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| Is MBA just another degree for you? |
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Why MBA? This question is not just for you to concoct tales to the recruiters.
The other side of the MBA coin
If you are reading this, either you wish to know more about my life than you already do, or you yourself are interested in pursuing a career via the MBA route.
For the former ones, I hope this post does serve the purpose (and I'm forever thankful to all my well-wishers - thank you for being there always - lots of love, Akz); for the latter - I wish to congratulate you on taking this important next step in your lives - be it you, just starting your research, or you, trying to take that decision of our very own 'to join or not to join' dilemma.
So where do I begin... Hmm.
For starters, I have always been passionate about pursuing an MBA abroad (I'm from India, and you all know how many options we do have here, pun intended: hint - the very versatile Quota system, and the undue importance to the 10th and 12th %age).
India no doubt has some great colleges that are successful in making you win your bread and butter (well lots of it), if you relatively do well in those colleges. And I'm glad that our colleges are enjoying much more limelight than before at the international level.
But here's the catch - the education system - 'that' gets to see no change. You still have those hankerings for that 1 grace mark. You still are less practical. You still are more inclined to be theoretically adept. You still do not wish to share much and silently learn at another's expense. There is that 'buttering' that still works at an MBA college in India, and then there are a few of us, who take less interest in what other people perceive us as. We wish to do well, and we wish to make our mark: without fighting for that impression based last mark ( oh well GPA is still important at any college, pun not intended at all); or without that careless attitude that it's yet another college, where we get to secure a decent enough placement; and without an attitude that screams 'not a care in the world about the actual learning, as we are so intelligent that we can just think on our feet when the need be'.
Now you might say that I'm a hypocrite - if I get selected by a prestigious college would I not do the same things?
Again, here's the thing. The sentiments shared above are just the surface emotions - the ones you say to yourself and to others to prove that MBA abroad is the right decision. Now whether it's true - I will only know when I actually study at one of the top Indian colleges.
My passion to study abroad is fueled from the simple fact that I get to inculcate a global perspective on business - which I will never get at any Indian college - let's face it, most of the students are from India and have an experience on how things work in India: but most firms have an origin outside India and the Indian offices are mostly the technical divisions of much global, varied industry related, firms.
I wish to grow, and not just have a limited growth - I wish to spread my invisible wings that simply cannot be put to use here in India.
While I sit here implementing the solution proposed, the actual solution is brainstormed and proposed at some US or UK or Canadian office ( considering the major clients, in general, in a consulting firm for the Indian offices). While I sit here and perform more complex tasks at my job, a fellow employee at the same level as me, has a more valuable job than me in the Americas - in terms of responsibilities, in terms of superiority and in terms of returns.
A business technology analyst or a consultant, or a manager or anyone for that matter, in the US still gets to dictate his terms on his Indian counterpart - Why? I'm afraid I really don't wish to attack that notion.
That said, I really wanted to get out of this cycle once and for all, and actually understand what happens and why, by self indulging into the business world abroad. After all, I cannot sit here in India and keep judging why something happens when it happens.
Why do I wish to convey this other side of the reputed MBA coin on this blog? Because nothing is ever as smooth and shiny as it appears to be.
Bottom line - you need to know why you really want to do an MBA and why from that particular college? Mere rankings on FT MBA or simply following your peers - 'well what the heck - everyone else is doing it, so will I' : just won't work. Without the soul searching - an MBA is just another degree that gets you a decent job - you still won't like your work, coz you never spent time on yourself to really understand what you would have liked to do.
This was just the beginning of the long journey ahead of : taking the GMAT, shortlisting the colleges, applying to those colleges, getting shortlisted for the interviews, receiving the offers from the colleges, securing scholarships, accepting one offer, and then breaking the news to your family that you are yet again ready to drain their valuable resources, part of which they might have set aside for your marriage by now (esp. If you are a girl), or part of which they intended to use to buy their own house.
This post was just a trailer to what you can expect from this blog in future. (hint - do count 'stark reality' and 'the world as I see' amongst a few)
Stay tuned to 'The life and lies of MBA served hot!' for more juicy bits of my MBA life as I chronicle my thoughts and experience in the upcoming posts.
