But two years later, after having done an MBA from Narsee Monjee (or NMIMS), knowing the real state of affairs, I don’t feel belittled in the presence of an IIM person.
Today, I know, everyone in the top B-Schools in the country are equally good. Especially pre-MBA, when people are sorted, filtered, classified during admission processes of various B-schools. Admitted, the competition to get into IIMs is insanely intense. But that is true for other institutes as well. And having been through countless GDs and PIs, first for getting into a B-School, then for summer placements, and then for final placements, I am convinced that GD-PIs are no way to measure a candidates suitability or capability. And for that matter, neither is CAT, or JMET, or CET…or any other exam. At most, they measure things like dedication, sincerity, etc. etc. all requisites of a good manager, but these are certainly not exhaustive. And that is why I believe that everyone in the top B-schools of the country are equally good. And I have interacted with enough number of MBAs from other schools. And they were no aliens with super-powers. As Maurya aptly put, they couldn’t bend spoon by mystic mind waves. Neither could I.
There were brilliant people in my college, as there were in any IIM or any other B-school. One thing is certain, quality is not a function of which college you come from. However, people in IIM do get great jobs. Thankfully, I don’t have anything to complain. Maybe people in my college who wanted to get into investment banking, and other finance jobs with a fizz, feel left out with all the big names going only to the IIMs. And the fact remains that IIM people do get mind numbing salaries when we, the students from the “2nd string institutes” (I hate the person who coined the term) have to settle for a lot lesser. However, its a proven fact that time is a great leveler. The achievements of IIM alumni are well chronicled. But I do know of people from lesser colleges doing really well for themselves. And I am sure there is a fair number of these people. So to anyone who thinks a successful corporate career can be achieved only in the IIMs, you are utterly wrong. I just wish I had known this when I had appeared for my entrance exams.
P.S. This is not to undermine the abilities of IIM students or alumni. I do not claim that their mangement acumen is over-rated. I know they are worthy of all the hype they garner. I just want to highlight that there are equally deserving, good quality managers who emerge from other institutes. And this piece is for all those IIM aspirants who do not get through their dream insitute. If I have hurt the sentiments of the IIM people, temper your brittle ego and KNOW that you are going to be supplanted by a guy from a lesser institute if you have formed any pre-concieved negative judgements about his intelligence.