B-Schooling Queries

 

Post-MBA, H1b maze etc.

 

Hi Simba, Hope you are having a fun time preparing for the 'next stage in life' :) My Very Best wishes for the same! Go for it, gurll!! To introduce myself, I am a B. Engg (India) with 5 years work-ex in software (partly overseas, including US).

I wish to have your views on a one of the 'most asked questions' ;) Most of the schools which I am considering have 'internships' programs as a part of their course. However, some of the school sites (say, UCB) cleary mention that it is difficult for international students to get internships due to visa issues (can't work on F1). Similar notices exist for final job placement possibilities. Though I would come back to India eventually, I would certainly like to work in US for awhile, atleast to recover the BIG loan. Therein lies my dilemma: do Indian students who go for a decently well-ranked-within-top-20-mba-school face problems getting internships/jobs due to visa issues or are there workarounds or do the recruiting companies usually sponsor H1b ? As a matter of fact, I do hold a valid H1 right now, but obviously it won't be of any use once I quit my current job.

With your vast reach among fellow mba aspirants as well as successful mba students (I read your blog and PagalGuy-posts regularly and love them :) ) and your super helpful attitude (which I respect much), I hope to hear your views on this issue. I would greatly appreciate your response as I am a bit (actually .. a lot) concerned on this :( Thanks & regards.

Hey Jeevan, Sorry for the delayed reply!! I am not really sure why u would face problem for internship.. the work u do for companies as a part of ur course is def legal & dont think u shld have a problem with that thing!!!

I completely understand your issues with post-mba stuff. Yes, it will be a lil challenging to secure a good job and get a H1 sponsor in today's economy but I guess, a great school will kinda have its own advantages. We def should work our a$$ off compared to the locals. I cannot comment on the actual scenario but def it will be a experience to learn & cherish!!! You could probably speak to ppl who are currently graduating, maybe they will give you a better idea about the current industry. Hope this helps.

Hey! Thanks for taking time off to reply. I read your post on your blogsite and am glad that you had a safe flight inspite of all the havoc caused by rains. All the best for your first 'encounter' at univ. Am sure you'll do well. I agree with the 'good school - better chances of H1' part. And I read on some other forums that good companies *are* willing to spend that extra bit for getting h1 for good candidates who have a good performance in good school (lots of 'good's there .. lol). And which is fair enough. Also there is that God-sent 'OPT' option on F1 visa wherein one can stay in US for a year after completing studies. But what I have been unable to get info on is whether it is legal to work on F1 visa during 'internship' period. So if you have any information on this, please do let me know.

<Edited for website purpose> Yes, you can work during internship under the CPT option. Please google for more information.

I read your articles on the mba front on PG while I was doing my looking around for some advice regarding taking plunge into mba rigour. The articles sure did some helping as far as the admission know-how for me, but one aspect still remains seems to elude me of any insight. Actually I’m a marine engineer and went out to the sea this year, and I plan on taking the GMAT probably after another sail of 6 months,which will be next year. Ive never interacted with ppl from an mba background and have zilch knowledge about the kind of life they lead.

i sure wanna do mba but have no idea about whether I’ll be playing squash in the evenings after a hard day.What kind of pressures prevail in your life as far as work is concerned?Is your life dictated by your boss,and one has to indulge in the age old practice of sure shot success…sucking up?Is a mba life, as the French put it….metro,work and bed? Am sure all of my queries are frivolous to you,but your help will determine some of the decisions that will be made.I’ll be grateful if you could spare some time of yur schedule and help the needy…going by the small note at your blog site,I think im taking my chances here! Gaurav

Sorry for a very late reply. I just have been busy with too many things. Well I presume that u are refering to a life post-mba, as during the mba, u pretty much have no life! ;-) After mba, you choose the life-style you want. If you choose to be an Investment Banker or a consulant, you are basically tied to a life with only money & no leisure. But the other jobs will be less demanding but of course as a manager, you sure will have more responsibilities.

There will be pressures ..ofcourse . if u dont want the challenges, the risks etc, maybe an MBA is not meant for you after all. Maybe its just a choice that some of us make ... I can't really say how exactly your life will turn out to be, but the mere fact that you are doing a management education gives enough ground that you are well on ur way to a lot of responsibilities. I hope I was able to help!

Hi Simba, I came across your blog recently. Let me join the thousands of others in congratulating you on starting such a popular blog, especially among Indian Bschool aspirants. I was wondering if I can chat with you to learn more about Duke. Your perspective as an Indian (international) student would be very helpful when I am deciding which B school to join.