P.S. After much research and my needs and my finance capabilities ( read my family's ), I narrowed down Rotman School of Management, Toronto - which is where I'll be heading for my MBA this fall.
For the former ones, I hope this post does serve the purpose (and I'm forever thankful to all my well-wishers - thank you for being there always - lots of love, Akz); for the latter - I wish to congratulate you on taking this important next step in your lives - be it you, just starting your research, or you, trying to take that decision of our very own 'to join or not to join' dilemma.
So where do I begin... Hmm.
For starters, I have always been passionate about pursuing an MBA abroad (I'm from India, and you all know how many options we do have here, pun intended: hint - the very versatile Quota system, and the undue importance to the 10th and 12th %age).
India no doubt has some great colleges that are successful in making you win your bread and butter (well lots of it), if you relatively do well in those colleges. And I'm glad that our colleges are enjoying much more limelight than before at the international level.
But here's the catch - the education system - 'that' gets to see no change. You still have those hankerings for that 1 grace mark. You still are less practical. You still are more inclined to be theoretically adept. You still do not wish to share much and silently learn at another's expense. There is that 'buttering' that still works at an MBA college in India, and then there are a few of us, who take less interest in what other people perceive us as. We wish to do well, and we wish to make our mark: without fighting for that impression based last mark ( oh well GPA is still important at any college, pun not intended at all); or without that careless attitude that it's yet another college, where we get to secure a decent enough placement; and without an attitude that screams 'not a care in the world about the actual learning, as we are so intelligent that we can just think on our feet when the need be'.
Now you might say that I'm a hypocrite - if I get selected by a prestigious college would I not do the same things?
Again, here's the thing. The sentiments shared above are just the surface emotions - the ones you say to yourself and to others to prove that MBA abroad is the right decision. Now whether it's true - I will only know when I actually study at one of the top Indian colleges.
My passion to study abroad is fueled from the simple fact that I get to inculcate a global perspective on business - which I will never get at any Indian college - let's face it, most of the students are from India and have an experience on how things work in India: but most firms have an origin outside India and the Indian offices are mostly the technical divisions of much global, varied industry related, firms.
I wish to grow, and not just have a limited growth - I wish to spread my invisible wings that simply cannot be put to use here in India.
While I sit here implementing the solution proposed, the actual solution is brainstormed and proposed at some US or UK or Canadian office ( considering the major clients, in general, in a consulting firm for the Indian offices). While I sit here and perform more complex tasks at my job, a fellow employee at the same level as me, has a more valuable job than me in the Americas - in terms of responsibilities, in terms of superiority and in terms of returns.
A business technology analyst or a consultant, or a manager or anyone for that matter, in the US still gets to dictate his terms on his Indian counterpart - Why? I'm afraid I really don't wish to attack that notion.
That said, I really wanted to get out of this cycle once and for all, and actually understand what happens and why, by self indulging into the business world abroad. After all, I cannot sit here in India and keep judging why something happens when it happens.
Why do I wish to convey this other side of the reputed MBA coin on this blog? Because nothing is ever as smooth and shiny as it appears to be.
Bottom line - you need to know why you really want to do an MBA and why from that particular college? Mere rankings on FT MBA or simply following your peers - 'well what the heck - everyone else is doing it, so will I' : just won't work. Without the soul searching - an MBA is just another degree that gets you a decent job - you still won't like your work, coz you never spent time on yourself to really understand what you would have liked to do.
This was just the beginning of the long journey ahead of : taking the GMAT, shortlisting the colleges, applying to those colleges, getting shortlisted for the interviews, receiving the offers from the colleges, securing scholarships, accepting one offer, and then breaking the news to your family that you are yet again ready to drain their valuable resources, part of which they might have set aside for your marriage by now (esp. If you are a girl), or part of which they intended to use to buy their own house.
This post was just a trailer to what you can expect from this blog in future. (hint - do count 'stark reality' and 'the world as I see' amongst a few)
Stay tuned to 'The life and lies of MBA served hot!' for more juicy bits of my MBA life as I chronicle my thoughts and experience in the upcoming posts.
P.S. After much research and my needs and my finance capabilities ( read my family's ), I narrowed down Rotman School of Management, Toronto - which is where I'll be heading for my MBA this fall.
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