Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree from credited business schools or universities aim to prepare students for senior management roles in business in various fields of accounting, finance, marketing, and human resources. But it can no longer be considered as just a degree that gets you a high salaried job, there’s more to it. Let’s find out.

It widens your boundary – work in a country or geographical region of your choice.

The moment you opt for a different city, country, a different geographical region, your experiences in terms of professional or personal widens. An MBA degree helps you improve social, environmental and economic standards in private and non-profit businesses throughout the world.

It helps you get a widely-recognized top credential

An MBA is a degree that provides training in both the theory and practice of business management. It certifies that you have a general competency in all the major functional management roles in the modern corporation. Thus the moment you enroll yourself to an MBA, you buy yourself a ticket to a promising career and not just a job. The career can be of your choice – a job, a freelance consultant or an entrepreneur.

It gets you an entry to many and any organization

Most top notched organizations keep MBA as the minimum qualification as the entry point to work there. A Master of Business Administration prepares you for a managerial role in your current field, whether or not you’re already in the business world. Medical professionals, publishing professionals, real estate agents and tech support specialists are among the many that benefits from an MBA degree and attain a more rewarding position in any carrier they take up.

It helps you grow your networking resources

An MBA opens avenues for you to work in industries that you prefer to take in after the completion of the course through internship programs. These programs help you build professional relationships that serve you well throughout your career, providing essential mentoring and contacts.

It introduces you to the hardcore corporate world

As mentioned, through studying an MBA you become part of a great network of professionals and companies and you constantly challenge yourself with the newest problem-solving. These things together give you a great overview of the corporate world. This type of overview is very hard to achieve without spending a lot of time on it. The Program is designed in such a way, follows a pedagogy which launches the corporate exposure of a fresher.

It helps you polish knowledge acquisition

Now, an MBA education is usually pursued in a very specific situation by a young professional with a few years of experience and sometimes even by senior employees that feel up for the challenge. After some time in the professional life (even as little as 2 years) it is in the human nature to stagnate in a comfort zone. Studying a Master of Business Administration forces you to get out of your comfort zone, deal with the latest issues, apply the newest management techniques and just constantly challenge yourself, your practices and your approaches. Even if you are opting for it after graduation, an MBA will provide you with the channels to keep up with challenges and push you to continuously improve.

It helps to improve your Soft-skills

Soft skills are as important as any other business analysis skills – it is the key to personal of business success. An MBA helps you improve communication skills, embarks the journey of a personality transformation through the teaching pedagogy which makes a candidate go through group dynamics, negotiation, assertiveness and presentation tactics and therefore inculcating the ability to manage change, in workplaces which now require the above as most crucial skills to succeed in today’s business.

It helps you sharpen your Entrepreneurial skills – allows you to, be your own boss

If you admire to boss yourself, an MBA course can help you reach your goals. The leadership skills and management training gained can be turned into something profitable which includes starting up your business. A good business man would need that creativity to drive the dream in the right direction, people skills to manage a startup and an MBA degree will train you in critical areas like business planning, venture financing and small business management.

It helps you learn business management – Especially for Startups

Starting a business may not be that difficult as compared to running it thereafter. And that’s where your MBA qualification comes as a savior. MBA provides the tools, techniques and resources needed to run a business, namely risk management plans, performance plans, and project management as well as marketing plans.

It helps you gain an in-depth understanding of the business

The world of business (be it small or big) is ever changing. It is composed of many fields and principles that all interact with each other at the same time. An MBA program is a well-rounded degree that covers a variety of business areas for an in-depth picture of the business world.

It comes with a salary boost

Not to forget a successful career even equates to the monthly salary you draw. Well an MBA widens that boundary as well. An MBA graduate get to see an increment (depends on the company or the person) in salary within a year or half. The pay cheque is quite a valid reason to strive for an MBA.

At the end of the day, don’t think it as just another course. It’s a program that involves investing in yourself to make educated decisions in future based on logic and knowledge. It is not just for getting a better job or making more money anymore. If you are passionate and want to learn and grow, MBA is a something right to consider. You may make a ton of money or be happy with a decent amount, you may open your company or show your skills to grow someone else’s business, you may fail as an entrepreneur or experience a huge success, whatever you do, you know how to manage your finances and other things at hand with more knowledge and logic.

