Please find below a compilation of questions I have received via various mediums related to FPM and career options post fpm. As we know, in all management institutes in India almost follow the same pattern i.e. first 2 years of coursework, followed by a comprehensive examination and then thesis work. In most b schools the first year of FPM coursework is with the PGP though some schools have completely delinked FPM from PGP e.g. IIMA and IIMB. I am currently in my thesis work stage of fpm and the following responses are strictly my personal opinion from my experience so far. Also I would suggest you all to go through the fpm/phd threads at pagalguy.com for more information. Most of the commonly asked queries are resolved there.
If you have further questions, please comment it here. I will try my best to reply to most of the comments (I mean the reasonable ones!).
Now, let`s get started:-
Q. What`s the placement scene after FPM? (Most common question)
Ans. The placement scene is good. If you want to go to industry, at some b schools there`s a placement committee which helps in getting fpm placed. Of course, here one tries for a different profile than what the regular PGP students get. But there are many factors involved here, lot of it is dependent on your profile, area of research, fit with the job role, etc. Of course one needs to have realistic expectations. e.g- Just because you have done fpm in finance, you can`t expect big shot banks to offer you front end IB roles. Although it`s possible but then again it depends on your profile. From my experience in the placement committee in my institute, I have seen most of the fpm go for academics though there have been a few who went for industry roles and they have got placed in reputed consulting, tech, etc firms with decent package. Now for academics placements, the placement committee doesn`t provide you any support. You are on your own here. Here your thesis work and research publications will play a vital role in getting you at least a call for recruitment seminars from top institutes. I hope now the process is clear enough. (And please don`t ask me exact packages, I am not going to divulge any numbers here).
Q. I want to work in industry. Is fpm a good option?
Ans. If you are not interested in research and are just going for fpm just for the lack of other options then it`s going to be a very painful and frustrating journey. Also fpm takes a long time. You can achieve your goal just by going for a 2 years/ 1 year MBA. That`s a much better option in this case.
Q. I couldn`t make it to the PGP at IIM X. But IIM X is my dream school, and I converted my fpm call. Should I join?
Ans. Again it`s a personal decision. But I believe one should join a programme for the right reasons esp. when you are going to invest 4-5 years of your life.
Q. Is the coursework too tough?
Ans. Definitely it`s rigorous. But don`t worry about it! Once you get enrolled, you will learn to cope with it. And don`t let anyone discourage you.
Q. Is it guaranteed that I will complete within 4-5 years?
Ans. Of course not. It depends on you.
Q. My quant skills are weak. Will I survive the coursework?
Ans. If you put in the required effort and hard work then it won`t be an issue.
Q. How important is the SOP? What are the panelist looking for in a SOP?
Ans. It`s a very important part of the application process. It should give a brief introduction about yourself, your long terms and short term goals, reason for applying to fpm and how it fits with your goals and why you are applying to this particular institute. The panelists are looking for a clarity in your goals and thought process.
Q. Do I need to have research topic in my mind before appearing for the interview?
Ans. If you are clear about what you are going to work on, then great! Even otherwise it`s not an issue. Definitely the faculty does`t expect you to know that. But at least you should be clear about your area of interest for research e.g- OR, Microfinance, CSR, etc.
