IIM Profile Evaluation Thread: Post all Profile Eval Requests Here

Hi,

Here's my take on the profile eval:

1. GMAT - is fine, in case you are preparing for the GMAT and have planned a retake, a higher score will always be better.

2. Academics - Good

3. Work experience - handling all stages of product development gives you a good exposure. However the R&D work experience does pose certain limitations like the business perspective, readiness for the post MBA recruiters etc. Though the MBA program will definitely give you the readiness for post MBA transition, the B school would like to see your clarity and efforts on the same front.

4. Goals - Product management - You have mentioned that you would like some inputs on that - which product management are you referring to?
a) Product management in the IT sector (i.e technology sector) - if yes, then do check out the recruiters' requirements on technical languages/ programming experience etc as well.
b) If you are referring to Product management in the manufacturing sector then that is something that you are probably already doing or will do so very soon in the organisation, where does the MBA fit? Think and research deeply on a clear fit and your preparation for that. It will be the most important step in your application.

All the best!



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Hey GauthamManoj,

Your profile has strong potential for admission to top business schools like IIMA: PGPX and IIMK: PGP-BL. You have a decent GMAT score of 690.

To enhance your application, showcase your consistently impressive academic achievements and provide context on your university's reputation. In your work experience, highlight specific project details, measurable results, and your leadership role in new product development.

Emphasize achievements, such as being recognized as the best engineer, filing patents, and industry acknowledgments. Showcase your leadership and organizational skills in extracurricular activities, describing specific initiatives and achievements.

Lastly, articulate your passion for product management and how an MBA will contribute to your goals, aligning your experiences with the required skills. By addressing these aspects succinctly, you will strengthen your profile for top business schools. Good luck with your application!

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Hi,

Can you please evaluate my profile:

Indian - General -Female

10th - 94.8%
12th - 96.3%
Btech - Instrumentation (8.03)
Total work experience - 5 years
Worked for 4 years in Cognizant as Quality Analyst. Work related to testing Investment bank application.
Currently working in TCS since 1 year as automation tester.

Extracurricular: Cultural coordinator during btech for Department fest.
Toastmaster since 5 months
Spoc of csr activities in TCS.

GMAT: planning to give exam in the last week of june.
Target bschools: All IIM's one year full time MBA.
Post MBA goals: Product Manager

Posted from my mobile device

It's always delightful to engage with professionals from the tech industry. Here's our take on your profile:

- You've performed remarkably well academically, which could go a long way in impressing the admission committees. Since you're yet to take the GMAT, we suggest targeting a score of at least 680+. Given your background, this should be achievable with dedicated preparation. Also, your extracurriculars demonstrate leadership and community involvement - make sure to highlight these experiences.
- Your industry profile is quite prevalent among MBA aspirants, particularly in the tech industry in India. Being from a common pool, it's crucial to differentiate yourself by emphasizing unique projects or leadership roles you've had in your career. Also, you haven't mentioned your post-MBA goals. We recommend clearly articulating them to demonstrate your drive and direction.
- Your consistent work experience in Quality Analysis and transition to automation testing in reputable firms like Cognizant and TCS is appreciable. Nonetheless, it will be beneficial to highlight specific instances where you made a significant impact, led a team, or implemented innovative ideas.
- For the next steps, we advise you to gain more leadership experiences at work or through extracurricular activities. Additionally, you should start researching on your target B-schools to understand how their curriculum, culture, and career services align with your post-MBA goals.

We hope this evaluation proves useful, and we invite you to share any additional queries here or reach out to us directly.

Hi,

Can you please evaluate my profile:

Indian - General -Female

10th - 94.8%
12th - 96.3%
Btech - Instrumentation (8.03)
Total work experience - 5 years
Worked for 4 years in Cognizant as Quality Analyst. Work related to testing Investment bank application.
Currently working in TCS since 1 year as automation tester.

Extracurricular: Cultural coordinator during btech for Department fest.
Toastmaster since 5 months
Spoc of csr activities in TCS.

GMAT: planning to give exam in the last week of june.
Target bschools: All IIM's one year full time MBA.
Post MBA goals: Product Manager

Posted from my mobile device

Hi Varshini,

Sharing the profile evaluation as below:
1. Grades - Your academic scores are very strong.
2. GMAT - Not yet available
3. Work Ex - Quality & automation testing. This may be a limitation as you are typically not exposed to a lot of technologies directly in this role, unless you put in explicit efforts to gain that knowledge/ experience. It is not clear from the detail here, but I would like to suggest that you should put in efforts to build a world view and a business view plus a technological awareness (not applicable if you are already doing it).
4. Goals - Quality is one aspect of developing a good product, so what you are doing does add a lot of value to the target role. However, you should study a few JDs for the target Product management roles to identify if there are other areas where you need to work upon. The schools do wear a recruiter's hat at times in the interview process.

