The CAT is on. Thousands of MBA aspirants are at work now. The level of preparation will be at its best as the date of the test approaches. One should be ready to attempt the questions asked in the test.
The preparation starts at least six months in advance. But in this era of extreme competition in coaching, the time period may even extend to two years.
But is the approach correct? The thought process of “why MBA?” has to be completed in advance. Almost everybody who prepares to get an MBA admission will know the lure of salary packages offered after the tenure of study. The lure is, of course, fuelled by the fancy numbers that is released by the institutes and covered extensively by sections of the media just after the placement season.
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Not many know that these are the numbers that only 20 per cent of the students in elite business schools manage to get their hands on. Therefore, the logic of seeking admission to the B-schools needs to be much stronger than the salary figures.
The mad rush for the MBA course has resulted in the mushrooming of colleges offering it, many of which are substandard. Therefore, local MBA schools are looked upon by businesses to recruit low-end talent. If you look at the local job market, an MBA is now the minimum requirement for many administrative jobs.
This leads us to think that MBA courses have taken the place of normal degree courses as far as the general job market is concerned. This is precisely the reason for discussions in the academia about the relevance of the existing course structure and syllabus of the MBA course. But that is another story in itself.
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As with any other job, dissatisfaction is there for MBA jobs also if the applicant is a misfit in that environment. So it is prudent for the candidate to ensure that she fits into the post-MBA scheme of things before aspiring to be an MBA.
Otherwise, you will end up as a replacement for a degree holder.
This scenario leads to a huge disappointment because of high expectations and low returns.
The ideal scenario is to work in the industry for five years and then decide.
Owing to the demographic nature of our country, it is fine if you make the decision after a year and a half at some job. MBA is not a science course but is a combination of arts, behavioural sciences, and scientific principles.
It involves softer subjects connected with humans and emotions and for appreciating these concepts, you need to be that little more emotionally stable and experienced.
As with any other course, those who do well in the MBA course and afterwards really knew why they got enrolled in this course. Therefore, do not jump into the bandwagon of MBA aspirants simply because of high salary expectations. It could end up as a double whammy for you, pushing you deep into more complex emotions.
Krishna Swamy A.
Co-Author of Kengcyclopedia