Dean Answers The Top Questions About SOIL (Ask Me Anything)

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Dean Answers The Top Questions About SOIL (Ask Me Anything)

22 Mar 2022
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Dear Students,

Welcome to the SOIL Institute of Management! Now that you are looking to pursue an MBA, there are several questions that may crop up in your mind. The choice you make today should look to guide your future and have a positive impact on not only your career, but also help you gain relevant education and have a positive impact on the community. The purpose of education should not only equip you to earn a living and make a great career but provide holistic learning that could lead you to discover your true purpose so that you can lead a meaningful life in all respects. The vision of SOIL has been to create “inspired leaders” who can lead and are equipped with a strong value system.

To flow with the tide is easy, however, challenging norms requires decision making that is led by information and with this purpose I have penned down a synopsis of questions that aspirants have often asked me about SOIL and its vision. As you embark on this journey of exploring business schools, it is important to get a sense of what the MBA courses offered by SOIL are, and if they are right for you.

If you do consider the SOIL MBA program, you are welcome to access our online information sessions and sign up for opportunities to connect. It will give you a better perspective of what SOIL has to offer. At the end of the day, I am sure, SOIL will be able to lead you to a journey where you can look to improve yourself, both personally & professionally.

What Should MBA Aspirants Know About The SOIL Program That They May Not Necessarily Know?

The SOIL MBA courses are unique in their design. The cornerstone that defines the SOIL MBA is different than conventional management education offered by other business schools. Whether it is the two-year PGDM in Design Thinking or the one-year PGPM flagship program, the focus is on imparting soft skills besides functional ones. These soft skills look at developing a better understanding of the student on leadership skills and an inclusive approach. These skills are much in demand and in focus today as the business world looks to come out from the ravages of extraneous circumstances and requires managers that can adapt to the environment and lead the organization for the times to come. The course design leans heavily on integration of social sciences to management and derives its strength and uniqueness from this.

What Makes The SOIL MBA Courses Stand Out Against Other Programs?

SOIL offers options for graduates fresh out of college and also for young professionals with experience who want to fast track their career with leadership skills. The duration of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management is two years while that of the Post Graduate Program in Management is one year. The SOIL programs stand out from others in their teaching methodology, that relies on functional academic rigour merged with social sciences. The delivery of the course is also unique in that it relies on a combination of experiential learning and learning through case discussion methods. The conscious move towards self-discovery leads to a better understanding for students and equips them with industry relevant skills. The student graduates are also armed with the five pillars of inspired leadership namely: awareness, balance, compassion, diversity and ethics. As part of your MBA experience, you will interact with a diverse group of peers with unique experiences and varied perspectives. The vibrant community will also contribute towards your learning as students embrace and derive perspectives through SOIL’s unique MBA courses.

How Accessible Are SOIL Professors? Do They Serve As Mentors? Can You Offer Insights on the Innovative Mentorship Program?

The faculty at SOIL are amongst the best and are known for their subject-matter expertise. They are accessible and approachable to help you with your queries. With a small class size and an integrated academic community, the interaction with faculty will support your growth. The professors also act as mentors and you will be assigned one faculty member as an internal mentor.

SOIL’s mentorship program – At SOIL you will be assigned with two mentors, a corporate leader as an external mentor and a faculty member as an internal mentor. You will get an opportunity to seek career guidance from these experienced corporate mentors, faculty and management practitioners. This unique opportunity will also help you to build a network and help you on your career journey by enabling you to draw on their expertise and experience. Depending on how you approach your relationships, this innovative mentorship program will be there in the future as well and help you in times to come.

What is Experiential Learning?

SOIL places a major emphasis on the experiential learning mode. SOIL follows a process driven approach where you will be exposed to learning situations that require you to process knowledge, skills and attitudes through personal involvement. This will help you to cognitively, affectively, and behaviourally process knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes in a learning situation through a high level of active involvement. This is a divergence from mere basic learning, something that most of the best MBA courses in demand tend to follow. Experiential learning draws on the experiences of mentors, industry leaders, coaches etc. You will foster the growth attitudes through community work and become sensitized towards the community at large.

You will be exposed to two experiential learning tracks –
- Industry Experiential – Interaction with Industry through activities, project work and internships.
- Leadership Experiential – A unique track in which you will engage with industry leaders, subject matter experts, world class international faculty and more and spend quality time with them understanding their insights and life lessons.
Some of the experiential learning experiences that I would like to mention here are the Annual Himalayan Outreach, Social Innovation program, Theater Workshop, Appreciative Enquiry, Self-Leadership course, Yoga & Wellness course, Mentorship Sessions, Leadership Series, Live Projects, Bootcamps/ workshops, & more.

What Is SOIL Doing To Impact Our Community?