Not very long ago I was this timid and confused 20 year old who dreamt of taking the world in my stride. I knew I had it in me what I was confused about was the how part. Every time my dad would tell me as to how I was taking a lot of things for granted I would sneer back,” Just wait and watch!” and then he would ask the inevitable “How?” and I would draw a blank.

Fifteen years of doing something and now being at a phase where it all seems questionable is not a situation one wants to be. And surprisingly enough most of my friends were pretty clear about the way forward. One of them wanted to go ahead with a MS degree in s fancy abroad university, other was joining father’s business and the third one was preparing for competitive exams. And then there was me, who was sitting in one corner confused about everything around her at that moment.

Our education system is such I believe, it lacks somewhere in preparing a student for the future that awaits him/ her. Moreover somewhere I believe that the bookish knowledge imparted to us felt so wrong at that moment, for it never prepared me for the real world. It just told me the ideal situation and the way to face it. It never showed me how to face situations which are far from being ideal and yet have to be dealt with.

I was frustrated to an extent where now it was leading to being depressed about things. That is when a very kind teacher of mine came to my rescue. She taught me the rule of SWOT and showed me how applying this Golden Rule to all problems of my life would lead to optimum results.

SWOT analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. She asked me to divide the page into four segments titled like these and write whatever came to my mind when I thought of my current scenario. So began my exercise.

Strengths

• Equip myself with a masters degree
• Improve my job prospectus
• Gear me up to face the competitive world

Weaknesses

• Loss of time in pursuing education further.
• Lack of proper options available within the reach
• Improper facilities of getting admission

Opportunities

• MBA
• MBA
• MBA

Threats

• Entrance exams
• 2 years of rigorous on the job training along with your education preparing you for the reckless world awaiting you outside the warm corridors of your house.

The moment I made this list I was more than clear what I wanted to do next – MBA. I was so thankful to that teacher for having brought me to this conclusion. I felt as if half the battle was won but it wasn’t. I was wrong. The battle had actually just started and there were many such stages before I could finally scream my lungs out “I won!”

I deterred from celebrating my victory and began my work back to the thing where I had started. Having concluded that I need to do an MBA wasn’t enough for me to start working on it. I am sure each one of us faces this crisis situation sometime of the other in life leading to all chaos and the only thing being clear remains confusion. At that moment a lot of things came to my rescue, sharing 5 top most things that helped me not only sort out my mind but also become stronger in my determination of doing an MBA in Finance.

Amidst all the views and opinions given by many people adding onto my confusion the most prominent things that I could jot down were to understand why I wanted to do it and how well do I think would it help me all the way till my goal. The moment these questions came to my mind I realized how wrongly analyzed is this whole issue otherwise as people end up pursuing further education for some very illogical reasons leading to a sense of dissatisfaction in their minds despite completing it successfully.

It is very imperative to pursue education with a preconceived mindset about your expectations. It helps you have a better sense of understanding in terms of the future prospects and leads to the answer the most important question of life – what do you want from life ultimately! I, who at that time was all confused managed to find some really relevant answers after a long inner battle and today after all these years when I look back I see it with a sense of pride in all that I did to reach here for I can easily say I achieved all that I wanted to at this stage of life, and it wouldn’t have been possible without my masters degree.

It helped me shape my thoughts and actions in a manner that was the need of the hour. It was one of the most crucial decisions of my life, something on which my whole future depended at least for the time being and which was going to be a very decisive factor into how and what my future was going to be. Having faced such a huge dilemma then, now I feel it was all worth the analysis for it led to where I was supposed to be.

Had it not been for that confusion I would have maybe just been one of the herds and followed the herd mentality did something because everyone else was doing it too without any logic or reasoning behind it. I am really glad I underwent this exercise to reach this conclusion for it helped me pave my way for my future in a manner that none could till then. In this article I will try and capture the essence of the whole exercise I underwent leading to my masters.

• Why MBA? – In an attempt to find an answer to this Why I must have spoken to more than a dozen people. In those days social networking wasn’t so active hence I had to make do with friends, acquaintances, kids of my parents’ colleagues, teachers, seniors… I spoke to everyone I could think of to understand what they felt. Each one of them shared their valuable inputs but at the end of the day it was only me who could answer this question the way it was supposed to be. All of them put together could not do it for me.

