NEW!Incredible offer for our exclusive subscribers! Read More
AcademicCareerAdvice

MBA Is A Choice, Not A Rule!

2 Mins read

I encounter many young men and women who have been led to believe that acquiring an MBA degree is somehow the final solution to everything. Many times, their families too urge them on.

mba

To me, this phenomenon represents a great tragedy and demonstrates the complete failure of the education system in correctly guiding students towards what is genuinely meaningful and appropriate for them. And certainly, as counselors, we can do very little to change the public’s view at large except write articles (like this one) which people will ignore.

In general, it is the fault of parents, who have unhealthy expectations of their children and wish to live out their unfulfilled dreams through them. There are always comparisons being made, with the children of neighbours and colleagues or relatives. And, even more seriously and devastatingly, with siblings who appear to be more successful. The tension and misery in a young mind is immense.

Many people spend their lifetimes in occupations that are inappropriate for them and live a life unable to achieve their true potential because of zero career guidance in their formative years. We have engineers who would rather be lawyers. We have lawyers who don’t like pursuing a career in law. We have software engineers who really dislike coding. And of course, we have the MBA craze where young men and women become sheep and join the herd without any idea of what an MBA entails.

MBA education is India, with a few pockets of excellence, is often below average in quality. Most faculty, have rarely worked outside the academic environment and cannot bring experiences and cases into the classroom.

In fact, it is the classroom discussion which is the most educative, and that is best achieved when the students themselves have at least 3-10 years of experience. If you ask me i’d say embarking on an MBA at the age of 21 or 22 is a silly and absurd thing to do.

As a counselor, I have seen people as young as 15 years old asking for suggestions on the best MBA schools. It is difficult to alter their thinking and ask them to be patient when they too are subject to peer pressure and parental nagging.

Recognizing these constraints, I do not try to achieve too much in my sessions. I seek to let them express their true desires. Even this simple task , which requires time and a patient ear, is often enough. At least they confront what they like and what they do not like, which they have not been encouraged to express at home or school. I ask them to list down what they truly like and what makes them happy. The results are interesting. Some want to do art. Others, a career in fashion design. Someone else may not be sure just yet what they would like to do, which I tell them is just fine. I then focus on making them identify their positive qualities and avoid being prescriptive.

It is sad that young people are reminded brutally of what they are NOT, rather than be praised generously for what they are. Many have a poor self-image because of this and suppress their true passions.

As counselors, while we can easily gauge what they really ought to do as far as academic pursuits are concerned, we also recognize that they live in constraints we cannot influence easily. What we can do is infuse self-confidence and help them positively alter their image of themselves. In the long run, they may make more informed decisions. Especially about the glamorous MBA.

Are you still confused if you need to go for an MBA? It’s ok, we are here to help. Talk to a YourDOST counsellor and get expert advice on issues related to career and academics.

1 posts

About author
Vasudev is a special friend from team YourDOST. He is an author, animal lover, visiting Professor, Management consultant and violinist, with significant work experience in organizations across the world. He has a particular sensitivity for those facing career issues at any level and through YourDOST he looks forward to being your friend.
Articles
Related posts
YD WarriorsAcademicFamily & Friends

How Therapy Helped Shachi Rediscover Herself After Her Lifelong Battle with Academic & Body-Shaming

3 Mins read
Hailing from West Bengal, 23-year-old Shachi currently studies Electronics and Electrical Engineering at VIT, Vellore. Her passion though has many forms. She…
StoriesPersonalProfessionalAcademicSelf ImprovementFamily & FriendsChallenges/IssuesAdviceWork CultureYD DiariesYD Case FilesYD WarriorsYD Stories

Nithya Fought Lockdown Blues in a Foreign Land With Therapy

4 Mins read
Nithya, a 34-year Project Manager from Salem, Tamil Nadu, is a perfect blend of career and musical interest. She’s been working in…
De-Stressing TechniquesAcademicSelf ImprovementRelationshipAdviceFamily & FriendsChallenges/IssuesAdviceSelf ImprovementStoriesPersonalYD DiariesYD Case FilesSuccess StoriesYD StoriesHealthHealth

How Anurag handled his breakup and continued to thrive with the help of his counselor

2 Mins read
Romantic relationships are where we bury ourselves emotionally into our partners. It gives us purpose and opportunity for most of us to…
Power your team with InHype

Add some text to explain benefits of subscripton on your services.

268 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *