MBA guidance


Hello there!




I am a professional with 8 years of work experience in public sector oil and gas industry(downstream) in operations in India which includes 4 years of management experience in operations management. I have got offers from University of Birmingham, Exeter and Leeds. Also I'm waiting for University of Edinburgh offer. I had applied to these MBA programs based on my work experience and academic qualification. After MBA I'm looking for job role in operations at manufacturing firms such as Unilever in UK. Which school would be best for me? 
I have got negative reviews about job opportunities in UK after MBA. 
Now I'm wondering if I should apply for top tier MBA programs through GMAT for which I would have to wait for next year. But problem is top tier MBA would be costly which I can't afford (If I get admit and don't get scholarship).
Please guide...

[Edited by Shilpa Salve on May 05, 2023]

Hello there!<br><br><br><br>
I am a professional with 8 years of work experience in public sector oil and gas industry(downstream) in operations in India which includes 4 years of management experience in operations management. I have got offers from University of Birmingham, Exeter and Leeds. Also I'm waiting for University of Edinburgh offer. I had applied to these MBA programs based on my work experience and academic qualification. After MBA I'm looking for job role in operations at manufacturing firms such as Unilever in UK. Which school would be best for me?&nbsp;<br>I have got negative reviews about job opportunities in UK after MBA.&nbsp;<br>Now I'm wondering if I should apply for top tier MBA programs through GMAT for which I would have to wait for next year. But problem is top tier MBA would be costly which I can't afford (If I get admit and don't get scholarship).<br>Please guide...
quote
overlord47

Hi Shilpa some top tier MBA programmes in the UK such as Durham, Lancaster, Cranfield, and even Warwick don't require you to write the GMAT. Durham doesn't have a mandatory GMAT requirement, whereas Lancaster has the alternative to GMAT which is the Lancaster Admissions Essay while both Warwick and Cranfield have their alternative exams which you can opt for in place of the GMAT. Now coming to the MBA programmes that you have mentioned yeah they aren't the best, except for maybe Birmingham and Edinburgh the rest aren't that good, so if you want to select from these schools then Birmingham and Edinburgh should be your choices. Now regarding the job market in the UK yeah ist true at present its not favourable and even if you are getting an MBA from say AMBS you will still struggle to find jobs in the UK market, but this won't be a constant scenario. It's predicted that the market will improve by the end of 2023 or the begining of 2024 and so if you travel to the UK this year then by the time you graduate the job market will be much more favourable for the job seekers. So I would suggest that if you really want to travel this year then choose Birmingham or Edinburgh or apply to Durham or Lancaster (if you don't want to appear for the GMAT).

[Edited by overlord47 on May 02, 2023]

Hi Shilpa some top tier MBA programmes in the UK such as Durham, Lancaster, Cranfield, and even Warwick don't require you to write the GMAT. Durham doesn't have a mandatory GMAT requirement, whereas Lancaster has the alternative to GMAT which is the Lancaster Admissions Essay while both Warwick and Cranfield have their alternative exams which you can opt for in place of the GMAT. Now coming to the MBA programmes that you have mentioned yeah they aren't the best, except for maybe Birmingham and Edinburgh the rest aren't that good, so if you want to select from these schools then Birmingham and Edinburgh should be your choices. Now regarding the job market in the UK yeah ist true at present its not favourable and even if you are getting an MBA from say AMBS you will still struggle to find jobs in the UK market, but this won't be a constant scenario. It's predicted that the market will improve by the end of 2023 or the begining of 2024 and so if you travel to the UK this year then by the time you graduate the job market will be much more favourable for the job seekers. So I would suggest that if you really want to travel this year then choose Birmingham or Edinburgh or apply to Durham or Lancaster (if you don't want to appear for the GMAT).
quote

Hello
Thanks for the reply and suggestion.
I will apply to Durham and Lancaster. Also is it too late to apply to Warwick or Cranfield considering chance of getting offer and scholarship? It is 4th round at Warwick now.
For safer side, I have applied to TU, Berlin MBA in Energy Management. Is it a good school? Also does MBA from one European country hold significant value in other European country?

Hello<br>Thanks for the reply and suggestion.<br>I will apply to Durham and Lancaster. Also is it too late to apply to Warwick or Cranfield considering chance of getting offer and scholarship? It is 4th round at Warwick now.<br>For safer side, I have applied to TU, Berlin MBA in Energy Management. Is it a good school? Also does MBA from one European country hold significant value in other European country?
quote
Duncan

The TU Berlin MBA does not have accreditation from any of the three major accreditation bodies and, because it doesn't really have the core curriculum they require, don't get it. 

Few MBAs have international reputations with employers: they will be in the FT ranking.  

The TU Berlin MBA does not have accreditation from any of the three major accreditation bodies and, because it doesn't really have the core curriculum they require, don't get it.&nbsp;<br><br>Few MBAs have international reputations with employers: they will be in the FT ranking.&nbsp;&nbsp;
quote

The TU Berlin MBA does not have accreditation from any of the three major accreditation bodies and, because it doesn't really have the core curriculum they require, don't get it. 

Few MBAs have international reputations with employers: they will be in the FT ranking.  


Thank you Duncan. 
Yes, I had checked that TU has no accreditation but when I searched for specific MBA for Energy sector it appeared on some sites on the top so I applied to it. I found that this university is reputed in Germany and if I decide to study there I will get chance to work there in Energy sector post my MBA. I am willing to learn German for that case. But yes I'm not sure about job opportunities after the course there. So now I'm skeptical..

Okay, yes I think only few well known top MBAs will be suitable for cross country job opportunities. 

[Edited by Shilpa Salve on May 03, 2023]

[quote]The TU Berlin MBA does not have accreditation from any of the three major accreditation bodies and, because it doesn't really have the core curriculum they require, don't get it.&nbsp;<br><br>Few MBAs have international reputations with employers: they will be in the FT ranking.&nbsp;&nbsp; [/quote]<br><br>Thank you Duncan.&nbsp;<br>Yes, I had checked that TU has no accreditation but when I searched for specific MBA for Energy sector it appeared on some sites on the top so I applied to it. I found that this university is reputed in Germany and if I decide to study there I will get chance to work there in Energy sector post my MBA. I am willing to learn German for that case. But yes I'm not sure about job opportunities after the course there. So now I'm skeptical..<br><br>Okay, yes I think only few well known top MBAs will be suitable for cross country job opportunities.&nbsp;<br><br>
quote

Hi Shilpa some top tier MBA programmes in the UK such as Durham, Lancaster, Cranfield, and even Warwick don't require you to write the GMAT. Durham doesn't have a mandatory GMAT requirement, whereas Lancaster has the alternative to GMAT which is the Lancaster Admissions Essay while both Warwick and Cranfield have their alternative exams which you can opt for in place of the GMAT. Now coming to the MBA programmes that you have mentioned yeah they aren't the best, except for maybe Birmingham and Edinburgh the rest aren't that good, so if you want to select from these schools then Birmingham and Edinburgh should be your choices. Now regarding the job market in the UK yeah ist true at present its not favourable and even if you are getting an MBA from say AMBS you will still struggle to find jobs in the UK market, but this won't be a constant scenario. It's predicted that the market will improve by the end of 2023 or the begining of 2024 and so if you travel to the UK this year then by the time you graduate the job market will be much more favourable for the job seekers. So I would suggest that if you really want to travel this year then choose Birmingham or Edinburgh or apply to Durham or Lancaster (if you don't want to appear for the GMAT).


I'm willing to start my MBA this year. Hopefully job scenario gets better..
Also will I have a good opportunity to work with energy sector in UK after MBA there? I have heard Scotland has many oil and gas industries. Can MBA from Birmingham or Edinburgh land me a job at Mckinsey/BCG or other top consulting firms..? The thing is I want to work in Europe post MBA.

[Edited by Shilpa Salve on May 03, 2023]

[quote]Hi Shilpa some top tier MBA programmes in the UK such as Durham, Lancaster, Cranfield, and even Warwick don't require you to write the GMAT. Durham doesn't have a mandatory GMAT requirement, whereas Lancaster has the alternative to GMAT which is the Lancaster Admissions Essay while both Warwick and Cranfield have their alternative exams which you can opt for in place of the GMAT. Now coming to the MBA programmes that you have mentioned yeah they aren't the best, except for maybe Birmingham and Edinburgh the rest aren't that good, so if you want to select from these schools then Birmingham and Edinburgh should be your choices. Now regarding the job market in the UK yeah ist true at present its not favourable and even if you are getting an MBA from say AMBS you will still struggle to find jobs in the UK market, but this won't be a constant scenario. It's predicted that the market will improve by the end of 2023 or the begining of 2024 and so if you travel to the UK this year then by the time you graduate the job market will be much more favourable for the job seekers. So I would suggest that if you really want to travel this year then choose Birmingham or Edinburgh or apply to Durham or Lancaster (if you don't want to appear for the GMAT). [/quote]<br><br>I'm willing to start my MBA this year. Hopefully job scenario gets better..<br>Also will I have a good opportunity to work with energy sector in UK after MBA there? I have heard Scotland has many oil and gas industries. Can MBA from Birmingham or Edinburgh land me a job at Mckinsey/BCG or other top consulting firms..? The thing is I want to work in Europe post MBA.
quote
Duncan

The TU's reputation matters less than your German language skills and the qualities of that specific programme. See my post on language skills linked from my profile page. 

The TU's reputation matters less than your German language skills and the qualities of that specific programme. See my post on language skills linked from my profile page.&nbsp;
quote
overlord47

See first you need to decide which industry you will work in will it be the Big 4, the MBB or the Energy Sector. Now coming to your question I don't think either of Birmingham or Edinburgh will lend you a job at the MBB firms. At most you can try the Big 4 firms like EY, Deloitte, etc but here's the catch it's very difficult to change your domain or industry from the previous one(the one you have experience in) in the UK post your graduation. For example you can only get a job in the Big 4 if you have past experience working for any big 4 company. In order to change the domain you need to target the top 3-4 b schools such as LBS, Oxford, Cambridge etc. even then it's not guaranteed that you will be able to change your domain or industry post MBA. Now coming to the energy sector yeah Scotland has quite an array of companies dedicated to gas and oil or the energy sector so maybe an MBA from Edinburgh will help you lend a job in such a a company but MBB firms like BCG or McKinsey is not possible. To lend a job in such a company you need to target the top 3-4 b schools in the UK !! 

[Edited by overlord47 on May 03, 2023]

See first you need to decide which industry you will work in will it be the Big 4, the MBB or the Energy Sector. Now coming to your question I don't think either of Birmingham or Edinburgh will lend you a job at the MBB firms. At most you can try the Big 4 firms like EY, Deloitte, etc but here's the catch it's very difficult to change your domain or industry from the previous one(the one you have experience in) in the UK post your graduation. For example you can only get a job in the Big 4 if you have past experience working for any big 4 company. In order to change the domain you need to target the top 3-4 b schools such as LBS, Oxford, Cambridge etc. even then it's not guaranteed that you will be able to change your domain or industry post MBA. Now coming to the energy sector yeah Scotland has quite an array of companies dedicated to gas and oil or the energy sector so maybe an MBA from Edinburgh will help you lend a job in such a a company but MBB firms like BCG or McKinsey is not possible. To lend a job in such a company you need to target the top 3-4 b schools in the UK !!&nbsp;
quote
Digant2022

Hi Shilpa,
The job opportunities in energy sector in UK are expected to grow significantly. I would recommend Imperial MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures if you are looking to work in this sector. The program has a mixture of people with varying experience. 

Hi Shilpa,<br>The job opportunities in energy sector in UK are expected to grow significantly. I would recommend Imperial MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures if you are looking to work in this sector. The program has a mixture of people with varying experience.&nbsp;
quote

See first you need to decide which industry you will work in will it be the Big 4, the MBB or the Energy Sector. Now coming to your question I don't think either of Birmingham or Edinburgh will lend you a job at the MBB firms. At most you can try the Big 4 firms like EY, Deloitte, etc but here's the catch it's very difficult to change your domain or industry from the previous one(the one you have experience in) in the UK post your graduation. For example you can only get a job in the Big 4 if you have past experience working for any big 4 company. In order to change the domain you need to target the top 3-4 b schools such as LBS, Oxford, Cambridge etc. even then it's not guaranteed that you will be able to change your domain or industry post MBA. Now coming to the energy sector yeah Scotland has quite an array of companies dedicated to gas and oil or the energy sector so maybe an MBA from Edinburgh will help you lend a job in such a a company but MBB firms like BCG or McKinsey is not possible. To lend a job in such a company you need to target the top 3-4 b schools in the UK !! 


Sorry, I didn't mention it clearly that by consulting at top consulting I meant specifically oil and gas consulting. Also in Energy sector I'm only looking for oil and gas specifically. So that I won't be changing my domain it's just that I'm flexible about job role i.e. consulting or senior/project managerial. That's why I mentioned about energy sector in Scotland.


[Edited by Shilpa Salve on May 04, 2023]

[quote]See first you need to decide which industry you will work in will it be the Big 4, the MBB or the Energy Sector. Now coming to your question I don't think either of Birmingham or Edinburgh will lend you a job at the MBB firms. At most you can try the Big 4 firms like EY, Deloitte, etc but here's the catch it's very difficult to change your domain or industry from the previous one(the one you have experience in) in the UK post your graduation. For example you can only get a job in the Big 4 if you have past experience working for any big 4 company. In order to change the domain you need to target the top 3-4 b schools such as LBS, Oxford, Cambridge etc. even then it's not guaranteed that you will be able to change your domain or industry post MBA. Now coming to the energy sector yeah Scotland has quite an array of companies dedicated to gas and oil or the energy sector so maybe an MBA from Edinburgh will help you lend a job in such a a company but MBB firms like BCG or McKinsey is not possible. To lend a job in such a company you need to target the top 3-4 b schools in the UK !!&nbsp; [/quote]<br><br>Sorry, I didn't mention it clearly that by consulting at top consulting I meant specifically oil and gas consulting. Also in Energy sector I'm only looking for oil and gas specifically. So that I won't be changing my domain it's just that I'm flexible about job role i.e. consulting or senior/project managerial. That's why I mentioned about energy sector in Scotland.<br><br><br>
quote

Hi Shilpa,
The job opportunities in energy sector in UK are expected to grow significantly. I would recommend Imperial MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures if you are looking to work in this sector. The program has a mixture of people with varying experience. 



