Career Advice

Considered to be one of the most prestigious degrees around the world, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) is a post-graduate degree awarded to those who learn and master the skills of managing a business. As it is related to any business and not just a specific field, it attracts students from varied backgrounds.

In an MBA program, students study various applications of management principles, which are sure to be helpful in real life business situations. More than half of the MBA course concentrates on general management applicable to any business. The other part is a specialization in an area of one's choice.

Primarily one can specialize in the following areas in MBA:

1. Marketing
2. Finance
3. Human Resources
4. Information Technology
5. Operations

Now, what really makes MBA special...

1. Money: For many MBA aspirants, joining the course is nothing but an investment. They simply calculate the ROI before hand and then decide to join any college. In these cases, the main reason to join MBA is the pay package you are likely to get.

2. Education: It’s not just a matter of money; you can also see a drastic change in your own personality. You can feel the difference once you complete your MBA. You will get to learn a lot. Of course it depends on how serious you are while you are doing your MBA and from where you are doing it.

3. Launch pad for a great career: People say that there is no shortcut for success, but I think that MBA is a shortcut for your career. Simply put, a graduate with half decade of experience will hardly be given as much preference as a person with an MBA degree.

Now, let me list reasons why you really must opt for a course of this sort. But before I go on to list reasons of my own, here are a few I managed to accumulate from a sizable group of students who are pro-MBA. Some good, some not so good, here are they nevertheless:

•  I want to pursue MBA because my dad asked me to do so
•  I want a very good salary and I am told that I will get one once I finish MBA
•  Just because everyone is doing, I am also interested to join
•  I think there is a huge demand for people with MBA in the market
•  I have nothing to do so thought to finish my MBA
•  For the sake of an additional degree.
•  I am too young to go for a job so I want to do MBA and then look for a job
• The Return On Investment (ROI) which I will get on MBA is higher when compared to the other degrees

There really will be many more reasons, but reasons such as these aren't really enough. One should really understand what difference an MBA degree can make in one's career path and personality.

What recruiters look in an MBA grad?

If you are applying for a job on your MBA degree, then you must understand what exactly companies expect from MBA grads. The main reason why companies recruit MBA grads is to maximize their profitability with minimum resource utilization. Be it any specialization, an MBA grad is expected to use his management skills which he/she has learned in college and fine tune the business.

The following are some of the qualities which recruiters look for in an MBA grad:

Fast Learner: MBA grads are expected to be very fast learners. It is not necessary that one will get a job in the field of his choice. For most MBA grads, the role and industry they join as soon as they complete their degree is a complete new world. But the two years education behind them is sure to give them enough understanding about the general management in any business. The key lies in quickly understanding the business and industry to produce maximum output.

Resource Management: Once you join an organization you are expected to utilize the resources effectively. The mantra is 'minimum resources and maximum output'. One must have the ability to utilize the resources well. The subordinates are also resources of the company; one should also have the ability to manage people.

Business Development: Be it any specialization (HR, Finance, Marketing) MBA grads are always expected to be working towards the growth of the company as a whole. If you are an MBA grad hired by a company and you are not contributing much for the growth of the company, then there will not be any difference between a normal graduate and an MBA. So your presence should always be felt in the organization.

Ready to Accept New Challenges: Every organization prefers a person who readily accepts challenges. For a fresher, it is very much important to understand his role in the organization. As soon as the training period ends, the entire focus comes on performance. The more successfully you complete challenging tasks, the more you are valued in the organization.

These were some of the major things recruiters look for in an MBA grad, so if you are joining an MBA course make sure you concentrate on all these things and work on these lines to get an edge over others.