the dark reality of campus placements at top bschools...

As I look back on my time at IIM, I am sad that it did not live up to my expectations. The name IIM carries weight, still I feel only IIM A/B/C should be called IIMs. The new and baby IIMs are dark black spots on the brand of IIMs. Even L/I/K are like small puppies in front of ABC. It’s hard to shake off the feeling that the legacy of the institute is being tarnished.

Rankings are shit. IIM A spends heavily on media management, and so nobody will ever rank it No 2, no matter what the other two do. It’s disheartening to see how perception trumps reality in this world.

More than half of the candidates come through reservation at 70-80 percentile. They are dumb and still get placed at an average package of general candidates. The notion of meritocracy in B-Schools and corporates is a myth. It’s a conversation we have behind closed doors, a secret that hangs in the air. We hate reserved category people but we have to pretend to be not knowing about its existence on campus.

During admissions and placements, girls with assets are chosen over boys with brains. The priorities seem misplaced. Nobody cares about diversity; it’s a marketing gimmick to attract recruiters by showing photos of hot girls. It’s a harsh reality that many refuse to see.

The academic environment is disappointing. Most Professors are plain stupid. Good Profs teach abroad, not in India. Practical learning is a lie sold to dumb HRs in a fancy package. It often feels like the curriculum is designed for a donkey and not a horse.

Every year, every IIM will have 30–40 new recruiters because the people who get reserved category shit in the last placement year never recruit after seeing their performance till a new dumb HR replaces that old idiot in the company. It’s a cycle that perpetuates itself, with students doing anything for placements. Anything.

Trust a snake, not a placement coordinator. These individuals are more concerned about securing the best jobs for themselves, their friends, and their girlfriends. Even professors are afraid of them.

International exchange is a waste of time and money. Unless you’re rich enough to afford a three-month holiday and pretend to have gained global exposure while traveling and boozing, it’s hardly worth it. Cases and curriculum are as bad as it can be. Recruiters only care about CVs.

The most troubling lesson learned at IIM is the ability to lie, cheat, and deceive people while boasting about your ethics and values.

This is the only life skill that one learns, and it’s the only skill needed to become a CEO or a minister. Almost everyone has two dozen fake CV points, especially exaggerated achievements, fake work-ex, and extracurricular activities.

The more you lie, the better the placements, because HRs are dumb.

If IIMs stop giving placements, not even a single person would apply. The truth is, it’s not about learning; it’s about the job at the end of it.