How to be a super employee: Start by being a super MBA!

Education is never complete. Both in life and in the academic sense. We evolve through the experiences we have and the precepts we assimilate in our interactions with people. Why is it then that some of us seem to go further ahead in their career than others? Is it that an MBA makes such a huge difference to a person’s natural skill set that they evolve and grow at a faster rate than non MBAs? While the outcome of this discussion is debatable, there is little doubt that an MBA degree, does add a significant edge to a candidate’s job worthiness. Again, while in some cases, candidates may go through an MBA course, to simply embellish their resume, thankfully that isn’t the norm.

So why is it, or more pertinently, how is it that an MBA can add value to a person in his/her professional life? To answer that question, contemplate this story from the Mahabharata: The five Pandava Princes were learning the art of archery from Guru Drona, when they were asked to aim at the eye of a clay pigeon. Out of the five, Arjuna was the only one who actually, when asked what he saw, is said to have replied that he saw nothing, other than the pigeon’s eye.

The moral of the tale is simple, single mindedness of purpose. Now while no institute in the world can offer you that, there is one thing that an MBA course can, and that is simply inculcate the value of thought in you, the student.

What else is it that an MBA institute or course offers you that can set you apart? Quite simply, the skill set to be efficient and the ability to think differently in order to solve age old problems. These two things come with a condition though, that your mind needs to be open in order to absorb these precepts and you need to instill in yourself the drive to make these your personal mantras.

On the job front, there is a serious tendency amongst corporate houses and companies to hire MBAs. The job market today isn’t a level playing field and a candidate would be well advised to arm himself with any and every advantage he can. The thorough nature of the MBA course itself, with its emphasis on practical and sound theoretical knowledge give the candidate an edge in the competitive marketplace. Add to that thorough preparation and emphasis on soft skills like communication, interview preparation, and body language, and it is safe to say that an MBA candidate has a significant advantage over his non MBA contemporaries.

An MBA degree moulds an individual into a thinker, a strategist and not just another employee. In today’s hyper competitive environment, an employer looks not just for an employee who can complete tasks assigned adequately. An employer though will seek out an individual, who can contribute at every stage of the work cycle. In a recent survey, most blue-chip companies show a marked proclivity to hiring strategic thinkers, who will not just be employees, but partners in the long run. One look at the who’s who of the top companies reveal one single detail, all the heads of the world’s most competitive, profitable organisations are MBAs.

So the question you need to ask yourself is, where do you see yourself in the value chain? Being adequate and competent is now a vice, you need to be focused, strategic and most importantly, you need to have the will to bend all the obstacles that come your way, to your will.

Being a super employee isn’t about doing the most amount of work, it’s about being the best at what you do and more importantly, about being a leader. And that’s where an MBA really comes to the fore.