Goa Institute of Management

Dr. Alekh Gour is the Chair Placement PDGM (BDA) and an assistant professor at the Goa Institute of Management (GIM). Having an extensive background in the academic field, he aspires to provide more and more opportunities for students so that they can get the best of their capabilities. Recently he has been awarded as ‘Professor of the Year 2020’ at GIM by InsideIIM. Read what he has to say in the interview. 

What are the key takeaways from your experience that you would like to share with our viewers?

“Nothing better than being a teacher”

I have been in the education sector as a faculty for the last 6 years. I would like to say that during my journey so far I have served as a mentor, a researcher, an analyst, and as an administrator. But out of all of the above, the best experience I have had is as a teacher. It has been my dream to contribute to the nation by sharing the knowledge I have acquired. The accomplishments of my students and their words of gratitude are my sole motivation to keep doing what I do.

What are your roles and responsibilities towards the students and the institute? 

“Ensuring equal opportunities for every deserving candidate”

I act as a bridge between the students and the institute. I have to look at all the placement related activities like interaction with a distinct category of industry experts and executives, mentor-student placement cells in preparation of pre-placement activities, budgeting, placement policies, pitching, and all other major/minor tasks. Apart from this, the major responsibility as a placement chair is to keep transparency in the placement process. 

Check Goa Institute of Management Courses & Fees

What does the placement scenario of PGDM-BDA graduates Post-Coronavirus look like? 

“Every organization and institution will have to be more amenable”

In this scenario, data analytics talent and cloud-based platforms are finding importance not just in restoring the businesses that have been disrupted but also in designing new ones. This revamping of organizations will include taking decisions regarding product development, finances, supply chains, product portfolios, customer acquisition, resource optimization, etc. to be more responsive and agile. Analytics will be a must in the process of preparing the organizations for readiness to deal with disruptions. 

“Big Data Analytics combines the best practices of statistics, computer science, machine learning, and management. To be a BDA professional one should have good knowledge and expertise in language and software like R, Python, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, Apache Spark, Samza, Storm, Flink, Hadoop, MapReduce, and other big data tools.” 

In your opinion, do you think that the gender gap in the BDA industry will be widened post lockdown? 

“Work from home has opened more opportunities for the women professionals”

I agree there is a gender gap. In an article published in Forbes in March 2020, it was reported that there are only 18% female data scientists in a leadership role in top companies. The positions offered to BDA professionals are major in managerial and leadership roles. This gender gap is not in the case of BDA, this gap can be constantly seen across all disciplines and most of the industries. I think the major reasons are societal concerns and stereotyping beliefs. But fortunately, there are several good examples established by females to break this glass ceiling and make a mark for themselves. Most of the industries are now offering their top-level managerial positions to females only. In the case of the PGDM BDA program at GIM, we have fairly good numbers when it comes to gender diversity. We are proud to say that we have 42% of females in the current batch. I don’t think the gender gap will increase at all. Looking at the current scenario when most of the companies are moving towards the work-from-home model, I see women getting even more opportunities and that will only prompt young girls to opt for diverse career options.

“GIM has 5 months in-company summer internship for BDA students that allows them to put their skill set to use, apply their learning to practical problems, and handle real challenges of the corporate world.”

What are the possible job opportunities for a BDA specialized management student and what does the career ladder look like? 

“A multidimensional industry”

Since this is a multidisciplinary profession there are a lot of career opportunities available in various sectors. Also, this is a new and emerging area, there are a lot of new roles being created in organizations for BDA professionals. Some common job roles offered for BDA professionals are that of a consultant, big data specialist, supply chain analyst, business analyst, data manager, decision scientist, and research analyst.

Click here Goa Institute of Management Placement

What valuable advice would you like to give the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead? 

“No substitute to hard work”

First and foremost, I would advise them to choose an organization and a job that interests them. Do not get carried away by immediate gains or succumb to pressures. One must put in 100 percent of their efforts if they wish to achieve something. Lastly, and most importantly as well, fresh out of college they can land at an organization, but to get ahead they need to constantly upgrade their skills and capabilities. Over and above the requirement of their job, they must keep learning and growing.