A conversation with Mohit Gupta, Director, Corporate Relations and Placements, FLAME University
“Like most B-Schools, we also witnessed a slow take-off during the placement cycle. But prospects have started shifting gears as the impact of Covid-19 tapers off,” says Mohit Gupta, Director, Corporate Relations and Placements, FLAME University. He believes revival is imminent as he talks about the evolving trends, job profiles, and the importance of new specializations for MBA Placements in the new normal.
Mr. Gupta informs that all students seeking support for placement in 2020 were placed, with the top 50% securing an average package of INR 8.50 LPA. “Our recruiting partners stood steadfast with their offers and we expect them to return during the current placement cycle. We also expect healthy participation from new recruiters, especially from domains that are witnessing an early surge,” he adds.
According to Mr. Gupta, Tech-based startups, Pharma, Health and Wellness, Edu-Tech companies, Insurance, Banking, Workplace Solutions, Banking Services, IT/ITES, Gaming OTT, and Streaming services have seen swift turnarounds. “Cutting across industries there will be a demand for tech-savviness and digital communication. Business Intelligence and Research to gather consumer insights, Domain Analytics, Social Media, Design and Innovation will be the areas of expertise that will be in high demand,” he predicts.
That leaves us with the question of whether the traditional MBA specializations have become obsolete with new-age niches ruling the roost. Mr. Gupta strongly believes that Marketing, Finance, HR, Operations will always remain the pillars of business. “Newer tools such as Analytics, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence have gained currency as horizontal specializations. It is also interesting to note that Marketing is not a vanilla specialization anymore; it has merged with Digital Marketing in many ways,” he talks of the evolving scenario.
In times of the pandemic, all recruitment processes have been online through mediums like Zoom, Google Meet, or WebEx. With its exposure to technology in regular classes pre-Covid 19, FLAME University smoothly transitioned to online mode. It also prepared its students to make the best impression with recruiters virtually. Mr. Gupta sheds light on the attributes that make a winning impression. “Analytical skills, learning attitude, multitasking, and ability to think on your feet are the attributes that will win over recruiters”.
Ability to perform in teams under pressure, entrepreneurial mindset, comfort with technology, a knack for innovative collaborations; Mr. Gupta spells out various other appealing attributes that can make candidates stand out in the new business world. “Learning and upskilling will be the new normal – on and off the job. In an emerging remote working environment, trust, integrity and solid communication would be the gold standard,” he leaves us with clear insights on how MBA Placements will evolve and shape up in the new normal.