Apart from the GMAT these are some important things to keep in mind when you are preparing.

All the best!


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Hi thanks for the evaluation.
1) What can be good gmat score range for me I have not crossed 700 in my mocks.
2) I have some working knowledge in Financial reporting, Private Equity and tech side in Selenium Java, SQL. Will that suffice?

Hello,

1. Anything around 700 or above should be good.
2. Working knowledge of Financial reporting, Private Equity and tech side in Selenium Java, SQL - please pin point and see how this knowledge brings to closer to your target goals. If it does, then its sorted, else you might have to plan on developing some additional skills.

Best of luck.


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Hi GauthamManoj hope this finds you well

I myself have 6 years of experience in the R&D and Industrialization team (Pre MBA) of a major automotive manufacturer and hope to add value to your questions.

GMAT score - your GMAT score is fine and your Q50 is satisfactory. However, when it comes down to statistics, since IIM A and IIM B are such competitive programs with smaller cohorts, your overall score of 690 might matter in the final decision. But since your undergraduate GPA and academic performance are good, it looks more favorable than unfavorable.

Work Experience - You did not mention your industry. What kind of R&D company did you work for and how does that make you a unique applicant? As someone who has interviewed for INSEAD admissions, I can say that a deep understanding of your industry dynamics can help you stand out in the admissions process. Since you have been involved at all levels, from market research to design to shop floor to production launch, consider what insights from these engagements motivate your decision to pursue product management and how your experience in the sector gives you the skills needed to transition into product management (in a focused industry).

Goals - Product management is a broad field. You need to be clear not only about what type of role you are interested in, but also how your past experience in a role focused on "design" has awarded you the right type of transferable skills and design thinking you need to succeed as a product manager. Research the types of companies that would value your previous experience and provide a springboard for your career in a new field. Sometimes manufacturing profiles can falter in presenting a solid strategy for transitioning directly into a PM role. If this is the case for you, you could present a phased plan where you either start in a role on the fringes of product management or take responsibility for a small part of a larger product system. Think about the skills you have acquired based on your previous experience and identify areas where you would like to improve. If you want to move to a different industry, think about the new skills that would be required for that move.

Outstanding candidates usually have a Plan A and a Plan B, and back them up with relevant insights gained from networking with graduates, potential recruiters, and industry experts. This demonstrates that you are well informed and proactively planning for your future career success.

ECs - Your ECs are fine from an Indian B-school perspective, but if you can put examples of more community engagement into your essay stories, it will have more impact than simply checking off ECs on your resume.
Feel free to connect should need candid advice.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

Hi Varshini969 hope this finds you well

Your academics are decent, but you did not mention your undergraduate pedigree (Tier 1/2/3).
And I hope you understand that you have what is seemingly the most overrepresented work profile in India (Cognizant + TCS).

It is critical that you demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the industry you catered to while at Cognizant and TCS and show examples of understanding the business implications of your work. Show how you progressed year on year, gained incremental responsibilities through promotions, leadership or cross functional stakeholder management, and a mature perspective on the relevance of your work. This is crucial for your chances at a top-tier IIM.

I would not suggest having anything less than a 730. The higher the better. Remember that, at the end of the admissions process, unless you have differentiated yourself with your background and experience, you may just be a statistic for the evaluation committee, and they may prefer someone with stronger academics or a better GMAT score. This reality check in advance will help you prepare effectively and face challenging competition.

Goals- PM goals are among the most generic. How you would be a great fit for this role, and what have you done to understand more about the kind of PM you want to become (industry focus, level, scope) will add value to your case.

Your ECs seem dated but I am sure you haven't spent enough bandwidth on how to unravel relevant experiences there.
I suggest that you think deeper and analyze whether you have missed considering any mundane/ unobvious/ subtle initiatives you may have taken through the years ( travel, learning a new language, certain diversity initiatives at work, for example, raising voice against gender discrimination, voicing strong opinions for diversity in the workforce, providing financial or moral support to someone in need, teaching the underprivileged kids, organizing diversity talks or off-site activities for better collaboration among teams, and so on). In my experience, I have seen that applicants struggle to recall in the early stages of application how they contributed toward the betterment of their community. It could take a little introspection and guidance to unravel it all.

