Excerpts from my interview on MBA experience
This interview was published on an online blogging site that is no longer functional.
- What was I doing before my MBA and what triggered the decision to apply for a MBA?Before my MBA, till early 2010, I used to work in construction. After completing my Master’s in Construction Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2002, I worked for a general contractor who used to build retail stores for the major U.S retail chains. I moved back to India in 2008, and worked in consulting for construction projects. (More on my profile here).
There were two main reasons for getting a MBA. First of all, I needed to improve my skillsets and develop a wider view of things. For the long term career growth, I thought it was critical. Secondly, I realized that in construction, career plateau around the age of 45. This was something that bothered me a lot.
I applied for the PGPX Class of 2011 in early August 2010, and I am glad (and consider myself fortunate) that the acceptance email came a couple of months later, following a very memorable interview. So memorable, that I included it in my debut novel, about which we will talk later.
- How was the MBA experience?The one year that my wife and I spent on campus is indeed memorable on several fronts. The late nights in the syndicate rooms discussing cases, the rigor of the program, the surprise quizzes… all added several “wow” moments to the experience. On a personal level, my wife and I got married three weeks before the program began, so it was a new environment, new experience, new friends, and we literally spent the first year of our marriage in that environment. Mrunal was the breadwinner, I was the student.
What I liked most about the program was the bond that developed among the peers and also the grade non disclosure. Do not get me wrong- I am not implying that one should take the academics lightly, but since schooldays, numbers determine our fortune in a way, In our society, one’s intelligence is also evaluated on the basis of marks they score in exams. Even in the work environment, numbers determine our performance, appraisals, and so on. PGPX was the one year (and possibly the only year) during which all of this did not matter. Nobody judged me based on the numbers I received. There was pressure to perform and deliver, of course, but it was not a perform or perish kind of situation.
The one year we spent on campus was one of the most memorable time that my wife and I got to spend.
- How does MBA stand in the wake of new opportunities?Many of my classmates (and several PGPX alumni, for that matter) have turned entrepreneurs, many have been able to change their careers. Startups are hot in the media now, but let me tell you, startups have been hot in PGPX for several years now. In my own case, I moved from construction to energy consulting to nonprofit and now back in real estate development – all within a span of four years. Changing careers every time is not easy, and often one has to start a notch lower than where they should have been, but MBA does open the doors to a whole new world.
Speaking of the other benefits of a MBA that are discussed often, but not discussed enough, are the alumni network and the perspective one develops towards all walks of life. When I was
4. Your views on recruitment programs for MBA (if any)? What are the skills you find? What are the gaps?
One of the biggest misconceptions that I have encountered from the MBA candidates and the people in general is that they see MBA as a ticket to a high paying job and careers take off right away. It may be true for some but not for all- certainly in the short term. Once we take that bias out of the equation, I must say that MBA can be a gateway to the opportunities that one may not even know exist. Employers need to understand that a PGPX cohort, for example, is very different from a typical campus recruitment. I was surprised to see recruiters who were under 25 with hardly three years of experience interviewing those who had over a decade of experience.
This interview is dated early 2015. Amar’s LinkedIn Profile is available here.