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When should you do MBA ? Directly after Bachelors/B.Tech or Work and then ?

Many students across the global with aspirations to pursue management degree like MBA wonder when should they get MBA ? Some think :  why waste and year, just get it right after B.Tech/ Engineering or any Bachelors degree .  What is the correct decision ?  I was one of those who used to always think like that : ” I should not waste time and get it right away”. But, luckily things did not work out and it is a very good thing I did not do it right away. I feel the importance when I am in classes discussing with fellow class mates.

When should you ideally do MBA ?
Short answer, ideally, you should work for at least  3 to 4 years and then start MBA.

What difference does it make ? Why should you work ?  
Work experience makes a huge difference. I can not explain how important it is. Many concepts related to  leadership, organization management, change management need work experience. You will not make much out of those classes if you do not have experience.  For instance, the question would be: how did you deal with your team ? what conflicts did you encounter as a team manager or member.  Think about it, if you have not worked, how would you know ? So, it is very much needed to have work experience.

What point in your career should you do MBA ?
You could pursue MBA for couple of reasons, either to change careers or move into leadership roles. In first case, MBA is recommended when you plan to move into leadership roles or you started a leadership role and need help to do well. Especially for leadership roles, the Golden rule is, you have to work for few years before doing MBA. In fact, some of the top ranked business schools in the world require professional work experience.  They know the importance of it.

In the second case, where one would do MBA is to change their career path . Let’s say you are in some sort of IT kind of role and you want to make a career change to strategy roles. One of the things you can do is get admission at good school, do it full time and on the way do internships in strategy. This gives you an option to change your careers. The key is internships, if not you may end up where you were and may not be able to change easily.

What can I do during my working period after Bachelors to be prepared for MBA ?There are couple of things you can do during your prep time. First and most important thing is to make sure you do well in the tests like GMAT, GRE, or any other test that you would take for admission. So, focus on the important areas that are part of these tests like Verbal,Quantitative, Writing skills, etc. You need to start to research about schools that could fit your passion and goals.

Now, second thing, these things may not directly help you with admission, but will help you be knowledgable and can help you in your MBA classes or after that for your career. Depending on your background, you can start studying books in finance, leadership, Innovation, articles in Economist, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, etc. You can do many of the online courses on leadership on Coursera or LinkedIn that can help you increase your business acumen.

 My Personal Experience :
My background is from engineering and I always had the perception that I should not get break in education and I will lose the track…but, my perception was wrong…I could only realize the value of work experience when I started to do the pre-requisites of MBA and then fully appreciate the value of work experience when I was doing MBA…Having said this, there are many successful students from elite schools, who get done with MBA from top Universities and come out with flying colors right after engineering…but, this does not apply to majority of the students…
What are your thoughts ?  What is your experience ? Do you think, it is important ?
 If you are stuck between decision to do MS or MBA in US, you may read this article on  MS vs. MBA in US – Coursework, Cost and Funding “

   

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288 Comments

  1. I am a bcom 3rd yr student, by next yr apr it will be completed and i am confused to go for bank exams or for CAT and XAT. Basically i want to do a mba in finance but should i do it after 1 yr of bank job (which i’ll do just for getting work experience n security) or now without wasting tym for writing bank exams and then cat.
    Thank you

    Reply
  2. sir, i have got 80% in 10th and 62% in 12th after that i have a gap of 3 years now i am doing b.c.a. ,please tell me that will i be able to get admission in a reputed m.b.a. college of India ., and for it what should i do and how much percentile will be required for it. sir please tell me and suggest me solution via male.

    Reply
  3. Hai i have finished BA philosophy via corespondance from IGNOU. I dont have any formal work experience and so cannot get any work experience certificate. I am planning to join any of the prominent business schools in India for MBA next year. I will be 26 years then. I do have 83% marks in 10th and 80%(science) in 12th and I am very confident of my intellectual skills. Can I get admission in prominent colleges and a very good job thereafter

    Reply
  4. I have completed my B.Tech, have 4 years of experience in IT & earning good. I would like to appear for CAT next year. I would be 26 when I write my CAT. Is it good for me to go for a MBA from IIM’s. Please suggest..

    Regards,
    Divya

    Reply
  5. Hi Sameer,

    I have done my B.tech from a recognised university and working in a IT company from past 2 years but it is a contract based and my salary is also low , I wanted to do MBA in a B school does this work experience counts. and I have been an average in studies with 60% in Graduation , 12th and 10th.
    Kindly suggest me can i make it for a good B schools and does my experience counts?

    Regards

    Reply
  6. Hi, I have completed my BA from Assam in 2002 and i have 6+ years experience in IT Field(Oracle India). i am 36 yrs old. Now I am thinking….Due to BA Graduation i am facing problem to change my job….could you tell me how far is true. I would like to do MBA in IT. Could you suggest me ……am i right track?

