From humble beginnings to coveted jobs at HDFC, SAP, Infosys, Dun & Bradstreet: Meet JAGSoM MBAs who share their highpoints

AACSB accredited Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSoM) is positioned as a Global Business School with an International Board of Directors, a globally benchmarked & industry-aligned curriculum, delivered by faculty of global repute. Through its strong processes, JAGSoM believes in identifying and polishing rough diamonds who pursue any of its four PGDM programs with 300 seats. Recently, JAGSoM completed its 2023 placements with a high average batch salary of Rs INR 13.3 Lakhs Per Annum. MBAUniverse.com interacted with JAGSoM students to learn about their backgrounds, their learning experiences, and placements. Coming unfiltered from the horse’s mouth, these interesting insights are useful for both aspirants/students and academics!

But, before we progress, here are the key milestones in the journey of JAGSoM over the last decade…

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JAGSoM’s Journey – Key milestones

• In 2010, BITS Alumni & Tech-entrepreneur Sanjay Padode took over as the Chairman of IFIM Business School, set up in 1995 by his Father late Shri VB Padode, founder of Dalal Street Journal (DSJ) Group.
• In 2018, IFIM Business School became the sixth B-school in India after ISB, TAPMI, IIM Calcutta, IMT Ghaziabad, and XLRI, to be AACSB Accredited.
• In the same year, Dr. Atish Chattopadhyay, former Director of IMT Ghaziabad, Dean of MICA, and Deputy Director at SPJIMR Mumbai joined IFIM Business School.
• On October 21, 2020, IFIM Business School Bangalore got rechristened as JAGSoM after globally respected management guru Padma Bhushan Dr. Jagdish Sheth.
• In 2021, JAGSoM begins partnership with triple-accredited Kedge Business School for MBA and BBA programs. Kedge to launch India Campus in partnership with JAGSoM soon.
• In February 2022, JAGSoM became one of the first B-schools in India to get Multi-Campus (Bangalore & Mumbai-Karjat) & Multi-Program Accreditation from AACSB International.

JAGSoM records strong Placements 2023
JAGSoM has recently announced the successful completion of placements for the graduating PGDM Batch of 2021-23. One of the highlights was that approximately 75% of the batch has secured placements that are aligned to their chosen “Career Track”. The current average compensation package stood at INR 13.3 Lakhs Per Annum, and the current highest domestic compensation package at INR 43.0 Lakhs Per Annum.

More than 100 recruiters including SAP, New York ISO, DHL Logistics, Grant Thornton, Schneider Electric, Wipro, HDFC, Hexaware, Infosys, Factset, Arecesium, Federal Bank and Bectran Inc recruited JAGSoM students, who secured about 225 job offers from these leading organizations. Another highlight of JAGSoM’s Placement 2023 was the International Placements in companies such as New York ISO (Independent System Operator), Gamma Technologies LLC, and Bectran. JAGSoM students have been placed in the US job market, with the highest package being USD 103,000/-, approximately INR 85.6 Lakhs Per Annum.

Top Recruiters at JAGSoM include:

In line with their aspirations, JAGSoM students were offered following rewarding roles across IT & ITES, Financial Services, Automotive, Banking, and Manufacturing sectors:

Speaking on the culmination of Placements 2023, Dr. Atish Chattopadhyay, Director, JAGSoM said, “Role defined Career Tracks is a unique approach developed by JAGSoM to prepare its graduates for career roles based on their individual strengths and interests. The Career Success of our students is a testament to the Curriculum, Pedagogy, and the commitment of JAGSoM’s faculty. JAGSoM’s long duration Internship program results in better fitment for both students and the industry.” Commenting on JAGSoM’s International placements, Dr. Chattopadhyay stated “JAGSoM is committed to providing our students with both global experiences as well as global career opportunities through our strong International partnerships.”