 I observed that many of them were stagnant in their careers after reaching a particular position and on investigating it was found that their HR felt that people holding masters degrees were capable of handling jobs of higher posts with much ease compared to the ones who were holding only graduate degrees. Further even when it came to promotions, salary hikes and other such employee benefits people with higher education beyond the graduation were considered more than the others. This had led to a lot of bitterness no doubt but then they had no avail as not having worked for almost 8-10 years they were scared of quitting it all and going back to studies to ensure masters degrees. Moreover they weren’t sure if that would really help them the way they envisaged it.

I concluded that this is something that I wouldn’t want to take a chance on. Career was very important and so was growth. Career building could wait for two more years as I slogged on my degree but my growth couldn’t wait for something that currently was of utmost importance.

 

• Where do you see yourself five years down the line (short term career plans)?

Every time someone asked me this I would draw a blank. But then I realized this question held the key to the most crucial decision of my life. After a lot of mind rattling thoughts I tried framing my thoughts: I see myself in a mid-level position where I am an important support system for the team, I grow with the organization and learn all that I can applying the knowledge I have gathered till now. Not many people can boast of being in this league unless they have some fancy degree to back them up. So here we come back to question no. 1 which makes it imperative for one to have studied beyond the graduation and gained a masters degree.

• Where do you see yourself 10 years down the line (long term career plans)?

Beyond 10 years I see myself heading a team in a large corporate, using my expertise in driving the organization towards its goals, guiding the new team members in acclimatizing with the organization’s working patterns and evolving myself as a dependable team leader in terms of outputs.

I clearly see that I would want to gain experience in one of those MNCs or any of the leading Indian corporate to ensure my basics of work are crystal clear in terms of challenges, obstacles and yet having developed the ability to find a work around for the same.

This conclusion once again emphasized the importance of an MBA as that would help me sharpen my managerial skills at the same time help me gain some of those leadership abilities which were required for such work profiles.

• How well equipped are you currently to achieve the same?

Maybe 25-10%. That’s how equipped I felt at this moment towards the fulfillment of my either goals with my current education and mental frame.

• How do you think this degree will equip you to achieve them?

100% that confident I was of achieving what I wanted to after having finished my MBA as I believed I would have gained all the necessary guidance through this course making me befitting enough to face the challenges that would come my way, turn them into opportunities and make the most of them.

Now I was thoroughly convinced that the answers to all my questions lay in only one thing MBA and how it would ensure everything else would get workable.

Today as I share these things with you, I understand how important this moment is as one decision can make or mar your careers. Hope my words help you see through the things which till now were looking opaque.

Coming October of the second year of college and every other person is talking about CAT preparatory classes. Spending 2-3 years of your life just preparing for an entrance exam in itself makes it so scary and mammoth. This is the reason why at times CAT is misunderstood as one of the toughest exams to crack. It is a misnomer.

It isn’t about being tough, it is about the competition one has in these exams that demand so much of hard work and effort behind it to ensure good score. After all this is the exam which will open the gates to the much coveted degree of MBA! The moment you think MBA the next thing that comes to your mind is CAT, also known as the Common Admission test this exam has been specially designed to gain admission into premier management institutes. Your scores in this exam determine the institutes you are eligible for admission.

Like any other masters course this one also needs the basic fulfillment of a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with minimum 50% or corresponding CGPA.

It is a simple computer based examination where various things like your quantitative ability, data interpretation, verbal ability and logical reasoning are tested in duration of 170 minutes. The examination is usually held in October – November for the next academic year and the enrollments for the same begin sometime in the first week of August. The scores are valid only for the next academic year and cannot be carried forward to be reconsidered again.

CAT has no predefined syllabus and there is no way one can comprehend the same looking at past question papers unlike the school days. However keeping in mind the past trends in the examinations the basic frame of possible questions can be categorized as below:

• Maths/Quant Ability: Number systems, geometry, trigonometry, probability, permutation combination, algebra, mensuration, time and work, averages, percentages, profit and loss, quadratic and linear equations, etc.
• Data Interpretation: Interpretation and analysis of data based on text, tables, graphs (line, area), charts (column, bar, pie), Venn diagram, etc.
• English/Verbal Ability: Reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, syllogisms, analogies, antonyms and synonyms, fill in the blanks, sentence correction, idioms, etc.
• Logical Reasoning: Clocks, calendars, binary logic, seating arrangement, blood relations, logical sequence, assumption, premise, conclusion, linear and matrix arrangement, etc.

The Quantitative Aptitude section consists of mathematics usually based on 10^th and 12^th standard mathematics. It covers various problems from topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Business Mathematics. This section deals with your ability to solve real time problems applying your calculative skills. The Data Interpretation problems test the candidate’s understanding of the data and the ability to solve problems accurately while the Logical Reasoning questions check the candidate’s ability to ratiocinate and evaluate problems.
The Verbal Ability section consists of comprehension and the correct use of English grammar. Verbal Logic questions test the candidate’s knowledge of arranging paragraphs in a logical order, determining the type of statements, completing the paragraphs in an appropriate way.

The multiple options available for each question make it seem like a child’s play but make no mistake it is much more than what meets the eye. Based on the examination scores you qualify for the next rounds also known as the GDPI (Group Discussion and Personal Interview) which is your last chance to make it or break it. So in a way a lot of things depend on your scores in this examination.

Amidst the plethora of questions that surround you the first and the foremost one is of the scoring methodology adapted in the exams. Contrary to the popular belief every wrong answer by a candidate does attract negative marking up to almost 1 mark while every right answer can fetch you four marks each. Under such circumstances the best way to score is to leave the unsure answers un-attempted, that ways you will save yourself from the negative marking.

There are a lot of rumours surrounding this one as well like any other entrance exam. Rumours about the markings, the topics that can be asked, the paper setting style, checking… The list is endless. But the most important thing someone needs to remember is the knack of dealing with the question paper in a timely manner that can lead to proper marks.

Attempt all that you know and skip all that you don’t know at the first attempt itself that will help you save a lot of time. Post which try attempting the ones you don’t or are a bit unsure of incase you have time left with you on hand. This trick is useful in saving lot of time during the examination. For otherwise if you go sequentially trying to answer each and every question it is possible that you might not be able to attempt the whole paper within the stipulated timelines which also includes the questions you might know the answers too. This could lead to a lot of loss in marks especially for chapters you had prepared well for.

It is always better if you bifurcate the paper basis your strengths and begin answering depending on the same. This will help you aim at scoring better and ensuring less negative marking due to wrong answers. This strategy always helps in scoring higher marks as it not only saves your time it also gives you enough time in writing all that you know in a way paving way for better marks.

What otherwise students fail to understand is that attempting wrong answers is not advisable solely for the negative marking they carry. So for example if you know an answer right and two answers wrong you are actually still on zero with your marks for wrong answers nullifying the effect of the marks of the right answers. Such is the irony of this exam which at times goes unnoticed by the students resulting into poor scores.

The other aspect which goes unnoticed is the English Ability section where students get confused in between the English that is used in day to day language while conversing and one that is right as per the text book according to the rules of grammar. A trick that can help you in that is trying to form sentences out of those words and see if they fit in well enough for you to work according to the question around it. More often not it leads to right answers!

Candidates must secure a minimum mark in each section to qualify for that section and eventually for the CAT. The minimum marks required to qualify varies upon the relative difficulty level of that section compared to other sections of the test. Sectional cut-offs varies mostly on the basis of the performance who appear for the exam in that year. A candidate must also secure a minimum total cut off for the entire paper to earn GD/PI calls from institutes.

Having said all of the above, it is also mandatory to note that the CAT score is used separately by each institute along with other parameters i.e. academic performance, work experience, group discussion, written assessment and interview performance etc to select candidates. The weight age assigned to CAT score varies from institute to institute.

There is no easy short cut to cracking this exam except hard work and a disciplined regime; if you observe the habits and practices of the previous CAT rankers you will notice the same trend. Dedicate time to preparation and timely revision of each and every topic to ensure accuracy at the time of exam with quick reflexes to make the most of the available time.

It is very important for you to know your strength and weaknesses before commencing on the planning to understand what are the areas you need to work hard and the ones where you can make do with mere revisions without much time put in behind it. This strategy helps you a lot as it helps your strengthen your strong points and work more on your weaknesses so that if you face a question you are unsure of you can skip it and devote time where you feel confident to score better rather than mulling over it trying to get it right and lose important time in that process. In this exam time is the essence. As someone has rightly said, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”

The only key to success ever written in history is practice, for that is the only thing that can turn the tables for you when it comes to scoring. Practicing not only the chapters but also some previous papers by taking dummy CAT tests online will help you gauge your capabilities by a very large manner. Remember that what matters at the end of the day is the amount of hard work and not the number of hours put in. It is not important to study long as long as you study hard. One of the most important points, never compare your preparations with anyone else for that matter as you don’t know what you real capabilities are. As long as you know you are giving your best you should be bothered only about the output of the exams and nothing else.

