MBA should equip students with skills

Gone are the days when graduation was seen as a big high while looking for a job. Today a Master degree has become a qualifying criterion even to knock doors for many vacancies. In attempts to build up an attractive resume, aspirants are seen queued up for MBA courses.

While an MBA degree generally lands you at a mid-management position, the career growth after few years is very steep for those who deserve. A student gets adequate exposure if the college has exchange programmes with international universities. The Alumni network is a big boost and comes in handy. However in the hallucination of this glittering Gold, there are many struggling to find a job. One needs to do a cautious self-evaluation before opting in for an MBA. Let’s take a backward glance and look at the vital factors behind an MBA course.

Who should opt for an MBA?

Master in Business Administration or an MBA, the most sought after degree option for stepping into management roles or scaling the career path, is perhaps not meant for those who are looking either for just another job or for luxuries of 9 to 5 clock routine. Day to day operations in management requires the ability to be on the toes at the most unconventional hours because real life is full of practical problems that wouldn’t allow you a breathe before craving for solutions. The official holding a responsible chair with a target to steer the company growth is thus expected to have instant decision making capabilities along with analytical thinking.

What industry expects from an MBA?

In India and globally, last few decades have seen unprecedented growth in technology, business and economy. However academia has not been that flexible to adapt its course curricula in-line with rapidly advancing industry.Gaps between industry expectations and institute output are widening and yet it is expected thatpupils passing out from an MBA programme be agile enough to meet the demands. It is therefore the entrance tests for such degree programmes are specifically designed to test an aspirant’s analytical abilities and general management aptitudes. The bitter truth in spite of these scrutiny and filtration is that the placement seasons are getting more sluggish even in elite institutes like IIMs leave apart the large number of fledgling colleges.

How is the MBA curriculum designed?

Agility, innovation and value addition through each step ideally formulates the DNA of any MBA programme. If it is an executive programme, usually batches are designed with pupils from different industry which enables experience sharing and makes cross learning easy. More skill development activities, industry workshops, and exposure to national and international corporate world are induced. With the advent of technology and MNC boom in India, lecture methodology is a passé. New methodologies like interactive classrooms, case methodology, class participation, student exchange programmes, guest lectures by industry specialist, and live projects during the course are some of the new upcoming trends. Management courses are evolving every year, and we expect many more advancements in the delivery methodology.

What to look for before selecting an MBA college?

While selecting an MBA college, it is important to analyze one’s personal needs and career aspirations. Many a times we give more weightage to an institute’s placements records and word of mouth praises from friends and colleagues. However, the selection criteria should consider a vital set of aspects such asauthorizations, affiliation, fees structure, placements, specializations offered, reputation of college,additional certifications, foreign exposure facilities,industry link up, exchange programmes, faculty experience andinfrastructure.

What are the eligibility criteria for an MBA application?

To seek admission in MBA regular mode, a student must be at least a graduate from any stream of Science, Commerce or Arts, from a recognized college or University. Most of the regular colleges offering MBA degree entertain students having good percentile in national level Management Aptitude Testssuch as CAT, MAT, CMAT, XMAT, GMAT and alike followed by group discussions and personal interviews.However, MBA is a course which requires preparations long before you actually enroll yourself in a coaching institute.

How should one prepare for an MBA entrance?

To get through a reputed college one needs overall grooming with excellent communication skills, updated with current affairs, out of the box thinking, team spirit and street-smart answers for questions.It would be good to start an MBA entrance preparation with focus on English – grammar, comprehension, reading and writing – and Mathematics. While Indian students are generally considered good at Mathematics, most of the recruiters complain about a candidate’s basic grammar skills, a pre-requisite for working in the corporate environment, particularly in client-facing roles like consulting, banking, marketing and sales. Improving over language is a gradual process and few tips can help this improvement accelerate. Read good novels, magazines, business related articles, Newspaper editorials, listen to English news and try communicating amongst peers in English.

Is MBA degree necessarily fetch a dream job?

Students aspiring for MBAmust understand the basic fundamental that just an MBA degree cannot guarantee a rightful ticket to a dream job until the individual is polished with adequate skills necessary. The world is becoming a global village and company structures are getting flat. Good communication skills,positive and problem solving attitude, leadership quality, street smartness,good understanding of industry, and analytical thinking are only some of the basics that qualify you to enter this competitive arena. And that’s only the beginning.So the focus should be on holistic development which is only possible through dedication, determination and perseverance.

(The writer is a Dean of JB Knowledge Park, Faridabad)