MBA Recruiting for International Students: Live Chat wth Int'l Student

Question

MBA Recruiting for Int'l Students:  Live Chat with Souvik Bhattacharya, Current Ross MBA 
 Thursday, Sept 26, 2019 10am ET (7am PDT / 3pm British time / 7:30pm IST)

Join  souvik101990  for a chat session focused on MBA recruitment of international students at US schools. Souvik is happy to field all of your questions about the career support int'l students get from bschools; the internship and post-MBA career search, the student recruiting experience, and more.

Do post any questions you have about MBA placements in this thread if you want an elaborate answer to them from Souvik in the chat session.

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souvik101990 · Answer

I am stoked to do this chat. I had some downs and ups with recruitment and happy to share!

DealMakerOne · Answer

Narenn, Souvik,

Thank you for this initiative, it is indeed priceless for those pursuing post-MBA work in the U.S.

For me, key questions would be as follows:

1.  (more general/strategic one)  What are the current trends of post-MBA employment for international students (also, for non-Indian, in particular) in light of Trump's tightening visa policies? Hence, how the odds of landing a visa-sponsored job are being changed during the last few years?

2.  (more specific one)  How to look/where to find employers who DO sponsor visas from NOT usual areas (e.g. IB, VC, PE, Consulting, etc.) or even who are NOT as large as usual corporations are, but smaller ones (e.g. emerging startups, mid-size industry/service firms)? Are they recruiting on campus or should the student look outside? What are the odds of securing a visa-sponsored job from them?

Thank you in advance. Excited to join the upcoming Chat.

Best,
D

henryford · Answer

Hi  Narenn  , souvik101990  thanks for your time

Below is my question

What are the job opportunities for non-us or non-Europe candidate with 9 + years of experience in software engineer and completed an executive MBA or Regular MBA .

Can someone let me know what are the additional skillset i should have to get hired in reputed MNC's for the above mentioned experienced.

I know networking can help us getting a job. please let me know other possibilities to find a job opportunity for the above mentioned experience.

Which MBA is preferred for 9 + Exp , i want to do Regular MBA.

Please advise regarding above details so that i will be prepared

Thanks
Henry

SudsMeister · Answer

Hi,

Thank you for taking out the time to address our queries.
A few Qs that I've in my mind:

1) What is the student profile that is most readily accepted into IB/Hedge Funds/PE?
2) My most recent work-ex is from the NGO sector. I want to make a career-change into IB/Hedge Funds/PE. What are the possible ways in which I could enhance my odds of getting employed (after MBA) in my desired role?
3) This might be a bit off track - what seem to be the target schools for getting into IB/Hedge Funds/PE?

Looking forward to the chat,
Sudarshan

Karan1987 · Answer

Hi Souvik! Could you please shed some light on these topics:
a) Challenges faced by an Indian student while applying for internships and full time offer
b) How heavily is the deck stacked against an Indian male engineer during application
c) Key (read unique) takeaways from your Ross experience thus far

Posted from my mobile device

jk94 · Answer

Hi Souvik,

Thanks for taking out time, great to see such initiative from alums. I have the following queries around the applications and other aspects of the course :

1. I got done with my GMAT on the 20th of Sept, hence would be missing out on Round 1. Would there be any impact on my candidature if I apply in Round 2.

2. This is rather subjective, but what are the scholarship trends for Indian Applicants at Ross. Any inputs on the same for other colleges such as Tuck, Yale etc.

vk911911 · Answer

Hi,

1) I am confused with the GPA conversion system of Indian percentages to U.S GPA (4.0 Scale). what is Indian Bachelor's 59.5% to U.S GPA(4.0 Scale).

2) How likely a profile like this will fetch me an MBA from top Business Schools in U.S & is my GMAT score good enough for me to secure a seat?

Profile

Xth - 82 %

XII th - 81.3 %

B.Tech - Dropout (2009-2013) RVR & JC College

(U.G) B.A - 59.5% (2013-2016) BR Ambedkar Open University (in Top 10 out of 120 students)

M.B.A - Dropout (2017-2017) JBIT

Graduated from ISB-C.B.A - (2.6/4 GPA) (2017-2018) Indian School of Business.

