What Really Matters in a PGDM Program (And What Doesn’t)
Students commonly misplace value on nostalgia signals. This article lists the true levers of career readiness and proposes a “do more / stop doing” template to evaluate programs.
Do more (what matters)
- Verified tool competence
- Real client projects with deliverables assessed by industry experts
- Mentorship and sponsorship pathways to hiring managers
- Iterative feedback loops and capability tracking
Stop overvaluing (what doesn’t)
- Campus aesthetics, legacy trophies, ceremonial claims
- Non-specific placement figures without role context
- One-off celebrity lectures as evidence of industry linkages
Implementation signal: the outcomes ledger
Schools should publish an outcomes ledger: project lists, role descriptions, tool proficiency breakdown—this is the single most persuasive evidence of investment in students.
If it does not improve your ability to deliver value to a real employer, deprioritise it in your evaluation.
