The reason why students enroll in management programs is that apart from graduating with a degree in management, they would want and like to be placed in a good company of their choice. This means that the goal of placement in their dream companies spurs them to do well and perform better than their peers. As the management programs evaluate their students on how well they performed relative to their peers rather than in absolute grading, it is important to understand that recruiters also look for candidates who are better than the others they have shortlisted.

Further, recruiters also look for well-rounded candidates and those with skills that they want.

In other words, the profile of the students who are recruited by companies is determined based on not only the CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) but also whether the candidate matches the profile that the companies are looking for. In many cases, leading consultancies and investment banks prefer candidates with a consistent academic record throughout their education as well as a well-rounded profile that goes beyond mere scores and instead, indicates how well the candidate has built himself or herself up until then. As many recruiters of the leading companies would attest, they are not looking for “flashes in the pan” wherein the student does well during the management program but does not have the credentials in aspects other than academics.

The next aspect of what recruiters look for in management graduates is how well the candidate can fit the job profile for which they are recruiting. The match between the requirements and the candidate is very important as this determines the eventual career progression of the candidate in the organization. This means that companies like PG or Proctor and Gamble and Unilever look for recruits who can jell with their organizational culture and can seamlessly make the transition from the management programs to the jobs. Indeed, these companies are always on the lookout for candidates who are polished, have excellent communications skills, and are generally well-rounded meaning that they had or are having a life beyond their academics.

Many consultancies and investment banks look for candidates who are good at problem solving and have exceptional analytical skills.

In other words, as these companies need their employees to consult with the industries (consultancies) and to advise them on quantitative aspects of deal making (investment banks); they are inclined to recruit those with superior analytical and comprehension skills.

The third aspect of what recruiters look for in candidates is that they must be perform under pressure which means that the companies test the candidates basing on how well they work under stress. As most of the premium jobs entail pressure cooker working environments where the employees often have to work under tight deadlines and under intense pressure as well as cutthroat competition, many recruiters often give importance to how well the candidates can take and withstand pressure.

Many companies in recent times are emphasizing the fact that taking courses is one aspect and doing specialized term papers and research papers on specific topics is an added skill that would add value to the resume. This means that recruiters often give importance to the fact that they need candidates who are more focused on topics like Finance, Marketing, and Strategy by not only specializing in these niches but have also done specific term papers and research papers on sub topics in these fields.

Finally, the fact that many recruiters prefer students from premier business schools that also have done their undergraduate degrees from reputed institutions is a reality that many business school students face. Therefore, if one is from a school that is second tier or third tier, the best way to wangle a good job is by adding value to one’s resume and profile by being better than the ones from premium schools. This can be done by excelling in academics, taking electives in a strategic manner, publishing research papers and doing term papers, and by participating in extracurricular and co curricular activities to build one up.