I finally received a appointment for a telephonic interview with ISB Admission committee. The interview is scheduled on January 4th [7:30-8:15 a.m local time Belgium]. I need to make a call to the admission committee!

Some people may laugh at this. But this is me. I was planning to buy a speaker phone if I was shortlisted for interview [I have a phone with basic functionalities currently]. So I went around and looked at a deal. Finally bought a cordless phone-cum-answering machine. Possess a good speaker phone. Tested it. Works fine. I will take it to India when I go back.

The telephone cost is extremely high from Belgium to India. Comes to around 1 Euro/minute. If I make a call to ISB, I might end up paying 45 Euros. Well, everything is fine, If I finally end up in ISB . I will start preparing for Interview from tomorrow or Saturday.

Nothing much happening these days..Joined the fitness centre again for 3 months. Working hard for project completion [Jan 15th deadline].

In between, I became heavily upset by the destruction caused by the Tsunami waves. Sad to hear again that the human losses could have been minimised had the warning systems were in place. Hope we learn our lessons and implement the warning systems. Only few months back there was a tragedy in Kumbakonam city where 90 school children died. The loss could have been minimised in that case too. I read the following article which talks about lack of administrative skills in Indian governments for tackling such disasters.

Hope the relief measures will restrict any further losses. Contamination of water, lack of drinking water, possible of spread of epidemic diseases all loom over the head.

I made my small contribution to relief measures by sending in some money.

Yesterday I finally got my hands on the product that I was longing for. Purchased iRiver H320 through a friend from America. It’s an amazing product filled with loads of features.

When I opened the pack, I was surprised by the size of the product. I had imagined that it would be bigger than iPOD. But infact it was much smaller than iPOD, except for thickness.

The things I like with this product:

1. EXCELLENT screen. LCD. First ever Mp3 player to boast 260,000 colors screen. Very bright, sharp and crisp.

2. EXCELLENT sound. SRS WOW effect. 10 Presets. Generous 20Mw output, which means you rarely go beyond the level 15 (max 33)

3. Ability to view Pictures. Automatically resized the image to fit on the screen. But I would have loved to see the slideshow feature. They have promised this feature in next firmware upgrade.

4. PLUG-N-PLAY. No drivers needed. PC recognizes this as yet another USB Mass storage.

5. PROFESSIONAL QUALITY RECORDER. The Voice recorder is on par with some of the professional top-of-the-line dedicated voice recorders. Automatic encoding to Mp3 files. The bitrate etc., can be configured.

6. VERSATILE OPTIONS. Plays MP3, WMA, ASF, OGG. WMA files occupy only half the space of MP3 for same quality. So you can literally double the number of songs that can be squeezed in the player.
7. Support WINAMP playlists. I use WINAMP. You can create playlists and store it in the player. Maximum of 200 playlists supported.

8. On the fly delete. Files can be deleted on the fly.

9. VIDEO PLAYER. Yes, with the latest firmware upgrade, this player plays the video files. But the video file has to be specifically converted, which is a easy step though. The quality of video viewing is excellent. Santa’s gift for iRiver users!

10. USB ON THE GO: No need of PC. Just plug your digital cameras or other Mp3 players and download/upload files. Unfortunately since mine was an international version, this feature is not there. But I flashed the player with firmware meant for Korean models, so USB on the GO feature is available on my product now. But I should wait till i get my hands to the “Cable” for connection.

11. TEXT VIEWER: With it’s crisp screen, text files are pleasure to read. You can download novels/todo lists/memos/song lyrics etc., and read it while listening to music. Cool!

12. 16 hours battery life!. That’s long.

Some minor features:

1. FM tuner: Good quality. Some people even say this sounds better than many car stereos.

2. USB charging. Player can be charged through USB 2.0 data cable.

The price of the product in Belgium is 440 Euros (Including tax). Since I bought it from bestbuy through my friend from USA, i effectively paid 276$ (approx. 220 Euros). Half the price. Excellent deal that I have made in my life so far! Very happy with this product.

