TotalGadha GMAT

In order to help GMAT aspirants, we have started conducting exclusive interviews with almni and current students of Business Schools acoss the world to gather new insights about the B schools. Today, we are starting with an exclusive interview of an alumnus of London Business School, which was ranked #1 by Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2009. Our Guest Of The Week- Vikas Lamba From London Business School. Read on:

Vikas Lamba did his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi and, after working for a few years in technology firms, both in India and abroad, joined London Business School to do his MBA (finance major). He is currently working in Alegro Capital, UK, a European M&A and Corporate Finance advisory firm, which he joined after passing out of LBS in 2007.

What is unique about LBS? How does it score above other business school in Europe/US?

There are 3 things unique about London Business School (btw as per our School branding, you should never write LBS - always write London Business School or The School):

1. London location: London is a major hub for global business and has the advantage of being in touch with USA and Asia during the working day. It is also a well-developed cosmopolitan city and attracts worldwide talent and money in all sectors.

2. The International Student Body: Unlike in most other schools, London Business School students are truly international with more than 70% students from outside the UK. This gives students tremendous exposure to global business and a worldwide alumni base willing to help students whichever country they might go to.

3. Faculty: The School has a superb faculty (the same factors that attract worldwide talent to London also attract the best professors) and the School excels in the areas of finance and entrepreneurship.

Currently leading industry magazines are recognising the unique assets that the School has and London Business School has been ranked #1 worldwide in the Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2009.

Is there a word of caution/ advice for an Indian applying to London Business School?

For Indians, getting an admission to LBS is very difficult due to the tough competition. The key to success is to build a good story about why you want to go to London Business School. Many applicants focus too much on the GMAT score and then feel let down when their 750 GMAT score does not get them admitted to London Business School. In my opinion, applicants need to focus on their essays: try to explain what you have done in your life, what you want to do and how the MBA will help you get there.

Is the job scenario in Europe favorable for Indians? Was it easy/ difficult to find a job after graduating from London Business School?

Although the situation is improving, landing a good post-graduation job is difficult compared to US-based business schools. Reasons:

1. All large companies in London have 3 options: either to promote from within, transfer one of their international employees to London and to hire a new MBA grad. Given the high demand for a London position, very few new positions are created for new MBA grads.

2. Non-MBA Culture: In London, the MBA degree does not carry as much weight as practical work experience in a particular sector. As such, many firms prefer to recruit undergraduates and train them rather than recruit a MBA career-changer.

The good news is that Indians usually perform very well in the jobs department landing some of the best positions. The bad news is that Indians have to work very hard to get a final position - it is not as easy as appearing for a campus interview and walking out with a fantastic offer.

The key to finding a good job is to go after it yourself: go meet alumni in the sector you want to work in, create your own network, ask relevant questions and learn about your target industry, prepare and master the industry jargon, work part-time for free if you have to and finally you will get the position you want either through a campus interview or through a referral from someone in your network.

I would also highly advise Indians who join London Business School to learn a European language (the option is available at London Business School). Although it is optional, an additional language makes you a more attractive candidate in the eyes of a potential recruiter.

What unique qualities/ skills has London Business School instilled you that have helped you in your job?

I currently work in investment banking - M&A division. Apart from the core finance skills that I learned at School, I would say that the key skill I have picked up at The School is networking. It has helped me land my current job as I went out to our alumni and talked to them, developed a relationship and impressed the Company enough to finally receive my current offer and make the career switch from IT to finance.

What were the extracurricular activities/ clubs/ that you enjoyed at London Business School?

London Business School is very demanding and also offers so much variety of activities for a student to choose from. I was mostly focused on clubs related to my future career and was very active in the Finance Club where I helped organise several key events related to investment banking and venture capital. Working in the Venture Capital event (VC-IC) was especially rewarding, as we saw actual entrepreneurs present their business ideas and saw how experienced venture capitalists look at business propositions.

In sports, I was a member of the tennis and badminton clubs and was a regular gym-goer (The School has an excellent on-campus gym).

What was your total cost of MBA at London Business School and do you think it was worth it?

£78,000   Total cost out of which:

£42,000   Tuition

£32,000   Living Expenses (single students: £1,000-£1,200 p.a., married students: £1,300-£1,600)

£1,000     Travel to India (twice)

£3,000     Other

Do I think it was worth it?

Absolutely! Every penny of it…

I’ve changed careers, I’m settled in London and even though the finance sector is suffering with the current recession, I know I can always rely on my friends from The School, the alumni network and The London Business School international brand.

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