Whenever we talk about pursuing an MBA in India, we think of clearing CAT as the only milestone. However, we forget that the CAT is just an elimination step in a very long journey. After CAT starts a journey of filling forms, writing essays, SOPs, appearing for interviews, GDs and what not. In this crucial journey of appearing for CAT, we give almost a little importance in understanding what MBA is all about, we forget how clarity of why we want to do MBA is the first step in this journey.
Let’s critically analyze your reasons for doing an MBA!
A change in work domain – It’s not hidden that mostly Engineers join MBA institutes, and they are mostly the ones who have no interest in their core domains or are bored with the mundane work! They feel that they can swiftly transfer from a domain to another, however, the primary step for getting a job in a different domain is CV Shortlisting, and, sorry my friend, your background makes a great impact on which domain you get shortlisted for. So, if you’re actually wise, you won’t prepare just for CAT but also build clarity of what you want to achieve from it and start working beforehand!
A salary raise – There are fancy figures on the internet with fancier brand names, and who doesn’t get attracted to the money and fame! However, don’t judge a college by the companies because a company may come for different profiles in different campuses. A good company may pay less amount for a less demanding job profile. Also, if you’re in the top few colleges of the country, it means competing with the best profiles, and you don’t know where you stand in the race. Hence, lower your expectations.
A break from your mundane life – After few hectic years of corporate life, if you’re thinking to chill in a B-School, hold your breath because chilling will not be in your priority list for sure. So many things running in parallel, you would sometimes have to step back and motivate yourself to continue this journey for two years. It’s like a roller coaster ride, the highs would be fun, but not always!
Are you questioning your choices now?
No, MBA is not the wrong call. However, you need to align your expectations with what you’ll gain in these two years, and not with what you’ll get after it. MBA offers you the best diversity, you’ll be in a class full of engineers, CAs, Economics Graduates, Doctors, Mass Communication students, all under one roof. Ever wonder the amount of learning you’ll get while working with people from such diverse backgrounds? When we keep cribbing about the extensive interview process, and their screening process, we don’t realize it’s a step in selecting the best profiles. When people have a skill and they are too good at it, it pushes you to do more and better. That doesn’t mean that you underestimate your potential though! We all have something in us making us fit for a B-School, all we need is a little effort to shape it beautifully. Apart from the people, it’s about the teachers and the curriculum. The teachers in B-Schools work parallel in industries and have a good understanding of the real life industrial problems, and no online course can give you a glimpse of different industries.
So, let’s pause our preparation for some time, and try to figure out why we actually want to do an MBA! Remember, conviction always helps you to achieve your goals faster.