The Social Innovation Program at SOIL is a unique intervention where all students work with an NGO as part of their curriculum. SOIL has partnered with more than 30 NGOs across the Delhi NCR region who in turn collaborate with our students to find meaningful projects where you can develop novel ‘solutions’ to deep-rooted social, cultural, economic and environmental problems.

The social innovation program kicks off with an NGO fair where all the partner NGO present our students about their work, their impact and available projects. After the presentations, students choose their desired NGO to work with on a first come first serve basis. This will help you as a student to fully understand and appreciate the ground realities of the development sector besides working on real time socio-economic problems faced by marginalised communities. SOIL Institute of Management has incorporated the Social Innovation Program into its curriculum as an integral course. This will help you as “future leaders” to integrate development and social inclusion as part of their management education.

What Is The Learning Through The Case Study Method Followed At SOIL And How Does It Work?

The SOIL MBA is built on a hybrid model of learning that integrates learning through application of theory in real life business cases. Students are divided into small groups and given cases with specific challenges. Students spend time discussing the case threadbare, analyse the issues and come up with decisions/ suggestions to tackle them. The final part is to make a presentation along with a suggested course of action in a classroom setting. The Case Method is a clear shift from rote based classroom and book learning into a better understanding of concepts, improved problem-solving skills and interactive learning through peers. SOIL Institute of Management follows this methodology that has been pioneered by Harvard Business School. The case method allows the student to learn about diverse businesses, develop communication, develop listening skills, build an analytical approach and leadership skills. This dynamic and immersive teaching methodology is unique to the SOIL MBA courses and supplements their most unique curricula and pedagogy.

How Will the SOIL MBA Courses Provide Career Support and Support My Professional Goals? What Does Placements Look Like?

This is an important question that I am asked by almost all prospects. Many people consider an MBA to achieve professional goals, advance their careers or to switch careers paths.

Career Management Services at SOIL not only aims to provide the students with a preferred role, but also looks at a broad framework of career planning, student readiness and placements. We are committed to transforming the students’ career dreams into real actionable goals through a robust process. The process is two pronged, i.e., at the student level and outreach at the external level.

Student Level Intervention – The careers team at SOIL conducts events round the year to engage, train and develop students’ employability through various on & off-campus events. These events are designed in a way for students to get real-time exposure to placement processes, corporate life and beyond. The activities include Individual Developmental planning, Mock Placements Fair, Group Discussions, Industry Leadership Talks, Soft Skills Workshops, Mentorship by Industry Leaders, and Interview Preparation Sessions and more.

Building an External Ecosystem – SOIL works with a consortium of well-known companies that invest their time in designing the curriculum, selecting students, mentoring them and building relevant case studies. This helps us to build a talent pipeline, meet quality standards of employers, and in the process improving career options for our students.

Placements – The placement drive at SOIL has seen a remarkable growth in terms of companies visiting campus, requirements of these companies and the high engagement with our students. Our Career Management team has managed to attract an unprecedented number of companies to campus. This year, we saw huge growth in our placements and the highest ever ROI for its students. Defying the challenges of the VUCA world today, SOIL’s PGPM batch recorded a 35% jump in salaries over last year. Along with this, the PGPM students have received an average package of INR 12.2 LPA and the PGDM batch has seen an average package of INR 10.5 LPA, another record in just months of starting the placements season. We aim to continue the robust placements in the years to come.

I Want To Pursue An MBA At SOIL But Cannot Afford The Fee? Do You Have Scholarships or Financing Options Available?

The application process at SOIL follows a simple mantra leading up to selection of candidates – To look for the right fit for its innovative MBA courses. The selection does not discriminate based on the financial status of the prospect. If the team feels that the candidate is suited and a fit for the MBA at SOIL, there are ample financing opportunities in terms of scholarships and financing options. The endeavour is to make the MBA accessible to aspirants and young professionals. Thus, you should not discard your dream of pursuing an MBA at SOIL merely because it is unaffordable for you.

There are several financing opportunities in terms of scholarships – both need based and merit based. Besides, SOIL has partnered with reputed financers like Axis Bank, HDFC bank etc. Loans are provided to students at nominal interest rates and the admissions team at SOIL provides help in processing in an effort to smoothen the process.

Do current SOIL students get opportunities to engage with the alumni network while in the MBA course?

SOIL has more than 1300 alumni and has a pan global presence. The current students have the opportunity to engage and connect with them on a regular basis through events, interactions and mentorship sessions. Alumni networking is also fostered through an annual event – Alumni homecoming where they are invited to the campus and the current students have an opportunity for a physical interaction. The alumni network of SOIL acts as coaches on campus, providing entrepreneurial advice and career guidance to current students.

While this list of questions tries to cover the important questions, you may have some additional ones as well. Feel free to us and our admission counsellors and we will do our best to answer all your queries and concerns.

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