Feel free to reach out for a candid discussion.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

Hello Varshini969

IIMs will evaluate your profile on four factors-
1) Academic Potential- checks the box with decent past scores, but the GMAT score is equally (if not more) important. An estimated score will further help assess your chances as with an IT background you will need an above par score to stand out.
2) Work ex- While you have a strong brand on the CV, none of the information shared sheds any light on career progression or achievements. There will be several candidates with your background, how does your work ex stand out via the story you tell in the essays and interviews will make all the difference.
3) Diversity- Software background makes it difficult to stand out as you belong to the largest and most competitive pool of IT applicants. A couple of extracurricular activities look good though. Toastmasters is a B school favorite but you need to showcase accomplishments/impact here. Keep in mind that school/university activities do not add much weight unless the achievements are stellar and still relevant. To conclude, we need to identify any qualities/traits/life experiences that can help us prove to the school that you will be a great addition to the class and help add value to the experience of your batchmates inside and outside the classroom.
4) Career goals- ISB is looking for leaders with a clear and realistic vision of their career and you seem to have goals that are organic and one of the most sought after post MBA, only need to weave it with your past experience and showcase why now is the best time.

Apart from scoring a 720+ on the GMAT, what is crucial from here is strong presentation of your narrative weaving together your past experience with your future goals.

Best
Varun
MBAkarma.com
+91-8452954888 (WApp for quick response)

Hi experts,

Please evaluate my profile:

Indian - General - Male

10th - 91.2%
12th - 92%
Btech - Mechanical (8.5/10) - Tier 2 Central Govt College

Total work experience - 4+ years
2 Yrs - Design engineer, EPC company - power sector,
(significant client interactions; support to sales teams, coordination with PM teams post order confirmation)
Current (2+ Yrs) - Project manager, digital transformation, manufacturing company

Extracurricular - Nothing significant

GMAT: planning to take
Target Bschools: IIM A&B 1-Yr MBAs
Post MBA goals: Product Manager

Kindly suggest what can be done to make my profile stronger and more competitive

Thanks in advance !!

Hello Spectre26

Without an expected GMAT score, very tough to comment on your chances.
Details shared on work ex tell very little as there is lack of quantitative details (such as career progression, international exposure, achievements or even brands on the CV) and makes it difficult to say whether this will be a stand out strength.
Considering lack of extracurricular activities and one of the most sought after post MBA goals, your Diversity factor seems low. Is there any trait/quality/experience that can help you prove that you will be a good addition to the class and will be able to add value to the experience of your batch mates inside and outside the classroom?
In absence of such details all I can say is go for a high GMAT score (730+) and really work on a narrative that makes you stand out in the large and competitive pool of engineering applicants that aspire to become product managers after MBA.

Best
Varun Sharma
+918452954888 (WA message for a quicker response)
MBAkarma.com
info@mbakarma.com





Posted from my mobile device

Hey Varshini969,

You've certainly made a splash academically, showcasing consistent dedication and brilliance. Pair that with your enriching work experience at Cognizant and TCS, where you've dived into significant projects and delivered tangible results, you're on the right track! Your involvement as a cultural coordinator and a Toastmaster further spices up your profile, amplifying your leadership and communication skills.

Next up is the GMAT. Keep aiming high and prepare thoroughly to secure a strong score, the IIMs would appreciate that. Your desire to become a Product Manager resonates well with your background. Just remember to articulate your motivations and the unique value you'd bring to this role.

Your leadership role in CSR activities at TCS and other instances where you’ve directed key projects, solved complex problems, and influenced change are all golden opportunities to demonstrate your impact. For instance, perhaps you led an automation testing project that enhanced efficiency by 30% or you mentored junior testers in your team to become proficient. Don't forget to highlight these moments.

Craft your essays with a personal touch, connecting your past achievements, present pursuits, and future goals to form a compelling narrative. Secure strong recommendation letters, they're like your secret sauce, affirming your growth potential. And finally, remember your profile is a jigsaw puzzle; every piece must fit together to present a comprehensive, vibrant picture of you.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Hi,
Two suggestions in addition to the GMAT scores:
1. Get some extracurriculars. A well rounded personality is a plus for MBA applications.
Sharing some options here -
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shruti-p ... er_android

2. Research the goals well. Are you referring to product management roles in the tech industry? If yes, then you can check a few job descriptions of your target roles and identify the skill gaps if any. It's a good idea to build new skills as required.

All the best 👍



Posted from my mobile device
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Hi experts,

Please evaluate my profile:

Indian - General - FEMALE

10th - 70%
12th - 65%
B.Sc - Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Microbiology (7.2/10) - State Govt. College
M.Sc.- Microbiology(7.5/10)

Total work experience - 4+ years
Worked in a Biologics Firm, especially dealt with Covid Vaccine Production and Cancer biosimilar production.
Helped in formulation of Drug and its Efficacy. Dealing with Regulatory Affair team for the release of Drug in Market.