I applied to Duke and Chicago in Round 1 and have received an admit offer from Chicago but have been waitlisted at Chicago. There is something about Duke that attracts me--may be its the cool blue Duke T-Shirt that they sent to all admits or the prospective of attending Coach K's leadership class on the basketball court. I am convinced that Duke is probably a much more 'interesting' place to be in, compared to lets say Chicago GSB or MIT Sloan. But, as you can appreacite, as an international student, I am also interested in learning about Job opportunities post MBA in either Finance or Consulting from Duke vs. a school such as Chicago or MIT. I am currently based at London, but can call you anytime as per your convenience. Regards, Amit

Sure Amit! You say in ur email - >>have received an admit offer from Chicago but have been waitlisted at Chicago. << u call urself a Duke admit so I guess that is a typo! I would suggest you to see SHivesh's blog which has a link on my blog.. he has put up a rather succint post on MBA recruitment.. That will answer many of ur queries! But yup, u can call me at *. Evenings after 9 pm would be better! Cheers!

Thanks Sowmya. Yes that was a typo...i got an admit from duke and waitlisted at chicago...will try to call me in a day or two. I guess simba roars are making me very nervous when typing emails to you.....too many typos :) will try to call you* in a day or two.

I need some info regarding Fuqua... I am planning apply to Fuqua in R2. My desired post MBA career is Mgmt Consulting. But recently someone told me that Fuqua's not the right place to go for it... and that the ones who went there for mgmt consulting arent really happy. Is that correct?

Well, Fuqua is a great program for general management. Yes, consulting is not so great here.. many companies dont come here & those who do pick very few people!! But I dont think u have to decide the school only on the basis of future career options. Its also about the fit. Anywhere in the US, to get picked up by top consulting firms, ur GMAT, ur undergrad GPA & ur GPA here is of the biggest concern.. so, that also needs to be taken into consideration!! :-)

Hi! I've been thinking about what you said abt GPA/GMAT scores. I guess even in GMAT, they are probably looking for a high quant score. Although the overall score is decent (720), the Quant aint so great, esp given my engg background. Similarly my undergrad GPAs are not nothing out of the ordinary - 70.5%. I hope these companies expect such stellar acads only for strategic consulting and not management consulting.

Otherwise my dreams of 4 years will go swishing down the toilet. :-( Thanks again for the prompt response. Its really a very different perspective that you get when you speak to someone you know vis-a-vis just another current student. I have signed up for the Duke Info Session in Mumbai on Dec 19. I am hoping I would have taken a call on where all to app by then!

If you want something badly, u make ways to get to it! :-) As simple as that! Read the new article. It will be of great help to u!! :-)

Girl! What are you???? :-O :I bow to thee in reverence: I've been reading the past entries in your blog, starting arnd a yr+ back... You managed to retake the GMAT and apply to Fuqua by 5-Jan. Then apped to W in another 2 days. And pushed in Oxford in another one day! Another week and finished ISB. 3 more days and u finsih MIT?!!!!! You finished apping to 5 schools in like 1+ month including the GMAT! WOWWWWW!!!! The Super Woman title (as u must know, some of us @ PG refer to you by this name :-D) fits you perfectly!

And here I am! The jackass! Been trying to figure out the "Why MBA-short/long term goals" essay for over 10 days now! But then I always had an issue with writing essays... I cant see myself being able to do what u did even if I took time off from work! Anyways, what you were able to do is surely an inspiration for me - if you can do it, so can I. Mebbe I will take a lil while longer, but not a whole lot! tc, Uday (*Mails like these make me go through the worst of my days! Thanks Uday!*)

Have a quesion for you... In the leadership essay, is it ok if I ONLY talk abt my non-professional leadership experiences (both MVF and building my high school's alumni club?) Since I have only 3 yrs exp as of now, and that too in a products company, I dont have much to show for in terms of leadership. Although there is a guy (fresher) that I mentor currently - as in I teach him about the product, assign him work, review his work etc. There are plenty of cases where I took initiative, quite a few of them with a major impact on the team, but they would seem too small to an outsider. Given this, should I focus upon the professional or non-professional leadership?

Its always professional.. but ur last few lines can show about extra-cur!

