SPJIMR PGDM Placements 2009 - Where quality matters

Difficulty is an excuse history never accepts. While much has been speculated about the job scenario in today's turbulent times and its impact on the exalted histories of B-school placements, SPJIMR is creating a unique mark by crafting what seems like a perfect culmination of its PGDM course.

Current economic times notwithstanding, the institute ensured a successful placement season for the PGDM class of 2009 garnering support from its influential alumni network and making use of its relationship with over 1200 companies.

128 companies visited the campus giving 203 offers to the 164 strong PGDM Class of 2009, with 89 of these companies being first-time recruiters. This is a significant statistic given that 53 of the 89 companies last year could not recruit this year due to the economic meltdown.

The institute has always stressed on quality roles and profiles for its participants. While the average salary offered was more than Rs. 10 lakhs per annum, participants chose profiles that best fit their career interests.

Financial Services dominated the placements with nearly 33% offers. Traditional sectors such as FMCG, Telecom and IT accounted for 29% of the total offers made. Consulting firms contributed to 15% of total offers while sectors unexplored in the past like PSUs, regulatory bodies, market research, pharmaceutical, educational services, etc. contributed 23% to the total offers made. Some of the prominent names recruiting this year include TAS, Microsoft, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, HUL, P&G, Asian Paints, Bosch, GE, IBM, HP, Novartis, CTS, Tata Capital, TSMG, Deloitte, Protiviti, Cadbury, etc.

Even though companies reduced hiring due to a difficult economic scenario, special profiles were created for participants with prior work experience.

The institute believes that a diversified participant profile ensured by its unique admission process provides rich talent for companies to recruit at lateral as well as entry level managerial positions. 27 pre-placement offers were made to the participants on account of the Autumns Internships. The placement season also saw participants bagging foreign offers in the areas of consulting and general management.

One participant opted out of the placements to setup an independent venture.

The institute has supported entrepreneurship by providing incubation to start-ups at the campus. Participants have a choice to take up entrepreneurship and then return after 2 years for normal placements if they wish. The Entrepreneurship Cell at SPJIMR also has tie ups with organizations like TiE and NEN.

Economic conditions have led to slowdown in industry on the whole, but the support that SPJIMR has seen from the corporate world is overwhelming. The institute believes that this has been due to its focus on influencing management practice and promoting value-based growth through its various pedagogic innovations, which attracts and produces the finest managerial talent.