With the sluggish global economy making campus placements harder, B-school graduates who have work experience have a bigger advantage than ever over their peers who don’t. Leading management colleges and companies say candidates who know how to meet corporate demands and possess the latest management skills are increasingly preferred over novices. “When there are rapid changes in the business environment, companies want people who have the latest skills and corporate experience. They need senior management who can think out of the box and prefer a recent MBA graduate with work experience to someone who completed the degree a few years ago,” said Amit Karna, chairperson for PGPX at IIM-Ahmedabad. PGPX is a one-year, full-time MBA programme for management executives. Karna said that increased unpredictability since the pandemic has caused companies to replace five-year plans with short-term goals. Consulting and audit firm Deloitte, one of the top recruiters from Indian B-schools, explained why work experience matters more than ever. “Employers are becoming increasingly selective in their campus hiring process and prefer talent with prior experience on …