Nice to see you blog and the series on “Application to Top International MBA” is very informative. I am an engineer working on a software-extensive smartcard-payment system in a railway company in Hong Kong. Will be 30 in mid this year... Now preparing for the applications to a few top B-Schools in USA, including Fuqua…The following may be a little bit long, but I do so to provide more details and if you can kindly offer your opinions I hope the details can help you give me a more solid answer :>

My background - Working for 8 years in the same company since graduation: (seems plain, but I do have some variety which keeps me in every 2 or 3 years). spent the first 2 as a trainee to understand almost every different functions in the company; spent another 3 years on development / enhancement of different equipment in the system, and got the chartered engineer status; (hands-on experiences will help me a lot when at management level!)

spent another 2 years in an european project where I lead a small group to develop an equipment as part of the upgrade in that country's transport system (really saw a lot of cultural differences in the project working with foreign contractors / clients)

Drive towards getting a MBA - I did get a small consultant task after my first 3 years to advise our peer in another Asia country, who has an equipment from the same vendor with ours. Got a first taste then consultant job may be a good path for me in future, but was thinking about getting  the chartered engineer status first.

Since finishing the european project, I knew that I need probably a MBA degree to let me get to the right and fast track towards a more leading role in the company or consultancy industry - I have thoughts on how our pioneering system can turn into actual profits for our company, but given my current status and role it will be impossible to do so then and even in near future.

I do know I have the leader's potential and passion from my extra-curricular experiences (mainly from 7-year experiences in a young group in an engineering professional association, the group where I am the chairman now).

And I think, as a HK Chinese, I will be flexible/hard-working - and I think we can act as a good role to help our mainland peer package well their products, whereas at the same time as a good link for foreign people to purchase cheap and yet quality service from our land.

So I want to take a MBA and then go to the Consultancy firms. I have taken the GMAT with 700+ and now preparing for the application of class '09...

Questions

1. Do you think going into the Consultant industry is a genuine move given my above way of thinking?

2. To get into consultant firms should I get schools strong in general management?

3. Any specific areas do I need to think in more details if I take such a career switch from professional engineer to a management consultant? e.g. weakness as a little older candidate, stereotype on 'engineer' or hk guys?

Look forward to and thanks in advance for opinions from all of you!

Sorry for the long delay. Just been too busy & short on time!! :) I will directly roll up my sleeves & get to answering ur questions...

>>1. Do you think going into the Consultant industry is a genuine move given my above way of thinking?
A. Bryan, u got to understand that much of your work as a consultant after an MBA would be in the role of a manager and a lot farther away from a technical role. Yes, you can combine your technical knowledge but it will be a lil diff kind of work than what you have mentioned below! But it does sound like something you want to do & am sure an MBA will give u the edge!

>>2. To get into consultant firms should I get schools strong in general management?
A. Consulting firms are some of the most demanding guys & you should def aim to get into the best you can! With your awesome profile & a clear mind, you shld def try to make it to the TOP 5.. you sould atleast try.. or u will never know how close you were! Yes, general management schools will do u good but try to aim for the top ones as u have the work exp & GMAt to back u up!

>>3. Any specific areas do I need to think in more details if I take such a career switch from professional engineer to a management consultant? e.g. weakness as a little older candidate, stereotype on 'engineer' or hk guys?
A. No.. dont bother about anything... if you are getting something fabulous in terms of a new job.. take it.. as long as it a career progression! I have never believed in stereotyping but have just gone ahead & done what I thot was right! as i said earlier.. u have a fab profile.. use it to the best advantage...

If you do have more questions, do let me know & I promise, I wont be this late! :) Good Luck!

Dear Sowmya, Thanks for the advices. Sorry for my late reply as I was struggling to get out from my busy work. Hope I will get some additional advices from you when I start to prepare my essays in coming months. Thanks a lot!

Hey Simba, Guess u must be really busy with tonnes and TONNES of work bogging you down. I first read ur articles and replies on forums in PG and was led on to ur blog frm there. Keep up the good werk. I'm from India as well and had a qn on foreign MBAs - a very common qn, I s'pose. I'm doin my research into the possibilities of doin a phoren MBA. Is it possble to work in the US after studying there? Of course it is right.....? Duh..

I meant what are the chances of getting a student visa converted into a job visa? I believe that this is possible only if you have an offer in hand at the time of graduation. Is this correct? And what (if any) is the grace period for folks who havent yet received a job offer once the course has been completed ? Ahem - the actual question is what are the odds ? (very subjective...huh) Wud appreciate your reply to these points - very much. Tx and keep blogging.

