I too wanted to be an MBA ... Part 1

Why MBA?

Because everybody else who “seemed” successful was doing one or had already done one.

It was year 2005 and every other day, I would read about astronomical MBA packages in the newspapers. One college reported a package of Rs. 2 Crore ($500,000), the highest ever offered in the Indian campus recruitment history. If you ponder a bit about it, you realize that it’s the turnover of a small sized company and probably the lifetime earning of class IV government employee!!  As they say, “Sabse bada rupaiyah”, greed had set in and I too was determined to become an MBA.

However, what they conveniently forget to mention in those news clipping is that Rs. 2 Crore package was offered to a gentleman with 15 years of prior industry experience and that the post offered was that of a CEO of a new formed subsidiary. They also forget to specify that batch size was over 200+ students and that least package offered was around Rs. 6 Lacs ($15000). Btw, did I say that person getting Rs. 2 Crore, would have to retire after 10 years compulsorily because of stress, hypertension, spondilitis and all other ailments. There’s no such thing as free lunch..5 hundred thousand USDs come for a price, often with an irreversible damage!!! 

But you only know about the inside story, once you are in the mud. The glass is always greener on the other side. So the stage was ready, friends & family, and every Tom, Dick & Harry insisted that I must also do an MBA.  Suggestions poured in, ‘MBA opens a new door of opportunity’, ’Your career will stagnate after some time, if you don’t do a MBA’, ‘You are ruining your talent ..’ and so on. Best thing about advise is that, everybody needs one and everybody gives one, but nobody follows.

It’s a bit digression from the context, but I had a handsome paying job at a big MNC. The reason I got into the job after my graduation was that I could no longer bear studies after about 18 years of education; I wanted to be self dependent and earn some cool money. Simply stated I wanted to enter the “Corporate” world. 

It’s worth mentioning about my job because I was too “occupied with work” on weekdays and weekends were to relax so I did not have enough time to prepare for the CAT. Years after years passed by, and CAT attempts kept on increasing… One fine day I realized that I have 3 years of work experience and still I am not a MBA; it was the right time for Plan B. 

I consoled myself, competition in India is too tough; there is no dearth of Indian talent but seats are extremely limited. Harvard admits one out eight applicants, IIM Ahemdabad admits one out of two hundred. There was no way each of the hundred thousand candidates, who appear for CAT each year can make it to IIM-A (the Mecca of Indian B-school).  Easier approach was to go for GMAT, a bit expensive but renowned and easier exam (or at least I thought so..) 

Where am I right now?

How was the GMAT journey?

Was the grass really green?

Watch out this space for the next update… Patience will be fruitful, that’s a promise (I just started blogging… gimme some time :o) 

Continue reading here.. updated after 2 years.. I too wanted to be an MBA ... Part 2