R u referring to the post Campus-Corporate milap: Why MBA?
even I read that but I've some more points to add to this
1) Nowadays for a bright career........an Engineer Degree is not sufficient.......to get to a position where you can make the difference......You need an MBA degree....
2) apart from that.......taking the money terms......I believe that job after MBA can give you the salary that is not possible in a programmer job.
Also MBA helps you to make a rapid Growth.
I hope these point make you feel better about MBA
Hi,
If I may add, the question should be why not an MBA?
See with any academic background people join Bschools for different reasons. The ones you have quoted are the main ones and so people often make their choice based on these parameters
This particular course is not an end in itself. Its a means to a greater end. I know people who have appeared for Civil Services, opened NGO's, went back to their persuasion of arts and theatre after MBA.
I think the relevance of the course lies in the fact that the course opens you to an alternative opinion. For example the kind of courses that you will engage in will provide you with so many perspectives that probably you 'll realise that any ordinary course may not give you this kind of a learning
This is not to say that one should undermine other courses at the cost of MBA. But one should be sure of the reasons why one wants to pursue the course. So you may want a great pay package or a killer profile but in case you could cutomize the learning experience to your need, select courses which may help you do something later in life and encash on every opportunity that you get to learn, trust me the next question will be ,"Why not MBA?"
Hi Shail,
4 yrs of engineering skills , are really good. But where do you see yourself 10 yrs from now with these skills. See dont do it blindly but understand that with these skills you need some kind of upgradation
In HR , we have this concept of a "market". A market basically means for an organization , that where do its people come from, where do its people go. All of us in a market and this market is dynamic. So you constantly need to change or upgrade
I am anot an engineer , so pardon my lack of knowledge,, but where do these skills take you ??I think MBA will give you the opportunity to move to managerial and more meaty positions than technical ones.
Finally, what are your friends doing? Do you still want to pursue your engineering skills. If yes, maybe we could look for advice in that domain on this forum. I am sure you ll find all the help here.
hi,
too much confusion is good as my friend says,,it sets u thinking
but let not too much confusion delay ur plans,,
everyhting has a time and i guess now is the right time for u to decide which way to go
hope that helps
ps-its "k"aptivate and not "c"aptivate
cheers
thankyou for opening this thread ,i was in quiet a fix as y m i doing mba?the answers above r quiet in context to what i think as to y i m doing an mba.
i would like more view points to be posted here..
my reason is- i'm a chem engineer n was working on flield n mba is the only way out to white collared job
i am sure sahil has voiced the concern of lots of engineers and other techies around....and kaptivate too,has given some really solid justification for pursuing MBA...but ther is stil one question tht bothers me...and i wish if some of the engineers in the site cud reply to it
being an engineer I wud definitly like to work in an environment which relates to my field...however its a fact tht an MBA wud surely help u grow faster in the market....so is it advisable to get a specialisation in yur field by pursuing a MS or M.Tech and then go for an MBA degree sometime later.... for instance being a mechanical engineer i would love to be a manager at Ford or Tata rather than in pepsi or coke.....then,wud my specialisation in automobile help me grow better in such fields?????
waiting for yur reply...
On this I want to add that its people's perspective, why they want to do MBA,
Like for me I'll tell you I have been working as a software engineer for past four years, you can say core technical work for four years and the salary I am getting, many MBAs from top doesn't get that, but the the thing is after wrking for four years I feel very saturated and I think I cannot give more then 100% to my job and want to shift to a consulting job, awaty from technical job, as a engineer I tried going away but all my target companies in this case require a MBA degree, thus wanna do MBA.
Regards,
GA
Every one has their own reasons for pursuing an MBA... I too was trying to find answers to this question not very long ago ( im in my 3rd month of my MBA).. I still have a long long way to go, but im sure of atleast a few things ... One, it really has helped me look within me as to what i really wanna do , where i see myself say 10-15 years down the line..two, it has ACTUALLY made me realise what my strengths and weaknesses are ... and ofcourse it really is a whole new experience of sharing the same classroom with people almost twice ur age !! If not anything else ..this 2 year stint sure is gonna teach me a whole lotta things ...learnings whose importance i might realise much later in life 😃
Hi,
Profile:
7 years IT, Proj. Mgr, Gmat:700, Avg Acads and Extra Curr.
