Foreign students prefer own business to corporate jobs

Students from the London Business School prefer setting up own company and testing the skills learned to high-paid corporate jobs.

However, for many students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, the corporate sector jobs still hold the charm.

Eric Henault from France, a second year student of the LBS who is in Ahmedabad to participate in Conclave-2003, the annual international business school meet, said, "Once my course is completed, I will definitely go for setting up my own company, though it might be very small in size.

"I am yet to decide about the sector. It could be anything from an infotech company to a part of the food processing industry. I might have to close down the company after a few years if everything goes wrong. I am ready to take that risk. But I am not going to join one of those high-profile jobs which are already on offer to me," Henault said.

Henault's batchmate, Francisco Hernandez Marcos of Spain, believes London will be a great place to start his business.

"To me, setting up my own company will be much more challenging than taking up a high-profile job. I will start my company as soon as I finish my course. I have turned down offers from leading companies," said Francisco.

Both Henault and Francisco, LBS toppers, will complete their course in the next six months and are already excited about becoming their own bosses.

However, IIM-A students have a different view. "I think I will be better positioned as a top manager of a reputed investment banking firm. I have already got an offer and am not in favour of taking the risk of starting a company. Moreover, I do not have enough money to invest in a start-up," said a second year student of IIM-A who got an offer from a leading investment bank just a week back.