haddy74 wrote:
pelihu wrote:
I'm not an expert on the subject, but as I understand it, IIM graduates typically do not land the same types of jobs as grads from top US business schools. A few are able to land MBA level jobs, primarily because of their prior work experience, but the majority are actually hired in at the analyst, or pre-MBA, level compared to the US. Again, I don't have any first hand knowledge on the subject; that's just what I've heard.
Also with an MBA from a top US school you'll have access to a much greater variety of jobs and your school reputation will be much more widely accepted, for whatever that's worth. Aother major plus for the US programs are that they are recognized leaders, and have been for lots and lots of years. I wouldn't be going out on a limb if I suggested that 10, 20, 30, 50 years from now, Harvard will still be recognized as a (the) top business school worldwide. IIM? Who knows, but I wouldn't be my lunch money. The schools that have been the most consistenly good over the years are the ones that seem to always rise to the top of the pile.
Certainly, IIM might be a reasonable alternative for someone that wants to stay in India, but I haven't yet ever heard of a person from another country asking about how to gain admission to IIM. If it were truly a good alternative to Harvard, or any of the top US schools with international reputations, there would be more people from around the world seeking admissions.
Pelihu and rhyme (or anyone who knows about the subject), in your general discussion with fellow MBA aspirants and MBA alumni, what sort of reputation do top European MBA schools (especially INSEAD) enjoy? Overall, are they are at par with M7 schools or not? Again, there are lots of caveats to this discussion but what is your overall impression?
I think it depends on who you are talking to. INSEAD vs an M7 to, say, a recruiter (that is, someone in the know) are going to be largely considered comparable schools. INSEAD to another MBA grad is going to be equally well respected. This is the category that "matters" (in the sense that these are hte people you work with, not people you drink with) - managers at MC firms, people in the finance industry, etc... these people, for the most part (and thats the key), should know the name INSEAD.
The place where you see "a difference", in my experience, is with those not in the know. People in the US - whether or not they know about MBA programs are going to know names like "MIT" "Chicago" "Harvard" "Stanford" etc... these tend to be household names..... INSEAD, is not. Thunderbird, is not. etc.
It's the cocktail party difference. When someone says "Ah Mr. Chumsuccle the third, if I might inquire, were did you pursue your masters degree exactly?" and you reply "Indeed your inquiry is appropriate. I graduated from Stanford University." they will say "Ah yes, my neighboor who summers in the Hamptons attended that prestigious university.", whereas, if you say INSEAD, they might say "Ah yes. I see. Rightio."
In my view, the only real difference is in the "everyday" panache - beyond that... theres little difference when it comes to recruiting and dealing with mgmt. There's also the argument that once you get a job out of grad school, what you do from there matters more...
But...Not all are as optimistic... I had a similar series of thoughts myself a year ago and I managed to talk to a senior executive at PIMCO who basically laid it out like this "On average, a top tier us MBA will be recognized in Europe. However, the reverse is not always true."