I was never inclined to be a manager for the first 5 years of my career, infact i never had the opportunity to lead a team till the 6th year.
I saw my friends going for Cat, gmat but it never excited me to follow the herd. Some people are ambitious by nature and do not need a reason to pursue management studies others are different. Till the time they are not pushed to the wall, they do not decide what course they have to take.
I am in the second category.
The first 5 yrs made me a realise that techie skills and attitude do not come to me naturally. In the 6th year i managed a full project and i achieved great success in it.
I was in the mid of the project when I realised that I have good planning and orgqanisational skills, i got it! It became crystal clear that I cannot be happy in a techie career and need to move on away from it to place where I can manage people and business development instead.
It took me too long to realise almost 6 years. Then i started preparing for gmat for 3 months, something i had never done before...i studied after office hours...i could only do it because i got a reason to change my job function to something which would make me happy.
I took gmat and am now applying to indian b-schools.
Ofcourse the reason for me is the need to change my job function from techhie to non-tech field, that would make me happier.
thanks....
nice thread !!
My take on the subject is that, ideally, an MBA gives you how to leverage your techie skills so that the project can be managed best.
Consider a scenario where u r a B.Tech.(IT). You then do an MBA in marketing.
Ideally this should mean that If after the MBA you join a Tech company, you will be able to persuade the clients better as
1. You know your tech well. So, you can understand the client's needs better
2. You know your marketing fundas well. So, you know how to show the client that you can deliver what they want.
Well, this is the ideal scenario. But In general, MBA is a different way of life, far removed from the tech field.
hi all
I am happy to see this thread, although I have not gone through the entire posts, but after reading the first page I got the feel that this thread is one of the most important threads for all those who wish to a MBA degree holders at some point of time in their career.
Well, before I give my piece advice, let me start with my case........
I heard about MBA only when I entered into the Engineering college, and every final year senior was doing something or the other for CAT. It was almost amazing for me to see that even during their final year engineering they are more interested in solving puzzles, simple maths problems and reading english rather than spending time in Computer Programming or learning new things about their brnach of study. This was really bizzare at a times when they started to discuss about the Economy of India (or for that matter even a subscription of Economic Times used to confuse me about its utility for an engineering student). I was simple left amazed. and probably everyone in my freshers batch was amazed to know that there is something called MBA, and its more important to earn an MBA degree, even more important than earning a BE degree.
A few years later I got a chance to know something more about 'Why MBA?', but even then the focus was more towards the 'HOT' Money which you can earn. All the discussions used to condence to the fact that MBA can give you a hell lot of money which Engineers can simply dream of.
I was still confused about What an MBA is all about, and how come it gives so much money without even working in actual things (I am believer of the fact that Engineers do the actual work). I have seen days turning into weeks, weeks turning into months and months into years, but my question regarding MBA still remained the same. Is MBA only about Money? Who on this earth will give anyone so much money without working? The MBA guys just know how to speak good english and use fork & knife while eating, how the hell do these people contribute in working?
With all sorts of possible questions I left for my first job after college, and still standing firm on the notion that 'MBAs are just show-offs, they do not work at all'. And while working in a huge MNC (One of the top 3 in this world) my whole approach towards an MBA started to change. And here goes the metamorphosis.......
While an engineer does a focussed job (be it programming, or designing or somethingelse), but we engineers do only a part of the job (which is the actual brick and mortar of a house), but even we dont have a clear idea about what will be the final outcome of our work, Why? We engineers always get dead-lines from higher authorities, why? We dont know what should be the right strategy of an organization in coming 5-10 years. All the answer to above questions is that - We exist in the organization to do a very-very focused job.....we can at max influence a client to choose some services/products, but engineer can't decide anything beyond that.
