Planning for MBA in Australia (2017)


blitzkrieg

Hi,

I am an engineer from India with currently 2 years work ex in IT. I'll be giving the GMAT this month, and Im expecting a score of around 700-720.

The only b-schools I'm looking at are MBS, AGSM and MGSM. I have a few questions before I consider applying...

1. Considering my profile, which school should I apply for/at which one do I have highest chances for admission?

2. What is the typical acceptance rate at these 3 schools for the full time MBA program over the past few years?

3. Since only the MGSM mba program is for 2 years, will I be eligible for the post study work permit after completing my graduation at the other two? If not, what can a person do after completing a 1 year MBA in australia till he finds a job? Can he stay till he finds a job or will he be sent back to his home country?

[Edited by blitzkrieg on Jul 27, 2016]

Hi,

I am an engineer from India with currently 2 years work ex in IT. I'll be giving the GMAT this month, and Im expecting a score of around 700-720.

The only b-schools I'm looking at are MBS, AGSM and MGSM. I have a few questions before I consider applying...

1. Considering my profile, which school should I apply for/at which one do I have highest chances for admission?

2. What is the typical acceptance rate at these 3 schools for the full time MBA program over the past few years?

3. Since only the MGSM mba program is for 2 years, will I be eligible for the post study work permit after completing my graduation at the other two? If not, what can a person do after completing a 1 year MBA in australia till he finds a job? Can he stay till he finds a job or will he be sent back to his home country?
quote
laurie

I believe that if your MBA is less than 16 months long, you will not be eligible to apply for a work visa afterwards. Which would mean that you couldn't stay and look for work after the program.

The AGSM MBA is 16 months long so if you did this program you'd be eligible for the post-study work visa. Not sure about Melbourne, as its program is only one year long. You might want to ask them and the other schools directly.

In terms of your competitiveness, AGSM and MGSM tend to recruit more senior students - their cohorts' average work experience tends to be in the 6.5 - 7.0 year range. Since you're well under this, it might be a challenge for you. If you can get a higher GMAT score - at the top of your prediction range or even higher, that could help. But it's still going to be an uphill battle...

I believe that if your MBA is less than 16 months long, you will not be eligible to apply for a work visa afterwards. Which would mean that you couldn't stay and look for work after the program.

The AGSM MBA is 16 months long so if you did this program you'd be eligible for the post-study work visa. Not sure about Melbourne, as its program is only one year long. You might want to ask them and the other schools directly.

In terms of your competitiveness, AGSM and MGSM tend to recruit more senior students - their cohorts' average work experience tends to be in the 6.5 - 7.0 year range. Since you're well under this, it might be a challenge for you. If you can get a higher GMAT score - at the top of your prediction range or even higher, that could help. But it's still going to be an uphill battle...
quote
blitzkrieg

I believe that if your MBA is less than 16 months long, you will not be eligible to apply for a work visa afterwards. Which would mean that you couldn't stay and look for work after the program.

The AGSM MBA is 16 months long so if you did this program you'd be eligible for the post-study work visa. Not sure about Melbourne, as its program is only one year long. You might want to ask them and the other schools directly.

In terms of your competitiveness, AGSM and MGSM tend to recruit more senior students - their cohorts' average work experience tends to be in the 6.5 - 7.0 year range. Since you're well under this, it might be a challenge for you. If you can get a higher GMAT score - at the top of your prediction range or even higher, that could help. But it's still going to be an uphill battle...
I gave my GMAT today and got a 730 (Q51, V37 and IR8).

I have given melbourne as one of the five score reporting choices, and I'm planning to apply here. Should I apply to unsw and mgsm also? Would it be a wise decision considering my profile and chances of selection?

if not, then apart from australia, which other countries/schools would you recommend (aside from US and Canada)? I'm mainly concerned about getting a job after such a big investment and not getting sent back home after graduating. (PS: I'm planning only for the top 100 b schools.)

[Edited by blitzkrieg on Jul 23, 2016]

[quote]I believe that if your MBA is less than 16 months long, you will not be eligible to apply for a work visa afterwards. Which would mean that you couldn't stay and look for work after the program.

The AGSM MBA is 16 months long so if you did this program you'd be eligible for the post-study work visa. Not sure about Melbourne, as its program is only one year long. You might want to ask them and the other schools directly.

In terms of your competitiveness, AGSM and MGSM tend to recruit more senior students - their cohorts' average work experience tends to be in the 6.5 - 7.0 year range. Since you're well under this, it might be a challenge for you. If you can get a higher GMAT score - at the top of your prediction range or even higher, that could help. But it's still going to be an uphill battle...[/quote]I gave my GMAT today and got a 730 (Q51, V37 and IR8).

I have given melbourne as one of the five score reporting choices, and I'm planning to apply here. Should I apply to unsw and mgsm also? Would it be a wise decision considering my profile and chances of selection?

if not, then apart from australia, which other countries/schools would you recommend (aside from US and Canada)? I'm mainly concerned about getting a job after such a big investment and not getting sent back home after graduating. (PS: I'm planning only for the top 100 b schools.)
quote
Inactive User

Instead of using MBA as a desperate immigration tool, you'll be better of using MBA to address an skill gaps that you currently have which is forbidding you to land your dream job. ( search some of my posts on this forum)

Your GMAT score is good - and in ballpark for Top 10 B schools. But that's about it. You'll need to focus on your career goals and write convincing essays.

No one can see into future and tell you if a decision or school is a wise or unwise decision. you'll have to decide on your risk taking appetite.

Instead of using MBA as a desperate immigration tool, you'll be better of using MBA to address an skill gaps that you currently have which is forbidding you to land your dream job. ( search some of my posts on this forum)

Your GMAT score is good - and in ballpark for Top 10 B schools. But that's about it. You'll need to focus on your career goals and write convincing essays.

No one can see into future and tell you if a decision or school is a wise or unwise decision. you'll have to decide on your risk taking appetite.
quote
blitzkrieg

Instead of using MBA as a desperate immigration tool, you'll be better of using MBA to address an skill gaps that you currently have which is forbidding you to land your dream job. ( search some of my posts on this forum)

Your GMAT score is good - and in ballpark for Top 10 B schools. But that's about it. You'll need to focus on your career goals and write convincing essays.

No one can see into future and tell you if a decision or school is a wise or unwise decision. you'll have to decide on your risk taking appetite.
No, that's not it. My main reason for doing an mba is for a career switch. I'm trying to move out of my IT field, preferably into management consulting or financial services.

Getting into the top b schools in India is extremely difficult (we have like 2,00,000 people competing for 200 seats at IIM-A, which translates to an acceptance rate of 0.1%!!). They are too acad-heavy and also lack diversity as almost everyone here is an engineer like me. So trying abroad is a better option.

I'm actually concerned about finding a job after MBA because it is necessary after such a huge investment. If I return to India, it will take me several years to payback the student loan (even if I get my dream job here). Infact I'm ok with any country as long as the b-school is reputed worldwide and I get sufficient international exposure.

Ofcourse I am going to concentrate on my essays, but I want to know which B schools I have the best chance for before I can apply. For example, I don't think it would be wise to apply at Stanford with a 730 as their average is 732 and my profile (nationality, work ex. and such) puts me at a heavy disadvantage. That would be like a waste of 200$ and several weeks of effort.

[Edited by blitzkrieg on Jul 24, 2016]

[quote]Instead of using MBA as a desperate immigration tool, you'll be better of using MBA to address an skill gaps that you currently have which is forbidding you to land your dream job. ( search some of my posts on this forum)

Your GMAT score is good - and in ballpark for Top 10 B schools. But that's about it. You'll need to focus on your career goals and write convincing essays.

No one can see into future and tell you if a decision or school is a wise or unwise decision. you'll have to decide on your risk taking appetite. [/quote]No, that's not it. My main reason for doing an mba is for a career switch. I'm trying to move out of my IT field, preferably into management consulting or financial services.

Getting into the top b schools in India is extremely difficult (we have like 2,00,000 people competing for 200 seats at IIM-A, which translates to an acceptance rate of 0.1%!!). They are too acad-heavy and also lack diversity as almost everyone here is an engineer like me. So trying abroad is a better option.

I'm actually concerned about finding a job after MBA because it is necessary after such a huge investment. If I return to India, it will take me several years to payback the student loan (even if I get my dream job here). Infact I'm ok with any country as long as the b-school is reputed worldwide and I get sufficient international exposure.

Ofcourse I am going to concentrate on my essays, but I want to know which B schools I have the best chance for before I can apply. For example, I don't think it would be wise to apply at Stanford with a 730 as their average is 732 and my profile (nationality, work ex. and such) puts me at a heavy disadvantage. That would be like a waste of 200$ and several weeks of effort.
quote
Inactive User

@Blitz

Multiple things

1) I am a desi, so I know what's going on back home. IIM-A is just one school. people have made career switches even going to Tapmi. many schools now offer a 1 year executive type MBA e.g. I had an admit from SPjain's PGPM. However since your focus is outside of India let's not think about desi B schools.

2) US top tier schools are tough to get into even if you have a top notch GMAT. Acceptance rate at the likes of H/S/W are in single digits 7% ~ 9% or so. Discounting yourself just on basis on GMAT is not reasonable. Other stuff > IIM (Indian IT Male) may work against you in some schools than others. It's hard to tell and predict those numbers.

3) schools in Australia / Canada work differently than US top 10. I don't know the acceptance rate of those schools but I would encourage you to apply.

4) Schools should be shortlisted based on career goals. Management Consulting / Financial Services are still generic. (Read my post about skill gap)

5) Career switching is more difficult in US / Canada / Australia than in India. How will you convince a recruiter that he should hire you for Management Consulting over a candidate having work ex in MBB after his or her undergrad? Or over a Finance major in undergrad?
What skill sets you bring to the table ?
The moment you have this answer and view MBA as a tool to bridge the skill gap, you'll be able to shortlist schools, write solid essays and convince recruiters post MBA.

You are good to apply at all top Canadian / Australian schools.

