"I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain.
One always finds one's burden again.
But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks.
He too concludes that all is well.
This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile.
Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself, forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy"
For those unfamiliar with the myth of Sisyphus - it's a popular Greek legend where a man is cursed with having to carry a heavy boulder to the top of the mountain only to have it roll down and this he is destined to do for all eternity.
The idea is that we humans are foolishly like him - every time we scale a summit, we find a new peak to reach. And maybe that aspiration is what keeps us happy; happier than the actual sense of achievement.
Why I bring this is up is that nothing else encapsulates the MBA experience better. Just last Diwali, I was at the other end of the table - I wanted to get into any premier B-school, I was not picky. But then the calls rolled in and I got an IIM Calcutta call (amongst others).
I've proudly called Kolkata home for north of 20 years and my boyfriend was already a student there. I convinced myself it was meant to be and anything else would be selling myself short.
But things aren't meant to be and here I am happy( well as happy as a b-school student can be) at IIM-Lucknow and the past few months have taught me a lot.
But the aspirations did not stop there. Getting into a Marquee school is just the beginning of the rat race- once you get in you have to ensure you "network" with the right seniors( It matters a lot less than those Quora posts would have you believe yet you'd spend a disturbing amount of energy on it). Then you try your luck getting into the "right" clubs and committees and curiously enough no matter what your career aims are you suddenly realise you want to get into consulting.
You burn the midnight oil rephrasing and re-touching your CV.
You oversell your job so much that you can almost hear your mean boss cackle when you call him for the dreaded CV approval. When all's said and done you roll up your sleeves to chase a GPA you probably won't end up getting and before you realise it the shortlists start rolling out.
This is when things get too real- especially when you realise that each company regardless of whether it is finance or consulting wants the same set of people. All the time you spent making domain-specific CVs might as well have been for naught!
Even for those who get into one of the coveted "day-z" roles, the fight for PPOs doesn't end.
I apologise for painting a bleak picture. Looking beyond all the numbers( GPA, stipend, etc) there is scope to paint a much brighter picture.
Before you step in please talk to those around you and set realistic expectations-
Are you looking to segueway into a totally different career from one that your current qualifications allow you? Have you reached a glass ceiling and hope to shatter it through a qualifying brand on your CV? Are you a fresher looking for a generalist degree to help you fast track your career?
If you say yes to any of the above then an MBA may be for you. I say maybe because as an engineer with zero background in finance you may not actually get a realistic shot at any finance company.
As someone with high work ex you may realise that you have to come down a few rungs and accept lower designations and pay before you finally rise to newer highs. As a fresher you may realise you face unique challenges in terms of finding your footing.
These are all things to figure out before jumping onto the MBA bandwagon! Once you know the pros and cons and make peace with the cons - you still need a stomach of steel to ensure you don't get swayed from your objectives.
All said and done an MBA is an expensive feather to add to your cap and joining in just because you heard or read about people making truckloads of money after IIMs is surely going to be a colossal waste your time, money and energy.