Delighted with the outcomes, Prof. Rajesh Kumar, Chairperson – Placements, JAGSoM said, “The students at JAGSoM are nurtured through a unique three step ‘Learning by Solving’ pathway, which comprises of the Research Incubation/ Innovation Incubation (RI/II), the Request for Problem (RFP) project, and the Industry Internship Program (IIP), resulting in a high degree of role and industry alignment. We are now beginning to see the fruits of our unique approach.”

From Rough Diamonds to Polished Jewels: Journey of 13 JAGSoM Students  
MBAUniverse.com observed that while the students joining JAGSoM come from humble backgrounds with modest CAT/XAT percentiles, they have managed to bag jobs in coveted companies at fairly good average salary of Rs 13.3 lakhs per annum. So, how did they manage to achieve these healthy outcomes? We decided to interact with these students to learn about their backgrounds, their learning experiences, and placements. Coming unfiltered from the horse’s mouth, these interesting insights are useful. So here we go!

Before we start with their comments to questions that we posed, here is a quick student introduction.

Let’s it’s time to know how JAGSoM transformed them. Check their responses to our questions:

1. WHY MBA? Why I decided to pursue an MBA/PGDM program.

• Alex S Muricken: I wanted to join the corporate world and set directions for change, rather than merely follow a set of tasks and instructions.
• Arka Routh: I wanted to acquire business knowledge, master skills like leadership and problem-solving. I also wanted to unlock career opportunities, build a strong network, experience personal and professional growth, gain practical exposure, and apply classroom learning to real-world scenarios.
• Arjun Singh Jadon: I wanted to complete an MBA to get into managerial career work.
• Adrian Infanraj: I decided to pursue MBA to organise my skillset, get more knowledge and to get a good placement.
• Arasavilli Shanmukha Rao:  I had four objectives: Career Advancement, Skill Development, Networking Opportunities and Industry Switch or Specialization.
• Ganesh Chillamcherla: I wanted to pursue an MBA or PGDM program to enhance my career in the field of Finance and capital markets.
• Haarish Hassan:  My key expectation from PGDM was to enhance the practical knowledge and learn the requirements of Corporates
• Lakshya Saluja: The main reason why I decided to join MBA program was career advancement. I wanted to get into higher management positions.
• Perala S M Kusuma Tejaswini: I had five objectives: Career Advancement, Skill Development, Networking Opportunities, Industry Exposure and get Business Acumen.
• Shyam Sundar D: During my internship at a start-up in IIT-M, I saw the demand for good managers. Hence I thought that an MBA will add more value to my skillset.
• Starlin Manjali: I saw that I was missing on lot of opportunities and only a management program would get those opportunities. So, to close those gaps, I chose to join PGDM program.
• Vatsalya Rathore: A professional qualification is a must in this very competitive world. The 360-degree experience that a PGDM degree is essential before stepping in the corporate today.
• Vinit Parakh: My Key expectations from the PGDM program were Good course & Curriculum, Good environment and Good Placements.

2. WHY JAGSoM? Why I decided to join JAGSoM.

• Alex: The main factor for me was the highly experienced faculty and industry exposure provided by JAGSoM.
• Arka: JAGSoM stands out in terms of modern curriculum as well as their emphasis on building a good personality out of an MBA candidate.
• Arjun: I choose JAGSoM for three reasons: Atish Chattopadhyay Sir (who was previously Director of IMT Ghaziabad); Curriculum and personality enhancement programs; Upward trend in placements.  
• Adrian: Factors that helped me decide to join here were strong placement and experienced faculty.
• Arasavilli: Aspects that helped me decide to join here were Reputation, Raking, Location and Placement Opportunities.
• Ganesh: JAGSoM is one of the reputed institutions with AACSB International accreditation.
• Haarish: Two reasons: good faculty and great college location.
• Lakshya: JAGSoM has a global recognition with QS Ranking and AACSB accreditation.
• Perala: Aspects that helped me decide to join here were Rankings, Reputation, Location, Global Exposure and Placement Opportunities.
• Shyam: The key factors that helped me decide to join JAGSoM would be the faculty, placement assistance and the accreditations.
• Starlin: While I was looking for some best colleges to pursue PGDM, I got JAGSoM in the recommendations and I shortlisted it to my list. And then while comparing with other B-Schools, I found great opportunities hidden in this school. So, I joined JAGSoM to explore those opportunities.
• Vatsalya: JAGSoM is associated with the Marketing Guru Jagdish Sheth. It has a diverse and qualified faculty and T-shaped learning modules.
• Vinit: I found the dual degree program at JAGSoM (M.S Cybersecurity program with SUNY Albany, USA) to be very good. I got a dual degree in both management as well as a technical field. This helped me in my career growth.

3. JAGSoM LEARNING EXPERIENCE

• Alex: No one can ask for more experienced faculty members, who are pioneers at their respective fields. They taught us more from their personal experience rather than just textbooks.
• Arka: The learning experience was exceptional! The faculty members were highly knowledgeable, experienced, and engaging. The curriculum is well-structured, comprehensive, and industry relevant.
• Arjun: I see a huge difference in myself after JAGSoM MBA. Learning in JAGSoM is for those who embrace change.
• Adrian: It was indeed a great learning experience. It was a holistic experience that helped me grow as individual. The T-shaped curriculum helps individuals to have right learning through industry exposure.
• Ganesh: For me, the T shaped learning process helped in holistic development.
• Haarish: I am satisfied with the faculties and curriculum.
• Lakshya: JAGSoM has provided me with incredible learning opportunities. Eminent professors were always accessible to mentor us.
• Perala: For me JAGSoM experience was all about learning from highly experienced faculty, who taught an updated curriculum and gave us both knowledge and industry exposure.  
• Shyam: At JAGSoM, the academic learning is supplemented by a practical approach.
• Starlin: JAGSoM Learning Experience was exceptional as the teaching was not just theoretical but holistic. We had hands-on experience in practising our management learnings on the field and to showcase our managerial skills to the society.
• Vatsalya: The learning experience has been great, with the faculty not only teaching but also providing guidance to and mentoring students whenever they need it.
• Vinit: The Learning experience at JAGSoM was very good. I learnt the most by working on real time industry projects. Our faculty members have been very helpful in clearing doubts and gave us opportunities for learning new things.

4: THE BEST COURSE/PROJECT: The best learning initiative that I enjoyed at JAGSoM!

• Alex: For me it was Industry Internship Program (IIP). This program ensured that I was able to get a proper hands-on experience of the corporate world before getting a full-time job. This also helps me understand my favourite domain.
• Arka: Personally, I learnt the most in my Design Thinking Classes. We did a project on Titan Eye where we proposed the idea of providing 3D printer glasses after a detailed survey collecting data from customers, employees, existing users and even competition users. This provided me with a reality check on how many different aspects are needed in consideration to create a likable product. Kanyathon, a mini-marathon organized by JAGSoM students, was also good learning experience.
• Arjun: This question requires hours of typing effort! But in a nutshell, starting from the ice-breaking speech of Atish Sir to receiving of PGDM diploma during Convocation, everything is worth experiencing!
• Adrian: The MarTech Course with Darden School of Business and the Industry Internship Program were my best learning experience.
• Arasavilli: The projects and various practice courses helped me to enhance my learning experience.
• Ganesh: For me it was the Career Track program. It helped in learning core concepts of capital markets.
• Haarish: The best thing about JAGSoM was the Career Track courses and the Finance faculties.
• Lakshya: Career Track by far had been the best initiative at JAGSoM where I was able to grasp knowledge of finance and capital markets in just one trimester.
• Perala: Internship Program is one of the best learning initiatives at JAGSOM.
• Shyam: Inviting corporates to assists in mock interviews and general discussion panels was a really great initiative. These corporates were also assigned as mentors to guide us.
• Starlin: The best initiative that I took was to take a managerial position in the student council to help manage the students and to make their voices reach the management. I learned a lot about management skills, teamwork, work distribution, talent recognition and delivering the projects through this initiative.
• Vatsalya: It is difficult to narrow down to just one. JAGSoM has provided a holistic learning environment - be it the Social Immersion Program (SIP) where we learn explore and provide solutions for grassroot problems while working with NGOs, or Research Incubation or the Request for Problem (RFP) project. These initiatives have proven to be the best hands-on experience for us.
• Vinit: Kanyathon is a great learning experience. We learn a number of skills including time management, marketing, and even financial management.