Good Luck

@Blitz

Multiple things

1) I am a desi, so I know what's going on back home. IIM-A is just one school. people have made career switches even going to Tapmi. many schools now offer a 1 year executive type MBA e.g. I had an admit from SPjain's PGPM. However since your focus is outside of India let's not think about desi B schools.

2) US top tier schools are tough to get into even if you have a top notch GMAT. Acceptance rate at the likes of H/S/W are in single digits 7% ~ 9% or so. Discounting yourself just on basis on GMAT is not reasonable. Other stuff > IIM (Indian IT Male) may work against you in some schools than others. It's hard to tell and predict those numbers.

3) schools in Australia / Canada work differently than US top 10. I don't know the acceptance rate of those schools but I would encourage you to apply.

4) Schools should be shortlisted based on career goals. Management Consulting / Financial Services are still generic. (Read my post about skill gap)

5) Career switching is more difficult in US / Canada / Australia than in India. How will you convince a recruiter that he should hire you for Management Consulting over a candidate having work ex in MBB after his or her undergrad? Or over a Finance major in undergrad?
What skill sets you bring to the table ?
The moment you have this answer and view MBA as a tool to bridge the skill gap, you'll be able to shortlist schools, write solid essays and convince recruiters post MBA.

You are good to apply at all top Canadian / Australian schools.

Good Luck
quote
blitzkrieg

@Blitz

Multiple things

1) I am a desi, so I know what's going on back home. IIM-A is just one school. people have made career switches even going to Tapmi. many schools now offer a 1 year executive type MBA e.g. I had an admit from SPjain's PGPM. However since your focus is outside of India let's not think about desi B schools.

2) US top tier schools are tough to get into even if you have a top notch GMAT. Acceptance rate at the likes of H/S/W are in single digits 7% ~ 9% or so. Discounting yourself just on basis on GMAT is not reasonable. Other stuff > IIM (Indian IT Male) may work against you in some schools than others. It's hard to tell and predict those numbers.

3) schools in Australia / Canada work differently than US top 10. I don't know the acceptance rate of those schools but I would encourage you to apply.

4) Schools should be shortlisted based on career goals. Management Consulting / Financial Services are still generic. (Read my post about skill gap)

5) Career switching is more difficult in US / Canada / Australia than in India. How will you convince a recruiter that he should hire you for Management Consulting over a candidate having work ex in MBB after his or her undergrad? Or over a Finance major in undergrad?
What skill sets you bring to the table ?
The moment you have this answer and view MBA as a tool to bridge the skill gap, you'll be able to shortlist schools, write solid essays and convince recruiters post MBA.

You are good to apply at all top Canadian / Australian schools.

Good Luck
1. I'm not really interested in joining any of the lower ranked schools as I'd expect a starting salary of atleast 18-22L if I wish to remain in india. Especially after spending 2 years and based on my current income.
So IIM A/B/C and ISB are the only 4 options Im looking at (as far as desi b schools are concerned). I even got accepted in IIM-K this year (with 99.4 percentile in cat '15) but rejected the offer just because I felt I deserve something better. So I'm targeting international mba programs as they are comparatively less competitive.

2,3. Alright.

4. Yeah, this is one thing I am concerned about. How can one shortlist schools based on career goals without actually studying the course. If I look at alumni linkedin profiles, I see several alumni from all top b schools in reputed finance and consulting firms.

5. Oh, I didn't know about that. Since you mention it, how difficult is career switching in US/Aus/Canada as compared to India? And where would you suggest I should go to have more flexibility of career switching? Not just US/Aus/Canada, but any country as such...

As far as skills are concerned, as of now I see myself not having enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role. So I feel an MBA from any world class B-school should give me a holistic view of all business activities, practical knowledge and alumni networking to get there. What should I instead look for?

[Edited by blitzkrieg on Jul 25, 2016]

[quote]@Blitz

Multiple things

1) I am a desi, so I know what's going on back home. IIM-A is just one school. people have made career switches even going to Tapmi. many schools now offer a 1 year executive type MBA e.g. I had an admit from SPjain's PGPM. However since your focus is outside of India let's not think about desi B schools.

2) US top tier schools are tough to get into even if you have a top notch GMAT. Acceptance rate at the likes of H/S/W are in single digits 7% ~ 9% or so. Discounting yourself just on basis on GMAT is not reasonable. Other stuff > IIM (Indian IT Male) may work against you in some schools than others. It's hard to tell and predict those numbers.

3) schools in Australia / Canada work differently than US top 10. I don't know the acceptance rate of those schools but I would encourage you to apply.

4) Schools should be shortlisted based on career goals. Management Consulting / Financial Services are still generic. (Read my post about skill gap)

5) Career switching is more difficult in US / Canada / Australia than in India. How will you convince a recruiter that he should hire you for Management Consulting over a candidate having work ex in MBB after his or her undergrad? Or over a Finance major in undergrad?
What skill sets you bring to the table ?
The moment you have this answer and view MBA as a tool to bridge the skill gap, you'll be able to shortlist schools, write solid essays and convince recruiters post MBA.

You are good to apply at all top Canadian / Australian schools.