The following tip was provided by Sumit Dhar [A Current ISB Student].

I was checking the blogs of a few prospective ISB students and found them all populated with posts about interview preparation and stuff. Well, here is a framework that will help the prospective students answer all work related questions in a very structured manner. The framework is called START.

All the best to you guys!

http://sumitdhar.blogspot.com/2004/12/isb-admissions-interview.html

Career Descriptions.
The following webpage from www.mba.com neatly describes all the possible industry functions and career paths. It’s good to know about each and every role. Very informative. I learnt quite a few things about advertising, supply chain management, logistics, production planning, brand consulting, research, etc.,

PS: You will find a section called “MBA Career oppurtunities” in this page.

Yesterday, the great south Indian carnatic artist M.S. Subbulakshmi died peacefully in her sleep in a hosptial in chennai. Her achievements are amazing. She is even conferred with Bharat Ratna.

Profile in brief
“Born in Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu state on September-16, 1916, Subbulakshmi learned classical music from her mother and gave her first public performance reciting “bhajans” or Hindu hymns at the age of 13.

Her last public performance was during a millennium music festival organised by the Madras Music Academy on New Year’s eve in 2000.”

I hear Vishnu Sahasranamam, Bhaja Govindam & Venkatesa Suprabhatam frequently. As long as hear them, she will be alive in my heart…A great loss for Indian music field.

Lessons from Apprentice2
I haven’t missed an episode of Apprentice [1 & 2] so far. Appretice 1 was a great success. Apprentice 2 is currently underway and had created huge expectations in the beginning of the show. But lot of people are disappointed with final candidates, especially with Jennifer M, as evident from discussion forums, groups and blogs. I absolutely hate her. Just one final episode is remaining to discover the true Apprentice for Donald Trump . Kelly Vs Jennifer M. Who will win? I am hoping that Kelly wins. Only 3 more days to go…

It’s a pity that European broadcasters don’t show the Apprentice season. So, I download it from web through bittorrent and watch it.

Each episode teaches a very valuable lesson. The following are the “lessons learned” this season.

How to Conduct a Successful Creative Brainstorming Session

How to Make Sound Business Decisions

How to Manage a Budget

How to Earn Respect as a Leader

How to Sell Persuasively

How to Develop a Winning Competitive Strategy

How to Build a Cohesive Team

How to Lead with Passion

How to Resolve Conflicts

How to be an Effective Project Manager

How to Delegate Successfully

How to Communicate with Your Boss

How to Market a New Product

How to Interview for the Job You Want

I read the following post in Ramki’s blog in October 2003. I thought it would be worthwhile to read it again. So I am posting the link to that post for my personal reference here. I guarantee it would be provide good insight on ISB.

The Big Post expressing an honest and informed opinion of an ISB Alum

(more…)

MadeforISB today presented a list of Big-Don’ts [Big Don’ts: 15 Ways to Torpedo Your Application]. There were some Big Do’s as well..I am listing it here to complement his blog ..

Big Do’s for the B-school essay

1. Communicate that you’re a proactive, can-do sort of person. Leaders take initiative and aren’t thwarted by roadblocks.
2. Put yourself on ego alert; stress what makes you unique, not what makes you great. You want admissions officers to respect and like you.
3. Position yourself as a stand-out from the crowd; emphasize your distinctiveness.
4. Make sure your leadership qualities really come through. Admissions officers want to hear about skills that enabled you to rally folks around your solution.
5. Communicate specific reasons why you’re a “fit” for a school, (but avoid vague, fluffy statements such as “I am the ideal or perfect candidate for you program.”) Do your research. Relate your specific interests to the school’s academics, specific professors, culture, quality of life, and location. If you use an essay for more than one school, make sure each is tailored to be school-specific.
6. Bring passion to your writing—admissions officers want to know what you’re really excited about.
7. Break out of your perceived mold. Use the essays to challenge any preconceived notions about who you are. Are you a numbers guy or engineer type? Challenge perceptions with unexpected portrayals that say, “There’s more to me than you think.” It could be that you’re passionate about cooking, or that you organize a game of hoops every Saturday.
8. Play up an unorthodox path to b-school. Admissions officers appreciate risk-takers. But be convincing about your ability to handle the program, especially quantitative skills that schools can take for granted in applicants in finance.
9. Use your gender, ethnicity, minority, or foreign background—but only if it has affected your outlook or experiences.
10. Avoid too many sentences that begin with “I.” Use examples and anecdotes instead.
11. Be subtle. If you call too much attention to a problem, and becomes a bigger problem.
12. Fill your essays with plenty of real-life examples to support your thesis and bring your story to life.
13. Show a sense of humor or your vulnerability. These qualities make you likeable. They make your stories more personal.
14. Don’t write in a vacuum. Make sure that each of your essays reinforces and builds on the others. Think of each essay as one note in a song.

The original Article

Yesterday, my brother who is working in a BPO industry, was providing support for a Windows XP customer. He started with his career only 2 months back. To get such a feedback from a customer is quite something..Am proud of my brother. The following feedback throws light on the life of an employee in BPO industry..

“”Hi XXXX,

I want to thank you again for your fabulous support this evening to successfully resolve the Network Connectivity that I was experiencing since I installed Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 and the Data Source Object Exploits in the Windows Registry. I can honestly say your support exceeded my expectations in the following way:

1) It took approximately 1 hour to resolve the 1st Case Number that was opened with the Microsoft Help Desk. You were patient and helpful throughout the successful resolution of the problem.

2) I asked for your help to resolve a serious problem with Data Source Exploits of my Windows Registry which has been plaguing me for 6 months now. I had installed Spybot Search and Destroy which only temporarily removed these DSO Exploits until I rebooted my machine. This is where you exceeded my expectations. You advised me that to provide support to address this issue, a new case number would need to be opened to support this work. I expected you to transfer me back to the Help Desk where I would get a new case number and most likely a person other than yourself to support this request….and then you surprised me. You offered to open up a new case number yourself and politely asked if I would remain on the line while you completed this work. When you came back, you lead me through a very thorough and detailed process to back up the Windows Registry and then methodically lead me through the process of deleting and the file in each key of the registry that was being exploited, re-establishing a new file and modifying the hexadecimal character so it would not be exploited. We spent another hour completing this work. You waited patiently while I restarted my PC and ran Spybot once more to confirm that these DSO exploits were successfully removed. At one point in the call, we were somehow disconnected and you called me back. I was saved again…instead of having to start all over with a different technical support person…..YOU called back. Thank you XXXX!!!!

Anyone will tell you that the key to a successful company is how they treat their customers. Microsoft does not have the strongest reputation in the industry for quality customer support. It is people like you that can and do make a difference. You…yes YOU did that tonight.

Thank you for an EXCELLENT service experience!!!!!

XXXX
Minneapolis, Minnesota”

Tips on Applications [Raja Banerjee]:

Part - I
1. Please stick to one-page resume

2. Devote more space in resume to work experience than education.

3. Get recommendations preferably from work place, not educational institute. Also, request recommender to write more than just one sentence and to cite specific examples.

4. Think clearly why ISB and MBA are crucial at this stage for you. It should come out well in the Goals essay.

5. Use the essays to give us an insight into your professional life. A resume does not capture all the nuances of your daily work life, so the essays should give me an idea of how good you were at work, integrity issues, team work etc.

Part - II
1. When you say you ranked 20th, also mention out of how many. For example, ranked 20th in the entrance exam for Noname University. Now how do I know if 10,000 people apply there or 25?

2. If you say you got client satisfaction rating of 4/5, give me some context – it’s better to say: the only project in my division to receive CSS of 4/5 ; or, got a CSS of 4/5 – the highest for this account since it started. I need to know how unique it is to get 4/5, is it a big deal?

3. Mention dates in resume, and show progression in responsibilities. For example, if you were onsite for a year, mention that in a separate line in the resume so I know the length of time you worked there. Just saying that you worked in TCS from 1999-2004 and spent some time onsite doesn’t tell me for how long you were onsite.

