Is a B-School all about placements ?
B-Schools (or Business Schools) seem to be the latest buzzword these days ! You'll see people rushing off to do their so called "MBAs" after any Bachelor's degree you can imagine - B.A., B.Com., B.Sc., B.E., B.Tech., B.Pharm., B.B.A., M.B.B.S. ! But this, essentially, is the beauty of a Business Degree (or an M.B.A.).
Most of the top institutions in India, who offer an M.B.A. degree, try to have a mix of people from all backgrounds. These students come from all over the country, from diverse cultures, some with work experience and others, without. So, if a student like me chooses to do an M.B.A., he's not only doing it for an academic advantage, but also because he will get to interact with the best of the lot, with people from various backgrounds, cultures, and geographies... And will try to gain a lot out of it.
The prime aim of an MBA however, seems to be changing these days. A large percentage of students pursue an MBA because they want decent placements ! Whether he is a fresher, who needs a good job to start off his career with, or whether he is a candidate with prior work experience, who wants to get a much higher raise in life in terms of his salary !
I don't blame people for looking for good placements at the end of the day. I mean, you've earned that all-so-important seat in your school... So, of course you deserve an equally decent placement. But does that mean you will spend 2 years of your crucial time behind it ? Does that mean you will slog your ass out because you want to get into that particular company at the end of two years ? Does that mean that you have only come to do an MBA because THAT particular company comes to your campus ??? Naah !
I did my MBA from MDI, Gurgaon... And can easily say that more than 80% of my colleagues had come there ONLY for placements (This includes freshers and work-ex guys) ! That was one thing that disappointed me big time ! During placements (and even a long long time before that), you would see people sitting in the library, and reading... Reading what ??? Reading stuff that companies would look at during interviews... Reading stuff that companies would question them on... Reading stuff that they didn't want to know... but what the company wanted them to know !
Is that what I did my MBA for ??? Was that my sole purpose of earning a Business Degree from a prestigious institution ??? Was I there for placements along ? I don't think so... I was there to meet people... I was there to be a part of the generation that would lead India in the coming years... I was there to make friends... I was there to develop contacts... I was there to interact with like-minded individuals who would think beyond the obvious... But did I get that ??? No.... Definitely NO ! All I got was a large bunch of individuals, who could only think one way. The most famous question on campus was "Does this company come for placements ?" ! Oh ! Gimme a break !
I am not trying to say that people should not take part in the placement process, or they should not be looking for a job after an MBA... I am not trying to say that one should get into entrepreneurship and leave apart placements just because you have the fire in you... What I am trying to convey is that while you are young and enthusiastic, while you are in an "unlearn and learn" phase in your life, while you get a chance to interact with people (who are probably one of the best lots you can ever hope to get at one place), make the most of it ! Don't be too narrow minded to only aim for placements from Day One... There's a lot more to life than just that ! There's a lot more to enjoy in life, than just crave for placements alone !
Recently, when a couple of IIM-A grads (from the 2004-06 batch) decided to opt out of the placement process, and chose to start their own ventures, a few qualified MBAs commented that if they anyways wanted to get into entrepreneurship, why the hell did they waste 2 precious seats @ the IIMs ? My only answer to that is : They did not go there to get placed. They went there to learn. To interact with people. And to create a vision for the future. And I think they have done that beautifully well... Hats off to them !
I hope that the situation improves in the years to follow... I hope that students who decide to do their MBA look beyond what an MBA degree can offer... There's much more to an MBA than just placements guys ! I hope that when i meet some fresh MBA graduate after 10 years, and when I ask him, "Why did you do your MBA ? And what have you gained out of it ?", I hope I get a different answer than what I get from most people now !
Most of the top institutions in India, who offer an M.B.A. degree, try to have a mix of people from all backgrounds. These students come from all over the country, from diverse cultures, some with work experience and others, without. So, if a student like me chooses to do an M.B.A., he's not only doing it for an academic advantage, but also because he will get to interact with the best of the lot, with people from various backgrounds, cultures, and geographies... And will try to gain a lot out of it.
