Interview with Ms. Sonya Hooja
About Sonya:
Ms. Sonya Hooja is one of the Founder-Director at Imarticus Learning. Sonya has an extensive experience in strategy development and project management across diverse industries such as financial services, education, public sector and pharmaceuticals. She has been associated with Accenture (Management Consulting), Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) and the erstwhile Lehman Brothers. Sonya has an MBA from INSEAD.
What makes your institute different from other institutes offering the same courses?
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Our courses are very specific and cater to corporate functions within an Investment bank. Our courses are specifically designed by industry professionals who are experts in the area of financial operations and technology.
Our learning methodology includes in-depth concepts, practical training based on functions existent in an investment bank & provides simulation environment to students replicating the investment banking culture. The candidate also gets soft skills training which are pertinent in an investment bank. This would include written or oral communication- for instance how you should represent your case when you talk to a trader based in London or Hong Kong.
What is the admission procedure like?
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We follow a 3 step admission process:
Assessment – Step 1
‘Analytical / Quantitative tests’
Assessment – Step 2
‘Basics of Investment Bank’
Assessment – Step 3
Personal Interview
How do you ensure that your courses are industry ready?
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Our courses are very specific to the functions that are performed in an investment bank. Our strong faculty team comprises of individuals who have worked in various global investment banks across variety of functions in operations & technology, thereby building an industry ready curriculum. We have also spent months fine tuning our course by working with our advisory board and industry experts. Our unique natures of our courses will help candidates gain global understanding of capital markets, its complex products & market dynamics. Most of these functions or products are non-existent in India and as a result never really focused upon in traditional educational environments. As investment banks are globally integrated, complexity stems from the fact that each market operates differently across products and clients. All of these are incorporated in our training modules.
Can you share some information regarding the batch profile of students in terms of gender, previous education background and work experience?
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Students enrolled in Imarticus in the area of Operations have varied profiles. Some of them are:
MBA freshers who have passed out in 2012 from tier 1 to tier 2 colleges
MBA with few years of work experience
Engineering students who have done their MBA and are currently pursuing business analyst roles in Operations.
Individuals who have done their masters programme from various Business schools in London
Chartered Accountants
Bachelors in Banking & Insurance, Bachelors in Commerce.
Freshers in B.E in computer science, MCA for IT curriculum
Experienced B.E's
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Coming to placements, what is the placement process followed at your institute? What are the kinds of jobs offered to your students?
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Imarticus has a dedicated account management team to service corporates across placements and training needs. Our team maps out the requirements across various investment banks and its service companies. Mapping is based by competencies & level based requirements. Before the end of the certification programme, corporates visit us with their requirements and we match students and profiles according to that. Hence, Imarticus is able to meet both parties’ expectations. We make sure that the student secures the best possible placement in the right global investment bank. The placement team at Imarticus provides 100% assistance throughout the program to guide and help navigate ample career options. Our 8-step career preparation process will ensure that candidates have access to the best opportunities the industry has to offer.
Step 1:
Counseling
Imarticus Career Counselors will provide counsel and advise students in their careers keeping in mind the skill set and interest of every student.
Step 2:
Unique Certification
The Imarticus certificate is unique and industry designed, and will truly differentiate you from the rest of the applicants.
Step 3:
Company Selection
With over 15 years of experience in human resources and talent development, the Imarticus team possesses strong established networks within the industry.
In addition, through our Industry Alliances, we have:
•Strong relationships with senior management and human resources across the investment banking industry
•An in-depth understanding of hiring requirements
•The Imarticus Advisory and Industry Council comprising of senior representatives across all firms who play an important role in the placement process
Step 4:
Job Preparation
The team at Imarticus provides dedicated support to ensure that each Imarticus student is ready for their chosen career. Through communication workshops and counseling, every student is offered complete assistance in all career related decisions from experienced professionals.