    Reply
  7. I am an engineer.But i only have an average percentile for btech . My father owns a below 50 men proprietary company (tin number).I was there for 2 years through most of all office activities.So I guess i acn show it in my experience. I guess its time to an MBA.
    1) MBA from India(cracking CAT , XAT or SNAP) or an international MBA(GMAT) or PGDM offered by international colleges(if i dont score well for gmat, planning to write IELTS ) is better?

    Reply
  8. i am studying BBA 2nd years in chennai i want to study MBA in US but one of my friend said that you must have 2 years experiences then only you can get admission in any top university to study or to get job is that true can u please suggest me what i have to dooo now

    Reply
  9. Sir,
    I am studying b tech 2nd year in EEE department. My goal is to study my MBA in IIM Ahmedabad. Can I get seat in IIM if I start now. If I want to get seat how should I prepare fpr CAT and which institute is best for CAT in Hyderabad?
    Can u please suggest me?

    Reply
  10. Hlw,
    I’m a final year student of B.tech. should I do the the full time MBA or Distance. If I do then when and which is prefered

    Reply
  11. I am b.tech final year student. .I dont have any communication skills nd technical skills..after my b.tech, which choosen z btr m.tech or mba?..job z very important for me..soo plz give me any suggestions?

    Reply
  12. Hi,
    I had completed my b.tech with cse straem in 2011. I am working as software engg. (Development) in IT company from last 3 years. I am confuse between MBA or M.tech. Which one will be better for my future. I want to do it with my job means part time or distance learning course wanted to do. Please suggest which one course will be better for me MBA or M.tech.

    Reply
  13. i am final year btech student iam not intrested in programing..i would like to do mba…which branch is better for me…………….

    Reply
  14. sir
    I m 32 yrs old and doing job for 5 years in power sector (PSU)as a mechanical engineer. I want to do MBA with regular course from any reputed college in India. I am confuse about placement after completion of the MBA course. please clear my doubt regarding placement.

    Reply
    • @manisha kumari -select PM stream {project management} for mba after btech.5 years experience is plus point for 4 u by which u can join the corporate office of an mnc type organisation.i hope u will achieve ur desire and fly.because i have done same.i was confused also after getting 6 years experience in iocl and ntpc. now………feel happy to choose pm stream.

      Reply
      • Hii Rahul..I am also working in PSU right now and would be completing 5 years in october this yr. I am from mechanical background. Kindly advice how PM stream has positively affected to you. Thanks

        Reply
  15. As i done by b.tech(IT) and working as a developer from past 1.7 years of Exp.
    What to choose specialization in MBA?
    If you have any other idea as to how to go about please reply…

    Reply
  16. hiiiii!!!
    At present m in engineering (3yr 2sem) from cse dept .After i complete my BE ,Can i directly write GMAT ,do work experience is necessary for doing MBA???

    Reply
  17. hii i completed my BCA in 2010 and i have experience in marketing of 3 years now i go for MBA in marketing but i m confuse do or not to do becos my age is 28 yers now and if i join MBA in 2014 this year it will take 2years form now and my age will be 30 years old so it will worth or not please reply.i am confuse

    Reply
  18. hi. i have been done my b.tech IT 2011 .after i worked 6 month in IT filed after i left that company due to some problem after i didn’t get any IT field.after i joined not IT field i have been working past 18 months in on-line marketing. i am not earn that much of money what i expect. now got confuse what i do change the field or continue same field . please tell me any one suggestion.

    Reply
  19. Hi,

    I have 3+ years of exp in IT field.
    I want to do Executive MBA.
    I am getting confused between Part Time Executive MBA (24 Months, requires 2+ work exp) and Full Time Executive MBA (12 Months, requires 5+ work exp).

    Is Part Time Executive MBA worth?
    I am planning to do from Welinker’s . Other best college apart from IIM, Sp Jain, Bajaj and Somaiya.

    Thanks,
    Mitesh

    Reply
  20. kya m.a.(history) me kerne ke bad (or 12th me bhi sience nahi thi, arts thi ) direct b.tech. ker sakte he ya koi or enge. degree ker sakte he . yes to kese or no to kis trah kere 10th basis per. ya fhir 12th science se ker fhir b.tech. karu

    Reply
  21. I am at present working in a structural design company, pretty frustrated with my salary scale of 16 thousand , i have been working for past 4 years.now i have decided to go for CAT 2014 and then my course starts at 2015 when i will be 28 years already and my experience in technical field will be 6 years then .I will be passing out when I am 30 year old, will my age and experience make negetive impact on me getting good b-schools? and suppose i get as a good b-school,but while campus placements will my age and experience become negetive effects on me?

    Reply
    • Hi Amrita,

      You can go for an MBA any time. But why dont you opt for GMAT. It ll be better than CAT and you ll et B schools based on ur GMAT score and experience.
      Thank you
      Ranjan

      Reply
    • @ dont mind these types points because technical mind does not feel tiredness. an engineer cannot be old for tomorrow. same like design, design can revised tomorrow to get be perfect, dont waste tym fo cat,do management course and get better life in construction field{*if regular course completed distance will be helpful,cheap and acceptable.6 years exp vs your salary not good. change the organisation.
      jindgi k jung me hain to kya muskurana chod de!
      jal jalon k khauf se kya ghar banana chod de.? key-everything is possible,depend upon u that when u surrendered to self.

      Reply
  22. Hi,
    i had done B.E.IT. I have more than 5 year of IT experience in Financial Domain. now i have to go for further management study with job. which MBA is suitable for me? Kindly guide me

    Reply
    • hi tejas. u have lot of experience. if you dont want to quit your job, go for the part time masters, a lot of institutes offer part time masters. though i would advise you to do it from welingkar. they’ve masters in financial management which my friend did and thought was vry good.

      Reply
  23. Dear Sir,

    I had done Btech in 2005 ECE, after that i have working in telecom domain for 7 years , but due to the extensive travel in my job profile i want to quit my job and go for regular mba.
    My age is 30, can I eligible to entry/apply any MBA colleges in this circumstances and get a MBA job,if it is possible then which subject in MBA i should go for?

    Sudip Sengupta

    Reply
    • Hi Sudip,

      Appear GMAT and based on your score you will get good B school. Chose courses like opertaions , strategy etc. IIMs and ISB offer PGP courses which will be suitable for you and will be relevant to your IT exeperience.

      Thank you
      Ranjan

      Reply
  24. hi,
    i completed my btech in 2012 and having one year of experience in a software concern under ITIS.Can u suggest me whether it is good to MBA,If so can u please help me what to do ??? how to apply for MBA???

    Reply
  25. Hi, I am an MBA grad and working for Bank of America. I would like to know about MS or MBA in USA. I have second class in my MBA. Am I eligible to do MBA in USA. I would like to go to USA on H1B visa. Please advice.

    Reply
  26. Sir i have completed my b tech in 2012 and i want to do mba .In mba there will be a subject which is related to accounts and how can i tackle them .which specilization will be good for my future .iam a cse student in b tech

    Reply
  27. hi,
    i live in ambala,i am in the last semester of my b.tech but dont have any job yet ,my perspective is to do job then mba ,but under pressure i got stuck between my choices ,make me mambo jumbo please help me out from this
    is it the right time to start preparing for mba from institute or i should go for job in skilled cities like banglore

    Reply
  28. Hi,
    It was nice to read your article! I have 5 years of experience in I.T as a Quality Assurance guy. I am pretty confused and in this confusion, time has passed and the work experience kept on increasing. Actually I did my engineering in computer Science, however I never liked computer science. I am guy of automobiles, they fascinate me a lot. Now, as per you, if someone needs to doing specialization in a field different from their graduation field, a lot of effort is required. So, I am confused now what to do, MBA or MS in automobile- if I can do that. However, I like things in which you need to apply logic and come to a result. I am currently in the U.S on H1B and wanted to know, what’s best for me M.B.A or M.S?

    Your time is highly appreciated, kindly help me.

    Regards,
    Abhishek Gupta

    Reply
  29. Hi, I have around 2 yrs work experience in Supply Chain Management as a Developer.
    Now, to move on in my career , If I do MS, again I will be a developer and have to wait another 6 to 7 years and then again I have to do an MBA to move ahead in Ladder .
    So, is it right time to start preparing for an MBA and by the time I get into MBA it may be 4 yrs experience. Is 4yrs Experience enough to do an MBA ?

    Reply
  30. I am a graduate in pharmaceutical sciences. I will have work experience of 3 years in R & D prior to filing my application for fall 2013. I am targeting top tier b-school, but the avg work experience for these are 5 yeras. Is it likely to get admission with 3 years for such schools?

    Reply
  31. Dear sir,
    I am ajit workng as an assistant manager in a mining company. I have done my b.tech in mechanical branch and m.tech in mining machinery engineering from a premier institute of india. I am 31 years old. But, i have heard that opting mba degree will boost the career to a great height. Sir, i have a confusion that isn’t my m.tech degree sufficient for my career boost or should i go for a mba degree ? Also, is there any mba degree offered for working professionls having the same value as of a regular mba degree course ?

    Sir, please clarify my doubts. Hoping a positive reply. Many thanx in advance

    Reply
  32. Hello kumar sir

    Actually I am a Mechanical Engineer passed out this year and 22 of age and wants to do MBA fro out of India that is from UK or US.

    but for that it requires about 40 to 50 lacks of money and there is no funding or scholarship and all for MBA

    but on the other hand there is lot of scope for MS as there is lot of funding for that.

    So please advice me that what should i do MS or MBA???

    PLease tell me so that i can pursue my carrier in the right direction.

    Thanks
    Have a great day ahead.

    Reply
  33. i want to know about mba courses….. after completion of b.tech can we preferred mba in USA and also want to know abt jobs in mba…. am at present studying b.tech final year and am thinking to do mba in US after b.tech.so is it correct deision or not am not able to think… plz give me some advice about mba courses and also about ms courses plz help me……

    Reply
  34. Same is the confusion for me , MS/MBA. I feel I am a management gal but the fact is am married now and have 4 yrs exp in IT. + gRE score 1110.Can i get good business schools in US. I have read tht GRE score is valid for bschools also.
    Should I retake and improve my score or,any chances to get good Univ on this.plz advice.

    Reply
  35. Hello kumar Sir,
    I had finished BCA degree (computer applications)through correspondence (distance education) . I like to study MBA in UK . i have two doubts regarding this
    1.) IS GRE or TOFEL or IELTS or GMAT is needed to do MBA in UK.
    2.) I have work experience more than two years as a System Administrator. but, i don’t have any experience like working with a team, team leader, team co-coordinator.
    3.) Did Studying in UK really makes a big difference than studying in INDIA .

    Reply
  36. I have done my B.Tech(ECE) in 2007 from N.I.T-Allahabad. Presently iam working in Power sector, Iam trying for MBA Exams from last 3 yrs but could not get success till now.
    Now i am getting worried for my future, should i go for MS or stick to the plan for MBA from IIM or should i apply for MBA in US. Due to power sector iam not in my domain subject (Electronics) , so i have no idea of Subject required in MS .
    Kindly guide me to solve these problems. I have passion for Networking/Computer related subject.

    Reply
  37. I’m also preparing to apply for MBA from Top Tier US Business Schools…

    Sir, I find your website very informative and self explanatory. It can answer my any query regarding MBA in US.

    I’m confused about one thing that what is good age for doing MBA. I am 34 and will apply for 2012 MBA classes. Is my age is ok for doing MBA or it won’t be worth-able? I am self made man and saving money to come true by dream of studying in any top business school. I couldn’t apply before due to financial constraints…but now I can do it. 🙂 Also, I want to carry on my career in world top markets. Currently working as financial analyst in M.East.

    Can you please share your experience and thoughts.

    Reply
    • Saleem, Your age is absolutely Ok. Few of my classmates were over 55… Lets do a quick analysis looking at your case… From your age perspective, you should be done with MBA by say 37. Considering general retirement age 60, You still would have about 23 years. Thats a lot of time for accomplishing anything you want financially and leadership role wise as well…
      Just go with your passion, you will be fine…it is worth it, dont get bogged down by your age !

      Good Luck !

      Reply
      • Great Sir.

        Your reply bring smile on my face. I am feeling more energy in myself that I can get admission, regardless of my age.

        Thank you again.

        Reply
  38. I have completed my B.tech in Information Technology and i am interested in doing MBA two years later. I have two options in hand now, work in an IT company or manage the family business. Which option would help me later when i do an MBA?

    Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Aganya, What is your goal ? Build your own company or work in a top class company in C-level role ? If you want to build your own company in the long run, I would stick to family business….you will understand the nuances in Entrepreneurship and help you be prepared for big ideas and big businesses…

      Reply
  39. I have been done my BCA in 2009, then I’m doing MBA (Marketing), I will pass out on 2011. I have a plan to study in Canada, SO which one I will do with less pend of money MBA or MS in Marketing? Also which one is better for my career? Please advice me

    Reply
    • Sayantan,
      I am not sure about Canadian Schools, so cannot advise….
      In any case, I do not understand why would you want to do something because it is cheap ? I believe, you should study something because you are passionate about it, but not just because it is cheap. My advice would be to find your passion and do it. Just think about what your ultimate goal is for pursuing higher education…you are already getting an MBA, why do you want to get another MS or MBA ?

      Reply
  40. this is a bit awkward to ask but i had to clear my doubt. when some one says i will join for spring fall 2012 does that mean that they are joining in jan 2012 or jan 2013, and fall 2012 means that they join in aug 2012 rite..please clarify this doubt.

    Reply
    • Yes Deepak, thats what they mean. Spring 2012 means, their classes will start in Jan 2012…Fall 2012 means, the classes will start in Aug 2012.

      Reply
  41. I would like to study MBA,sometime in future,should i study btech management or btech business administration so that i can do MBA?

    Reply
    • You can do either of them, it does not matter. Do what you are passionate about. The point is, anyone can do MBA because it is a management degree.

      Reply

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