The prime aim of an MBA however, seems to be changing these days. A large percentage of students pursue an MBA because they want decent placements ! Whether he is a fresher, who needs a good job to start off his career with, or whether he is a candidate with prior work experience, who wants to get a much higher raise in life in terms of his salary !
I don't blame people for looking for good placements at the end of the day. I mean, you've earned that all-so-important seat in your school... So, of course you deserve an equally decent placement. But does that mean you will spend 2 years of your crucial time behind it ? Does that mean you will slog your ass out because you want to get into that particular company at the end of two years ? Does that mean that you have only come to do an MBA because THAT particular company comes to your campus ??? Naah !
I did my MBA from MDI, Gurgaon... And can easily say that more than 80% of my colleagues had come there ONLY for placements (This includes freshers and work-ex guys) ! That was one thing that disappointed me big time ! During placements (and even a long long time before that), you would see people sitting in the library, and reading... Reading what ??? Reading stuff that companies would look at during interviews... Reading stuff that companies would question them on... Reading stuff that they didn't want to know... but what the company wanted them to know !
Is that what I did my MBA for ??? Was that my sole purpose of earning a Business Degree from a prestigious institution ??? Was I there for placements along ? I don't think so... I was there to meet people... I was there to be a part of the generation that would lead India in the coming years... I was there to make friends... I was there to develop contacts... I was there to interact with like-minded individuals who would think beyond the obvious... But did I get that ??? No.... Definitely NO ! All I got was a large bunch of individuals, who could only think one way. The most famous question on campus was "Does this company come for placements ?" ! Oh ! Gimme a break !
I am not trying to say that people should not take part in the placement process, or they should not be looking for a job after an MBA... I am not trying to say that one should get into entrepreneurship and leave apart placements just because you have the fire in you... What I am trying to convey is that while you are young and enthusiastic, while you are in an "unlearn and learn" phase in your life, while you get a chance to interact with people (who are probably one of the best lots you can ever hope to get at one place), make the most of it ! Don't be too narrow minded to only aim for placements from Day One... There's a lot more to life than just that ! There's a lot more to enjoy in life, than just crave for placements alone !
Recently, when a couple of IIM-A grads (from the 2004-06 batch) decided to opt out of the placement process, and chose to start their own ventures, a few qualified MBAs commented that if they anyways wanted to get into entrepreneurship, why the hell did they waste 2 precious seats @ the IIMs ? My only answer to that is : They did not go there to get placed. They went there to learn. To interact with people. And to create a vision for the future. And I think they have done that beautifully well... Hats off to them !
I hope that the situation improves in the years to follow... I hope that students who decide to do their MBA look beyond what an MBA degree can offer... There's much more to an MBA than just placements guys ! I hope that when i meet some fresh MBA graduate after 10 years, and when I ask him, "Why did you do your MBA ? And what have you gained out of it ?", I hope I get a different answer than what I get from most people now !
posted by Samit at
4:38 AM
5 Comments:
you stole my feelings all thru this post!!! how i hated to see ppl around me mugging kotler etc. - just to get placed !! ppl rushing to me after getting shortlisted for Ranbaxy - just to "know" about the company... applying to every compnay that came their way and offered a good package...
very aptly worded post :)
By
Anonymous, at 12:32 PM
A "Rang de Basanti", management ishtyle!!!
By
Anonymous, at 2:22 AM
Very well written.. very honest.. to a large extent, jus my thoughts.. only thing, it gets more credibility as it comes frm the pen(keyboard) of one who has gone thru the rough n dirty! :D
Keep rockin'!
By
Anonymous, at 9:47 PM
Interesting thoughts!! If only you had voiced out your opinion in college... but on the second thoughts do not think it would make much of an impact!!!
By
Amrit Rao, at 10:25 PM
Yup Amrit, voicing opinions does not always make an impact in college... But this was the least I could do - Lay it all out on my blog !! Glad that you found it interesting :)
By
Samit, at 1:24 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home