5: CAREER TRACKS: My track, and the benefits.

• Alex: I was part of the Sales and Service Career track at JAGSoM. This provided me the opportunity to closely work with some of the world’s elite professors within the country and outside. The process of selling our ideas and even convincing another person was just not about a job anymore after this spectacular career track.
• Arka: I was in the Mar-Tech career track. It allowed me to gain knowledge about the marketing side of the industry through modern technology and analytics. This knowledge has helped me excel at my job since it requires consultative selling.
• Arjun: I was in Business Analytics Career Track. It taught me the amalgamation of business domain with various tools of Analytics.
• Adrian: I was in the Mar-Tech career track. It played an important role in my placements.
• Arasavilli: As a HR major student, my career track was HR Digital Transformation, it helped me to align my career aspirations to my current job.
• Ganesh: Capital Markets. It helped in getting a deep understanding of markets and various strategies.
• Haarish: I was in the FinTech career track and it helped me a lot to gain a lot of knowledge.
• Lakshya: As a member of the Capital Markets career track, I was able to learn everything that I needed to know about finance and capital markets in just one trimester, which made the interview process a breeze!
• Perala: As I am HR major student, so HR Digital Transformation was my Career track. It helped me to gain exposure to Power BI, Tableau and other digital tools that are trending. Helped to land an opportunity as an HR Analyst.
• Shyam: I was part of the ‘Business Analytics’ career track. It helped me lay a strong foundation of the basic analytical concepts.
• Starlin: The Career Track that I chose was Capital Markets where I was exposed to the world of finance and stocks. By choosing this Career Track, I was placed better in the companies and my knowledge about the market stood out as a plus point when I was interviewing with various organizations.
• Vinit: I had opted for the MarTech Career Track. I understood the significance of keeping ourselves updated with the latest skills required in the field of Marketing. We gained in depth knowledge in topics like marketing analytics,  market research, digital and social media marketing.

6: PLACEMENTS: My placement experience – the high points and lows…

• Alex: The rigorous pre-placement process at JAGSoM not only focuses on academics but immensely on personality development as well. This helped me crack the job interviews. Another notable point about the placement at JAGSoM was that I was able to sit for more than one job interview though I had already secured a job. This ensures that students receive chances to obtain the best possible package.
• Arka: The high points were the guidance by the faculty and the efforts put in by the entire corporate relations group at JAGSoM. I was shortlisted into the final rounds by Dun & Bradstreet. We went through five rounds of screening and interview for getting finally selected.
• Arjun: Placement cell in JAGSoM starts preparing you for placements from the Term 1 itself by conducting Mock GDPI’s with the corporates. So, cracking real interviews are not that difficult. Overall, a great experience.
• Ganesh: Placement team works really hard. Coordination and the placement process was well organised.
• Haarish: My journey of placement was good. In order to get a good job, I only brushed up my basic knowledge and my communication skills played a big role in my journey.
• Lakshya: The placement process was rather smooth. In my opinion, the placement staff deserves the highest marks for the work they put in to position us in the job market.
• Perala: It was a journey of moulding myself from a student to a professional.
• Shyam: To be honest, I did go through a couple of rejections at the start of the process. But I told myself that there was something better in store for me. I had a list of companies that I had set my sights on. SAP, where I was finally selected, was not on that list. Once the pressure was off, it helped me perform better.
• Starlin: The placement experience was smooth and disciplined because of the rule book.
• Vatsalya: I was very particular about working in Advertising and hence had been applying to them. During this process, my faculty Dr. Kamalika and Prof. Binita were especially helpful in guiding.
• Vinit: My placement process was pretty smooth and I got an offer at Bectran Inc, which is a B2B Credit Management SaaS company headquartered in the USA.

