Faraz Khan shares his experience of studying in MBA in Construction Project Management.

Faraz Khan
Civil Engineer
MBA CPM 2016-18
Placed in Turner & Townsend in Project Management



Share your childhood dreams regarding career choices, your plan for life in some detail.
Being from a construction background Infrastructure, skyscrapers, bridges and buildings always fascinated me and I always dreamt of building one. Thus I pursued B.E. in Civil Engineering from Bangalore and started working, after working for 2 years I realized that the Technical degree won’t suffice my big goals so I planned for MBA in Construction Project Management and made a right choice joining RICS. After getting placed in Turner & Townsend, being an MRICS and PMP certified professional is now my short-term goal and long-term goal includes being a competitive and successful project manager and to start a venture in Interior-fit-outs.  

What made you go for MBA in RICS SBE?
I came to know about RICS SBE from an internet advertisement when I was searching about specialized MBA in construction domain. The advertisement created a sense of curiosity in me so I went through the RICS website and got to know about the esteemed history of the organization. 

When I finally decided to go for MBA in construction domain and looked for various colleges offering the course, RICS seems to be the best. Most of them offered course structure which was either more inclined towards technical side or towards management domain. The course structure at RICS is industry based and offered techno-managerial kind of course which covered both the technical and managerial aspects, that was the reason I joined RICS. Moreover the course do change as per changing industry demands.

How was your experience while learning at RICS SBE? Give examples.
In RICS the learning experience has been excellent from the core subjects like construction cost management systems which covered the basic civil engineering concepts to subjects like construction contracts, procurement and supply chain management systems which covered the various project management aspects. Various site visits during the curriculum paved way for actual site experience and bridged the gap between the theoretical and the practical aspects of the learning.  Various other subjects like preconstruction planning helped me understand the various project management aspects before the project actually starts. Various software learnt here will also prove to be of great use in coming future.  Overall the learning experience has been 360 degrees covering all the aspects of managing a construction project and its various stages.

Why would you recommend RICS SBE to others?

1. RICS being 150 years old have its own brand name with the presence in almost all parts of the world, doing a course from this reputed institute is a privilege in itself and the course is well recognized globally.
2. You get a Masters degree from here which is not the case of the certificate given by other institutes on completion of the course.
3. Well known and experienced faculty which is readily available and ready to help in all domains of the course, regular site visits and guest lectures from industry experts.
4. The course is Industry-led and focuses more on learning and its practical implications rather than just notes and assignment. Pre-placement activities act as a catalyst to enhance your personality and skill sets to grab the best opportunity in the industry.
5. Finally, the placement, the thing which we all are concerned about. For this, the institute has a dedicated placement team which works hard and brings in the best opportunities to be grabbed by the best candidate. Just like the way I have been placed in Turner & Townsend, I am sure of others getting placed in other good organizations.

How was your internship experience? What did you learn?
I got to intern with Colliers International in Noida and it was a great learning experience as I was introduced to several departments and I got to know about the brief insight of all these departments and functioning of the project. Concepts learnt at RICS have helped me to understand things at site better and application of these concepts helped me a lot.

Tell us about your placement experience?
First of all, I would like to thanks entire RICS SBE team for giving me an opportunity to get interviewed with one of the world’s prestigious organization. It was my first interview here and I was bit nervous about it but constant support and motivation from the placement team helped me to overcome my fears and triumph over all the odds. Pre-placement activities and techno-managerial skills helped me to crack my interview. The interview day was filled with lots of anxiety and curiosity but the knowledge I have gained from here helped to hold on things. The day started with a technical test, followed by GD and interview where managerial skills where tested. Most of the questions asked were already covered in class and technical quizzes held at RICS and it helped me to make into my dream organization.   

Are you clear about your future plans?
My future plan right now is to be an MRICS and PMP certified professional. I want to use the knowledge and skill sets I have learnt and developed here in the construction world and mark in impression in the industry. 5 years down the line I want to see myself as a competent and successful project manager.

Do you feel a generic MBA would have given the same opportunities?
A specialized MBA is always a good choice as we get to know many concepts about the things which we are about to use in our professional daily basis and we can actually apply them practically in different phases of the project. We are focused on what we have to achieve in future by doing this specialized MBA. The opportunities we get here are also very good and we can readily work on the specialized domain with little training compared to generic MBA. As India is a developing country and lot of investment is being made in Infrastructure and will be made in the coming years it is safe bet to go for this specialized course and win laurels in your career.