GyanOne wrote:
justnishu4u wrote:
Please evaluate my profile:
X-77.80%(2004)
XII-73.25%(2006)
B.Tech-63%(2006-2010) from a so so engineering college.
PGDM-5.8(2013-2015) from International Management Institute(IMI)-Kolkata. Low GPA reason- I was interested in Operations Management, but didn't get the opportunity to select more than 4 Operations Management subjects in second year. Had to study Finance as a major. Tried my best, but just couldn't score well. Had a more practical approach towards those subjects. Hence, even after getting a placement in Yes bank, I decided to go for Swiggy and work in Operations field. My live project & internship is also in Operations. Don't know how this would sound during interview, but it's the truth.
Some info:
a) Current work exp.-3.5 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects till August 2017).
b) Family business-1.5 yrs(Sept. 2011-April 2013)
c) Live project+internship-6 months in ACC Limited & Schneider Electric(during PGDM).
d) Current organization & designation- Swiggy(food delivery start-up), Area Manager(field operations).
e) Work exp. till march 2019 will be 5.2 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects).
f) Also, currently working as a core team member with CRY(Child Rights & You) and as a volunteer with GiveIndia.
g) I am already 30 yrs right now.
My questions:
1) Can I show my family business(not a company, but it's an enterprise where the sole proprietor is my father) as work experience while applying? If yes, then what documents could be needed and how can I show it? My business is mostly retail, consisting of a chain of stores in the city. We grew it from a single store to multiple stores and went to online platforms too.
2) Considering my low GPA during PGDM, will it be wise to apply to ISB, even if I get 700+ in GMAT?
3) I am planning to go for 2019-2020 session. I will be 32 yrs when I join in April 2019. I know age will be a drawback, but will it be that big that I don't stand a chance?
4) Should I go for 2020-2021 session?
5) Can I add summer internship(paid) & live project as a work experience?
P.S: My biggest headache is whether to show/not show my family business, because if added, this might increase my experience level. Any guidance would be very helpful.
Hi justnishu4u,
- While your achievements and work experience are decent, you will need to explain the need for a second MBA. The part around the low GPA in the MBA is not going to be a huge issue, but the explanation you have may not fly. Top schools expect applicants to have been disciplined enough to achieve a decent if not a strong GPA irrespective of what subjects they could take up, as the choice of subjects or courses is known to you at the time you opt for the program. You can offset this with a strong GMAT (720 and above) though.
On your questions:
1. Yes, of course, if you worked there, you can show employment there. You will need to show salary earned as proof, though that is the easier part. The harder part is to show strong contribution through the essays.
2. Yes, score high on the GMAT, and you should be ok. Use your Master's and your experience as an asset in the application.
3. It is experience and not age that is the bigger factor here. Would recommend you target 2018 (start) though if you can.
4. No.
5. You can, if they were post-qualification (i.e. post earning your degree).
Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.
Thanks for the quick reply.
With respect to point 1, PFB my comments.
1)"Yes, of course, if you worked there, you can show employment there. You will need to show salary earned as proof, though that is the easier part. The harder part is to show strong contribution through the essays."
-It's a family business. There is nothing sort of salary slips/salary earned for me personally, since my father is the sole proprietor. Basically, pure brick n mortar scenario(if you can imagine). We deal in car accessories(seat covers, audio systems, etc), have a set of suppliers and entered into online mode viz.-our website, google+, Linkedin, FB, etc. We now have three stores in different areas of Kolkata. Used to look after the store operations(during the timeline mentioned above), along with my father viz.- sales, staff supervision(2-3 per store), stock management, expansion in different prospective areas for business growth, helped my father with few marketing ideas. Now my younger brother is helping my father in the business. The scale of business is small(an average sale of 30k per day), but at least it's the basics of pure business.
In such a scenario, how to prove(in terms of documents or whatever) that I worked(still look after the business when I get time) and gained some real knowledge of pure business sense(not in a private limited company) in real ground conditions. The biggest question, how to prove it as a real work experience, so that I can add it in my application.
That is a good point you raise. Unfortunately, in the past, ISB has been a bit skeptical of applicants who claim contribution to a family business, but cannot show formal proof for it. Understood that it is a proprietor-run business, but if you were part of it and contributing, your contribution needs to be formal enough. In the past, at least some applicants have tried to garnish over periods of unemployment by demonstrating fictional employment in the family business, though of course you are not in that category. While it is not essential that ISB will raise questions on this, you should be prepared. Here is what you can do now:
- If no formal salary slip is available, bank account statements showing salary credits are fine too. You can also have a formal letter issued on the company letterhead mentioning your period of employment, designation, and salary.
- As far as possible, try to mention things as factually and formally as possible. Mention your actual designation, responsibilities, and achievements.
- You should still go ahead and mention all the contributions you made in your essays/application. Please note that the size or scale of the business is not a factor at all. All that matters is your role within it.
Again, not all of these things may ultimately be finely scrutinized, your preparation in representing the facts clearly will help your own application.
Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.
08 Aug 2017, 22:19
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