 

As you have hit upon the ladder to the next level and among all other available options; MBA seems the most feasible and luring choice. Attractive packages, good job opportunities and exposure to the business world, prima facie everything appears hunky dory. But, before investing time and money, a complete evaluation is required to know the importance of these new three letters. Is MBA the right choice for you? Having the complete awareness helps one to contribute the most to the learning environment and thus creating the perfect blend of a degree and a career. Let us evaluate few questions for the complete understanding of MBA as a career goal.

1. Are you ready for the commitment?

Right from preparation of entrance exam to the two years in a B-school, MBA requires full commitment. Clear goals and objectives affirm the decision of pursuing MBA and there comes the commitment. Depending upon the choice of B-school for pursuing MBA, preparation for entrance requires sincere efforts and concentration. According to one of the famous book on Management, pursuing a career requires setting goals, prioritizing actions, keeping focus and creating realistic deadlines. It doesn’t end with cracking the entrance. The MBA is designed to equip students with pressurised corporate world providing in-depth knowledge of business and management. Commitment plays a major role here. Further in two-year course of MBA, it is required to complete a business project/internship to apply theoretical knowledge practically. Therefore, the complete program requires students to immerse themselves in thought-provoking environment for development of personal and professional skills.

2. Does the idea of being an entrepreneur fascinates you and so does MBA?

Entrepreneurs cannot be created out of thin air or by a degree. Yes, B-schools can certainly develop the entrepreneurial skills you have. Since business principles are useful in any field, MBA program is designed to coach the nitty-gritty of business. The syllabus includes majorly macro and micro economics, finance, accounting, marketing and human resources. These subjects provide the understanding of overall economy and thus giving the clear understanding of statistical data. Therefore, a MBA degree will familiarize you with basic business strategies and their application in organizations. Thus, will provide an upper hand in setting up a business but at the other side it is also essential to get the primary knowledge of key markets conducted around the world.

3. Alluring salary packages and top companies, Is this you are eyeing for?

No doubt, some top B-schools assure jobs and the relatively high packages. According to the past records of placements in various B-Schools, Highest package offered was of 1 Crore a year and the average package comes around 11.5-12 lakhs per annum in India.

However, the real value of a qualification is only evident over a period of time. The final day will fetch you job offers depending on the skill-set. MBA will help in developing the skills required by these companies. After the decision of pursuing MBA, looking for a B-school which will help you in developing these skills in long run is also required. No doubt, the packages will be higher but it depends on certain factors like the specialization, industry, location and ultimately narrows down to the capability of an individual.

4. Is this the right time in your career to look for MBA?

As said by a famous painter, Leonardo Da Vinci, “Learning never exhausts the mind” and thus mastering a field is enormous learning process. However, before taking a forward step towards it, analyzing your career goals and objectives is critical. Why you want to pursue MBA? For progress in your existing company, for better career opportunities or for specialization in business?

Although the answer to this question may not be right or wrong but the reason to it must be solid. According to the Philippe Oster, Communications, Admissions and Development Director for Duke University, the three major factors for deciding on the best time to apply for MBA are career progression, personal/market conditions and preparation.

MBA in India is an expensive affair Indeed, Investments are subjected to returns. It is also required to consider the inflation rate and market scenario after the end of MBA program. Therefore, assessing the market conditions, Job availability in key markets, offering packages growth of companies over a decade and returns over expenses is advisable.

5. Introspection is the true bliss

Best way to come to any conclusion is to analyse our own strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of all other queries, money tends to be the major prospective for choosing MBA. Keeping the attitude positive is must but there is no certain guarantee of landing into best package or job by doing MBA. To certain extent, it depends on your current position (career or job), skills and future possibilities. “Scrutinizing the merits and de-merits wisely is best advised before going for MBA”, says Jessee Robbins, MBA coach.

Anand, one of the brilliant students of engineering decided to pursue MBA. Like most of the others, high salary packages offered in MBA worked as his motivation. After cracking entrance with 97.6 percentile, Anand was more confident towards his goal. Moreover, he landed into one of the prime B-schools. But after spending a week in MBA classes, Anand realised that it is not his cup of tea. Besides, nothing interests him in classrooms teachings. Consequently, Anand has to drop out in between. If he has introspected before, time and money could have been saved.

