Campus Placement OR Entrepreneurship?

GurinderPS

I'm in a hell of a Fix right now.

I'm pursuing my MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade - New Delhi, the campus placements are ON and I've not been sitting for them as of now. I've always been entrepreneurial, even in my engineering college days and have had very successful ventures like UploadJockey.com and FiletTwt.com and right now I'm pursuing my new ventures www.SearchDeals.in and www.HarDeal.com.

Now what I am thinking is that I'm going to pursue my own ventures, and if it doesn't work out by the end of one year or so, I'll go in for a job. But my peers have been strongly advising me against this and saying it is very difficult to find a job Off-Campus.

Is this True? Is it really that difficult for a MBA from a Top 10 B-School to find a job Off-Campus after pursuing your own start-up?

Sagar

Unless your peers are running start-ups or are successfully failed entrepreneurs I don't know how much their opinions should matter :)

As for the entrepreneurship angle, as I see there are two ways to do things here:
Plan 1:

1. Sit and workout a business plan. Start by analyzing the market and find where your product adds value.
2. Speak to people about it. See if you can get other people on-board. This includes devs/marketers/financers.
3. Moonlight on the idea for a while whilst having a day job. Get a feel for how things are going. If at some point the scene looks good go for it full time.

Plan 2: Take the jump.

Also, finding a good job in the field of your choice might even benefit you in the long run; you can learn about how the industry functions, build contacts and so on. Careers in big companies have their own set of challenges provided you find the right fit.

As far as the college degree, personally from what I have seen, in my own case at least, your college creds matter when you take up your first job. After a year or two in the industry no one cares ...

Sameer

If you're going to be asking yourself this question in 3 months time, take the job. Else, you're ready.

Manish

If you do a startup and you successfully fail (loved that phrase, Sagar), you will find takers for your talent at the right companies.

It's not any more difficult or easier at this stage; just that your target companies and position would be different.

GurinderPS

@Manish - Right, I was thinking on the same lines. As it is, I have already launched my start-up and it's not like I can hit the Pause button right now, do a job for an year and hit the Resume button after one year, so I need to stick with it. If it doesn't work out, then probably I could apply to companies in the same or related Industry.

sinha

Trust me that any startup would be willing to take a 'succesfully failed' entrepreneur, but if your definition of job changes to joining HLL/HPCL etc - it surely is going to be a challenge.

Now, some candid advice
If you are planning to build a business around searchdeals/hardeal, let me tell you that its going to be a challenge as the deal model itself isn't working well and will go thru consolidation in 2012. However, if you plan a niche/original site, there surely is a chance - but that would require feet-on-the-street strategy as opposed to 'aggregate-and-make-money-from-affiliate/ads'.

saipothuri

If i am in your position, i might first get into a job, get some experience, get some good network.. later come out of it start your own venture with the experience and also with the suggestions from your experienced friends. try your best.. if it successfully failed. bounce back to job with your old experience and also your new venture experience that successfully failed :)

previously its like we get jobs according to our education, now its not like that to get a job one can pay money and get it, other can get it through some politics,, and few might get it from campus, few from off campus with good experience . so finally you cant say that there was a job for me at any situation.

Thanks

Sai

raxitsheth

If you are in doubt, take job.

Madani

Dude. Finding a job based on your current profile is not difficult at all. I got absorbed into the industry after my first venture failed like in a week. And i get calls from other companies with higher pay packet even now. So stop worrying about jobs. In places like Mumbai and Bangalore getting a job is as simple as knowing how to speak good english.!

Finding a job for what you have studied might be a little tricky but there are plenty of opportunities.

But, Entrepreneurial bug is something different. Even after having the above mentioned start-ups if u are planning about getting into a job then i think there is a 51% chance your start-ups are going to fail within first 18 months.!

But i understand that by getting a job you are trying to create a Cushion around yourself. Its always good to have options in similar field but its not good to have contrasting options.

Take your time and think of it before taking a plunge.

GurinderPS

I'm not looking for a job, I just want to know how difficult it might be to find one in the future.

Varadraj

Go for your new ventures. You are qualified enough to take a Job any-time, when you wish.

bijay

@GurinderPS If you do good work, finding a job any time wont be difficult at all, only there might be a little difference in the remuneration. So if money is very important in short term then take up job else would suggest you to live your dream and if any trouble take up some job later.

justmailnaveen

@sinha "....as the deal model itself isn't working well and will go thru consolidation in 2012."

i just could'nt agree more.

So many new deals sites are launched daily in india i don't know who funds these guys.Why don't they take lessons from groupon's failure.

Facebook had big plans for getting into deals segment,Yelp - the king of local business abandoned their deals plan etc etc.I can give tonnes of examples/reasons why deals websites fail.

Deals (alone) are dead.

Groupon wouldn't have survived for long w/o partnering with Foursqure.

Gruopon + Foursquare = Killer combination

Deals + GPS (or any thing location aware) = Killer combination

GurinderPS

If you Observe, the Deal Sites are themselves beginning to focus on Products. They'll just transform into Online Shopping sites that offer Daily Deals as well.

GurinderPS

Also, SnapDeal has started adding Locations, other's will also do the same because that is the future, then you will see a boom in the Mobile Apps also, once Google Map integration is there.

justmailnaveen

@GurinderPS which lang/framework you use to create applications like searchdeals.in or any app?

I'm just curious about the current trend among startups when it comes to lang/framework.

GurinderPS

We work with PHP.

Semil

Gurinder let me know your contact details, will like to be in toucch with you..

MashupDeals

Hey
GurinderPS,

Go ahead with your current startup. If you dump your idea on a later date and need job, I will be more then willing to hire you.

richanidhi12

If ur guts feeling say then go for ur own work but first take some time and do some research about ur venture .that may be helpful

Regards

Richa Nidhi

srkgupta

Hi,

Not sure if you would like to read this advice from a dear friend or not. But trust me... this is the best time for anyone to start... There is no commitments currently... Your lifestyle is the way how it used to be earlier and it can remain the same for the next 2 years or so (until you stabilize your company)... So if you have a good idea and thinking about whether to go ahead or not.. then stop thinking... Start thinking on what to do next for launching the startup...

But if you dont have any idea and still have only aspirations, then you can take some temporary jobs... make some good savings which you ll need to run your business and in the mean time start exploring new ideas and try to finalize it within next 1 year.. And leap ahead immediately after you feel your idea will work...

All the Best... God Bless...

Cheers,

Rohitesh Gupta

GurmeetSW

Hi Gurinder

First of all congratulation on ur effort on searchdeals.in & hardeal.com, i have gone through the websites & let me tell u they are great ('chic' is the word). My advice to you is to carry on with the great work as an entrepreneur, provided u r not in a hurry to make quick money and stick to ur vision.

Also through my experience of working with a startup i would like to tell u to have the correct team in place (people who have the 'intrapreneurship' factor) to uphold ur vision and mission throughout ur entrepreneurial journey.

As far as the question of getting a job is concerned, it should not be a constraint for u with ur degree and 'successfully failed entrepreneurship' (as said by Sagar, though should not be on the cards).

Good luck n cheers
Gurmeet Singh Walia

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