Home sweet home? An Oxford MBA talks of life back in India

By Namratha Shetty

Don’t let the title of this article throw you off. I don’t mean ‘don’t come home’; there’s another angle to this.

I probably am in the minority (gross assumption made here), but most MBA graduates who study outside India choose to stay back for several reasons – personal and professional. My peers and mentors made solid arguments about the benefits of staying back in Europe – such as gaining international exposure, ability to clear my education loan sooner, a better quality of life etc.

I, however, was adamant on returning to India to begin the next phase of my career. I knew this was going to be my course of action even when I applied to Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

I must declare that I am married, but my husband was most supportive and encouraged me to find a job in the UK. So, being married was not a factor for returning.

So, why did I choose to return? I have always wanted to be in Marketing in the FMCG industry and I strongly believe that India is a fantastic and challenging market for any FMCG professional. The potential to reach rural markets, manage ever-changing and evolving consumer preferences, engage in the diversity in culture within India, etc. excites me.

Some might ask why even go abroad and spend so much only to come back to India. Guess what? Someone did ask me that..someone well-experienced in the industry, and not in an encouraging way. I was taken aback by the attitude but then again we have our reasons for pursuing a certain goal and we need not conform to popular logic. Turns out this was just the start of my discovery of the varying attitudes that one is likely to encounter when one returns to India.

While annoyed with the first instance, I let it pass.Then a few weeks down the line I came across someone who didn’t believe that MBAs from international schools were as good, if not better, than MBAs from Indian business schools.

This time around more than being annoyed I was angry at the myopic stand taken but more importantly – I freaked out! I began to wonder whether I would be accepted at all back home despite having worked in India and whether companies would see value in my profile (I thought we were living in a globalised community!). Panic set in.

Thankfully, not everyone back in India has a narrow point of view.

Since I have returned to India, I have been spending a lot of time on LinkedIn and reaching out to my existing networks and building new ones. Fortunately, I have been extremely lucky to meet and speak with some incredible professionals. These professionals despite their hectic schedules have been going out of their way to advise me – some of whom I have never ever met or interacted with until they got a LinkedIn mail from me. Moreover, these professionals have also been willing to introduce me at my companies of interest. Most people I have interacted with have instilled confidence in me and have made me believe in my goal.

Now, yes it sounds great but there’s a catch here. Back in India you’re likely to be at the mercy of a company’s HR policies and business requirement. Fair enough but this is when you realise that the going is tough! Most companies (FMCG ones at least in my limited knowledge) have a fixed hiring cycle and usually hire from the best of Indian business schools.

If you’re an experienced hire like me (5.5 years of pre-MBA experience but not in FMCG), then fitting you into the traditional Management Trainee (MT) program may be difficult due to the profile difference compared to an MT.

Despite going through your network, one may still face some challenges. For instance, business needs may not warrant a fresh hire or there could be a mismatch between your salary expectations and what’s on offer. It’s not often that a role you desire suddenly opens up with the incumbent candidate deciding to quit!

This is when you realise that the going is tough!

Having rambled on about my experience back home post an MBA from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford – here are my key inputs to anyone in a similar situation (or likely to be). This is best applicable to folks applying to new industries. FYI – I am not making a triple jump (location, industry and function).

1. If you have a clear dream, follow it – You may at times be ready to compromise – be it role, function or salary, but that’s not always a solution. That also does not mean you stay adamant. Be flexible. But your dream job/ company/ industry should come first.
2. Have a mentor or two – Trust me – your mentors will be able to guide you correctly as you grapple with confusion, multiple options and varying advice given to you. They will help streamline your thoughts and keep you from making blunders
3. Reality check! – You may be from a premier international business school, but you will share the same platform as some premier Indian business schools. You may not be considered better than the IIMs, ISB etc. So be realistic. Its about your dream job. It’s not an ego battle.[pullquote] Its about getting your dream job. It’s not an ego battle[/pullquote]
4. Don’t give up – While some companies may be traditional, there are a fair number of others who welcome international MBAs. Find them! Talk to them! Travel if you have to in order to meet in-person. I did and I managed an interview! Fingers crossed.
5. LinkedIn and like crazy – Make a list of places you want to apply to and seek introductions. Of course, don’t spam and don’t trouble someone beyond a point. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes while reaching out. Send personalized requests. Networking should be your best friend.
6. Know the hiring period of your target companies – November and December tend to be slow months for hiring though some campus recruitment does happen is what I have come to understand. So be patient.
7. Job hunting is a full-time job – This is especially important for an experienced hire at my level. If you have relevant work experience there are plenty opportunities and you may spend less time searching and stressing.
8. Talk to people in the industry to get a salary estimate – so that you don’t pull a ridiculous number out of your hat or don’t sell yourself too short. Get a range. Negotiate.
9. Keep yourself busy with other activities – Stay sane. My poor husband has (patiently) faced the brunt of my panic attacks. Also, when you do eventually interview with multiple companies over the next few months, you want to demonstrate that you’ve done more than just job hunt, right? You’re an MBA; you can multi-task.

Stay the course. It takes time.

Editor – Historically business schools in India have largely armed freshers with management know-how and to induct these candidates, companies in India have evolved training programmes at the entry level. But now that many Indian business schools are producing experienced MBA talent similar to that graduating from business schools in USA and Europe, companies should evolve their hiring mechanisms to take advantage of this talent. Many companies in IT, Finance and Consulting have already done so. FMCG companies however still do a bulk of their hiring at an entry level in India. Companies from this sector however routinely pick up experienced MBA talent abroad at business schools such as Harvard, INSEAD, Oxford etc. Recruiters in India may be missing out on stellar MBA talent from both India and abroad due to archaic policies. 

Contributing blogger Namratha Shetty graduated from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford in 2013. Her ambition is to be in the FMCG industry. She is a dreamer and believes in the motto – ‘Persevere to the end’. Prior to the MBA, Namratha had 5.5 years of work experience at Dell of which, 3.5 years was in Marketing. Reach out to her at at namratha.shetty@mba2012.sbs.oxford.edu