Therefore, keeping a check on our inner self is no doubt a crucial exercise.

Having said that, every individual is not subjected to the same criteria or order of the questions answered for the evaluation. It is entirely depends on the decision of an Individual and thus, wisely making a choice would be considered apt. Complete evaluation of market and career options after MBA is necessary. Once you are firm on the decision of pursuing MBA, choosing a B-school and specialization can be researched on. MBA is a long term investment therefore knowing if MBA is the right choice will not only help in applications and choosing B-school but also help in making most of the opportunity once you are in.

Increasing competition and recent financial crisis have made the job hunting difficult. Potential employees continuously thrive for essential skills to keep them market ready and stable in job. Earlier, bachelor’s degree was sufficient to sail through but with the time, demand of master’s degree has been increased. As a result, undergraduates/graduates have started looking for career options after MBA.

According to studies, it has been shown that there has been increase in high number of Master’s courses. It is also found that a Master’s degree adds skills like creative/ analytical thinking, project management, problem solving as well as data analysis which are highly preferred by most of the top companies. Relatively, a Master’s degree is the key to advancement opportunities, career options and higher packages.

Most of the Companies prefer MBA graduates for executive roles. As a result, many graduates and professionals are taking MBA degree for career advancement and better opportunities. But, it is not an easy affair. MBA requires investment of time and money. Therefore, it is necessary to research and analyse career prospects available after MBA.

When asked to a top company that why do they recruit MBAs, the answer of HR was “We are looking for the 50,000-foot view — the strategic thinker who takes a logical approach.” Gone are those days when MBA was only considered for finance and consulting profession. Today, MBA has become the key qualifications for diverse positions in industry.   Why companies prefer MBAs remain a question in most of our minds. Well, companies while selecting a candidate look for certain skills which are part of MBA curriculum by the method of case-studies and internship projects. These skills include;

Critical Thinking

An MBA can analyse the financial status of the company but employers are not looking at the only aspect of an MBA graduate. How practically the numbers can be applied is preferred. Critical thinking allows one to evaluate and solve complex business situations and articulate the best solutions. According to one of the director of MBA program of International University, Case studies in MBA syllabus are based on real and current business situations which allow students to enhance their critical thinking ability.

Problem solving ability

Companies believe that an MBA graduate is able to frame questions, answer them, ask and collect related data. They are the problem solvers for any situation. They research, analyse and handle the complicated situations with solutions in hand. Although, a degree itself is not the guarantee but most of the MBA schools teaches these basics to excel at the management positions.

An MBA can expose you to diversified career opportunities. It includes roles in human resource management, strategic management, international business, operations management, etc. This degree program is designed to provide students with knowledge, skills and confidence to survive at executive and senior positions. To excel at these positions, companies expect one to have the expertise in the following areas:

1. Technical knowledge and understanding of how-to-do of a particular job
2. Conceptual ability to understand the relationship between each part of the company and as a whole
3. Human relations which includes understanding of people and effectively working among groups
4. Interpersonal Skills; communication skills, oral and written, effective listening and motivating attitude.

MBA graduates are hired in all areas like Sales and Marketing, General Management, Consulting, HR, Finance, Technology/IT and Research. According to studies, the average placements in top B-schools have been increased from the year 2012 to 2013. Also, in terms of packages, graduates are offered 20% higher salaries than their senior graduates.

Having considered the importance of MBA, it is also reasonable to perform a self-assessment. It is a critical step to give direction to your career. Self-assessment helps you to understand the importance of areas lead to career satisfaction. These areas are personality type, work values, priorities of life, career assessment, dream job, future growth and development. Since MBA is an investment of time and money, self-assessment plays a vital role in understanding your own needs in terms of career.

In addition to that, it also depends on the market stability and companies requirements. Economic conditions keeps on changing around the world and it is a must factor for job opportunities requiring MBA. For this reasons, being passive for a particular career path is not advisable. However, Looking at every aspect is necessary while choosing a career or degree.