Good Luck [/quote]1. I'm not really interested in joining any of the lower ranked schools as I'd expect a starting salary of atleast 18-22L if I wish to remain in india. Especially after spending 2 years and based on my current income.
So IIM A/B/C and ISB are the only 4 options Im looking at (as far as desi b schools are concerned). I even got accepted in IIM-K this year (with 99.4 percentile in cat '15) but rejected the offer just because I felt I deserve something better. So I'm targeting international mba programs as they are comparatively less competitive.

2,3. Alright.

4. Yeah, this is one thing I am concerned about. How can one shortlist schools based on career goals without actually studying the course. If I look at alumni linkedin profiles, I see several alumni from all top b schools in reputed finance and consulting firms.

5. Oh, I didn't know about that. Since you mention it, how difficult is career switching in US/Aus/Canada as compared to India? And where would you suggest I should go to have more flexibility of career switching? Not just US/Aus/Canada, but any country as such...

As far as skills are concerned, as of now I see myself not having enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role. So I feel an MBA from any world class B-school should give me a holistic view of all business activities, practical knowledge and alumni networking to get there. What should I instead look for?
quote
Inactive User

@Blitz,

Think yourself. Why would a recruiter in Australia hire an Indian national who has 6+ year of work ex in IT. Whose only interaction with Finance or Strategy or Marketing or Operations is limited to few elective subjects taught in MBA - hardly 60+ hours of education.

Why would the recruiter go the extra mile to file work permit, and ignore local candidates who have relevant work experience in Finance / UG in Finance ~ work experience as Business Analyst in KPMG Australia straight out of their undergrad?

What do you bring to the table? (what's skills do you have that they can't find in Australia or Canada or wherever - I am not considering Europe since there is an additional language barrier for desi junta.)

Only place I have seen an easy career switch is in India using MBA.

Some of my american classmates in US lower mid tier B school tried to switch from Marketing to Finance and vice versa. They had a hard time finding employment. Since you don't have enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role, MBA would provide you with a holistic view for sure. But remember why would a recruiter bother with you? I mean he/she can still hire your fellow classmates who have prior relevant experience + the holistic view gained by MBA.

You talked about ROI, so let's explore it a bit.
Avg. Salary from a mid tier B school ~~ $85,000. Again Consulting/Finance roles would drive this up ~$100,000 and other non-traditional roles (read not really requiring MBAs - but good to have) Operations/Manufacturing etc. may drive the avg. salary down. (Not including Marketing / HR roles since they seldom go for desi)

Now in US $85,000 might sound good at first look. but this is pre-tax. Tax would be anywhere between 25% - 30%. Cost of living a big city can also be high. Just to give you an estimate 1bed room apartment can go from $1200 to $2500 in a suburb / big city respectively. Mobile bill alone is $50~$70/ month.

No one cares about your (or our) ROI, investments, risks - least of all the recruiter. Again, you have to find answer to this question yourself. Why should a recruiter in US/Canada/EU/Australia etc. hire you for roles that you have 0 experience in, and at best have some theoretical knowledge, game simulations etc through your MBA.

Newsflash> Most people who had worked in IT in India end up working in IT Consulting post MBA. Top students go to top school, crack the case interviews to get into Strategy consulting. But that's just my observation of course. Feel free to browse profiles on LinkedIn.

@Blitz,

Think yourself. Why would a recruiter in Australia hire an Indian national who has 6+ year of work ex in IT. Whose only interaction with Finance or Strategy or Marketing or Operations is limited to few elective subjects taught in MBA - hardly 60+ hours of education.

Why would the recruiter go the extra mile to file work permit, and ignore local candidates who have relevant work experience in Finance / UG in Finance ~ work experience as Business Analyst in KPMG Australia straight out of their undergrad?

What do you bring to the table? (what's skills do you have that they can't find in Australia or Canada or wherever - I am not considering Europe since there is an additional language barrier for desi junta.)

Only place I have seen an easy career switch is in India using MBA.

Some of my american classmates in US lower mid tier B school tried to switch from Marketing to Finance and vice versa. They had a hard time finding employment. Since you don't have enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role, MBA would provide you with a holistic view for sure. But remember why would a recruiter bother with you? I mean he/she can still hire your fellow classmates who have prior relevant experience + the holistic view gained by MBA.

You talked about ROI, so let's explore it a bit.
Avg. Salary from a mid tier B school ~~ $85,000. Again Consulting/Finance roles would drive this up ~$100,000 and other non-traditional roles (read not really requiring MBAs - but good to have) Operations/Manufacturing etc. may drive the avg. salary down. (Not including Marketing / HR roles since they seldom go for desi)

Now in US $85,000 might sound good at first look. but this is pre-tax. Tax would be anywhere between 25% - 30%. Cost of living a big city can also be high. Just to give you an estimate 1bed room apartment can go from $1200 to $2500 in a suburb / big city respectively. Mobile bill alone is $50~$70/ month.

No one cares about your (or our) ROI, investments, risks - least of all the recruiter. Again, you have to find answer to this question yourself. Why should a recruiter in US/Canada/EU/Australia etc. hire you for roles that you have 0 experience in, and at best have some theoretical knowledge, game simulations etc through your MBA.