John, I am extremely sorry that I am writing back to you late. I have been living in a different world for a while. :)

>>I meant what are the chances of getting a student visa converted into a job visa? I believe that this is possible only if you have an offer in hand at the time of graduation. Is this correct?
A. I am not an authority to talk about the chances of converting a student visa to job visa.. but that said, I can say, the better the school, the higher your chances of getting recruited by companies who sponser your job visa. And it is not true that you should have a job offer by the time you graduate.. you actually have 1 year to find your job, this period is called OPT where you are regarded as a graduate actively looking for jobs in US. If you are unable to get a job within that year, then you might be cutting in close. *Edited for website - Things have drastically changed now, read my article - Riding the H1B Rollercoaster about Post-MBA scenario.*

>>And what (if any) is the grace period for folks who havent yet received a job offer once the course has been completed ?
A. As I said, 1 year. For more info, see here - ttp://www.liventus.com/careers/opt.aspx

>>Ahem - the actual question is what are the odds ? (very subjective...huh)
A. I guess no one knows for sure... we all are here to check our strokes of luck! And pray each day that we made the right move. :) Hope this helps... Later.

How u doing ? Where u working after Fuqua ? Just had couple of questions. ESADE has exchange programs with Ross Michigan , GSB Chicago and ur alma mater Duke Fuqua . Just wanted to know which branch of specialization is Duke renowned for and how are the career services ? Did you find a job through Career Services of Fuqua or through your network of contacts ? I know ur a busy bee and hence dont have time to chat :) So whenever u find little time , please mail me :)

Hi Vinod, I am fine and I still don't know where I will be working as I am still looking around for jobs. I am not sure what Duke is popular for, I think it is marketing but I wouldn't worry about it. Career services are just the same as in any other school, average... much of the work should be done by you any day, any where. That answers the last question.

Hey Simba, U r a real inspiration for all of us buddy...U have really helped me to take a decision of getting my MBA from US B school as earlier I was discouraged by the huge fees and all that jazz.. But ur inspiring posts have helped me to take my GMAT becoz of which I got a score of 750....than a lot buddy. You simply rock.. One thing that really hurts now a days is the new US visa cap acc to which US companies wont be hiring internationals at all. Please clarify on this - would the situation remain the way it is. Please give us the genuine picture becoz this will discourage lot of Indian to apply for US bschool becoz of the ROI and other jazz. Please show us the path simba.......... We need u!!!!!! Thanx a lot!!! Life would be a cakewalk for u.....

Hi Amit, Sorry for the rather late reply but I have been kind of all over the place. :) Thanks for your kind words. And congrats on the great score. Yes, the visa situation is a complete let down for many of us. I, for one, had been extremely particular about the job post mba. So, as I waited to hear back from my kind of firms, it got a little late. When I was about to get some second rounds of interviews & job offers, the visa situation blew into all our faces. And the companies talking to me withdrew as there was no other alternative. This is the first time it has been this bad and many of my classmates have not had favorable results.

Some people like me who were still looking for jobs have been left bare handed and others who had job offers & who didnt get the visa might get treated better from the companies who hired them. So, this shows a no. of international students who didnt get the visa this year is gonna be a bad things for most of the schools & business schools here, as the next incoming year students will drop out.

I feel that as this year was bad, next year will be worse if the Congress does not put some amendments to visa situation. And if it is worse, not many companies who hire now will be ready to hire internationals. This again makes it less motivating for the next coming class. I don' t think there is much that can be done at this point without the high powers stepping in. Though I have 1 year of OPT that I can use at this point, I need to find someone to sponsor my H1 next year which doesn't look too appealing at this point with the cap thing. Hope this helps. As I always say, do your own research & then make your decisions. No one knew this was even possible... this is the first year the visas got taken over so soon! Our bad luck! Good luck for you!

Hi Simba, Thank you very much for taking out time to respond to my mail... So according to your response I could conclude that I have to forget about getting into US B-schools anymore or should I be optimistic about the same..I m really very much interested in getting into US b-school but your response has somehow demotivated me to apply for the same..what would you recommend ?? Would that I should apply to US b-schools next year or stop dreaming about the same anymore and look out for some other options....Please guide me through this entire process..

One more thing simba how easy is it to get H 1 visa after the OPT thingy and what do you think that this jazzzz gonnna continue for how long... Best of luck simba for all your future goals in life and May God Bless with the Best in the world becoz u deserve it.