Trained In Advance Business Analytics from IIT Hyderabad

GMAT: 640 (Q47 V32)

Experience: 3.5+ (from 2016)
Founder: OffersWave ( started in UG - 2014) (Sold out to Surya Sol - 2014)
Coupon Aggregator 
Founder: LocalWalt (Failure -2015) 
Local e-commerce
Founder:FIXU (Raised Funds From : FACEBOOK, KHUSAKI, KP INVESTMENTS) (2016-2018) Merged With ZOBIT.
Handyman Aggregator
Co-Founder: Block-Z-Labs (2018- Present)
Blockchain
Co-Founder: EVISONV2- Technology NGO (2018-Present)
Smart Glasses for the BLIND

Awards:
Karmaveer Chakra - 2019
Global Young leaders Fellow instituted by ICONGOs & United Nations - 2019
Nominated in top 3 ALL INDIA for Rising Star Awards in AI/ML category 2019 by Nasscom
All India Top 100 Startups by The August Fest - 2016
Table Tennis 2nd price in College Championship - 2012
Carrom board 1st price in class-X

Extracurricular
Mentor entrepreneurs : given Guest lectures in 25+ Institutes & 1500+ Students ( VNR, ICFAI,CGCHS, etc)
Started a Technology NGO for the blind and helping 500+ people from Devnar School 
Conducted 3 blood donation camps in my village
President of the college's annual cultural festival
Cryptocurrency Investor/trader.
Building a Tech Innovators Community.

Post-MBA goals
Career acceleration in the current Startup.

googulpk · Answer

Hello Souvik,

So glad I could ask these basic questions. I have a couple of them actually,

1. How likely is it to get a scholarship here? Does the scholarship process start individually with the application process for each University? If not, how does one get a scholarship?

2. I plan to scope myself in the NGO sector in fields like Branding & Communications, Strategy and Fundraising. How good a fit do you think Ross is for such an ambition?

souvik101990 · Answer

See you guys in about 10 hours! Thanks for all the questions!

Posted from my mobile device

Narenn · Answer

We are LIVE with Souvik in the chat room. If you are around, join the chat room to chat with souvik on MBA recruitments... https://gmatclub.com/forum/mchat.php?fl=menu

souvik101990 · Answer

It seems you did not read the thread before posting your whole profile here. PLEASE read the post. This chat is for international recruiting and not profile reviews. There are many places on the forums to get those and I would encourage you to search for them.

DealMakerOne · Answer

It's a pity -- I got messed with time zones and hence missed the chat... Last hope is that it was recorded? Or any chance to, at least briefly, answer my two questions?

Narenn · Answer

Don't worry. I will post the transcript of this chat here in the next 12 hours.

DealMakerOne · Answer

Fantastic. Thanks so much. Looking forward.

Narenn · Answer

Chat Transcript

Souvik: Okay we are three minutes out from the MBA recruitment chat. Keep your GMAT and piracy questions on hold for the next 45 minutes or so.

rahul9331
Hello..I want to understand the current scenario of IB placements for international students. Do banks prefer sponsoring visa for international students and hire for IB roles.

Souvik: For IB roles banks tend to sponsor for sure - it is a different question altogether whether they will hire you!

madgmat2019
Hi souvik, how good is marketing at Ross?

Souvik: It is great! They have a flagship event called the marketing symposium where companies come and do mock interviews and it’s a great opportunity for networking as well. A lot of CPG companies make up for most of the marketing recruiting but it is expanding with product marketing roles in tech as well. I am taking a lot of classes around marketing analytics. Look up MKT 618 Ross - it is my favorite class this quarter.

rahul9331
Hello souvik..my question is more specific to whether they hire international students and if yes then how is the competition level.

Souvik: Getting a IB job is tough and extremely competitive. At Ross, and everywhere else.

gmatway
I have 5.4 years of experience in retail banking . so I am not sure about other major areas /opportunities in Finance . My interest is in strategy field and financing strategies .

Souvik: You can try corp finance and private investment management. Both hire pretty well at Ross.

SudsMeister
Hi Souvik, for IB/PE/HF would you say that an MBA is more preferred or MSFE/other MS equivalents work better?