Newsflash> Most people who had worked in IT in India end up working in IT Consulting post MBA. Top students go to top school, crack the case interviews to get into Strategy consulting. But that's just my observation of course. Feel free to browse profiles on LinkedIn.
quote
blitzkrieg

@Blitz,

Think yourself. Why would a recruiter in Australia hire an Indian national who has 6+ year of work ex in IT. Whose only interaction with Finance or Strategy or Marketing or Operations is limited to few elective subjects taught in MBA - hardly 60+ hours of education.

Why would the recruiter go the extra mile to file work permit, and ignore local candidates who have relevant work experience in Finance / UG in Finance ~ work experience as Business Analyst in KPMG Australia straight out of their undergrad?

What do you bring to the table? (what's skills do you have that they can't find in Australia or Canada or wherever - I am not considering Europe since there is an additional language barrier for desi junta.)

Only place I have seen an easy career switch is in India using MBA.

Some of my american classmates in US lower mid tier B school tried to switch from Marketing to Finance and vice versa. They had a hard time finding employment. Since you don't have enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role, MBA would provide you with a holistic view for sure. But remember why would a recruiter bother with you? I mean he/she can still hire your fellow classmates who have prior relevant experience + the holistic view gained by MBA.

You talked about ROI, so let's explore it a bit.
Avg. Salary from a mid tier B school ~~ $85,000. Again Consulting/Finance roles would drive this up ~$100,000 and other non-traditional roles (read not really requiring MBAs - but good to have) Operations/Manufacturing etc. may drive the avg. salary down. (Not including Marketing / HR roles since they seldom go for desi)

Now in US $85,000 might sound good at first look. but this is pre-tax. Tax would be anywhere between 25% - 30%. Cost of living a big city can also be high. Just to give you an estimate 1bed room apartment can go from $1200 to $2500 in a suburb / big city respectively. Mobile bill alone is $50~$70/ month.

No one cares about your (or our) ROI, investments, risks - least of all the recruiter. Again, you have to find answer to this question yourself. Why should a recruiter in US/Canada/EU/Australia etc. hire you for roles that you have 0 experience in, and at best have some theoretical knowledge, game simulations etc through your MBA.

Newsflash> Most people who had worked in IT in India end up working in IT Consulting post MBA. Top students go to top school, crack the case interviews to get into Strategy consulting. But that's just my observation of course. Feel free to browse profiles on LinkedIn.
Alright, thanks for the input...

But one thing, if you do an MBA from the best college in the country (say for example melbourne or rotman), wouldn't you be valued over other MBA applicants for the same role because of the brand name and the quality of the education?

Also, since you mention that the holistic knowledge provided by an MBA wouldn't be enough to get a job in finance/consulting, would you instead recommend a specialized masters like Masters in finance to address the skill gaps better? My work exp has also been slightly on the finance side as I work as a functional tester for a financial software firm.

Moreover, since I currently just have 2 years work exp, I would kind of be looking at entry-mid level positions. Shouldn't it be much easier to change fields early in your career?

[quote]@Blitz,

Think yourself. Why would a recruiter in Australia hire an Indian national who has 6+ year of work ex in IT. Whose only interaction with Finance or Strategy or Marketing or Operations is limited to few elective subjects taught in MBA - hardly 60+ hours of education.

Why would the recruiter go the extra mile to file work permit, and ignore local candidates who have relevant work experience in Finance / UG in Finance ~ work experience as Business Analyst in KPMG Australia straight out of their undergrad?

What do you bring to the table? (what's skills do you have that they can't find in Australia or Canada or wherever - I am not considering Europe since there is an additional language barrier for desi junta.)

Only place I have seen an easy career switch is in India using MBA.

Some of my american classmates in US lower mid tier B school tried to switch from Marketing to Finance and vice versa. They had a hard time finding employment. Since you don't have enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role, MBA would provide you with a holistic view for sure. But remember why would a recruiter bother with you? I mean he/she can still hire your fellow classmates who have prior relevant experience + the holistic view gained by MBA.

You talked about ROI, so let's explore it a bit.
Avg. Salary from a mid tier B school ~~ $85,000. Again Consulting/Finance roles would drive this up ~$100,000 and other non-traditional roles (read not really requiring MBAs - but good to have) Operations/Manufacturing etc. may drive the avg. salary down. (Not including Marketing / HR roles since they seldom go for desi)

Now in US $85,000 might sound good at first look. but this is pre-tax. Tax would be anywhere between 25% - 30%. Cost of living a big city can also be high. Just to give you an estimate 1bed room apartment can go from $1200 to $2500 in a suburb / big city respectively. Mobile bill alone is $50~$70/ month.

No one cares about your (or our) ROI, investments, risks - least of all the recruiter. Again, you have to find answer to this question yourself. Why should a recruiter in US/Canada/EU/Australia etc. hire you for roles that you have 0 experience in, and at best have some theoretical knowledge, game simulations etc through your MBA.

