Admission to S P Jain-Global isn’t easy at all, it’s really tough, says Shoaib

At Class 12 level, I pursued Science including Math, Physics, and Computer Science, with research and interests which still hold true today. Pursued Bachelors in the field of Engineering (IT). Thereafter, decided to pursue an MBA programme from S P Jain School of Global Management, and there are several reasons for that:

1. S P Jain-Global consistently ranks among the best B-Schools globally; in the top-100, and has ranked as high as #4 globally.
2. A one-year programme means you save a year (MBA programmes are typically of two-year duration).
3. It pioneered the concept of Global-MBA; it is the first of its kind multi-city programme, conducting the programme in three terms of four-month each across three alpha cities - Dubai, Singapore, and Sydney (which is representative of three major global business cultures – the Arab, the Chinese, and the Western). And, because of its roots in India, you also get exposure to the fourth major business culture - the Indian context. This immersive experience is like no other, that any B-School could possibly provide. This experience hasn’t yet been and couldn’t possibly ever be replicated.

The Global-MBA programme is the flagship programme of SP Jain School of Global Management intended for students with work experience, and was thus the best fit for me.

Admission to S P Jain-Global isn’t easy at all, it’s really tough. I gave the GMAT and PTE entrance exams, and you need to prepare really well for these entrance exams. Though, I didn’t take any coaching classes, I did extensive self-study for the same. But, students could look at external help in preparing for these exams, that’d surely help them, but I’d stop short of recommending a specific coaching class, since I didn’t take one myself; they should make an informed choice in selecting one. Post that there were several other requirements, the process was lengthy, elaborate, and rigorous. We had to submit several write-ups, take an S P Jain-Global internal test, and faced several round of interviews, which were really grueling and tough, and you could never be sure till you received the offer letter. But, the one thing I recommend to prospective candidates is that there’s no substitute for preparing, and putting in the effort; in addition you need to have integrity, don’t think you’d be able to lie and fool your way into the programme, the interviewers are usually proficient in catching any false claims you make and you wouldn’t be able to justify or substantiate during your interview course. Rather, be honest about yourself, and express how and why you are an optimal fit for the program and how it’d adds value to your profile.

Admission to S P Jain-Global isn’t easy at all, it’s really tough. I gave the GMAT and PTE entrance exams, and you need to prepare really well for these entrance exams. Though, I didn’t take any coaching classes, I did extensive self-study for the same.

If you’ve heard that you learn more outside the class than inside of it, well then that’s most definitely not at the expense of your class hours. So what should you do outside of your class hours, my mantra is very simple: study, more study, and even more study, that’s how you should use your time outside of your class hours. True, there’s a lot of peer-group learning that happens in an MBA programme, but that complement your formal coursework, and doesn’t and shouldn’t in any way substitute it.

I also extended my help to my cohort and others at school who wanted to interact with me esp. related to my past experiences and learnings with regards to the coursework and also related to other fields more generally.

I also helped in profiling students to give them a better insight into themselves, something which could be of help even for placements.

The S P Jain-Global experience has been truly phenomenal in terms of your learnings, development, professional networking, and building connections that are for life.

Currently associated with IBM, which is leading the world into its next phase of tech changes; it is at the forefront of technology leadership, and I’m happy to be campus placed at IBM as Advisory Consultant in Information Technology Management Consulting role

Well your learnings and efforts never go to waste. The long study hours put-in, the help extended to my cohort and fellow student at S P Jain-Global is finally reaping positive outcomes. To be campus placed at IBM, perhaps the best role on offer at campus is hugely satisfying. But, it’s not the end, it just the beginning of a re-start of my professional career journey in a more meaningful way.

My association with IBM as Advisory Consultant in Information Technology Management Consulting role is an optimum fit for my profile. I’m treating IBM not as a destination, but as a journey. Within IBM, there’s a lot of career trajectories, which excites me, and I’m planning to explore such fields as Quantum Computing, AI, and other Emerging Technologies.

In addition, I’d also like to explore synergies to contribute to the field of Management Education, something which I enjoy doing and have done in the past, to contribute to this very significant and evolving field of Education.

About the author

Shoaib Mohammed is an MBA student at SP Jain School of Global Management. He has over 10 years of corporate experience and is currently associated with IBM as an advisor consultant.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha