Life begins NOW…..

Every year the months of Jun/Jul assume different importance for me. I see so many of my young friends on the threshold of new life. Life begins for them now. This is the time when the results of MMS and PGDM are announced. FB is flooded with the messages and there is a sense of achievement. Yes, it is an achievement, fulfillment of aspirations. The moist eyes of parents and a affectionate hug of siblings enhance the pleasure of this achievement. But these achievements come with a price. The price that has been paid and the price that is to be paid in future, the uncertain one, the unknown one.

MBA adds greater responsibility. As a management graduate one is expected to perform better than others. The mistakes committed by others may be overlooked, but the management graduates are not expected to commit those mistakes. So better application of acquired knowledge is needed, eye for the details is needed and commitment to excel is needed. The maturity levels attained by management graduates help them to mould themselves. Many of management students ask me a simple question. Why should I do this job now after MBA? I could have done it even without MBA. That’s a very valid question. I feel MBA puts you on a different platform that helps to perform any job better and faster than non MBAs. One develops an edge and then over the years this edge has to be regularly sharpened to get better and better results. Management qualification helps to have a better vision. What cannot be seen, anticipated, visualized by others can be done by management graduates. These skills get developed, this may not be a part of structured syllabus, but it comes without asking. Therefore a job that a graduate can perform will be done much better and faster by a MBA.   

Many of my young friends who started at grass root levels are doing exceedingly well. The zeal for achievement, determination and commitment with a pinch of luck has done the trick. Adaptability to so far not known work culture helps a long way, be it a job or own business. My young friends who chose the less travelled path and used their MBA knowledge are also doing well. Developing websites, selling fruits and vegetables online, starting a fast food joint, venturing in to real estate or interior decoration business or just helping father to do better with existing business are the fields where my young friends have done noteworthy job. Taking risk and going on less travelled tracks helps in the long run. But one has to have patience and has to believe in self. MBA helps in this respect.

The world is changing fast. There are plenty of opportunities. These are to be cashed upon. One has to be proactive. Anticipate what will be needed a year later and work on that today. If one starts working on providing what is needed today, it may be too late. By the time one develops and offers something the needs might change, so work for the future needs and offer desired product at right time. MBA helps you do to this. This applies not only to marketing but to every specialization. HR has challenges to manage knowledge resources, finance has to work in challenging times as world economy is delicately poised, operations and IT will have to operate on higher platforms due to rapid changes in technology. Every field has challenges, every field offers opportunities, and if one has vision then one can see through for others it’s like unscaleble wall. Use your MBA knowledge here.

For all those who failed to get the formal degree, remember it’s not the end of the world. But the knowledge acquired is still there. Knowledge is indestructible. It cannot be destroyed. Apply this knowledge to whatever you choose to do in future. Success is certain. Remember one simple principle, knowledge is an advantage acquired, but this advantage can be nullified if not refreshed. No one should relax, strive to update knowledge every moment, be a student for life time. You will learn to succeed.  

Choose the field that interests you. Your interest will help you perform better. And better performance will propel you for the growth. Guide your future yourself. No one knows you better that yourself, so choose what suits you, what interests you. It’s time to begin, take right step forward.

And a final word. Be a good human being. All the wealth, power, knowledge is worthless if one is not a good human being. May God bless you all for bright future.

Looking for a job?

Looking for a job?

Aspirations are very high when one opts for MBA programme and rightly so. One spends couple of hundreds of thousands (lacs) for this programme and obviously expectations are high. Unfortunately for many of MBAs in India, these aspirations do not get fulfilled. Frustration levels are high and one settles for the same job that he or she would have got even after the graduation. A thought lingers in mind why did I do MBA if I had to do the same job? Certainly it’s a valid question but with multiple answers. Somehow we have a very strong equation of MBA and job. For many reasons we do not try to strike an equation between MBA and entrepreneurship. Job need not be the beginning and end after MBA. Undoubtedly this cannot apply to everyone. Each one has different priorities and may be liabilities, but time has come to look beyond. How many jobs can be created in India? How many MBAs will sustain in these jobs? How many MBAs will reach the top of the ladder? How many MBAs will use the knowledge of their basic discipline in the job they are performing? Answers to all these questions are uncertain if not unknown.

This morning I saw a picture posted on Facebook by one of my students. A young MBA was ploughing the field with pair of bullocks. I felt so happy to see the picture. There were n numbers of comment some appreciating but a large number criticizing. The basic question was why do MBA if this what one has to do? I felt amused at the expression. Does MBA mean only white collared job? Does MBA mean work within air-conditioned comfort of four walls? Can one not apply the management knowledge to any field that one opts for? Of course one can, but the mindset is such that we refuse to accept this reality.  MBA takes you on a higher platform that develops many skills and these when applied can give better results.

One needs to identify areas where skill advancements are needed and these areas have to be of the interest for the individuals. MBA helps one to use the technology for better results. Anyone can do this, but the MBA has an edge.  I very often see a senior citizen in one of the malls in Navi Mumbai, practicing astrology with the help of iPad. This is how the astrologer uses of technology for attracting the clients, for faster and may be better analysis and better profits. Many of the astrologers use computers and also advertise so. Imagine a MBA interested in astrology applying his soft skills and management principles for his passion. The application of knowledge can put that MBA above the competitors. I am not advocating practice of astrology, which can be a debatable subject, but I am suggesting application of knowledge to the areas of interest that can offer better results and returns.

Some of my students have already ventured in service sector. Some are engaged in agri-tourism, some in development of resorts, some in starting chain of play group and nursery, some are in online solutions, ecommerce, to cite few. All these students are MBA; they are using knowledge in the field of their interest. These students had a very clear focus of what they want to do in future and had the much needed support of the family. Some of them opted for a job with predetermined time frame to venture in business. Some of the students ultimately landed in own business after getting disillusioned from the corporate world. I feel one should not think that MBA is a waste of time, money and efforts. At the same time one should not dream of becoming an executive without working at grass root level, performing there, learning the skills before the take off. MBA will any day perform better than a non-MBA. Exceptions will be there, I agree.

Entrepreneurship in any sector will need the knowledge that one acquires during MBA. Many of the subjects that that one may dislike in school might be a requirement and can be effectively applied in one’s venture. Marketing Finance, Management Control Systems, HRM are extremely useful to develop one’s business. Marketing is important but has to be complemented with knowledge of other subject and vice versa.  Knowledge is an asset, an important resource that needs to be utilized for betterment. Young MBAs need to identify scope for using this resource in the area of their interest. Right application is the key to success. I admire more a MBA who successfully runs a play group (pre-primary education), than the one who opts for selling insurance in a non banking financial company. Both the choices may be out of compulsion but the first one offers better scope and satisfaction as one shapes one’s future not one’s boss.

Government cannot create jobs for 55% young population of India. They will have to help themselves. They will have to get into service sector and offer these services worldwide. Reverse innovation is the key to success. India has to offer innovative products to the world. Why should Indians learn Yoga from western world when Yoga has originated from India? Why Ramu’s VadaPav or Raju’s AlooTikki should find a place next to McDonalds. Why should we need help of Japanese to make mythological animated film? This has to change and it’s the young MBAs who have that knowledge base can do it. What stops them? Is it mindset, lack of vision, paucity of self confidence, inability to take risk, family support, corruption, red tappism, fear of uncertainty……..You have the answers.

Think……

Do you still need a job?