Why MBA?
Why MBA is a question that you need to prepare for when appearing for MBA interviews. But now, for engineering grads, in particular, this question becomes a much more personal question. An engineering graduate in India currently has many options – continue with a well-paying job in Software engineering or in Data Analytics, or apply for MS in US/ Europe, or do an MBA. From merely having to sell yourself to the MBA panel, the purpose of the question has been turned on its head. It is now about answering the question of whether the MBA is really worth 2 years of your life.
Four months into IIM Lucknow, my answer is – It depends on you. If you are willing to take this as a vast new learning experience, then yes, it is. If you want to build your ability to network with the brightest and the best, then again yes, it is. If you want to use this time to experiment and find the right career for yourself, then yes, it is.
Placements – The fun is in the journey
One major difference between the MBA program and engineering is that your career path is pretty much laid out in the IIM. One way or the other you will be becoming a middle manager immediately after when graduating. Because everybody’s goals are placements, all student activities are centred around them. The ‘elite’ Positions of Responsibilities are student bodies that bring companies to campus (Placecom) and the ones who help students in Placement Prep (Disha).
There are many learnings I have had in these four months preparing for placements. There is learning in the importance of connecting with seniors and actively seeking their help. There is the learning in taking command of your own life story, of building a narrative around yourself.
And there is learning in the cases. Cases are what the MBA is about. It's about approaching a problem first in its full breadth, and then diving deep to identify the root causes. Thinking in structures is valuable learning when you solve cases.
Group Projects
All course projects at IIM Lucknow are group projects. By themselves, the projects give students the opportunity to learn about business problems in newer ways. But there is another more important learning. And that is how to work in a team. If you are someone who likes to take responsibility for things, like I do, your challenge is to sell your group on your idea and to then get them to work together. Remember, every person in your group has so many other things to do, and grades might not feature high on their priorities. Or they might just not be interested in putting in the effort. Working in group projects gives an absolutely vital practice for students to build their managerial skills.
Time Management
There are just so many things to do here, that time management becomes extremely critical. The one thing that the average MBA student suffers from is the classical problem of being in the Urgent and Important phase at all times. If a quiz for Saturday is announced on Monday, students will wait until Friday evening to study. The reason is not so much laziness, as it is an inability to manage the free time that we have on Monday, into the many other important tasks that we have ahead of us.
That is a challenge that you will be facing in your work life as well. If you work on this aspect, the learnings from the MBA will be so much more effective.
SECTION WARS – Camaraderie and Sangram
And yes, there are plenty of non-academic/ non-placement things to do. In these four months of Hel(l), we have already had our section wars – the cultural events of Camaraderie and our Sports competition Sangram. And yes, if your hobbies do not really fall under something competitive, you still can find the time. I maintained long-distance running even during the peak of summer placements. It is really about your priorities. Having a hobby that helps you relieve stress can be so helpful in surviving the pressure cooker of IIM Lucknow.
Chat
Comments