Thanks for the reply.
Actually I did think about Msc but I googled and I found mostly MSc is suitable for freshers or comparatively comparatively less experienced professionals. 
Sure I’ll check out Imperial MSc program.

[quote]Hi Shilpa,<br>The job opportunities in energy sector in UK are expected to grow significantly. I would recommend Imperial MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures if you are looking to work in this sector. The program has a mixture of people with varying experience.&nbsp; [/quote]<br><br><br>Thanks for the reply.<br>Actually I did think about Msc but I googled and I found mostly MSc is suitable for freshers or comparatively comparatively less experienced professionals.&nbsp;<br>Sure I’ll check out Imperial MSc program.
quote

The TU's reputation matters less than your German language skills and the qualities of that specific programme. See my post on language skills linked from my profile page. 


Yes, thanks Duncan. I’ll check that post.
Surely I won’t go for a TU MBA..

[quote]The TU's reputation matters less than your German language skills and the qualities of that specific programme. See my post on language skills linked from my profile page.&nbsp; [/quote]<br><br>Yes, thanks Duncan. I’ll check that post.<br>Surely I won’t go for a TU MBA..<br><br>
quote
Duncan

Actually I did think about Msc but I googled and I found mostly MSc is suitable for freshers or comparatively comparatively less experienced professionals. 
Sure I’ll check out Imperial MSc program.


That's a bit sweeping. The MiM is aimed at recent graduates, but MSc programmes are open to people ar any age. If you want a specialised masters from a European business school, then that almost certainly will be an MSc. The MBA is a general management degree, partly because our one-year format doesn't allow the deep specialisation possible in a second year, as in the US or India. 

[quote]Actually I did think about Msc but I googled and I found mostly MSc is suitable for freshers or comparatively comparatively less experienced professionals.&nbsp;<br>Sure I’ll check out Imperial MSc program. [/quote]<br><br>That's a bit sweeping. The MiM is aimed at recent graduates, but MSc programmes are open to people ar any age. If you want a specialised masters from a European business school, then that almost certainly will be an MSc. The MBA is a general management degree, partly because our one-year format doesn't allow the deep specialisation possible in a second year, as in the US or India.&nbsp;
quote

Actually I did think about Msc but I googled and I found mostly MSc is suitable for freshers or comparatively comparatively less experienced professionals. 
Sure I’ll check out Imperial MSc program.


That's a bit sweeping. The MiM is aimed at recent graduates, but MSc programmes are open to people ar any age. If you want a specialised masters from a European business school, then that almost certainly will be an MSc. The MBA is a general management degree, partly because our one-year format doesn't allow the deep specialisation possible in a second year, as in the US or India. 


Yes, you are right. I did check some profiles on linkdin and found people who did MSc after significant experience.. I think I’ll certainly consider applying for masters with specialisation.


I wanted to know a thing, is it almost impossible to get a job in an industry where there is no alumni from the school you are studying at..? 
Also if there is, is it possible to get job in that industry in a different profile/ specialization than that of alumni’s..?

[Edited by Shilpa Salve on May 05, 2023]

[quote][quote]Actually I did think about Msc but I googled and I found mostly MSc is suitable for freshers or comparatively comparatively less experienced professionals.&nbsp;<br>Sure I’ll check out Imperial MSc program. [/quote]<br><br>That's a bit sweeping. The MiM is aimed at recent graduates, but MSc programmes are open to people ar any age. If you want a specialised masters from a European business school, then that almost certainly will be an MSc. The MBA is a general management degree, partly because our one-year format doesn't allow the deep specialisation possible in a second year, as in the US or India.&nbsp; [/quote]<br><br>Yes, you are right. I did check some profiles on linkdin and found people who did MSc after significant experience.. I think I’ll certainly consider applying for masters with specialisation.<br><br><br>I wanted to know a thing, is it almost impossible to get a job in an industry where there is no alumni from the school you are studying at..?&nbsp;<br>Also if there is, is it possible to get job in that industry in a different profile/ specialization than that of alumni’s..?<br><br>
quote
Duncan

Anything is possible, but not every option is likely. When you select a school, please look for the school that's the best fit for your goal. 

Anything is possible, but not every option is likely. When you select a school, please look for the school that's the best fit for your goal.&nbsp;
quote

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