Newsflash> Most people who had worked in IT in India end up working in IT Consulting post MBA. Top students go to top school, crack the case interviews to get into Strategy consulting. But that's just my observation of course. Feel free to browse profiles on LinkedIn.[/quote]Alright, thanks for the input...

But one thing, if you do an MBA from the best college in the country (say for example melbourne or rotman), wouldn't you be valued over other MBA applicants for the same role because of the brand name and the quality of the education?

Also, since you mention that the holistic knowledge provided by an MBA wouldn't be enough to get a job in finance/consulting, would you instead recommend a specialized masters like Masters in finance to address the skill gaps better? My work exp has also been slightly on the finance side as I work as a functional tester for a financial software firm.

Moreover, since I currently just have 2 years work exp, I would kind of be looking at entry-mid level positions. Shouldn't it be much easier to change fields early in your career?
quote

Hello Blitz,

I am in a same situation as you. All your questions are going on in my mind. I have offers from AGSM and SDA Bocconi, the only schools I applied to. Your concerns are very much relevant. As per my research we have lot of things to worry upon. If you manage to get a PR in Aus, your chances of landing a job is super high.

Hello Blitz,

I am in a same situation as you. All your questions are going on in my mind. I have offers from AGSM and SDA Bocconi, the only schools I applied to. Your concerns are very much relevant. As per my research we have lot of things to worry upon. If you manage to get a PR in Aus, your chances of landing a job is super high.
quote
badux

Unless you speak Italian AGSM would probably be the better option. It would be harder to find a job in Italy without speaking the language than it would to land one in Australia as an English-speaker.

Unless you speak Italian AGSM would probably be the better option. It would be harder to find a job in Italy without speaking the language than it would to land one in Australia as an English-speaker.
quote
Inactive User

@Blitz,

Think yourself. Why would a recruiter in Australia hire an Indian national who has 6+ year of work ex in IT. Whose only interaction with Finance or Strategy or Marketing or Operations is limited to few elective subjects taught in MBA - hardly 60+ hours of education.

Why would the recruiter go the extra mile to file work permit, and ignore local candidates who have relevant work experience in Finance / UG in Finance ~ work experience as Business Analyst in KPMG Australia straight out of their undergrad?

What do you bring to the table? (what's skills do you have that they can't find in Australia or Canada or wherever - I am not considering Europe since there is an additional language barrier for desi junta.)

Only place I have seen an easy career switch is in India using MBA.

Some of my american classmates in US lower mid tier B school tried to switch from Marketing to Finance and vice versa. They had a hard time finding employment. Since you don't have enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role, MBA would provide you with a holistic view for sure. But remember why would a recruiter bother with you? I mean he/she can still hire your fellow classmates who have prior relevant experience + the holistic view gained by MBA.

You talked about ROI, so let's explore it a bit.
Avg. Salary from a mid tier B school ~~ $85,000. Again Consulting/Finance roles would drive this up ~$100,000 and other non-traditional roles (read not really requiring MBAs - but good to have) Operations/Manufacturing etc. may drive the avg. salary down. (Not including Marketing / HR roles since they seldom go for desi)

Now in US $85,000 might sound good at first look. but this is pre-tax. Tax would be anywhere between 25% - 30%. Cost of living a big city can also be high. Just to give you an estimate 1bed room apartment can go from $1200 to $2500 in a suburb / big city respectively. Mobile bill alone is $50~$70/ month.

No one cares about your (or our) ROI, investments, risks - least of all the recruiter. Again, you have to find answer to this question yourself. Why should a recruiter in US/Canada/EU/Australia etc. hire you for roles that you have 0 experience in, and at best have some theoretical knowledge, game simulations etc through your MBA.

Newsflash> Most people who had worked in IT in India end up working in IT Consulting post MBA. Top students go to top school, crack the case interviews to get into Strategy consulting. But that's just my observation of course. Feel free to browse profiles on LinkedIn.
Alright, thanks for the input...

But one thing, if you do an MBA from the best college in the country (say for example melbourne or rotman), wouldn't you be valued over other MBA applicants for the same role because of the brand name and the quality of the education?

Also, since you mention that the holistic knowledge provided by an MBA wouldn't be enough to get a job in finance/consulting, would you instead recommend a specialized masters like Masters in finance to address the skill gaps better? My work exp has also been slightly on the finance side as I work as a functional tester for a financial software firm.

Moreover, since I currently just have 2 years work exp, I would kind of be looking at entry-mid level positions. Shouldn't it be much easier to change fields early in your career?


Blitz,

It depends what you want to do. MBA would provide you with an overview of various functions, a specialized masters would provide you indepth knowledge of a particular subject area.

Career outcomes would vary greatly. I don't have enough information to comment if your work experience is slightly on the finance side or not. But if you ask me your experience is in software testing. No one in Finance industry is going to buy tester for fin s/w as finance. (it's a good point to differentiate yourself from IT junta, but not enough meat for recruiters).

Regarding going to the "best" school in a particular country. Rest of the world doesn't blindly follows rankings. What's the best B school in US? Harvard? Wharton? MIT? NW? Stanford? Tuck?

Recruiter's won't differentiate much between similarly tiered schools. So Ivey or Rotman are both good choices if you want to work in Toronto. Similarly MBS, AGSM etc. in Australia.