7. SATISFACTION LEVEL: Am I happy with learning and placements

• Alex: I have been more than satisfied with what I take away from this institution.
• Arka: Yes, I am extremely satisfied.
• Arjun: Yes, I am satisfied.
• Adrian: Yes.
• Arasavilli: Yes, JAGSoM indeed helped me to get my career choices.
• Ganesh: Yes, am satisfied.
• Lakshya: I am totally satisfied with the kind learning of placement assistance that I received from JAGSoM.
• Perala: Yes, it helped to grow as an individual both on the personal front and on the professional front.
• Shyam: Yes, the overall experience of my MBA program so far has been satisfactory.
• Starlin: Yes, I am very satisfied with what I got to learn and experience in JAGSoM and I am happy with the placements and the network.
• Vatsalya: Yes, hard work, resilience and consistency is highly valued and appreciated at JAGSoM and that is what we are prepared for as a part of our holistic development.
• Vinit: Yes, the course, curriculum and learning, along with the placements at JAGSoM are good.

8. MBA/PGDM IS EXPENSIVE? My suggestions to MBA Aspirants

• Alex: A good MBA/PGDM program will open opportunities that one would not have even thought about. Once you enrol yourself in the program you will figure out the path that you want to pursue. A good MBA is well funded by banks through providing 100% education loan. And you would be able to make the loan amount in 1-2 years after passing out.
• Arka: I understand that the cost and other factors can make you hesitant about pursuing an MBA/PGDM program. But think about the long-term benefits. Yes, it's an investment, but it can lead to higher salaries and better job opportunities. Don't forget to explore scholarships and financial aid options. Also, keep in mind the strong network and support you'll gain from fellow students and alumni. Overall, it is absolutely worth the experience and the tremendous exposure you’ll enjoy.
• Arjun: Just ask yourself if you are satisfied with your current state. If yes, then be it. If No, then figure out what is that one thing you need to feel confident……
• Arasavilli: While the cost of an MBA/PGDM program may seem significant, it's essential to evaluate the potential return on investment. Research the average salaries and career growth. This can help you assess whether the potential career advancement and higher earning potential justify the cost of the program.
• Ganesh: Our institute started offering 100% scholarship to the meritorious and to those in need..
• Haarish: The only message I would like to pass – Ask yourself, why you want to pursue PGDM/MBA. If you are satisfied with your answer and then go for it.
• Lakshya: I believe cost should never be the factor when it comes to gaining knowledge and career advancement.
• Perala: Consider it as an investment that helps you grow and achieve greater heights in future.
• Shyam: If you have strong communication and aptitude skills, an MBA would be the perfect fit for you.
• Starlin: Do your research, prepare a list of business schools which you have shortlisted as per your expectations and then compare them and get to the best suited one. The cost can be managed but completing your finishing school degree i.e the MBA degree with proper learning, good market knowledge and a good network is the most important.
• Vatsalya: Work hard, learn new skills, do more certifications and gain more real time experiences through projects. Don’t just go through and stick to your books. Try to identify and learn new technologies in the industry.
• Vinit: The cost is an investment and must be viewed as the same. It is 100 times better to put your money in a good PGDM education over expensive fancy smartphones and gadgets. Don’t be disappointed if you fail multiple times and don’t get your dream company immediately. Good things come to those who wait!

On that positive note, it’s time to end this article. We hope you gathered some insights from this interaction with 13 JAGSoM students!

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