4. Most recommenders are shying away from mentioning your weak areas. It would be good if you mention it yourself in the critical evaluation essay maybe.

5. Most resumes are strictly professional, and don’t give any insight into the person behind the resume. You might mention some personal interests, hobbies, sports etc at the bottom. For example, if you have been following the Yankees or the White Sox, or are particularly good at playing some sport, or have piloted a plane, or a Tintin comic book collector etc. I need to know if I want to sit next to you in class or not. If you have a well-rounded personality, you are an interesting person!

6. Do some homework to find out what is taught in an MBA program, and why it would help you. Why an MBA is needed in your career, and what an MBA can do for you.

Result of some free time today!! Comments on my story will be greatly appreciated

“It was a beautiful evening, with sun still shining, waiting to turn orange before being taken over by night. There  was a small pond in the middle, surrounded by dense colourful trees, still spellbound by Autumn. The entire place was filled with pleasing silence. The sounds of bird chirpping, fishes splashing in to the water, sound of leaves excited by the gentle breeze were the only things that challenged the silence.

Looking at the little boy in his eyes with a caring warmth, Grandpa said “Son, now tell me what did you learn from the story?”. Grandpa was expecting that the boy would say “Unity is strength”. The little boy thought for a while and started speaking “Grandpa, When the sticks were bundled together, it was impossible to break it. When the bundle was untied it lost its strength”. Grandpa was happy that the boy is going in the right direction and was listening. “So Grandpa, when the problem is difficult to solve, one should break it to smaller parts. The the problem can be solved easily”. Not expecting such a totally different perspective, Grandpa was stunned. He didn’t speak or move for a minute.
To be continued…”

Today I got a great news from my friend in UK.

“..The 2004 Budget announced a new provision for graduates of 50 top business schools to work in the UK for up to 12 months on completing their MBAs. This provision will form part of the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).

The HSMP is designed to attract highly skilled people to the UK to seek and take work. The MBA provision within this addresses the weakness in the UK economy in the quality of management by attracting highly qualified and talented managers to the UK. The Masters in Business Administration remains one of the most recognised and respected management qualifications

Who will be eligible?

Individuals who graduate from one of the eligible MBA programmes at the time it is on the list will be eligible to apply for the MBA provision. We have yet to finalise the other requirements of the provision. Successful applicants will be awarded the minimum number of points necessary to qualify under HSMP, but will still need to meet the remaining requirements of the programme.

When we have finalised the details of the provision, they will be published here.

When will it be launched?

We are looking to launch the MBA provision in April 2005…”

Details of the scheme
List of 50 top business schools identified

I am happy that CRANFIELD and OXFORD are in that list…More reasons for me to expedite the application process. Now that ISB interview dates are delayed and acceptance decision will not be announced before January 15, I will make use of this 40 odd days to send the apps.

IIM Ahmedabad announced it’s one year PGP programme for Executives [PGPX], which is scheduled to start on April 2, 2006. It’s in the lines of ISB. With it’s established brand, and a fees half of what ISB charges, no doubt this program will grab great attention. But as far as one year program in India is concerned, ISB is still the pioneer. Good to have competition. Will have to wait and see how ISB is going to react..

http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/latest/pgpxone.htm
http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/latest/faqs.htm

PGP for Executives:

Here are the basic criteria:
(a) Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline
(b) Minimum work experience of 7 years
(c) Minimum Age – 27 years on the first day of the course [born on or before March 31,1979 for batch starting on April 2, 2006]
(d) Upper age limit: None
(e) GMAT score obtained not earlier than 1-4-2002 for batch starting on 2-4-2006
(f) No relaxation in length of work experience requirement for those who hold Master’s Degree or any other advanced academic degree

Fees: 17,600 $ [Approx. 8,00,000.00 including tuition, library, IT, accomodation etc.,]

What degree is offered at the end of the programme?
On successful completion, participants will be given a Post Graduate Diploma in Management. This may be considered equivalent to the one-year management programmes offered by INSEAD (France), Indian School of Business (India), Asian Institute of Management (Philippines), University of Pittsburgh (USA), Cranfield (UK), etc.