Hi Simba, If it is feasible for u, then could u plzzzz give me your cell no. or any other contact no. so that v can talk at lenght about the entire H 1 visa issue so that I can prepare myself mentally.... Thanx a lot Simba for showing us the correct path..U r the best..Keep rocking!!! May all your dreams come true n God Bless u with all the best things in the world...

Amit, As I always say, take my advice with a pinch of salt. I am no one to tell you to come here or to stay back.. all I can do is, talk about the state of affairs. Actually, I am just one person and I don't think you should take just one opinion. If you ask a no. of my friends who have jobs & have got visas, they will probably give you heads up about US MBA.

We don't know how things will progress from here, all depends on the government. So, we can wait & watch. But at the same time, if you are so keen, go ahead & do your applications. If you get admitted, at least you will always a choice to stay back. You can think about it at that point. As I always say, how bad do you want to get away from your current situation? How badly do you want to take the risk? If you don't want it badly, then you must follow something which you do & for which you can risk everything you have :) And sorry, I won't be able to give you my number. There are million things I am in between and I can't take on more. Thank you, Good Luck!

Hi Simba, Thank you very much for taking out time to reply to my mail.. I pray everything would get perfect for you..God Bless!!!! But please update us about your next move or your new job....We would be waiting eagerly for that good news....

Hey Sowmya Simba, Hope you are doing good. Actually I have some queries regarding how the H1B Visa thing is done once you are in to the MBA program. Are the 20000 yearly visas that are reserved for students exhausted every year within a few days. Whats the procedure that is taken to distribute the visas. Is it pure lottery or the first comers get the visas immediately. And what are the minimum pre requisites for the H1B. Are we required to complete the MBA or can we apply before hand ; and are we required to have the H1B processing started before we get the job or is that done after we get the job. In short  I wanna know the complete procedure of how the thing is done.....

Preet, You either assume I am a good authority in this subject or you just taking a pure gamble if you fall for my words. I don't have any expertise in this line.

>> In short  I wanna know the complete procedure of how the thing is done.....
Then, do your research. Ask lawyers & look upon immigration forums. A simple google search will help. But to start with, here are a couple of my thoughts. Yes, I think the 20,000 gets exhausted every year. last year, it went on till July but this year it was taken by April end. I think for this, it just goes FIFO basis. But looking how fast they went out this year, it won't be a surprise if all the master's students next year graduate early and apply together.. which might call for a lottery even for this quota.

Majority of my friends who had jobs had their visa applications submitted by Apr 2. We hadn't graduated by then.. but the firms just started processing the visa. However, the 20,000 is reserved only for those who graduated, which meant that all my colleagues were considered for the 65,000 quota. So, once they got to know about this, they tried to finish their exams early & get a completion certificate which helped the attorneys to file their case under the Masters' quota. Some succeeded but some didn't. No one knows why! But yes, you should have a job for H1. Hope this helps.

Hey simba, Thanks a lot for the reply. Did quite a lotta research but I didnt get a first hand experience account of the whole procedure. I was kinda perplexed when I heard the 20000 quota got exhausted by april. I will bug you when I have more doubts. :-) Thanks again.

Hi Sowmya, Many thanks for writing such a wonderful and thought provoking article. At the end of it, I was in complete two-minds of whether to go ahead with my mba plans abroad or just stay back and continue working. However, I did have a few queries and I'd be grateful if you could reply to them at your own convenience. Questions below * Again, thanks Sowmya for taking considerable effort in writing this article and keeping prospective applicants like me in touch with reality. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Hi Sowmya, I was just wondering if you had had a chance to look at my earlier email regarding some visa concerns? If you have, could you please clarify my queries as they will play a huge role in choice of schools. Thanks and looking forward for your reply.

Hi V, Thanks for the reminder. I need some nudging! :) Here are you answers. I intend to publish these, please let me know if you dont want it. It might help many. Thanks in advance!

>>1. Suppose, you turn in your application for a H1B but your name does not appear in the lottery draft. Can you re-apply under the Master's quota?
A. I guess you can move your application into Masters quota but assuming that there is any left in the Master's quota. I think this year the Master's quota ran out in Apr 3rd or some week. But if you have a job before Apr 1st & have a degree in hand, I guess you can apply in Masters quota.