I have personally believed that an engineer can at max influence the lives of at max a team working under him, but never define the strategy of an organization. For defining things which are beyond the level of 'actual' work there is a need of a generalist and which happens to be there in MBAs. An MBA person can always give direction to the organization, and at the same time channelize the resources in achieving the same. An MBA has the capacity to become the face of the organization (even when he doesn't do the 'actual' work). An MBA has the capacity to influence the market based on the resources under him. An MBA has the capability to negotiate his resources to do some work.
Finally, an MBA thinks beyond the obvious, and thats why he is paid more than the people working for him.
I guess I have even reasons why one should go for MBA. And I have learnt all this while working. And I guess the best way to gain a motivation for MBA comes only when you start working, else you tend to take MBA as a routine thing which comes after an engineering degree.
Thinking about why you should go for an MBA degree is in itself a huge task, and it requires an immense degree of self-questioning and introspection. The more we question our-selves the more suited are we for this degree.
All the best to all those who are aspiring for this hallowed degree.
Thanks & Regards
Sarsij Nayanam
I am happy to see this thread, although I have not gone through the entire posts, but after reading the first page I got the feel that this thread is one of the most important threads for all those who wish to a MBA degree holders at some point of time in their career.
Well, before I give my piece advice, let me start with my case........
I heard about MBA only when I entered into the Engineering college, and every final year senior was doing something or the other for CAT. It was almost amazing for me to see that even during their final year engineering they are more interested in solving puzzles, simple maths problems and reading english rather than spending time in Computer Programming or learning new things about their brnach of study. This was really bizzare at a times when they started to discuss about the Economy of India (or for that matter even a subscription of Economic Times used to confuse me about its utility for an engineering student). I was simple left amazed. and probably everyone in my freshers batch was amazed to know that there is something called MBA, and its more important to earn an MBA degree, even more important than earning a BE degree.
A few years later I got a chance to know something more about 'Why MBA?', but even then the focus was more towards the 'HOT' Money which you can earn. All the discussions used to condence to the fact that MBA can give you a hell lot of money which Engineers can simply dream of.
I was still confused about What an MBA is all about, and how come it gives so much money without even working in actual things (I am believer of the fact that Engineers do the actual work). I have seen days turning into weeks, weeks turning into months and months into years, but my question regarding MBA still remained the same. Is MBA only about Money? Who on this earth will give anyone so much money without working? The MBA guys just know how to speak good english and use fork & knife while eating, how the hell do these people contribute in working?
With all sorts of possible questions I left for my first job after college, and still standing firm on the notion that 'MBAs are just show-offs, they do not work at all'. And while working in a huge MNC (One of the top 3 in this world) my whole approach towards an MBA started to change. And here goes the metamorphosis.......
While an engineer does a focussed job (be it programming, or designing or somethingelse), but we engineers do only a part of the job (which is the actual brick and mortar of a house), but even we dont have a clear idea about what will be the final outcome of our work, Why? We engineers always get dead-lines from higher authorities, why? We dont know what should be the right strategy of an organization in coming 5-10 years. All the answer to above questions is that - We exist in the organization to do a very-very focused job.....we can at max influence a client to choose some services/products, but engineer can't decide anything beyond that.
I have personally believed that an engineer can at max influence the lives of at max a team working under him, but never define the strategy of an organization. For defining things which are beyond the level of 'actual' work there is a need of a generalist and which happens to be there in MBAs. An MBA person can always give direction to the organization, and at the same time channelize the resources in achieving the same. An MBA has the capacity to become the face of the organization (even when he doesn't do the 'actual' work). An MBA has the capacity to influence the market based on the resources under him. An MBA has the capability to negotiate his resources to do some work.
Finally, an MBA thinks beyond the obvious, and thats why he is paid more than the people working for him.