You need to seriously think what you want to do. Find answers to the questions I alluded to in my previous posts.

P.S - Why do you think you are interested in Finance? What if during your MS or MBA you realized that Finance is not for you? there has to be some overlapping skills or logic that must have triggered your bias towards finance. Whatever that is > make sure you stick with it and not change your mind after 2-3 years.

Ayon

[quote][quote]@Blitz,

Think yourself. Why would a recruiter in Australia hire an Indian national who has 6+ year of work ex in IT. Whose only interaction with Finance or Strategy or Marketing or Operations is limited to few elective subjects taught in MBA - hardly 60+ hours of education.

Why would the recruiter go the extra mile to file work permit, and ignore local candidates who have relevant work experience in Finance / UG in Finance ~ work experience as Business Analyst in KPMG Australia straight out of their undergrad?

What do you bring to the table? (what's skills do you have that they can't find in Australia or Canada or wherever - I am not considering Europe since there is an additional language barrier for desi junta.)

Only place I have seen an easy career switch is in India using MBA.

Some of my american classmates in US lower mid tier B school tried to switch from Marketing to Finance and vice versa. They had a hard time finding employment. Since you don't have enough business knowledge to get into a finance or consulting role, MBA would provide you with a holistic view for sure. But remember why would a recruiter bother with you? I mean he/she can still hire your fellow classmates who have prior relevant experience + the holistic view gained by MBA.

You talked about ROI, so let's explore it a bit.
Avg. Salary from a mid tier B school ~~ $85,000. Again Consulting/Finance roles would drive this up ~$100,000 and other non-traditional roles (read not really requiring MBAs - but good to have) Operations/Manufacturing etc. may drive the avg. salary down. (Not including Marketing / HR roles since they seldom go for desi)

Now in US $85,000 might sound good at first look. but this is pre-tax. Tax would be anywhere between 25% - 30%. Cost of living a big city can also be high. Just to give you an estimate 1bed room apartment can go from $1200 to $2500 in a suburb / big city respectively. Mobile bill alone is $50~$70/ month.

No one cares about your (or our) ROI, investments, risks - least of all the recruiter. Again, you have to find answer to this question yourself. Why should a recruiter in US/Canada/EU/Australia etc. hire you for roles that you have 0 experience in, and at best have some theoretical knowledge, game simulations etc through your MBA.

Newsflash> Most people who had worked in IT in India end up working in IT Consulting post MBA. Top students go to top school, crack the case interviews to get into Strategy consulting. But that's just my observation of course. Feel free to browse profiles on LinkedIn.[/quote]Alright, thanks for the input...

But one thing, if you do an MBA from the best college in the country (say for example melbourne or rotman), wouldn't you be valued over other MBA applicants for the same role because of the brand name and the quality of the education?

Also, since you mention that the holistic knowledge provided by an MBA wouldn't be enough to get a job in finance/consulting, would you instead recommend a specialized masters like Masters in finance to address the skill gaps better? My work exp has also been slightly on the finance side as I work as a functional tester for a financial software firm.

Moreover, since I currently just have 2 years work exp, I would kind of be looking at entry-mid level positions. Shouldn't it be much easier to change fields early in your career?[/quote]

Blitz,

It depends what you want to do. MBA would provide you with an overview of various functions, a specialized masters would provide you indepth knowledge of a particular subject area.

Career outcomes would vary greatly. I don't have enough information to comment if your work experience is slightly on the finance side or not. But if you ask me your experience is in software testing. No one in Finance industry is going to buy tester for fin s/w as finance. (it's a good point to differentiate yourself from IT junta, but not enough meat for recruiters).

Regarding going to the "best" school in a particular country. Rest of the world doesn't blindly follows rankings. What's the best B school in US? Harvard? Wharton? MIT? NW? Stanford? Tuck?

Recruiter's won't differentiate much between similarly tiered schools. So Ivey or Rotman are both good choices if you want to work in Toronto. Similarly MBS, AGSM etc. in Australia.

You need to seriously think what you want to do. Find answers to the questions I alluded to in my previous posts.

P.S - Why do you think you are interested in Finance? What if during your MS or MBA you realized that Finance is not for you? there has to be some overlapping skills or logic that must have triggered your bias towards finance. Whatever that is > make sure you stick with it and not change your mind after 2-3 years.

Ayon
quote
blitzkrieg


P.S - Why do you think you are interested in Finance? What if during your MS or MBA you realized that Finance is not for you? there has to be some overlapping skills or logic that must have triggered your bias towards finance. Whatever that is > make sure you stick with it and not change your mind after 2-3 years.

Ayon
To be frank, the main reason is money.

But as of now, I just wanted to get out of the technical roles, so I am looking at business education (mba or mfin) to make a career change. I want an MBA as soon as possible as it would be more difficult to change careers when I have more work experience.

I am still not sure what exactly to do and need help in deciding that. I am also not sure what I can do now to acquire the skills for other non-technical roles while I am still working in IT.
Any suggestions?

