Career launcher: Will they make the IIM cut?

Bangalore: A fter years of holding down tough managerial positions and leading many in the boardroom, a few get back to the classroom. CAT candidates over 35, though few, are not uncommon. According to statistics provided by the Indian Institutes of Management, the number of candidates over 35 in 2007 was 22.72% higher than the previous year.

After garnering work experience, what interest could CAT possibly be hold for these candidates? According to Ajay Arora, director, TIME, of the total candidates, at least 3% fall in the over-35 category. "Most write the CAT because they feel they've reached a plateau and are looking for a career shift. An IIM degree would certainly add weight to the resume," said Arora. It's not the only reason -- some candidates are actually PhD aspirants or want to pursue the fellowship programme, added Arora.

According to Kavitha Narendra, head, academics, Career Launcher, said working software engineers also add to the number of CAT candidates over 35 years. "They take CAT for the post-graduate course in Software Enterprise Management, believing that an IIM degree adds value to their resume," said Kavitha.

Age, said these experts, is no hindrance. "Quite the opposite. As they've already been in the industry, they bring in a different perspective to the class than a person without any experience," said Arora. CAT experts said age and work experience are actually an advantage. "They're really focused because they know what they want. Besides, they've already experienced pressure in the workplace. It is easier for them," added Kavita.

Experts also said that if money is not a constraint, getting an IIM degree never goes waste. Manikantan Kumar (name changed), 38, works as an MNC global product manager. A mechanical engineer, he started working soon after getting his degree. With 15 years of experience to his credit, he's appearing for the test so "he can grow further and have a quantitative career jump". He said, "I'm looking at becoming a CEO of my company. For that, I need good qualifications," he said.

Disability no bar

Sanjeev Chaodhari, a visually impaired candidate, started his preparation in July but he's still not satisfied. "I'm in no hurry to get into the IIM or any other B-school. This time, I'm looking at improving my percentile and get familiar with the paper. For the next CAT, I'll start my preparation earlier," he said.

computer programmer Sanjeev said his toughest challenge is geometry and algebra as he's never studied geometry. He added that by next year, he'll be thorough with the basics in these subjects.

Like Sanjeev, there are other physically challenged candidates. Data provided by Career Launcher, a coaching centre, shows that IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM-Calcutta each has three Persons with Disability (PWD) who will pass out in 2009. In 2010, 10 students will complete the course from IIM-A.

Shiva Kumar, director (R&D), Career Launcher, told STOI that from his coaching centre, three PWD candidates will take CAT-2008. "PWD candidates are given extra time. For every hour, they get an extra 20 minutes according to IIM norms. Candidates come with their scribes who should be less qualified than the candidate," he said, adding that 3% of seats are reserved for PWDs.

Coaching such candidates, especially the visually impaired, is not easy. "We have software which can convert the entire study material into a PDF document. Most have this software, but it's just a small part. Some candidates don't have a problem with English but geometry is challenging for them and data interpretation (DI) document doesn't really help," he explained.

He added that candidates are given a feel of geometrical cut-outs. But the difficulty is in DI as it involves a lot of expressions. "We train candidates to ask the scribe the right questions when it comes to DI," Shiva Kumar said, adding that they sometimes advise candidates to quit geometry.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com