Extracurricular - Like researching about Stocks and also a passive Investor/Trading

GMAT: planning to take
Target Bschools: IIM B,C,I and K,ISB 1-Yr MBAs
Post MBA goals: Strategy Management, Finance Management, Marketing Management.

Hi Priyankajaismali hope this finds you well. You have a very interesting work background.

I gather from your profile that you worked in formulation but were more oriented towards the development to production rollout aspects, which is great because it gives you the opportunity to speak about your ability to work under a high-pressure environment where you are likely to coordinate with a plethora of stakeholders at all levels (from leadership to marketing to manufacturing - all those who have a vested interest in having the production on time). Definitely take advantage of your unique positioning to create a strong leadership narrative.

Industry focus - Since you are considering a 1-year MBA, your post-MBA industry will most likely also be pharma/healthcare (although you did not mention). Candidates who exhibit a strong understanding of their industry, supported by extensive reading, research, and hands-on experience, stand out. In your essays and interviews, delve into your industry's future trends, challenges, or emerging approaches. For instance, identify a problem you may have observed at close quarters in pharma/biopharma in India and discuss strategies to achieve a sustainable solution. Engage the adcom in a captivating vision that highlights your expertise in your area.

Goals Research - Your post-MBA goals are a bit all over the place at the moment.

Strategy Consulting with a tier 1 consulting company like MBB with a focus on Big Pharma/Healthcare in a few years' time (if you start as a generalist) would make a more realistic goal. This would give you a hands-on opportunity to work with a number of industry leaders in an area where you would like to focus on in the long term (for example you could ask for specialization in marketing after a few years as a generalist).

Marketing Management for pharma/biopharma is usually related to patient centricity and involves conducting marketing activities to ensure better patient treatment experiences. Applicants who have prior experience working closely in a market research role with caregivers (such as in ZS consulting) are strong candidates for projects in the market positioning of therapies/treatments in biopharma/pharma. Tier-1 consulting companies are again a great place to gain exposure to market research and positioning projects in pharma/biopharma. These profiles can eventually transition into strategic marketing roles in biotechnology companies or pivot to a large pharma company as a Patient Engagement Leads, where they work on enhancing patient-centricity.

I am intrigued why you did not mention IIM A in your school list. You would be a great fit for IIM A PGPX. But do focus on getting a solid 720+.

Feel free to reach out for a candid discussion.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

Posted from my mobile device

Hi Priyankajaismali,

Overall, your profile is good and you have a good chance of being admitted to your target schools. Your academic record seems decent. The 10th and 12th grades are average but can be offset by the master's. Your work experience in the biotechnology industry is relevant and can make your profile stand out to an extent. Your involvement in the drug formulation process and work with the Regulatory Affairs team can be used to showcase your understanding of the industry, which can go a long way in making a good impression on the MBA admissions committees, especially if you can articulate your understanding of the industry, your accomplishments, clarity of goals and the impact you've created well.

Here are some areas where you could improve your profile:

GMAT score: Aim for a score of at least 700 to be competitive for admission to your target schools

Leadership experience: You could work on gaining some kind of leadership experience

Networking: Network with people in your industry and learn more about the industry. Try to identify a niche problem in your industry that you would want to solve using your skills and MBA. This will help show the adcoms that you are clear about your goals and the need for an MBA at this stage

Application materials: Make sure to write clear, concise and compelling essays that highlight your unique selling points - your skills, achievements and clear career goals. The post-MBA goals you've mentioned in strategy management, finance management and marketing management could align well with the skill set and experiences you have if you can research well and connect your goals with your past experiences and show a clear understanding of how an MBA will help you achieve the specific goals

For a more detailed 1-1 strategy session, please write to contactus@admitexpert.com or fill the form at http://www.admitexpert.com

Good luck!
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Hi Spectre26,

Your academic record is great throughout. This is a positive aspect in your profile. Aim to get a GMAT score of 720+ to further strengthen the competitiveness of your profile.

Your work experience shows skills in engineering and project management. We would have to delve deeper into your team management and project management experiences, your specific accomplishments and the impact you have made in your various roles to get a clearer picture of the quality of your work experience and whether it is competitive enough for the top schools.

Not having any extracurricular activities is a negative aspect but is not a huge disadvantage. This can be offset by showcasing strengths in other areas such as gmat, work experience quality and achievements, essays, LORs etc.

With respect to your post-MBA goals, you need to connect your career goals with your experiences and skills and show how an MBA will enhance your skills and position you for success in product management. For this, you first need to be clear on why you would want to become a product manager and what skills and qualifications you have for the same.

For a more detailed 1-1 strategy session, please write to contactus@admitexpert.com or fill the form at http://www.admitexpert.com

Good luck!
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