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deepakkarthik86
Joined: 24 Mar 2017
Last visit: 21 Jan 2020
Posts: 9
Own Kudos:
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
GMAT 1: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 2: 730 Q49 V40
WE:Consulting (Consulting)
11 Jul 2017, 06:20
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Manish,
I just wanted to reach out to you to get some outside perspective on my profile and potential areas of improvement for the admission process. I have read quite a lot of positive reviews of MBA Crystal Ball and I think your team would be able to help me start this process on the right foot.
Background: B.Tech Polymer Engineering and Technology ( Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai erstwhile UDCT)
Age: 30
10th (CBSE)- 89%
12th (CBSE)- 94%
B.Tech (Mumbai) - 67% (First Class) (Not sure what GPA this is. According to information provided during the GMAT exam, it was categorised under 4.0 (out of 5)
Total Experience: 8 years and 10 months
2 years and 10 months in BD and Marketing a German Chemical Company
Achievements:
- Brought in the one of the biggest customers for the Polyurethane Division in BASF, when the team was struggling to bolster sales and maintained business for more than year
- Single handedly organised one of the biggest industry events (on the Phasing out of Fluorocarbons in India according to updates in the Montreal Protocol) for the PU (IPUA) industry on behalf of my company.
- Youngest member of the first Indian ITG (Industry Target Group) for the Construction Industry in the company. Was part of the team (From the Polyurethane team) which developed a proprietary module solution for heat management for the industry.
- Presented a alternative business model/approach to break ground in the plastic water meter market to the chairman of the company, which was taken forward (since after my resignation) to become a specific market focus in itself.
6 years in- Global Consulting and Market Research Firm- Started as a analyst and then moved into team leadership (Team of 13 analysts) and then into global business leadership for the Chemicals team.
Achievements:
- Have been amongst the top 25 employees in the company 4 times in a row (2012-2016).
- 3 of my team members has been awarded the same for each of these 4 years. My group was the only one to have so many amongst the top 25 consecutively for 3 years.
- Handled the biggest business area for 2 years focusing on Chemicals and Materials in Automotive and Construction ( USD ~1M). Was the Youngest Industry Manager in the team.
- Led the analyst team with half the strength to reach 90% of the annual research target
- Best Personal/Team Revenue Contribution- 400K USD
- Led a Transnational team(APAC,US) on a 150K USD Strategy Consulting project with a Fortune 500 Chemical Company successfully
I have given GMAT 3 times in the last 5 years. These are my scores
2011: 580 (Q44, V27)
2013: 660 (Q47, V34)
2017: 730 (Q49, V41)
In 2011, I was not so motivated in getting an MBA after 2.5 years of experience, but I just gave it a shot. In 2013, I did prepare quite decently, but never applied with the score because at the time, my firm pushed me into business leadership, something I thought will give me much more experience than an MBA.
Even though I think I have gained significantly being in these leadership/team management roles, I felt I was learning comparatively less and less as I progressed. I really wanted to broaden my perspective. Strategy and Chemicals are surely part of my core, but I want to diversify into allied roles like product/Brand management or into other industries (FMCG, Automotive etc.). This in brief, was one of the reasons I wanted to pursue my MBA. In order to better my chances of getting into a Top b-school, I gave my GMAT again.
From what I have heard, the adcom takes your latest or highest score, but I had 2 questions regarding this.
1. Will they consider the continuous improvement a positive thing during the application process?
2. Is it necessarily negative for your application when you give the exam multiple times?
Other Achievements:
- Was one of the Music event heads for our colleges first ever inter-college festival and was specifically responsible for organizing the Rock Show , fundraising and marketing for the same. Brought 2 of the India's then biggest bands to perform for us. Footfall for the show was ~2000.
Ongoing:
Presently working with a small NGO to help optimise one of their specific food distribution programs for the mentally retarded/destitute and underprivileged homes. This is however ongoing and I am doing this within my personal capacity as a volunteer since the Founder is related to me.
Other related information-
- Self taught guitarist and played in a band in Mumbai during my college.
Weakness:
1. I am right now on a break for the last 2.5 months mainly due to personal reasons. Even though,I am working with a small NGO right now, its just as a volunteer and not as an employee. Not sure how this will come across after being employed for almost 9 years.
2. Apart from having been the Music Event head during college and a Guitarist, I have really not won any specific awards/certificates outside of work.
Colleges:
IIM A-PGPX, IIMB -EPGP, ISB
HKUST
INSEAD, HEC ( These 2 are my dream schools)
Considering Rotterdam additionally as a safer option
Not really keen on U.S colleges at this point, but would like to have your opinion w.r.t my profile.
Would be really great if you could give me your overall perspective as well.
I just wanted to reach out to you to get some outside perspective on my profile and potential areas of improvement for the admission process. I have read quite a lot of positive reviews of MBA Crystal Ball and I think your team would be able to help me start this process on the right foot.