I guess I have even reasons why one should go for MBA. And I have learnt all this while working. And I guess the best way to gain a motivation for MBA comes only when you start working, else you tend to take MBA as a routine thing which comes after an engineering degree.
Thinking about why you should go for an MBA degree is in itself a huge task, and it requires an immense degree of self-questioning and introspection. The more we question our-selves the more suited are we for this degree.
All the best to all those who are aspiring for this hallowed degree.
Thanks & Regards
Sarsij Nayanam
A nice thread and wonderful and honest replies from all..
I could relate to sarsij while going thru the post..
Nothin much to add..just a few things..
while in college this MBA thing was never in my mind too..
but in the corporate world now for a lil more than two years..
I hv realised my true potential..I hv realised what all I can do that can earn me love and respect apart from makin big bucks..
How so much you curse the HR guys..I know I can be the best..
coz i know how to listen when one talks..i know how to understand other's point of view, and i also know how to keep myself aside when it comes to others..
IT industry taught me this..
I hv designed,coded, and tested..
but now i wish to undestand and express..
Hi all, really a nice thread .... well reasons for shifting from techie to MBA could be many .... For me it goes on like this ... If in India you look at the software companies most f them are basically are service providers( however I am wrking in a Product based company fortunately ). That means even if you are a Software engineer you ae not using your skills in the fullest ... wat u r doin basically is fixing a few bugs by altering some LOC's ( Lines Of Code ) or may be designing some UI or something like this ... But what about the platform of all these ... like ... let say... have your organizatio given you a chance to work in a team which is developing some Real time operating system where you along with your team is responsible for all the tasks designing OS processes etc ... Just think if you gonna do that something exicting will you look for a MBA ... may be not ...if you see ppl working at Google or Microsoft R&D; i don think i saw anyone switching to studies for a MBA well MS is an another case 😃 If you are talking abt money .... I think if you working in some core research company they will even make MBA's jealous ... that's for sure ... but you had to have enough technical acumen for that .... So simply to conclude I will say lack of oppurtunities compounded with lack of technical acumen along with sight towards a easy way to an intresting work with lot of money is a reason for going for a MBA .... :aditya
After failing to crack CAT thrice, the feeling that haunts me is Why am I doing all this? Why am I trying to do an MBA? Do I really need to do an MBA?
After lots and lots of introspection, I came to know that I don't have exact answers to any of the questions posed above :|
I interacted with many of the MBA aspirants. I feel sad that most of them are not sure why they are doing an MBA and what a B-School has to offer? Salary, Ladder jump, Resume building are the obvious reasons most of them say. Do we need to do an MBA for the above reasons? Not at all. period. So Why MBA? What will I learn in a B-School? What will I do after an MBA? I want to know concrete answers/reasoning for the above 
.
I hope this thread will help many of the future aspirants who are in a dilemma about whether to do an MBA or not.
Senior & Experienced puys, need your inputs 😃
krsh.vik SaysAfter failing to crack CAT thrice, the feeling that haunts me is Why am I doing all this? Why am I trying to do an MBA? Do I really need to do an MBA?
Vik, I think you have posed some really important questions, which many of us don't have clear answers to. I am sharing my reasons here...
After having worked for a fairly long time (nearly 6 years) and having interacted with quite a few members of the top brass, I feel I am currently not completely equipped to take on higher responsibilities. Right now, I am handling a team of people, planning projects, managing them, and executing them, but my learning and understanding of the same is only based on experience. I perform a task, make mistakes, go back to the drawing board, and improve. This is a long procedure. Even without an MBA, in 2-3 years, I will be a manager.
However, I still won't be equipped for the role. So, by spending two years learning the ropes, I can accelerate that phase of doing, learning, and then redoing. Of course, I don't really need to do an MBA. But, with an MBA, it will be easier and faster to move up and reach my goals. The ultimate objective I have is to be a part of the decision making and strategic leadership. Without an MBA, I'll probably get there not before another 15-18 years. With an MBA, hopefully, in half the time.
