessons from placements

Now that the placement week is over, I thought it’ll a good idea to jot down a few learning points from the process. These might be useful for the next batch as well----
a) This year ISBians have proved that career shifts are possible. We were told about two aspects of a shift—Functional and location. There is a third one—Markets. If the market is hot and they need ppl and u r smart and know ur stuff any shift is possible.
b) Be ready for surprises---both pleasant and unpleasant
c) Grades are not at all correlated with where one lands up. Except in case of a few consulting shortlists (mind you only shortlists and not conversions!!) grades have not mattered at all. Your personality, communication skills, fit with the employer, prior work ex, and leadership skills matter a lot. Therefore the aim should be to enhance learning—work more on subjects you really want to learn—and not fight with the TAs for each CP point!
d) Ppl you think would get placed on day zero may not get placed till day 10 and vice versa. (Not everyone though!)
e) Most of the employers look for fit. If you come across as someone who cant work with teams, has an attitude problems and thinks that you are god’s gift to humanity just because you were lucky enuf to do whatever you did in your pre ISB life or at ISB, GOD BLESS YOU. As a manager, it extremely important to be able to work with other ppl—after all if you cant work with them how are you going to lead them!!
f) There will be administrative issues. Its just because of the way this system is designed. Improvements are happening each year but be prepared to face these—
g) Unbelievable S&%t will happen. Best policy is to concentrate on your own agenda and not to worry about who is getting what!
h) Term 8 will be bad no matter what subjects you take. Post placements, it is almost impossible to even sit and read—forget about absorbing. Bad bad bad---
i) The site hit count for random ISB blogs (like this one) would almost treble during placement time, even with very few posts. This shows how important placements are for an Indian B-School--

More learnings as I get along with life in Term 8---

Yay!!

Yday was good. All the near and dear ones are placed or atleast have an offer they are more than happy with. So celebrations will start soon. But not before each and every soul on campus is placed----Volunteering for a couple of days now and then a mini break in Mumbai---

For records--
---Consultant dint let us down for the name we gave him in term 1. Cracked BCG!!
---Corp Fin queen got BP-DCT supposedly the hottest IT job on campus--posting in London
---Serious got Citibank---awesome stuff--someone looking at marketing and ops ending up at Citibank--unbelievable
---Herbie gets to stay at home in Pune---With loads of intl travel and a job he wanted and is good at
---Oil and Gas king will grace the GRID practice at PwC.
---Sumit is finally an I-banker--I think thats what he is born to do

Offers are raining. Many ppl got two offers and had to go out of placements. Ppl are really going places--from US to Europe and Australia and many in the batch choosing to stick to India inspite of an international offer in the bag.

I am very sure we are going to break all records. In terms of offers, career shifts, salary u name it and we'll have the record. Cant say much more on this unless official word is out

And today is just day 4! that's just midway into the placements. Some ppl are still looking and i strongly believe that the best is yet to come----Hundreds of companies still to come
Wishing everyone gets placed ASAP.

More updates later---

Its placement time!

Perhaps my longest leave of absence from blogging. Blame it on placements. With so much happening it is really hard to write anything although there is so much to write.

The placement circus has begun. Today is day zero and all the consulting biggies are already here.

Will get back with all updates once its over.

Fingers crossed till then.

EEEE-OOOOooh AAAiiiiiiiiiiii

Thats the kind of pain one would feel when u have to write EOI's over and over for different companies---I wish i could actually submit something like this

"

To: Mr.XYZ,
Managing partner (or whatever),
Faff ur way to glory(FUWG) Consultants

Hey Dude,

Watz up? And what is this deal with EOI and all ?

Arre man u ve visited this campus like a zillion times and couldn’t u see the number of ppl attending each session? r u guys blind or something? U know this campus is full of crazy wannabe consultants and yet u want us to write an EOI? I mean puleez—People would attend your sessions amidst exams, I would say even if one of their parents is dying they would rather attend your session than attend their parent! Isnt that enuf expression of interest? And u are still asking us to write an EOI ---unfair dude

Anyways, now that u want me to write one and explain why I am interested in FUWG, I would start by saying that u guys are real kool dudes. I mean u made the whole campus realise that if we don’t get into consulting, we would be selling vada pavs at Church gate! That’s quite an achievement to make some 400 so called smart asses believe that consulting is the beginning and end of their lives—I am sure u guys use the same tactics to convince clients as well and mint money in the process. All I want is a tiny lil share in that treasure and that can legally happen only if I am allowed to carry ur company’s freakin card.

Yeah yeah I know what u r thinking now! U r thinking y this guy and y not someone else---Listen dude—I am known as the king of faff in this batch---I mean I can sell ur own car to you and then make you gift it back to me---and Coming to quant skills---I can count upto 1000 and can narrate tables upto 10 impromptu---I mean come on—u do these tables in like class 1---and I still remember them—such is my memory---
Another thing is that if I take up any other job they ll make me work hard at real issues. Wont get to travel as much—u see these days with all these airlines around there are so many airhostesses to check out---I mean I am born with a mission & unless I work with u guys how am I going to accomplish that---- u know what I mean? (BTW I am assuming that u fly us Kingfisher or Jet and not Indian for obvious reasons---Intl any full service carrier would do—preferably emirates)

Ok dude so much about me---If u are still not convinced that I am the right candidate, the loss is urs. I guarantee that u will regret it in more than one way—

Take care and c ya on day 0 (I don’t know who the hell invented that “day 0” thing but I am sure it must ve been a consultant---)

Chao

"

Disclaimer
This is just venting of general frustration and not directed against any particular profession (including consulting :) ). If you are a reader of this blog (some random person) just enjoy it (if u can). If you are a c/o 2008 admit, dont worry--things aint too bad. You would feel like writing this next year. If you are a recruiter @ ISB--I am not who you think i am---If u happen to meet this guy called Venkat(the owner of this blog) offer him the highest possible salary and best possible job. He is one smart dude.