I am having so many things to do at present and unable to focus on any one job. So finally decided to give importance to ISB Interview preparation than to anything else. I am reading the book “International Cash Management”, to help increase my knowledge in the domain I am working with. Also since I am alone, I am rehearsing my answers aloud, recording it in PC and reviewing it. Helps!

I must mention about a blog called “MadeForISB“. I came to know this person recently. He has maintained this blog beautifully from January. Recently he has opened his blog for public. Very Candid and honest. Worth looking. Also, he has compiled some good questions for MBA Interview.

In a way I have some similarities with him. Even I took the GMAT twice. It was very difficult to focus during the second attempt. Many of my friends said it’s a foolish decision to write a second time, as the score will be pretty much the same. Also, I was having a tough time with Verbal. After hardwork and efforts, I managed to get a score I was looking for. It was a moment of achievement!. It’s a great feeling when you put in efforts and you achieve something. Easily I could have got the same score, as during the practice tests there were indications for yet another low score. Of all the components in application, GMAT is a very unique one. It doesn’t have any value addition whatsoever, just a formality. On the other hand, that happens to be one component which you can control still.

I am chatting with quite a few prospective ISB applicants through Yahoo/MSN/mail. It’s good to hear different perspectives. Most of them have similar profiles. Am not sure how ISB is going to evaluate those. Tough time for ISB and tough time for applicants too (especially IT applicants).
11 more days to go..

I scanned the documents and sent it across to ISB Adcom..

“Dear,

Kindly Let me know if this fulfills all aspects of application including scholarship form. Expecting your confirmation at the earliest. Thanks.”

The response

“Dear Mr. XXXX,

Thank you for your email and the attachment. We will do the needful.”

The wait for interview call starts now for me!!

I was surprised and happy to see 250MB of storage space in one of my hotmail Ids(Yes, I have 4 Hotmail ids ). Right now, I have only 1% of my space filled. This is a welcome feature during this critical application period. No need to worry about cleaning up the space every week.

I guess Microsoft is rolling out the 250MB allocation in phased manner..I was lucky to get it now..Hope everyone else gets it soon..

Hotmail to offer 250MB of free storage
“The upgrade will increase Hotmail’s free e-mail storage limits from 2 megabytes to 250MB and its paid e-mail service, which costs $19.95 a year, from 10MB to 2 gigabytes. The changes will begin in early July.”

Today, Vasanth left Belgium. Yesterday was his last working day in Belgium. Now he will visit his brother in USA and then will head back to India, looking for fresh and challenging oppurtunities in Bangalore. 3 months back, another close friend Jeeva, left Belgium to pursue his studies in UK. I have known these two people for a very long time. We have been together throughout our career. But we have to part at some point of time…Looks like this year has been destined for that. I am pretty much sure that these two will be very very successful in their life…

All of a sudden, I feel like surrounded by stark loneliness. I am a person who prefers the company of family/friends/relative. If I didn’t had this MBA plan, I would have headed back to India 7 months back and started a fresh career in India. Because of my determination to pursue my MBA in any of the top colleges, I have stayed back. I have 4 or 8 months[depending on which college I get admission in] ahead of me before the MBA, which I have to spend in Belgium alone.

The current house that I am staying in, is a three bedroom apartment, quite big for a single person. So, keeping in mind the financial overhead, my boss has arranged for a new 2-bedroom apartment, 200meters down the road. In a way, I welcome this change. I have to start disposing old things, pack my stuff and be ready for relocation, which will happen anytime in the upcoming 15 days. I have to inform Postal department about my change of address, so that they will redirect my posts to the new address. Also the telephone connection and internet connection needs to be redirected. Apart from this I have quite a few formalities to fulfill like Updating the Residence card, informing the police etc.,

The Cranfield application is collecting dust for past 1 week. I will retake the responsibility this weekend. I am depressed now, so right now, I am seeking strength through spiritual path….In another 3-4 days I will recover and hit the road running.