Background: B.Tech Polymer Engineering and Technology ( Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai erstwhile UDCT)
Age: 30
10th (CBSE)- 89%
12th (CBSE)- 94%
B.Tech (Mumbai) - 67% (First Class) (Not sure what GPA this is. According to information provided during the GMAT exam, it was categorised under 4.0 (out of 5)
Total Experience: 8 years and 10 months
2 years and 10 months in BD and Marketing a German Chemical Company
Achievements:
- Brought in the one of the biggest customers for the Polyurethane Division in BASF, when the team was struggling to bolster sales and maintained business for more than year
- Single handedly organised one of the biggest industry events (on the Phasing out of Fluorocarbons in India according to updates in the Montreal Protocol) for the PU (IPUA) industry on behalf of my company.
- Youngest member of the first Indian ITG (Industry Target Group) for the Construction Industry in the company. Was part of the team (From the Polyurethane team) which developed a proprietary module solution for heat management for the industry.
- Presented a alternative business model/approach to break ground in the plastic water meter market to the chairman of the company, which was taken forward (since after my resignation) to become a specific market focus in itself.
6 years in- Global Consulting and Market Research Firm- Started as a analyst and then moved into team leadership (Team of 13 analysts) and then into global business leadership for the Chemicals team.
Achievements:
- Have been amongst the top 25 employees in the company 4 times in a row (2012-2016).
- 3 of my team members has been awarded the same for each of these 4 years. My group was the only one to have so many amongst the top 25 consecutively for 3 years.
- Handled the biggest business area for 2 years focusing on Chemicals and Materials in Automotive and Construction ( USD ~1M). Was the Youngest Industry Manager in the team.
- Led the analyst team with half the strength to reach 90% of the annual research target
- Best Personal/Team Revenue Contribution- 400K USD
- Led a Transnational team(APAC,US) on a 150K USD Strategy Consulting project with a Fortune 500 Chemical Company successfully
I have given GMAT 3 times in the last 5 years. These are my scores
2011: 580 (Q44, V27)
2013: 660 (Q47, V34)
2017: 730 (Q49, V41)
In 2011, I was not so motivated in getting an MBA after 2.5 years of experience, but I just gave it a shot. In 2013, I did prepare quite decently, but never applied with the score because at the time, my firm pushed me into business leadership, something I thought will give me much more experience than an MBA.
Even though I think I have gained significantly being in these leadership/team management roles, I felt I was learning comparatively less and less as I progressed. I really wanted to broaden my perspective. Strategy and Chemicals are surely part of my core, but I want to diversify into allied roles like product/Brand management or into other industries (FMCG, Automotive etc.). This in brief, was one of the reasons I wanted to pursue my MBA. In order to better my chances of getting into a Top b-school, I gave my GMAT again.
From what I have heard, the adcom takes your latest or highest score, but I had 2 questions regarding this.
1. Will they consider the continuous improvement a positive thing during the application process?
2. Is it necessarily negative for your application when you give the exam multiple times?
Other Achievements:
- Was one of the Music event heads for our colleges first ever inter-college festival and was specifically responsible for organizing the Rock Show , fundraising and marketing for the same. Brought 2 of the India's then biggest bands to perform for us. Footfall for the show was ~2000.
Ongoing:
Presently working with a small NGO to help optimise one of their specific food distribution programs for the mentally retarded/destitute and underprivileged homes. This is however ongoing and I am doing this within my personal capacity as a volunteer since the Founder is related to me.
Other related information-
- Self taught guitarist and played in a band in Mumbai during my college.
Weakness:
1. I am right now on a break for the last 2.5 months mainly due to personal reasons. Even though,I am working with a small NGO right now, its just as a volunteer and not as an employee. Not sure how this will come across after being employed for almost 9 years.
2. Apart from having been the Music Event head during college and a Guitarist, I have really not won any specific awards/certificates outside of work.
Colleges:
IIM A-PGPX, IIMB -EPGP, ISB
HKUST
INSEAD, HEC ( These 2 are my dream schools)
Considering Rotterdam additionally as a safer option
Not really keen on U.S colleges at this point, but would like to have your opinion w.r.t my profile.
Would be really great if you could give me your overall perspective as well.
12 Jul 2017, 00:09
Kudos
Bookmarks
deepakkarthik86
Thanks for the kind words Deepak. A few thoughts and suggestions for you:
- The overall profile, especially the consulting gig sounds pretty good. The brand of your employer will also be good to know. Have you quit or just on a leave? If latter, shouldn't be an issue really. For former, read this. In any case, if it has been for an important personal reason, it can be justified.
- Dont fret about the GMAT bit - schools takes only your highest score and the trend is good.
- On your post-MBA plans, not sure if you've done much research? At least from international programs, it is tough to get into Branding/FMCG areas in general. Make sure you have done enough research on that front. As an experienced candidate also, it'll be tough to do a complete career change.
