Getting good grades doesn’t need to be a top-priority for everyone, says Dean-Corporate Affairs Prachi Jindal

In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Dean-Corporate Affairs Prachi Jindal at Gitarattan International Business School talks at length about a student’s journey at GIBS. She goes into detail explaining the curriculum, importance of industrial exposure academic and industrial collaboration.

Read the complete interview below

Q: What are the three things that your institute is doing that will enable it to differentiate itself from competition?

A: Students at B-schools invest 2-3 valuable years of their life into MBA & BBA along with a considerable financial investment in the form of fees….placements at GIBS commensurate return out of this heavy investment. Our management graduates have acquired jobs at Fortune 500 companies like C-Vent, Accenture, IRB, Infoedge, Cloudologic, Ameriprise at highest package of Rs 12.5 LPA and average package of Rs 4.5 LPA

Cut-off percentile in CET to get admission in GIBS goes competitively high ensuring admission of  quality students every year. Quality of students directly impacts the quality of learning at GIBS which is evident from the list of subject toppers and semester toppers at GGSIPU end-term examinations produced here every year.

GIBS is among the top 20 B-schools of North Delhi, ranked 34th in Top Private Institutes in India and 49th in Top 150 B-schools in India for its MBA programme. It has been rated highest grading ‘A’ by Joint inspection Committee of Govt of NCT of Delhi & GGSIP University since 2013 till date and also rated Grade ‘A’ by Academic Audit Cell of GGSIP University since 2011 till date. GIBS has also achieved 4 star ranking in IIC MOE ranking 2021and is Graded ‘A’ by National Assessment & Accreditation Council in 2nd Cycle. Also, GIBS has been rated as number 2 pan India by times Business School survey in 2021, 2019 and 2018.

I would also like to talk about the International Collaboration Programme of the GIBS that provides an opportunity to both Indian and foreign students in the field of Management and Law to interact and research on various aspects. It has been envisaged to promote academic links among the future managers and legal advisors in India and abroad.

Q: What are the top three initiatives undertaken by you that are helping your students become more industry ready?

A: Skill Based Training is given in areas like Marketing Analytics, HR Analytics, Finance Analytics and Advanced Excel so that this generation of students develop a STEM fluency to understand, address, and solve large-scale problems. Also, grooming of soft skills, like communication skills, managerial skills, and socializing skills of students is done to make them presentable on the professional front.You may ask any employer their top three criteria for a star candidate, and communication skills will always be on the list. There are many certificate course run by the institution including foreign language course, credit based additional qualitative course, skill based course etc.

Professional mentoring sessions for students are conducted by corporate trainers to assist students to recognize their interest and opt for the right specialization that would land them to the right job.

The Institute recognizes the fact that Industrial Visits are important components for a student’s development. It supplements and enriches classroom learning and encourages new interests amongst students. It also makes them more aware of community resources and helps them relate their educational experience to the outside world. Considering the importance of Industrial Visits, the institute organizes at least two industrial visits for one batch during the course to achieve an all-round development. Also each student undergoes stipend-based summer training program that enables them to learn and acquire professional skills .

Q: What are the key attributes that a student should have in order to qualify for your Institution and perform well?

A: To be a part of the institute, one must have ability to:

• Persevere: I feel this is the single biggest quality that is going to help you in your pursuit of a coveted seat at GIBS. During your preparation phase, there would be numerous occasions (read: terrible mock scores/smart coaching batch mates) when you might feel like giving up, at all those times only this quality will help you stay afloat.
• Clearing CAT/CET: Crack the exam with utmost dedication as scoring high in this exam is necessary to secure a seat in GIBS. The cut-offs go high at our institution. Don’t leave any scope for lamenting later while you attempt CET- as they say in football- leave all you’ve got on the field.
• To be blind and deaf to leeches: On your journey, you might encounter many individuals who would project their own insecurities onto you in every possible manner. Keep a single-minded focus. Once you have locked in on your target, then there is no time for dawdling.

At the very onset, I want to make one thing clear: Getting good grades doesn’t need to be a top-priority for everyone. There can be various other equally or even better goals. This piece, however, is written only for those who have chosen academic performance as a key priority for their MBA journey.

1. Never Miss the class.

There are tons of things you can do at GIBS. Join student clubs, participate in business competitions, participate in placement drives etc. However the thumb rule that you should follow no-matter-what: Always attend classes and be attentive.

GIBS has superb professors with tons of experience- both in academia and consulting. You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to interact with them.

2. Set your priorities and time management would follow

As Dumbeldore has once told to Harry Potter “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities”, there will be times when you have to make a trade-off and balancing act can’t work. And - you will also need to make a choice. There are always multiple important things (events, exams, deadlines, placement preparations) that require your attention. And none can be missed.Generally, the top-rankers prioritize academics over others.

3. Consistency is the Key

A final piece of advice don’t be studying 8 hours a day for the first few weeks and then being lethargic for the entire term.If you want to have good academic performance, this cycle of super-high ups and super-low downs is disastrous. Academic toppers focus on building long-habits (Say, 4 hours a day or until that day’s assignments are done) that you can keep for longer.

Q: Which programme/s would you say is/are your best? What is it that helps your institution differentiate itself for this programme?

A: MBA is our flagship programme as it has been started since the incubation of GIBS. Also, MBA  programme at GIBS gives :

1. High Employability

High cut-off during admission attracts quality students that directly impacts the quality of learning at GIBS.Eventually "Best" students attract the "Best" employers.

2. University Toppers

For the same reason stated above we produce subject toppers, semester toppers and university toppers every year.

3. Leaders of Tomorrow

We not only churn out "employable" candidates but also those who can "generate employment" by their entrepreneurship. We do not limit ourselves to teaching "job-skills" but inculcate "life-skills", such as leadership skills, as well. Students not only learn to "manage businesses" but to "run good businesses" that are socially and environmentally sustainable and are responsible. They are not only taught to embrace technologies but be change leaders and create business disruption that does good to the larger society.

Q: What are you doing to improve/drive better campus placements for your current students and alumni? What kind of jobs routinely come to campus? What would you say are the key recruitment trends for your college (observed over the past five years)?

A: Steps to improve campus placements

1. ‘College to Corporate’ Training Module

This is one of the most important aspects to improve our placement records. Initially rigorous training was donefrom starting of the final year.But after our experience, training must start from first year onwards. Hence from 2022 onwards, GIBS has introduced ‘College to Corporate’ Training Module from first year onwards that will focus on grooming our students in vital qualities by organizing

soft skill training and training on subjects that are related to industry experience.

2. Network Expansion

With a wide database of 500 + recruiters, we are expanding our network of HRs by reaching out to our alma mater. HRs of numerous companies are contacted and asked to visit the campus to have regular guest lectures. This helps develop a close relationship that eventually leads to potential placement opportunities.

3. Industrial Visit

To introduce GIBS to renowned companies, we organize regular field trips or visits to their manufacturing plants/ factories /firms. This his way, the recruiters are more aware of our college.

4. Training on Recruitment Process of Grade ‘A’ Companies

Today, most companies (like Accenture, C-Vent) look into reports from online assessment solutionsthat offer recruiters in-depth and comprehensive evaluations of a student’s strengths and weaknesses across important categories. Training on portals like HireMee is in pipeline to give students hands on experience on various trendsetting aspects like its video profile feature for students to showcase their communication skills,

5.Picking The Right Campus Job

Picking the right kind of Campus Job ensures usto maintain our reputation in the market. Though it will be very difficult to say no to campus placement, if we believe our students are not suitable for a particular job then we are prudent  enough to say no. Companies greatly respect that we are upfront and they show their intention to visit us for a job that suits our students. The last thing we want is to agree for every campus jobs and couldn’t get even one student placed.

Kind of jobs routinely come to campus

To name a few:

Banking

Finance

Insurance

Information Technology

Consultancy

Manufacturing

Education

Research

Hospitality

Real Estate

Retail

Logistics

E-Commerce

PSU’s