Souvik: MBA continues to be the biggest pool for IB.

rahul9331
It might sounds silly but should one consider consulting over IB because chances of getting placed is higher. Can you provide some suggestion on how to go about choosing between consulting and IB wrt Ross and current industry senario

Souvik: I’d pick consulting - more time more resources and more people on campus. Ross is a target school for consulting firms in Chicago.

madgmat2019
how is ross when inclined toward choice of making career shift from IT to marketing....will they prefer...if have any certifications like from coursera?
how good is ross in terms of career shift

Souvik: Nobody cares about coursera! If you want to make a transition you have to come to campus and network your butt off!

SudsMeister
My current work-ex is in the NGO sector. I want to move into IB/PE/HF. How plausible is the change? And what schools/programs would be the target ones?

Souvik: Possible but not probable. It is highly competitive! Consulting can happen with your background though (a lot more open to hiring your types)

JTdaniel
Souvik thanks for doing this. My question is regarding tech recruiting. How open are tech firms to career switchers who are internationals? Would moving say into PM/Corp Fin./Marketing at MSFT as a mechanical engineer from Europe be realistic?

Souvik: Tech recruiting is a big focus at Ross because they are international friendly and hire a lot. I was fortunate enough to get 2 PM jobs for my summer internship and ended up at Apple as a PM. For full time, Apple won’t give me an offer till October so I am recruiting with Amazon and Google, and Microsoft is open to getting me back again.

I can see that you have done your research. Marketing is HUGE in Microsoft and your engineering background will actually help. You will, of course, brush up product marketing frameworks and crush those interviews.

devangpandey007
Do investment management firms hire from Ross?

Souvik: Yes. Friend who did religious studies for undergrad got into Goldman PWM.

ansonwang2005
I’m turning 33. If I plan to start MBA at 35 and targeting a career shift from engineering, am I too old for Ross?

Souvik: Yes if you look at the stats. Some people do it and have managed to make those shifts!

satya2029
how do the recruiters look at someone who has got the experience in different domains such as oil and gas, and would like to continue as consultant such as supply chain consultant?

Souvik: Which firms are you targeting?

satya2029
Since I have not done enough exercise about firms and considering age factor, I would target those firms where they allow me to learn. As I got to hear that consulting firms seek young men who can work crazy hours,Name of BIG 3 CONSULTING firms rattles me a bit.

Souvik: Hours are tough at MBB and I hear a bit better at EY. Well, you can try networking to learn more but I wouldn’t expect anything easy at MBB.

SudsMeister
What are the most successful methods of landing a job in the US post MBA/MS?

Souvik: Networking, crushing interviews and just generally being a stand up guy/girl.

sharathnair14
I want to know what you meant by Stand up Guy/Girl souvik101990. I don’t consider myself funny at all xD

Souvik: Stand up guy would mean like you are a nice guy. You are not a pushy person who constantly wants to be in the spotlight. Be nice, be kind and work hard. Things happen.

NandishSS
souvik101990, What are challenges faced by International Students while MBA Recruitment?

Souvik: Often they come across too desperate and too pushy, they don’t know how to network or articulate their thoughts well. Those I think were the biggest issues.

sj24
Hi Souvik, I have been working at my startup creating ERP and CRM products for small businesses. 150 companies have opted for my products in last 6 years. Addressable Market at city level achieved. Struggling with scale. Hence MBA. Targeting Product Management at bigger companies in B2B space. Non-IIT. Decent GPA. Realistic ? Company of 3 people. Mostly doing all by myself. Few folks are advising difficult to sell this profile. Few are saying pitch it as a consulting firm rather than a product firm and try to get into consulting. Your perspective?

Souvik: Good question. B2B tech space is booming and Microsoft and Amazon are both championing this space. I would recruit for both tech and consulting. Totally doable if you don’t spend all your time partying.

gmatway wrote:
How will Ross help me get a job in India?

Souvik: Ross won’t in general. Most recruiters are from North America. However the UM alum network is HUGE in India. I know 2 guys who went back and had pretty sweet gigs in McKinsey and Mahindra.