[quote]
P.S - Why do you think you are interested in Finance? What if during your MS or MBA you realized that Finance is not for you? there has to be some overlapping skills or logic that must have triggered your bias towards finance. Whatever that is > make sure you stick with it and not change your mind after 2-3 years.

Ayon[/quote]To be frank, the main reason is money.

But as of now, I just wanted to get out of the technical roles, so I am looking at business education (mba or mfin) to make a career change. I want an MBA as soon as possible as it would be more difficult to change careers when I have more work experience.

I am still not sure what exactly to do and need help in deciding that. I am also not sure what I can do now to acquire the skills for other non-technical roles while I am still working in IT.
Any suggestions?
quote
blitzkrieg

Hello Blitz,

I am in a same situation as you. All your questions are going on in my mind. I have offers from AGSM and SDA Bocconi, the only schools I applied to. Your concerns are very much relevant. As per my research we have lot of things to worry upon. If you manage to get a PR in Aus, your chances of landing a job is super high.
Hi.

From what I've heard, it is extremely rare to get an Aus PR without a job in hand. Would you get the 2-year post study work permit after studying at AGSM?

Btw, why did you apply to SDA Bocconi? I've heard the unemployment rates in southern europe, such as in spain and italy are extremely high.

[quote]Hello Blitz,

I am in a same situation as you. All your questions are going on in my mind. I have offers from AGSM and SDA Bocconi, the only schools I applied to. Your concerns are very much relevant. As per my research we have lot of things to worry upon. If you manage to get a PR in Aus, your chances of landing a job is super high.
[/quote]Hi.

From what I've heard, it is extremely rare to get an Aus PR without a job in hand. Would you get the 2-year post study work permit after studying at AGSM?

Btw, why did you apply to SDA Bocconi? I've heard the unemployment rates in southern europe, such as in spain and italy are extremely high.
quote
kumar112

Pretty much sums up.all the questions wanted to ask but in my case my wife was denied us visa in the name of intent to Immigrate.I have no choice but think of any English speaking country outside of USA which also let's my family to accompany I am glad I read these questions .I will also go through the skill gap post too so that I now what I should do

Pretty much sums up.all the questions wanted to ask but in my case my wife was denied us visa in the name of intent to Immigrate.I have no choice but think of any English speaking country outside of USA which also let's my family to accompany I am glad I read these questions .I will also go through the skill gap post too so that I now what I should do
quote
ib201

Bocconi is considered to be a much better school in comparison to AGSM/ Melbourne etc at all the bb banks imho. An Aussie friend of mine who currently works in Sydney also said that many Australians educated at said, judge, hbs come back to australia upon graduation. He graduated from bocconi and works at Macquarie in sydney and says that the course was way more rigorous than what he would've studied back in aus.

Hello Blitz,

I am in a same situation as you. All your questions are going on in my mind. I have offers from AGSM and SDA Bocconi, the only schools I applied to. Your concerns are very much relevant. As per my research we have lot of things to worry upon. If you manage to get a PR in Aus, your chances of landing a job is super high.
Hi.

From what I've heard, it is extremely rare to get an Aus PR without a job in hand. Would you get the 2-year post study work permit after studying at AGSM?

Btw, why did you apply to SDA Bocconi? I've heard the unemployment rates in southern europe, such as in spain and italy are extremely high.

Bocconi is considered to be a much better school in comparison to AGSM/ Melbourne etc at all the bb banks imho. An Aussie friend of mine who currently works in Sydney also said that many Australians educated at said, judge, hbs come back to australia upon graduation. He graduated from bocconi and works at Macquarie in sydney and says that the course was way more rigorous than what he would've studied back in aus.[quote][quote]Hello Blitz,

I am in a same situation as you. All your questions are going on in my mind. I have offers from AGSM and SDA Bocconi, the only schools I applied to. Your concerns are very much relevant. As per my research we have lot of things to worry upon. If you manage to get a PR in Aus, your chances of landing a job is super high.
[/quote]Hi.

From what I've heard, it is extremely rare to get an Aus PR without a job in hand. Would you get the 2-year post study work permit after studying at AGSM?

Btw, why did you apply to SDA Bocconi? I've heard the unemployment rates in southern europe, such as in spain and italy are extremely high. [/quote]
quote
badux

I searched LinkedIn for MBAs who are currently working in financial services in Australia. A fairly large sample size (7000+), reveals that these are the top four schools where they went:

AGSM
UTS
Deakin
MGSM

I searched LinkedIn for MBAs who are currently working in financial services in Australia. A fairly large sample size (7000+), reveals that these are the top four schools where they went:

AGSM
UTS
Deakin
MGSM
quote

Reply to Post

Related Business Schools

Sydney, Australia 28 Followers 36 Discussions
Carlton, Australia 54 Followers 96 Discussions

Other Related Content

MBA Programs in Australia: Diversity and Great Job Opportunities Down Under

Article Jun 07, 2017

Australian MBA programs offer world-class academics, native English speaking classmates and faculty and close proximity to Asian markets.

Top 10 MBA Programs in Australia

Top List

Thinking about an MBA in Australia? See the Top 10 MBA programs in Australia here.