some immediate info neended

Question

hi everyone i am karan..
its really keule to be a part of this form n hope to get a lot of advice n information that i have been looking for...

hey i am currently pursuing my BE in mechanical engineering from INDIA...i'll be done with my course by june 2007..i have been looking forward for an MBA from canadian university aint interested in US universities...

As i'll be having no work experience neither do i wanan wait for the same n hope to join some school in canada as a fresher...so it will be great if u could guide me through some colleges which support a no work experience tag...
another i really wnna know is what difference is there between a masters in management and an MBA program as both courses are being offered by different universities simultaneously like saubers scol of management(univ. of brit columbia) and moreover masters in management program too requires GMAT score...
and anyone having any knowledge about lakehead university thunderbay canada....what kinda university it is..n what are the job prospects there after an mba from that college ...
hope for a response from u guys at the earliest ..
cheers
karan

drummond · Answer

Good morning Karen.

I would say the first thing, before anything else, that you need to do, is decide what you want to do for your career. Your tag-line at the end of your post reads  "I dont rule the world...Bt i dont care who does ... which may sound cute but worries me, because the MBA is a degree awarded to people who plan, to some degree, to control their work and plan their future. If you are willing to let things just happen, a management degree may not be right for you.

Also, if you are still pursuing your Bachelor's degree through next year, your best focus should be to do as well as possible in your undergraduate studies. The GPA during your last two years will be critical towards deciding where you will be accepted in a graduate school ( should you apply ) and in what job offers you will receive.

I am puzzled by your decision to reject American universities. As the MBA is a quintessentially American degree, it is generally accepted that American universities are the best place to pursue one. Not to knock Canadian universities, but it is a plain and vital fact that a management degree from a solid US school will get you plenty of good job offers, whether or not you wish to work in the US, India, Europe, or anywhere else. I cannot say with certainty that a Canadian degree would even be preferable to a US degree in Canada, given the concentration. 

As to work experience, if you are able to work summers I STRONGLY advise you to start looking for possible internships with companies grooming management. If you pursue a management degree, when you graduate you will need to have something in your resume to show a taste of real-world experience. 

Frankly, I have done a lot of interviewing and hiring people in my years, and if you presented yourself to me in an application as you do here, I would find it hard to believe that you were serious about management. Management in a company means accepting responsibility on several levels, for the performance of your direct reports, for the success of the company's core mission, and for the success of the people who report to you - it means an intensive commitment front to back to make sure the work and the results are successful for everyone. It's not enough to want to be the boss - you have to accept responsibility for everything you touch, for the people you hire, train, and supervise, and for the success of your department, division, and corporation. It's not easy, it's not always fun, and it means the longest hours and the stress of deadlines, shifting priorities, and fierce competition. You have to make sure you're serious.

As to the difference between a Management degree and an MBA, it depends on the school, but in the main the MBA enjoys better recognition as a serious degree. Management degrees by other names can be confused with certificates, which are distinctly a cut below full-fledged degrees. 

Overall, the best advice I can give you is to ask yourself why you want to be in management, what,   specifically  , you plan to do with a management degree, where you want to work ( company, not just town or region or country ) , and what conditions suit you best.

Good luck.

quarterback · Answer

hello sir..
 First of all i would like to thank you for such a nice answer to my query..sir frankly speaking you are the first person in such a long time who has given me a descent reply to my post ..i have been juggling through countless forums for hours for a decent answers i highly appreciate your concer..

Sir i would like to clear your doubt over the last line in my post that has nothing to do what i wanna do in my life and what i am thats just i found it cute so i wrote it as a signature to my post.

And regarding my seriousness over doing an MBA i would say that this is the most important decision in my life and when people like you are there i know i will never falter in the wrong direction.

Sir i know MBA is not about just being the boss and ruling your sub ordinates its about giving you firm all your time and thoughts and appliying all your technical skills in it.

Sir i have all the management skills in me for the last many years i have been operating various clubs and unions in my college and have represented my college at various level in a whole lot of events.

Regarding my decision of not considering US mba is more because of personnel reasons regarding my family and finanances and the work experience criteria.

I have over the years right from my school days till date been an exceptional speaker and leader inspiring leadership and motivational qualities in my fellows and everyone concerned.

I know i have the ability and the skills and i am sure an MBA would just polish those skills more.

Sir i am still perplexed over choosing between a masters degree in management and conventional mba program both are having nearly sme academic course and providing industrial projects during the course to work on.Master in managemt-operation research course at saubers school of managemt(univ. of brit. columbia) promises to give me more technical edge than MBA as they say.I would like to let you know that as its gonna effect my whole career i am very serious about it and i am ready to face any type of challenges in life and will always be a role model for people working with me.

my profile is as under

karan sood

10th standard - 80% marks in the year 2000 

12th standard - 78% marks in the year 2002

2 yrs diploma in mechanical engineering with spl. in welding technology from Aug2002-Aug2004 securing 70% marks and ranked among the top ten students of my class.

3 mnths industrial training during the above course was provided to polish my technical skills.

Currently i am pursuing a B.E.(bachelor of engg.) in mechanical engineering with specialization in welding technology. Currently i have an 60%+ aggregate which i will improve as the course progresses.By June 2007 i will finish my degree and will be ready to face further challenges in life.

During my current degree i have already completed 2 months of project work with a company of good repute and will be undergoing another two months training this summer.

i would be highly thankful if you lease have a look at my profile above give your relevant comments.

hoping for a reply from you at the earliest

regards

karan sood

gaura · Answer

Hello ,


I have 5 years of US experience in IT as a Senior technical analyst programmer. I am at a stage where I need to decide whether I should take management role or architect role. So far I have been an individual contributor. My husband is inspiring me to do MBA. I am really confused. I have been preparing for GMAT for the past 2 months. With my current work load I don't think I can get into a good management school. Finance is also one of the reasons.I was thinking of taking part-time MBA at San Jose State. 