P.S. Salary is not the sole motivating factor, but yes, it surely is one. The brand value that a good b-school provides comes in handy there too.
Please visit the mentioned link to give further direction to yourself. http://www.advancedge.com/hot_links/why_mba/pdf/01_Why%20Shld%20u%20do%20MBA.pdf
@krsh.vik
Those were vital questions framed by you..
y mba?
well most ppl consider mba an escape route..to be frank it is not..
i would like to make one point clearly over here..MBA is the only way you can change your line of work completely..
eg : if one wants to move out of the IT industry to marketing(FMCG) yes MBA is the only option..i want to make it to marketing not out of frustration in IT but out of pure interest towards marketing..if u want to stay in IT sales i dont think you require an MBA mandatorily..depends on the skill of an individual.few friends of mine are business analysts in TCS without an MBA..of course it takes some time of ur career..
what value an mba adds?
an mba transforms u into a different individual..again here the b school doesnt teach u how to solve problems.its an individual who interacts with his/her peers with case studies etc to come up with solutions..curriculum and the pedagogy in a b school is completely different from engineering..an mba give u the oppurtuinity to decide what u want to do some time down the line..u get to interact with the best brains in the country..actually i really dont have a precise answer for this question..i would say i would be satisfied with my job after my mba because i will be doing something what i like which i am not doing now..so a mba from a b school gives u a 100% chance to shift ur line of work of your interest..
P.S : views are entirely personal
@krsh.vik
eg : if one wants to move out of the IT industry to marketing(FMCG) yes MBA is the only option..i want to make it to marketing not out of frustration in IT but out of pure interest towards marketing..
its great..
but frankly, either interest in mkt or lack of interest in IT, the fact is that an MBA opens up wide oppurtunities for a person that other graduation fields dont offer.
u can c an MBA fitting into marketing of service industry, FMCG procucts, IT services / products & various other domains.
a fin MBA goin to various financial instt, banks, consultancies & working at various profiles.
same for other MBA specializations. the fact here is that an MBA opens up unparalleled oppurtunities for an individual to explore new careers.
no doubt, few ppl can reach tremendous heights even with simple graduation or a one off ambani with no formal education. but the fact remains, that for a majority of average junta, MBA seems to be the only option to switch career & explore options with ease.
well at least this seems to be the scenario in india where there are very few oppurtunities & lot of ppl competing for it. so as far as India goes, MONEY & SWITHING CAREER (mostly for IT ppl) seems to be the most common factor for an MBA.
so far as the question WHY MBA goes, MBA as rightly pointed out should be used as a means to learn new things, aquire new skills & sharpening ur business management acumen.
in foriegn B-school, the average work ex of a batch is as it is high, as ppl who feel they really need the exposure to management education go for it. i feel, its not the only means used by ppl to switch careers as in India.
What does a B School Offer?
Well one thing that i feel one gets in a b school is peer learning.
here is a place where people with 10 years of work experience and a fresher straight from college sit in benches next to each other and learn the ropes of management, no doubt both will have different views on many subjects and everyone will only benifit from such diversity rather than be affected by it.
Apart from this i believe that even if u learn the tricks of management on the job, it might be limited to the sector one is working in rather than general management concepts.
for eg: an IT project manager will be learning the management principles with respect to his line of work and very less in general management.
So the general management we learn in a b school and the peer group we mingle with are 2 reasons why i would prefer a bschool over learning management on the job.
Well one thing that i feel one gets in a b school is peer learning.
here is a place where people with 10 years of work experience and a fresher straight from college sit in benches next to each other and learn the ropes of management, no doubt both will have different views on many subjects and everyone will only benifit from such diversity rather than be affected by it.
Apart from this i believe that even if u learn the tricks of management on the job, it might be limited to the sector one is working in rather than general management concepts.
for eg: an IT project manager will be learning the management principles with respect to his line of work and very less in general management.
So the general management we learn in a b school and the peer group we mingle with are 2 reasons why i would prefer a bschool over learning management on the job.