Step 5:
Interview Preparation
The career preparation team will ensure that you are completely prepared for your interviews and provide you with tools that will help you handle both one-on-one interactions and group discussions with confidence. These include multiple mock interview sessions which will be video recorded where necessary. This will be followed up with professional critiques, which will pinpoint your weaknesses and strengths and get you ready to ace the selection process.
Step 6:
100% Commitment
Students will have full support until they are placed, and we are committed to finding the right job for the right candidate.
Step 7:
On the Job
Imarticus introduces opportunities while teaching you practical job skills and real world knowledge. Imarticus will not only place you but also kick start your career so you advance quickly.
Step 8:
Alumni
During your time here at Imarticus you will create a network that will last a lifetime. This network is a critical part of your career preparation as it will act as a support system that adds value to both your personal and professional life. We encourage you to keep in touch.
Our students are not just competitive about being placed in best companies but remain competitive after getting placed. While in the job, our students get a unique advantage of having an in-depth knowledge across all asset classes & gain a detailed understanding across the trade lifecycle. This is unlike anything an existing junior employee in a company would experience.
How important is physical infrastructure at an institute? What is your take on it?
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We believe creating a conducive learning environment is critical to the success of our program and so we have invested in a state of the art facility. All our three dedicated classrooms have Wi-Fi connectivity which provides students real time access to training materials. Our library comprises books by international authors on capital markets & technology providing them with relevant reading material. We have a dedicated assessment centre, corporate centre & mock interview rooms to help students get a real exposure to the corporate environment & test their abilities.
What piece of advice would you give to a student aspiring for a career in finance?
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Careers in finance offer diverse opportunities not limited to just finance but also accounting, sales & trading, technology and operations across various business areas like Insurance, Retail & Corporate Banking and Asset Management & Investment Banking. Firstly, a student needs to self-evaluate his strengths in finance concepts, aptitude & interest levels. For almost two decades, Investment banking has been the most sought after Career option for finance professionals due to the high levels of complexity & sophistication involved in their day to day functions, global opportunities & lucrative salaries. However, any aspiring professional who wants to enter this field needs to have very specialized skills. They need to have a functional understanding of Investment Banking products be it operations or technology.
Who are the people behind Imarticus and what’s the faculty profile like?
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I am the founder, director and the head of operations at Imarticus. The faculty at Imarticus comprises of industry professionals from firms like JP Morgan, Cap Gemini, Nomura and Citigroup. With over 60 years of experience in the investment banking and training industry, the faculty is positioned to impart the best in-class training through innovative learning methods.
Why should students choose Investment Banking at Imarticus over an MBA in Finance?
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The basic pre-requisites required for an Investment Banking job include a strong academic background, preferably a degree from a tier one college like IIT, excellent analytical and problem solving skills, and the ability to communicate effectively.
A finance MBA is a good foundation course but too general for a role driven career in Operations or Technology. You require an edge that will set you apart as the HR manager sifts through countless resumes. So a professional course like Certified Investment Banking Information Technology Professional (CIBIT) or Certified Investment Banking Operations Professional (CIBOP), that imparts specific training and skills can be of immense valuable. Professional institutions like Imarticus also have professional Placement Services teams that will find you the right opportunity, polish your resume, and guide you through the interview process.
A student with a commerce background like an M.Com, Bachelors of Finance, or even a B.com (exceptional academic track record) will be suitable for a career in Investment Banking Operations. A job in Technology requires a strong background in programming and a B.Tech, M.Tech, B.Sc, M.Sc in Computer science and Engineering. Rather than an MBA in finance, a professional certification from an Industry endorsed school will be more practical and prepare you for a lucrative and satisfying career in Investment Banking Operations or Technology.
What is the Current scenario of the investment banking industry like?
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The global Investment banking environment is a very challenging and dynamic environment. Emerging markets like India are also going through some tough times with the deal flow and liquidity drying up. Having said that, the India footprint to support Global Banks continues to expand and grow. India is now a integral part of the financial service landscape and continues to strengthen its position as a
As per a report by FICCI, the current human resource requirement in BFSI segment of 4.3 million is expected to reach 8.5 million by 2022.[/b]