It was when this year I was applying for MBA, I came across the interesting questions that the B Schools ask. I read and re read but no answer came to my mind , probably because I have been going the usual path that many take.
So today I thought Bschools have for long asked so many questions, so why not ask them some questions that come to my mind.
Then I searched as to what exactly they want in their answers and I see a lot many things that they want from us, things which I actually thought they are supposed to give me. They say they look for Leadership - I am like how on this earth if I had a leadership role I would come to your school, also even if I have been in leadership position why am I more qualified to study in your school. I think schools are meant to teach things and for that the only logical qualities required are curiosity to learn and good analytical ability to understand to course. It is as if they are doing pre placement test like a placement agency making sure that they have a good quality candidates whom they can present to the companies coming on campus that at the end of day converts to high paying jobs hence increase in world ranking , reputations and the money that comes along with it. So my question is what is wrong when I call MBA school a placement agency ?
I never understand what these BSchools are proud of ? When you are already taking the most talented people on campus, what is it that you are providing. I believe even if MBA degree did not exist the people who became successful post MBA would have been anyways successful because they have it in them.
When I am stuck at questions to which I do not have answers I ask my MBA friends , they say you need to work on your essays, basically indirectly saying that frame a story even if you do not have any significant thing to write. But I do not want to do that, I do not like to boast, I am straightforward and I do not understand what is wrong in having a ordinary career. Is my sincerity, hardworking nature, my knowledge not enough that I now need to boast also. Don't you think its time to change the essays or the procedure or may be the course so that you can test something tangible or something which cannot be bluffed upon ?
Another question I have is why such a high fees to do a 12 or 18 months course ? I can understand this when a technical institute demands such fees from me, because they need the costly scientific equipment, the infrastructure for creating labs and lastly the qualified technical human resource which is very difficult to get on-board. But when an MBA college asks me to pay in general a minimum of 18 lakh I get doubtful, because what a B School needs is classrooms and conference rooms and little more infrastructure.Also I get to study a single subject maximum for a month, so I suppose it would be difficult to become an expert at any subject whether it is Finance, operations, marketing or organizational behavior.
If you say that you are providing a 5 star hotel kind of facility, I would say please do no give me that. I am here to study ,interact and learn and not to enjoy luxuries. I would prefer to live in a normal decent hostel rather than paying off extra interest in the bank loan for that unnecessary luxury apartment.
I see many schools give a one year MBA while others give a 2 year one. So if it feasible to complete the course in 1 year why do you want me to spend one more year. I hope if possible why not make it one year course ?
I get big time confused when I see my MBA friends going through the summer internship process so early. I ask them have you learned so much or sufficiently in 4 months that you are appearing for management role and then some of them converting into the hyped PPOs where a company without knowing the future performance at the course is ready to take person on board. This clearly signifies that the teaching at MBA really does not matter at least for the job sake, the only thing that I see matters is a brand name and your earlier professional life. So is it true that the course education is not really significant ?
The last question I have is from the companies. I was talking to my friend who did an MBA and now working in a development sector related consultancy. He says company gave me senior role, while a junior role to a colleague who has a specialized Masters in the development sector. May I know why you give so much emphasis to an MBA and not the person with specialized degree ? I am asking this because this philosophy of yours is making India lose many scientists/experts and creating more of generalist which are of not much use. This indirectly discourages people doing masters in specific fields of interest, I might be wrong, but because at-least I have been discouraged so I suppose there would be many like me.
PS: this is not an anti MBA post, but some questions and opinions that come to me just like an innocent child. Because it is said if you cannot explain it to a child you have not fully understood the concept. So Bschools can you answer my whys and help me understand the MBA ...... its hype .. its drama ..
