About MBA
If you have completed your graduation, and are in a state of the “what next syndrome” you must accept the fact that you still have three broader options you can choose from. You may have to take up a job, get into a business or seek a Masters. If you do not have a job at hand and have no avenues of kick-starting the entrepreneur bug within you, the best option would be to get yourself into a masters program.
However, when you zero on your decision to take up a Masters, you will still have to make choices between various options like Masters in Science, Masters in Law, Masters in Arts or Masters in Business Administration, depending on your graduation stream and the career roadmap you foresee.
One of the most popular choices of graduates is to get themselves an MBA tag that looks swanky, sounds trendy and the age-old perception of getting an edge over their fellow graduates. The bad news is that choosing a wrong MBA programme can be more detrimental to your personal brand and your career.
Once you have decided to take up an MBA programme, you have opened a new Pandora’s Box that beckons you to the paraphernalia of choices again, ranging from the specialization you may need to opt for and the choice of curriculum and the college. Phew...
Having interviewed tons of MBA graduates, I sometimes wonder if they have the least bit of knowledge, skill or the attitude that befits a Masters Degree holder. Their Masters is a sheer degree they carry in their name and a title recorded on the resume, nothing more. I believe doing such a Masters programme that fails to add any substance to your professional being and falls short of promoting you to the next level can be severely damaging to your career prospects.
An MBA demands a reasonable investment of time and money, so you must make a comprehensive and informed decision, assessing your career goals and consulting with people who have been there and done it. Finding a good B-school, with the right curriculum and an impeccable faculty team is crucial in your decision making process.
DOAD your MBA
1. Dig
Ask yourself the following five questions that can lead you to some clarity. Once you have written down the answers, you will now have a foundation to build on. Without asking yourself these five questions, you will be grappling with hearsay and peer gossip that can in no way fit your dreams.
- Why am I doing an MBA?
- Which stream should I specialize?
- Where should I study this specialization?
- What is the apt curriculum and fee?
- When is the next intake?
A sample document from an aspiring student is shared below;
Q - Why am I doing an MBA?
A – I am doing my MBA to be able to get a placement in an MNC with a package of ...................and a position..................
Q - Which stream should I specialize?
A – I will take up……………………………as this complements my career plan
Q - Where should I study this specialization?
A – I have the options of taking up my MBA in the following 6 institutions. However as I do not qualify the first two due to my 68% aggregate in my degree, I am left with four options. Among these, the best institution that offers me an MBA is ……….……………….and is located in Bangalore. This premier institution offers a globally recognized 1year British MBA programme and stands out among the tops ranked MBA’s in the world. As an added advantage, I will not have to go through any rigorous entrance exams or visa processes to gain admissions into this college.
Q - What is the apt curriculum and fee?
A - I have verified that the curriculum is in line with my specialization and I can complete this MBA in one year as this MBA is based on the Credits I complete. It is a very intense job oriented programme with all modern global corporate business demands covered in the curriculum. The faculty is top notch and the infrastructure of this institution meets world standards. The investment I will have to make is 1/3rd of a regular normal two year MBA or a one year MBA I would get from London.
Q - When is the next intake?
A - There are four intakes in a year in the months, November, February, July and September. I have the flexibility to choose any of these.
1. Open
By the time you have completed the “Digging” process, you would have documented the reason for doing your MBA, the specialization and the institutions. You will now need to open first level communication with the institution seeking a counseling session with their representative. It would be good to speak to a few institutions you have shortlisted, as this will give you the true perspective, a reasonable benchmark comparison, and certainty in your choice. Visiting the institution, checking the facility, the faculty, the curricula, the fee structure, hidden costs, cost of travel and stay, and talking to the alumnus can be counted as the opening stage. Once you are done collating details you have now sufficient data and information to take your decision. The most important thing during this stage is that you must not take a decision until this stage is completed, even if you find that one of the institutions looks like an ideal match. Our decision making usually sways once we are on the ground and experience the reality. Hold your guns till you have collected the relevant data of the last institution in your list.
3. Assess
Once you have all the details collected from your “open” rendezvous, write down all the factors against the institution and award them points on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 would be poor and 5 would mean excellent. Once you have completed this exercise, consult at length with a mentor or guru who has journeyed a similar path. When you speak to a mentor, make sure you speak to someone who is a true master at his profession with at least 12 years of experience in the field your have chosen to explore.
* The total of the last column would give you an unbiased and most probable best choice of institution.
4. Decide
To decide means to cut off from all other options. Decision making is one of the most key skills human beings find difficulty with. We either struggle while making a choice or regret after having made one. Both these states create immense stress and uncertainty. However a human mind operates best when filled with the sense of certainty. The entire exercise shared in this article can be used even other wise to help you make wise and informed choices in life and build this sense of certainty in your decisions.
Once you have the “Assess” phase in order, it would be easy for you to take a call on the institution you need to opt for your MBA programme. Once you have taken a decision, do not waste a moment in acting on your decision. Enroll into the programme immediately and put everything else behind.
4.5. The Half after Thought
It is in the moment of your decisions that your destiny unveils. Having done the DOAD exercise to make your decision, it would be ridiculous to doubt your own choice. The whole wide world has many opinions to offer and these opinions are offered free. Why would you even think of considering such opinions when you are sure that you went through a defined process to make your choice? So when you get to listen to hearsay and gossip about your decision of choosing a particular MBA program, be it from relatives, peer or otherwise, learn to put it aside and move forward. It is better to focus on the big windscreen of your car than driving with your eyes on the little rearview mirror.
The only thing you have in control is to make the best use of what you have chosen and give it all you can. While a good MBA programme offers you a wide range of knowledge, skills and capabilities but the ultimate outcome you would experience would be from what you would have offered to your MBA programme. All the best!!
By Syed Habeeb
Author | Leadership Coach | Director Edu
ISBC – Indian School of Business and Computing
Bangalore – INDIA
www.isbc.ac.in