SudsMeister
Souvik, people who seek employment (from Ross) - do all of them get employed within their expected salary brackets? What I mean to ask is that - is the market good enough to hire all those who seek a job? And if yes, given the tuition + living costs (assuming it is a loan) and the median salary - what is the realistic timeline to breakeven?

Souvik: The realistic time to break even would depend on each person’s willingness to spend less, pay off loans, choose not to invest before paying loans. So different for different people. I hope and fully expect to be debt free in 5 years. Sounds ambitious but I would rather eat ramen for dinner than have a student loan that lasts a lifetime.

Shishou
Hi,thanks for doing this Souvikk. In your opinion how is the sponsorship and recruitment like for internationals.I have heard a ton of stories,mostly worrying .I am planning focusing on IB during my MBA and I’d very much like to work in the US after

Souvik: It is better AND worse. Trump’s administration has made it more likely to get into the lottery. However RFEs have become more frequent AFTER you get picked up in the lottery. I don’t have the time to explain this but look up RFE - H1B. Also, remember that you only hear the stories when they are bad. Often people who had good outcomes are not loud on the internet.

satya2029
The most important one for me. If someone does not find his or her name in the lottery H1B then do employers have plan B for them? Do they relocate employees at different places?

Souvik: Yes that happens a LOT. big tech and consulting both are known to send you to other areas like Canada, Europe, Asia and then bring you back on an L1

sharathnair14
About the Ross Alum network. What else could you share about it? Anything that’s different from other Schools like Tuck etc?

Souvik: Short answer - it is not all that different. But you can leverage the broader UofM network. Engineering schools and BBA alums are very helpful too!

NandishSS
Does alum help in Recruitment?

Souvik: NandishSS, Absolutely. They often go take the bat for you.

SudsMeister
What stands out at Ross? 3 things that Ross helped you with to land a better/desired job?

Souvik: I wrote a whole post on this - but here’s the short version - the people are great. I have been blessed with friends who helped me relentlessly, Ross is pushing international recruiting pretty hard to stay where it is at the rankings. that’s great too. And finally, I feel pretty good when I come back to Ann Arbor. it’s small enough to feel like home and big enough to not get lost in the woods (like hanover)

https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-to-get-t ... 95550.html - this is the post I wrote about recruiting.

projectcontrols
Hi- do you know anyone(intl student) that "paused" their H1b to do their MBA full time ? I heard you can resume the same H1b that the student had prior to the MBA. This would prevent them from going into the lottery again apparently...

Souvik: You are right. A few friends have gone back to their old H1Bs, but you should be a bit cautious I guess.

AshishPrasad
Hi Souvik, some of my friends who are currently studying in the US are saying that some companies, especially in the finance industry, are now reluctant to offer sponsorship for an international visa. If you can share your thoughts on this issue, it will be really helpful.

Souvik: They are probably right. I did not recruit finance but I know most people prefer to recruit consulting or tech because of the bigger presence on campus and being international friendly.

dhruvagg8
To pivot to product management roles at the big tech firms, from a software engg background, what opportunities does the Ross MBA provide in specific and how does Ross compare to duke or tepper with recruitment at the big tech firms.

Souvik: Ross>Duke/Tepper for tech. With your SWE background, you should try to get a referral from Google/Microsoft. Amazon does not care about networking. you should have a fair shot at PM roles at all those companies.

dhruvagg8
Thanks souvik, another question I have is when pivoting to roles in the product management space (tech/marketing) do companies ask for a GMAT score like for consulting roles..will applying with a GRE hurt in any way?

Souvik: nah. Tech does not care about gmat AT ALL!

Souvik
Alright. We are out of time. Thanks for all the questions. I will get to this thread later so feel free to post questions here too - https://gmatclub.com/forum/mba-recruiting-for-international-students-live-chat-wth-int-l-student-305899.html

Thanks again and all the best!

ahasd70 · Answer

Hi Souvik,

Hi difficult is it for Indian students with analytics experience to move to consulting ( preferably MBB) post MBA?

Also, How are the opportunities in analytic consulting roles post mba?

Posted from my mobile device

MBA Recruiting for International Students: Live Chat wth Int'l Student

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