Why MBA After Engineering? Finally Answered.

In the days after CAT, I read a lot of nonfiction to cover up my opinions with relevant facts. Facts, which were useless, when all you needed was to convince them of your convictions by answering the same question repeatedly.

“Why MBA?” and especially, “Why MBA after Engineering?”

Not just in the interviews, the same question has become an increasingly popular discussion point in trains, buses and remains a source of an identity crisis for some. It almost seems that all the engineers are engineers because they were made one by their parents.

Hence, there’s a cynic notion that an MBA post Engineering is a knee-jerk decision - a result of the phenomenon of bhedchaal. Famous IIT/IIM people of the likes of Chetan Bhagat have been often subjected to similar cynicism. And yet, they are left untouched.

Untouched and celebrated - in a sense, that they have made people quit it all in search of their passions and inner creativity.

Coming to answers, One of the most common that I have received is that an MBA offers you a fast track to riches. The different versions of the same story include the idea of it giving you a launchpad for a successful career or some in strong connection.

In the first session of marketing in MBA, we were made aware of something called Marketing Myopia. It is nearsightedness related to your ultimate motive of business. It's the same Myopia that makes people see money as the answer. It is negative because - first, it doesn’t tell anything about you except that you are greedy and desperate and second, money is just the means and the question has to do with the motives.

While I agree that the allure of money and happiness can make it hard to look elsewhere but we must look for better answers.

Curiosity and Creativity 

We are the result of the choices we make, the choices which are governed by our desires to fulfil specific curiosities. If we talk about Engineering, in particular, the curiosities range from computers to brick walls.

Curiosity introduces us to things but then, creativity makes them interesting. 

Because once you learn how it’s easier to create it on your own. You can then go ahead to make your own versions of computers or bubble wrap walls - Creativity will keep it interesting.

We, humans, are almost similar to organisations. A spark of creativity creates an organisation but it’s the constant innovation that keeps it relevant. The constant innovation can either be a result of an objective leadership or just some age old processes - but it needs to be ingrained in the culture. While it’s easier said than done in case of organisations, it’s the opposite when it comes to humans.

“Creativity lays the foundation for Management, and management, in turn, returns the favour by nurturing it.”

Once you learn to create, you must learn to sell. Once you learn to sell, you must learn to create new. But to create new again and again, it might help to learn from the ones who have created before. Something that an MBA provides you in a structured format, served 6-8 dishes a time in a 6-course meal along with class participation marks in desserts.

A Management degree promises to answer a lot of questions in a crash course while you earn the credentials. Because credentials count but apparently not when they are randomly sought and seldom caught.

Until next time, let me leave you with another in built question here - Why are all these MBAs becoming writers?