>>2. Suppose, you find out that you are graduating close to end of March and [assuming you have a job offer on hand at graduation], can you directly apply for the Master's quota?
A. Yes, I think the above point covered that.

>>3. Can one convince the university to aid students in completing the requisite courses and turn in their application much in advance, say end Fed or early March? [Again, assuming you have job offer on hand] What is the process applicable? Does one still have to undergo lottery draft?
A. Ah, V.. it is not easy to convince any university, but considering what happened this year, I think that schools & universities will be more flexible. But then again if you have all Master's students graduate early, then you might just have a lottery for them too, if Senate doesn't do anything about it this year.

>>4. Does a reject in the H1B lottery get automatically get considered under the Master's quota?
A. I dont know what you mean. If you have graduated from US university with Master's you automatically qualify for the latter, however... i think u need to talk to the attorney you are working with... to move you wherever u want. I dont know the legal flexibility.

>>5. Suppose, you don't have a job at the time of graduation [in or around April], is one still eligible to apply for a H1B under either quota?
A. No. If that was the case, I wouldn't have been sitting idle. :) Only an employer can apply for you!

>>6. Suppose, you are rejected under either quota for that year and you invoke the OPT and reapply for H1B for the next year. Does reapplicant get any preference?
A. I don't think so. I wish though.

>>7. Finally, would it be possible to think about options like Canada / UK during the OPT period and get the work permit done and move / immigrate [assuming your employer has presence in these countries?]
A. Yes. I might consider that soon. And I dont even have an employer. I still need to research on that. but I think you can get the work permit according to new rules for HSMP. Thats it for now.... Alrighty! Thanks.

Hi Sowmya, Many thanks for your reply. I sincerely wish you luck in your job / visa process and only hope that you nail it as soon as possible.. and please go ahead and publish the questions / replies in your website.. It would be great if these questions / replies help people put things in perspective..

Hi Simba! How are you doing? Hope you are in good spirits. I had joinedpagalgirl.com, but couldn't be too regular over there. I happened to come across your article that mentions about the H1-B visa issues that post-MBAs like yourself are unfortunate to face. I was only wondering if applying outside US for a post MBA student is an option or not? You know, like for UK- HSMP visa, if you are from a good US Univ, its fairly easy to get that visa (point based system of course) and of course you also get to work at london, which is really not a bad place. I mean, even pounds dont hurt. :) Even australia is a decent choice. So, bottom line question is whether a post-MBA can apply outside US or not? It would be nice if you could respond as I am also planning for MBA in the US. Hoping to hear from you soon :) Thanks.

Hi Nivrita, Sure - HSMP is an option but ideally u would want to work in a country where your degree is from! But well, I am looking at immigration to Canada or UK HSMP. You can surely apply anywhere in the world However, you need a lot of contacts to help you put in the right places at the right time. Good Luck.

Hello, Thanks for running a great blog and website...I have been trying to get some 'informal' information about Fuqua MBA before applying, and your site seems to be a good source.  I wish you get a great job (or have you already got one ?!?) for all the good karma you must have accumulated :-)

I am trying to gauge the kind of opportunities available for a Fuqua graduate, especially for somebody interested in IT Strategy and Management consulting.  Also, I am slightly ahead of the average in the age & experience curve (33 yrs and 8 yrs in IT)...so I am trying to understand if the Fuqua MBA would provide any advantages to me at all in this career path. Would you know if any recent Fuqua graduate has had a profile similar to mine, and if yes, how the Fuqua experience is helping him/her currently ? (I would also formally approach the admissions people with formal information requests, campus visits etc) Thanks again, and wish you happiness and success! Warm regards.

M, Nice to hear from you. I sincerely hope the 'karma' adds up in my favor. Let's wait and watch. IT Strategy, hmmm.. it is too broad a term to use. If you want to work with firms like Accenture, IBM, etc. who might have these kind of roles, then you can be out of luck, as they don't hire internationals. However, if you are from here, a resident then it might be much easier to get these roles. I know a couple of people as old as you are & much older than you too.. many of the much older people, went back to India, because they did not get jobs suitable to their experience. And someone similar to your age - some are looking & some accepted work with Indian companies like Wipro, Cognizant etc. But personally I dont know any one whom I could recommend. Sorry!

Hi Simba/Sowmya, Thanks very much for the reply...seems like the H1B situation is hitting us all bad...let me try to do more analysis on this... Meanwhile I wish and hope you get your preferred opening into Merchandising very soon...I would watch out for the blog entry!!

 

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