In the Final analysis, MBA degree does improve your career prospects as it can open doors for management positions in diverse fields. Today, not only the finance sector but the industries like education, healthcare, consumer goods, NGOs are looking for MBA candidates. As an MBA graduate, you can think of all possible careers like banking, accounting, investment, marketing, consultancy for the supervisory roles. Furthermore, skill set required for management jobs like problem-solving, decision making, and critical thinking are practically explained in MBA studies. These skills add- on to excel at such roles.

In contrast of your starting career, a master’s degree can help you climb the ladder within your organization as well. It is considered to be one of the ways to gain promotions and hikes at the current organization. As a consequence, some of the companies also sponsor part time MBA for their employees. MBA remains a safe choice for both, whether professional or recent graduate. Therefore, MBA seems a wise choice when looking for advancement in career.

The battle between hard work and smart work has been going on since time eternal. We have witnessed a generation of our parents where hard work would make you shine and take you into a league which was unbeatable. How can we forget the times when we have been told innumerable times to concentrate on studies and ensure good marks, work hard for that is what defines our future. Friends and family will always be there. We grow up to believe it to be true and continue working harder and harder not thinking for a moment that what they are sharing is age old gyaan while the truth today is different. With the rise in technology and other developments around us the world has become very competitive due to which now the hard work has to be replaced by smart work leading to better optimum results.

In today’s times everything is instant. Instant food, instant love, instant friendships, instant makeovers with everything available at the click of a button from shopping to recharge to travel to education. It has its own pros as it makes life simpler for one and all. It brings together the world closer deleting the distances in a matter of seconds.

But on the other hand it also means one thing that the knowledge that is readily available online is also approachable to all those hundreds of people around you. With the stringent competitive atmosphere, it is very imperative for each one to make a cut and stand out amongst them. What will make one stand out is the way one will perceive the available information and present it in a form that stands out amongst the crowd.

A student might be very hard working and be able to by heart everything that is in the syllabus which will ensure perfect scores in the examination. But then that is what perhaps every other intelligent and hardworking student will do in the examination. What will set you apart? Some smart work for e.g. some diagrams, flow charts, illustrations etc will set those answers apart and make them stand out. And that is the best example of smart work.

Hard work

• Lengthier approach
• Sets the base for you as a human being in terms of learning

It is imperative that this is the way one should begin the journey of life. For this helps us create a base in terms of learning that entire one could about life. But there are many aspects where sheer hard work will not suffice for there is constant learning that is needed and in such cases only hard work doesn’t suffice. If you need to master something you need a lot of time and put in lot of hard work to be able to be called the master of that thing.

Smart work

• Shorter duration
• Makes you learn the shortcuts of it and still enables you to learn the tricks of the trade

Every individual in today’s times needs to know the difference between the two and also the important of being able to do smart work. It not only saves your time but also increases the accuracy in terms of performance. It is happens that after constant hard work when one doesn’t get the desired results one tends to get frustrated. At such times the only thing that comes to the rescue is smart work.

Apart from being intelligent these days the much sought after quality in an efficient worker is being proactive and that is a sign of a smart worker. And it is this proactiveness that will set that smart worker apart from a hard worker.

Technically it is not possible for one to be able to maintain a balance between the both. It is a hard worker who can become a smart worker because that is when they are able to see the various ways of doing the same thing in a better manner, more quickly and in lesser time. It is like gaining experience before hand and then trying to device new ways to sharpen that experience.

Worldly around it is appreciated that an individual is a smart worker rather than being a hard worker. As it is usually said in the corporate lingo, not knowing something is absolutely fine as long as you have the knack of knowing how to get the work done from whom. For that is when the performance remains unaffected. Smart workers usually end up being good managers because they are not only able to identify the work patterns but also gather a team depending on every one’s capabilities and ensure optimum output from the available resources.

In day to day work it might happen that you might make mistakes resulting into lot of goof ups. The trait of a smart worker is when you are able to find a solution before the damage becomes irreparable. The moment a mistake is made the reflexes should act quickly making you think of all the possible repercussions and also make you think of the ways you can avoid collateral damage because of the same. After all at the end of the day we are all human who are bound to make mistakes.

Being a smart worker means the ability to use your creative side more than anything else. For if you know that the way to solve this problem is a 5 step method, a smart worker will try to find out a 3 step method. He will not only save time in this way but also the energy put in the other two extra steps which now can be used in something more productive.

In the journey of a hard worker to becoming a smart worker once you begin to taste the success you will keep pushing yourself to keep coming up with smarter ways to do things and enjoying the pleasures it brings along with it.