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Language Problems - Non-US, Non-UK European Colleges

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Language Problems - Non-US, Non-UK European Colleges

by vijay.mogha » Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:14 am
Hi,

As part of my original post I have posted my brief profile

https://www.beatthegmat.com/profile-eval ... tml#245764 [Do comment with your views:-)]

I had discussions with my seniors and colleagues who have done their MBAs from different Business Schools and they have told me that though English is the primary language in classes, discussions and campus, Students from Asia (more specifically India) face problems because of their lack of command over French, Spanish or other local European languages.

The reason is because MBA grads have only two main locations where they can work

1 - Home country [In my case it will take longer to pay up the loans by working in India :-(]
2 - Business School country - [In this case command over the local language (non English) is required and preferred as well]

I initially thought of applying to following colleges but now i am confused.

1 - INSEAD - France
2 - IE - Madrid
3 - HEC MBA Program - Paris
4 - Rotterdam - Netherlands
5 - IESE Barcelona

Can someone please help me out here?
Shall I put these schools on back burner and try for UK and ASIAN colleges (mentioned in my original post)?

Awaiting Response,
Vijay
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by MBACrystalBall » Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:45 am
Vijay-bhai,

Consider how things would work if Infy posted you in one of those countries. If your role doesn't change, you wouldn't be impacted too much at work.

If you had a change of role (say from Project mgmt to marketing) where you had to deal with prospective clients who are more comfortable communicating in the local language. Then things wouldn't be the same, right? Your interactions outside office would also be a little more tedious - shopping, asking for directions, reading signboards etc.

If you extend that logic, b-school wouldn't be too different. In class, you'll have an international mix of students. So everyone speaks in English - classmates, professors, recruiters who come over to campus. If recruiters coming over for MBA recruitment expect you to speak the local language, they'll specify that in the job description.

After graduation, most of your classmates will tend to move towards the biggest commercial hub. These cities are more cosmopolitan in comparison to the smaller towns that b-schools might be located in. That agains addresses the language issue to quite an extent.

At an international school, you are learning to become an international manager/leader. Language is just one of those parameters that you'll have to manage. So don't worry too much it.

I also read your other post where you've shared your profile. The main experience is something that every candidate with your profile will talk about. So you'll have to figure out ways to show what makes you special. Your entrepreneurial experience could be projected in an interesting manner. However the way you've described it in that post doesn't quite work. It could use a fair bit of rework/polishing.

Also curious to know. Is there a rationale behind your choice of schools?
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by vijay.mogha » Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:58 am
Thanks Sameer,

The rationale/thinking behind the selection was

1 - I preferred 1 yr course over 2 yr as a result of which most/all of US colleges are out. As longer duration means more investment (fees+ stay), more time out of the market.

2 - After that I have compiled this list after going through brochures, BW rankings, QS Top etc

3 - Then considering this language factor into consideration I have prioritized the colleges 1 - UK colleges, 2 - Asian Univ and then 3 - B schools in spain, madrid, france etc

Moreover, as I understand I belong to a bigger pool (India IT). Will it be a good choice for me to work in a start up firm for 1 year or so before joining the B-School? Although I am not too sure whether this will be a success. . Is it too big a risk?


PS : I understand that the information need to be presented in a better/polished fashion but the thing is it is very difficult to detail these bits here :-(

Will love to hear from you again
Vijay
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by MBACrystalBall » Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:25 pm
Hi Vijay,

The parameters (duration, location, rankings) you've used to shortlist schools are fine. Also go beyond the these and look at other key aspects. Listing out a few of them that might help.

- Will the school help you in your long term goals?
- Do companies that you are interested in joining after your MBA recruit there?
- Is the alum network strong in the region that you want to work in?
- Have you interacted with current students from these schools? Are they being honest or diplomatic in their feedback?
- If you plan to move back to India after a few years, will the brand help you make a transition?


Your startup related query:

It is a risky option at this stage as it can go in either direction. If you are lucky, you'll get some fantastic experience in areas that you haven't been exposed to. With 3 employees to begin the journey, you'll have to take on much more responsibility. If the startup takes off on a high-growth trajectory, it'll take you along with it. You know the people well, so there's one less concern involved.

However, startups can be very unpredictable. Apart from a brilliant idea that seeds the whole initiative, there are a whole lot of uncertainties involved. Bigger companies have the processes and the staying power to weather these storms. Startups aren't in that position.

1-year might be too less a time-frame for you to get settled in the new environment, learn the ropes, become productive and start showing impressive results that'll look great on your MBA application. So my vote is to continue where you are.

Of course, all this is based on the bare minimum data that I have access to, from these 2-3 posts. If you are willing to share more about the initiative - product/service, stage of development, prospective/existing client base, your role etc - I'd be able to re-evaluate it. If it's too confidential to be shared on a public forum, drop me a PM.


PS : I understand that the information need to be presented in a better/polished fashion but the thing is it is very difficult to detail these bits here

You are right about the details part. But just to clarify, I wasn't referring to the details. A short, crisp, well-structured 1-line description can imply a whole lot more than a complete paragraph.

But I'm sure you'd be able to focus on that once you start working on your applications. Let me know if you need any help along the way.
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by vijay.mogha » Mon May 03, 2010 7:21 am
Hi Sameer,

- I want to extend my career in consulting and move to strategy and decision making in the future. So the schools that I have selected/short listed seems to be good choice considering my goals.

- In addition to this I also considered recruiters that visit a certain B-School. Major consulting firms visit most of the colleges that i have listed.

- I tried to get in touch with the alumni but was not successful at all.
- I think all the B-schools which i have selected are well recognized all across the world. and since i will also be working for 2-3 years. I think I can use the brand name of the college as well as that of the company


About the startup - the reasons I am inclined towards that option are

1 - I will be involved in consulting activities - making proposals, making client visits
2 - In addition to point 1, the work is related to the betterment of the environment and hence I think it will give some weightage to my profile.
3 - The number of employees is very low (3 to be precise) and I hope this opportunity will give me some in-sights on how
a company operates or should operate
4 - In addition to that, I was thinking that such kind of job/profile will help me in distinguishing myself in the large IT pool.

For starter, will it be a good idea if I continue to work in the current job and work on the start up in the remaining hours of the day & on saturdays and sundays.

and finally are you aware about any good consultants for admissions in Noida/Delhi. I have got few names - The chopras, IMS, Edwise etc. I am inclined towards IMS.

PS - I have sent you a private message as well but I am not too sure whether it is delivered to you.
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by MBACrystalBall » Sat May 08, 2010 7:52 am
Hi Vijay,

I was away for a few days. I've just responded to your Private Message.

On your query about consultants, it depends on the scope of services that you are expecting from them. There are a few who focus purely on applications incl profile evaluation/application strategy/essays/recos etc (disclosure: I fall in this category), others cover much more (like visa, funding etc), some go to the extent of marketing specific schools and offering MBA scholarships (based on their tie-ups with those schools).

Most of the international top-tier consulting teams that you see on these forums focus on the former. The quality of service and the budget can vary quite a bit across the spectrum. So be careful and do your homework before you sign up.

If you are looking for more specific feedback, I can share my (heavily biased) views when we talk.
Watch these MBA videos

Sameer Kamat, Founder - MBA Crystal Ball | Careerizma
Email: info at mbacrystalball dot com

Must read for MBA aspirants
1. Beyond The MBA Hype | 2. Business Doctors: Management Consulting Gone Wild
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