An MBA is Not a Golden Ticket to Success

Despite the social status it confers, an MBA in India doesn't guarantee a great future

Growing up in India is not easy. Like any other developing economy (particularly one with half a billion plus people), the country at its core is still a very traditional society. So it is likely that if your father is an engineer with an MBA he would want you to do the same, especially if you are male. Frankly, there aren't many options after school that can guarantee a good career, the most common ones are engineering, medicine and business education.

The MBA is a very highly regarded qualification, but works very differently in India compared to other countries. An MBA from a top business school easily allows a person to change careers, get a new job (even before finishing school) and furthermore greatly enhances one's reputation, profile and standing in society.

This may come as surprise to a lot of people, but most marriages in India are still arranged and an MBA (be it from any school, of any type) can greatly improve your marriage prospects. Men with MBAs can be choosier with regards to their preferred partner in matters related to looks, occupation, family background while Women with MBAs prefer partners who command high salaries.

Despite this trend, an MBA is still no guarantee to a great Career and most people learn this the hard way. I came across the article below that talks about the advantages and disadvantages of an MBA in an Indian context, and sheds more light on the point I'm trying to make:

You can read the original article here

Advantages and Disadvantages of being an MBA (from an Indian perspective)
Is the MBA bug hitting you recently and are you eager to enroll in this course for a good future? If you are then let me show you some clear insight of some of its advantages and disadvantages.

You must be thinking doing an MBA degree has all the benefit and power to land you a plum job in the corporate sector. If you think so then you need to change your whole perspective about this. Well let me tell you one thing, enrolling in an MBA course does not necessarily land you a good job and a better future. I have seen many MBA’s who are indeed successful in life and went on to become top notch executives in the corporate. However, there are also a large number of MBA degree holders who for their whole life have been clinching on the middle management level and also in some worst case scenario the lower management level.

One should always keep in mind the opportunity cost that is being involved in enrolling in such a degree. Today everyone in India view MBA as a higher professional degree, which can land him/her a plum job offer in a multinational company. This statement which most of us blindly follow is full of flaws. Yes, I mean it, and when I say this I am trying to convey the message that an MBA degree may not be for you.

Keep in mind one thing that although a degree like MBA has its own rewards do not blindly follow the wind. Many people in India just follow the trend that is currently hot in the industry. For example if a new software course is in demand and on completion of which guarantees a good offer. Many people just flock to enroll themselves into such courses even if they have no previous software knowledge or an engineering degree. Eventually what happens is that the candidate will have either partial or no knowledge about the subject and end up as a looser. Even if the candidate does manage to get a job he/she will not be able to become a successful person in that sector.