Currently I don't have anyone to really motivate me in that direction? It'll be helpful if you could help me make solid decision.

I also want to know what will MBA do to my career, if I don't graduate from a top business school.

Thanks,
Gaura

drummond · Answer

Hello again Karan (sorry for the spelling the 1st time);

Glad to help. Just to give you an idea of wher I am coming from, I am sort of on the other end of the scale. I am 45 years old, with a ton of business experience but my degree was in Liberal Arts, so I need the MBA to get where I want to be.

I have interviewed a lot of young people just out of school, some for management positions, and I have seen a wide range of attitudes and ability, so I wanted to be sure of where you stood. "Cute" is good when you are looking for a date, not such a good thing when you are conveying an idea or your professional capabilities. 

OK, so you have had some organizational experience in school. How many, if I may ask, involved fund-raising or deadline projects? Those will do two things; they will help you decide what sort of work you like the best, and they can also help you in your application essay, as examples of your ability to lead others and to accomplish significant objectives.

As to choosing the school, the most important thing is to get the school which will provide the degree you need. If you cannot tell whether an MS or an MBA is better for you, I'd say go with the MBA because everybody knows what an MBA is, and you won't be at a disadvantage because someone doesn't know what you did to earn your degree. As you said, the journey to that degree is a really tough one, no sense making your job hunt harder. 

The most important thing in choosing your school, just like your degree, is knowing what you want to do with it. In my case, for example, my company has a group of executives who decide the strategic goals in five-year intervals for the company, called the "Leadership Team". I want to be on that team, and I note that they all have MBAs, CPAs, or PhDs. Further, I notice no one in the company seems to want to be in charge of Sox (Sarbanes-Oxley) compliance, a subject with which I happen to be fascinated. So, in my case I want an MBA with an Accounting concentration (most of my work has been Accounting, as well) and some fous on Sox Compliance. In that way, I will be extrenely attractive for promotion to my company (big believers in promoting from within), I will be pursuing a post which right now has no applicants, and it suits bot hmy skills and my interest. And if it does not work out just the way I would like, I am already aware that expertise in Sox Compliance is a big plus these days.

See what I mean? Knowing this helps me know what degree I want, and further helps me know what to ask the potential schools to consider. 

Regarding your profile, I am having a hard time determining your grade point average. If you can find a way to convert it to the conventional 4.0 scale, that will probably help you when you apply to business school. Also, since you are getting your Engineering degree, have you considered Project Engineering, or what exactly do you see yourself doing with your MBA?

Best of luck!

 
Hello Gaura; 

Hmm, good that your husband wants you to advance, but have you asked him why an MBA? As you know by now from studying for the GMAT, Graduate school is a tough road, and will require a lot of planning and commitment from both you and your husband. The best first step is role-play your ideal job in your mind, and see where that leads you.

Don't be afraid of not getting into the "best" school, for a variety of reasons. A lot of the people here are chasing CEO positions, which means lots of money and power - if they get there. And if they get there, there's the stress of the job, the long hours, etc. 

I'm not saying it's not worth the chase, but a lot of people make the mistake of doing something because they think they hav to, and not what they are best-suited. Me, for example, I want to eventually be the CFO of a successful company in deregulated Electricity, responsible for internal audits, Sox compliance, that sort of thing. But that's me, I'm one of those weird people who likes audits, and corrective actions taken to correct flawed business rules. Knowing this helps me hone my skills and focus on what I will do well, and what will not burn me out.

So, remind the husband that he's got to be there for the long nights and the tight budget, think what sort of situation feels like your turf, and then look for a school that will get you what you need.

Good luck, and let us know how it's going. This site is a great resource, especially for support!

Hjort · Answer

Karan, 

You might want to check on University of Windsor and its coop program. 

An MS in Management is often a "pre-experience" degree for students interested in studying business and/or related subjects at the graduate level. 

The Canadian universities have long been part of the greater North American academic market- Toronto offered one of the first academic programs in business on the continent.

quarterback · Answer

hello drummond..
thank you for your concern.It was really nice to hear from you.
Regarding my experince in managaing club back home involves numerous clubs which include clubs which come out to polish out an showcasing the hidden talent among students through motivaation and regular activites to keep them on thier toes at the same time i have to manage my own team for the sucessful running of my club. i have been running various literary clubs and event organizing clubs in my college and myself i have been actively involved in seminar presentation and research work paper presentation over the course of my degree at various levels college and university and state level.

Because of stringent work experince rules i have been asking for should i either opt out of conventional MBA and do something different which gaves same kind of experince like masters in management for instance which can provide me with work experince as a part of course.
regarding what i wanna do and in what field i cannot tell cause iat this time i am in college and without any work experince bt i know i am good at public relation and decision taking and involving new theories for different tasks as and when required.

so i would like to go into a university which has relaxed work experience criteria and provide me with an gud mba so that i can get that needed start for my career rest i know i will give my best to job and notch up good results too...
 hoping for a response ..
regards
karan

quarterback · Answer

hello Mr. hjort
thank you for showing immense concern..
sir i checked out the university of student website and the odette school of business..i am now in touch with my canadian friends for further checking out the course.
though the course is good and is providing witha whole package of skills for further leadership but for an international student like me is the course a worth investment.Though the best part of the course is that it does not need a work experience.
Sir do you know anyone who has completed the course and provide me with some guiding light.
I have written to the university for information and expecting it soon.
And what is the reputaion of their business school and university on the whole..
i would be obliged if you could you could provide me with the relevant information
regards 
karan

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