- Given your age/experience level, non-US programs make sense. I would also recommend you to explore the likes of IMD/Judge. In addition, check eligibility for specialized programs such as Sloan Fellows programs - those can be a pretty good fit in general.
Hope this helps some.
Cheers,
deepakkarthik86
Joined: 24 Mar 2017
Last visit: 21 Jan 2020
Posts: 9
Own Kudos:
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
GMAT 1: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 2: 730 Q49 V40
WE:Consulting (Consulting)
12 Jul 2017, 00:44
Kudos
Bookmarks
Thanks a lot Manish. This is really helpful. Appreciate the time you take on this forum. I have included some further comments based on your inputs.
-The overall profile, especially the consulting gig sounds pretty good. The brand of your employer will also be good to know. Have you quit or just on a leave? If latter, shouldn't be an issue really. For former, read this. In any case, if it has been for an important personal reason, it can be justified. ( The brand is Frost and Sullivan. The reason is actually the former,I had to quit work because there was a very serious health issue with a very close family member and I had to devote my entire attention there immediately and since I did not know when the issue was going to be resolved, I chose to leave. Ofcourse I can delve into exact details, but maybe not on a public forum. Is there an major repercussion to the applications that I can expect?)
On your post-MBA plans, not sure if you've done much research? At least from international programs, it is tough to get into Branding/FMCG areas in general. Make sure you have done enough research on that front. As an experienced candidate also, it'll be tough to do a complete career change. (Yes,I have been reading about this and I understand that this is more US Centric? Correct me if I am wrong. Anyhow,I want my core focus to be still on corporate strategy or business consulting. Brand management is sort of a branch out from there. Is this an issue with corp strategy roles/product management roles too? )
Given your age/experience level, non-US programs make sense. I would also recommend you to explore the likes of IMD/Judge. In addition, check eligibility for specialized programs such as Sloan Fellows programs - those can be a pretty good fit in general.
( Thanks for these inputs. I was looking at a few dream schools such as Insead and HEC (between these 2 and LBS and IMD) and did not want to include too many dream schools in the list. That is the reason I did not select IMD,but if there is a specific reason (apart from age/experience) why you thought my profile fit well with IMD,I will look into it. The only reason I kept away from Judge or for that matter Oxford Said was the whole policy situation in the UK. Talking to a few people, I am getting a strong feeling it might be a risk to invest in the UK right now. Ofcourse, please let me know if you think otherwise. I will surely look at the Sloan Fellows Program. Thanks for that too)
-The overall profile, especially the consulting gig sounds pretty good. The brand of your employer will also be good to know. Have you quit or just on a leave? If latter, shouldn't be an issue really. For former, read this. In any case, if it has been for an important personal reason, it can be justified. ( The brand is Frost and Sullivan. The reason is actually the former,I had to quit work because there was a very serious health issue with a very close family member and I had to devote my entire attention there immediately and since I did not know when the issue was going to be resolved, I chose to leave. Ofcourse I can delve into exact details, but maybe not on a public forum. Is there an major repercussion to the applications that I can expect?)
On your post-MBA plans, not sure if you've done much research? At least from international programs, it is tough to get into Branding/FMCG areas in general. Make sure you have done enough research on that front. As an experienced candidate also, it'll be tough to do a complete career change. (Yes,I have been reading about this and I understand that this is more US Centric? Correct me if I am wrong. Anyhow,I want my core focus to be still on corporate strategy or business consulting. Brand management is sort of a branch out from there. Is this an issue with corp strategy roles/product management roles too? )
Given your age/experience level, non-US programs make sense. I would also recommend you to explore the likes of IMD/Judge. In addition, check eligibility for specialized programs such as Sloan Fellows programs - those can be a pretty good fit in general.
( Thanks for these inputs. I was looking at a few dream schools such as Insead and HEC (between these 2 and LBS and IMD) and did not want to include too many dream schools in the list. That is the reason I did not select IMD,but if there is a specific reason (apart from age/experience) why you thought my profile fit well with IMD,I will look into it. The only reason I kept away from Judge or for that matter Oxford Said was the whole policy situation in the UK. Talking to a few people, I am getting a strong feeling it might be a risk to invest in the UK right now. Ofcourse, please let me know if you think otherwise. I will surely look at the Sloan Fellows Program. Thanks for that too)
14 Jul 2017, 03:28
Kudos
Bookmarks
deepakkarthik86
The break won't be a big issue if things are back on track and you get back to the corporate rigmarole soon - don't wait for MBA and let the break become too long if things are ok back home.
Nope, the branding/FMCG bit is not true only for US. Corp Strategy roles too are few and far between.
IMD was more from age/experience perspective - from a fit perspective, can't comment as I barely know the profile. There aren't very many good programs given your constraints and hence the suggestion. I do agree with UK being tricky.
Hope this helps some more.
Cheers,
