How many of us wish to upgrade our career paths and desire to scale the rungs of the corporate ladder? Do you picture yourself as the perfect go-to CEO that everyone envies?
Does an MBA programme add value to your work life?
If you imagine that adding these three magic letters – MBA – to your name /profile will help you realise that much-coveted promotion, you are pretty far away from reality.
You must realize that merely completing a degree is not what gets you to succeed at work. Graduation in business administration is not a magic button that takes you to a fairy-tale world.
Hard work and perseverance pay in the long run. If you presume that an academic qualification that you attach as a step to conquer the corporate battle will make a huge difference, you will be wasting your time and money, not to mention the frustration that can emerge as a result of non-accomplishment.
What then can take me to the promised land?
If, on the other hand, you enlist in the programme to learn something, you are on the right track. Not just any learning but work-related tenets of building and running a successful corporate, besides building a network of the current and future business magnates of the corporate world.
The wisdom gained at the programme will augment your approach at business and stimulate your path to success.
Successful entrepreneurs and top honchos have earned more than a qualifying degree form graduation. They have discerned the wisdom of the faculty and fellow participants and used their proficiency in grasping the mastery of business doctrines.
The network of classmates in your batch could become future magnates, many of whom might go on to become your clients too.
It is your experience and proficiency at work that gain respect for you among colleagues and clients rather than your qualifications. Your co-workers and customers respect your experience and competence at work rather than the qualifications that are listed in your resume.
Some of those who went back to school cite learning and adapting to new technology in school that has made them better managers.
You enlist in a programme for the sophistication you draw from the rich curriculum and wide exposure to the best practices and applications that can be put to practical use at your workplace.
Is it possible to study amidst a hectic work schedule?
Joining college while doing a full-time job is the choice you make when you decide on acquiring the skills that can enhance your career growth prospects. You learn to juggle work, family, and school harmoniously to ensure there is no compromise in any of them.
You will need to compute your activities with your colleagues. By keeping your boss and other team members in the loop and delegating and distributing some of the work smartly, you would find sufficient time to invest in studying.
Your colleagues will not only respect you but also cooperate with you when you tell them in advance how they can contribute to the work in hand. Many graduates said they were pleasantly surprised at the resulting camaraderie in involving their co-workers in this exercise.
Should I compromise my social life to study while I work?
The popular myth that an executive programme does not leave you any time for social life is just that – a myth. The answer lies in learning time management. You must involve your family members in scheduling your time between work, college, and home.
Some graduates have admitted that the school is where they learnt to prioritize allotting more family time. One of them said that she was rather shocked to realize that some activities like watching TV and indulging in social media were wasteful exercises, all of which she gladly gave up in favour of quality family time.
Quite often, an MBA programme activates your grey cells to rearrange the chaos resulting in a more systematic way of life.
There are many examples of people who have changed jobs, relocated to other cities, raised families, and done a lot more while doing an executive programme in management. Ultimately you are the master of your time, and you can choose not to compromise on what you consider important.
Is teamwork in an executive programme arbitrary?
Some people feel apprehensive about teamwork in a programme, and this may be natural, especially in an executive programme as you have more roles to play than just any student in college.
But surprisingly, graduates have admitted how seamlessly team exercises went off. Fears of some team members hogging most of the credit and fame were easily busted once they got into team activities. In reality, all the participants worked in cohesion and the exercise was equally fair to all the members of the team.
Is there an age limit to enrolling in an executive programme?
Age is no barrier to education. No one is too old to learn. Almost most graduates who enrolled for graduation some 3 to 4 decades into their careers have sworn that learning in school, like cycling or swimming, is something that remains with you well after you completed your last degree.
The pace of perception might slow down with age in some cases, but the experience you take home at the end of the day is well worth all the effort. Graduates who went back to school in their 40s and 50s have emerged feeling completely refreshed and energetic to take on new and bold assignments.
Are the faculty at B schools mere theorists?
One might not always give savants the credit they are due. The faculty in an executive programme, especially at the top institutes, comes with rich experience in appurtenant departments.
They naturally employ teaching methods that are relevant to the curriculum quite effortlessly. They cover various aspects of the course that may not be printed in books.
Should you pursue an executive MBA?
The executive programme in management you enroll in may turn out to be the impetus required to lead you to Himalayan heights in your career. The sky is the limit once you set a goal and decide to achieve it.
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