There used to be a time, when an MBA was considered an all access pass
to the upper echelons of corporate management. An MBA degree was one’s passport
to the big leagues. Irrespective of whether one graduated in Marketing or
Finance, an MBA degree was thought to be an infallible mark of a person’s
competence and finesse in all aspects of a particular business. The situation
though is rapidly changing. Students themselves today realise the importance of
aptitude and attitude and have wisened up to the need to seriously
self-evaluate before taking up an MBA course. Industry insiders and corporate
houses in turn now scrutinise candidates and evaluate them based on their
qualifications and whether or not they fit the job description to a tee.
MBA: Changing trends and the need for
self-assessment
Like any good educational course, an MBA today can be availed of in the
sphere of interest of a student. With courses like MBA in Retail, Technology
and e-commerce available, the once broad based curriculum of the course in
itself has gotten modified into an intensive, super specialisation mode.
Students now are faced with the problem of plenty. This also leads to the rise
of the need to self-assess one’s aptitude, seek advice and only then pick a
course of one’s choice.
Says Bennett Nathan, a first year student at a reputed college in
Chennai, “Passion and practicality are two different things, sometimes
conflicting and almost always polar opposites. I pursued an MBA in Retail
Management, simply because I was always interested in the segment. My passion
and my profession happily coincided, but that needn’t always be the case. It
took me several months and advice from knowledgeable people to make up my mind
about this course.”
Self assessment is the process of discovering one’s strengths and
playing to them. One needs remember that passion and practicality aside, there
is an important factor of market demand that needs to be considered. A frank
and open discussion with one’s parents is a good first step in deciding the
course of action. A session with a guidance counselor, post an aptitude test is
also important, as it helps determine in a practical, scientific manner, one’s
interests and where they may fit in the wider job scene as it were. Peers,
friends and seniors also form an important support system when analysing one’s
strengths and figuring out one’s next steps.
Why should one consider an MBA?
If a rise in pay or a good first pay cheque is one’s only consideration,
an MBA might not be up that person’s alley. Consider this, just because the
army instills discipline and a strong work ethic, one doesn’t abandon one’s
life and enlist, does one? By the same logic, simple career advancement or
monetary gains are a very poor motivator towards taking up a course that is
meant to mould one into the future leader of the business or sector one majors
in. One must consider the following as the ‘right’ reasons to take up an MBA.
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1. A
holistic perspective of the business world:
Remember, irrespective of one’s
specialisation, an MBA gives a student a unique insight into the operationalworkings of a business. This is vital as it gives an MBA student a great
advantage, considering that they are made intimate with workings and analysis
of an entire business sector.
2. Better consolidated business network
The advantage of doing an MBA
is further enhanced by the fact that one’s batch-mates and friends will soon
disperse across industries and companies and keeping in touch with them is an
important networking tool, to further one’s career and to be introduced into
the upper echelons of corporate hierarchy.
3. New
skill and knowledge acquisition
An MBA enables an individual to
keep their eyes and ears open in the pursuit of acquiring new skills and
knowledge. The way the course is fashioned, it simply acclimatises a person to
keeping an open mind towards new processes, new ways of doing things and
constantly upgrading themselves. Evolution is key, never forget it.
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