MBA after work ex. in Software - To 'B' or not to 'B' ?
Friday, June 23, 2006
There are two kind of people in software. The techies (I prefer calling 'em geeks) & the smart-asses (the one's who believe in - Don't work hard. Work Smart).
While it is very much advisable for the former ones to continue in this field, the same doesn't quite apply to the latter ones. Down the line, they start realizing that this is not what they always dreamt of. Acquaintances earning fatter paycheques & colleagues moving faster in the career ladder are somethings which will always keep haunting the average 'smart-guys'. One short alternative is to do MBA after a couple of years of work experience. But the big question is - Unless its the IIMs or ISBs, Is it worth it ?
Before you commit to pursuing an MBA, you should take time to reflect on your work experience, your abilities, and your ambitions. You should ask, Am I where I want to be in my career and my life? And, What would it take to get there? Assuming an MBA will help you achieve your goals, think about what specifically you want to learn and gain in an MBA program. With sufficient self-assessment, you will stand out in the MBA admissions process as someone who is prepared and motivated. These qualities can help give you a real edge over the competition. The truth is, you will be competing with other applicants who are very well prepared, so you need to be very focussed & confident.
The two lucrative things that drives one towards an MBA are - quality work & hefty wallets.
Starting with the latter first - After working for a decent software company for a couple of years, the pay is generally decent, if not great. And opting for an MBA at this stage means taking a risk (And we're discussing non IIMs here). Because, in case your college is not amongst the top 10 colleges in the country, there're very bleak chances of you being offered something which you couldn't have earned otherwise (Continuing in S/W). Not to mention the promotions & the job-switch-hikes that you would've got, had you chosen the technical path.
Regarding 'Quality Work' (as it may seem). Its the ultimate fantasy of a S/W Engg. to hold the chair of his boss. But throwing light on reality, its not a walk-in-the-park after all. When people play one-day matches before delivery & scratch their heads in fixing stupid bugs, they always feel that sitting in front of a laptop & working on MSword/excel will be great fun. But they fail to realize what SpiderMan taught us - "With greater power comes greater responsibilities". All of it boils down to one question - Do you have it in you ?
If you're confident enough of your managerial capabilities (and making best use of them by getting select in the best management institues) , this is one decision which you'll have to make sooner or later.
Perhaps just because its the industry trend. Perhaps you just begin to lose interest. Perhaps you find something that interests you more. Perhaps your company is downsizing. Perhaps you're looking for more/different responsibilities. Perhaps you're feeling the sting of losing a promotion. Perhaps there's a conflict in the workplace or perhaps the new company is offering you a better pay/benefits. These are just some of the numerous reasons people find themselves on that precipitous cliff looking back on their career just as the dirt begins to crumble beneath them.
There are frustrations even in the perfect job. With experience we learn the grass is not always greener on the other side. Yet, there are times when the job just isn't worth it.
According to my personal experience, you can't tell if the job is wrong unless you've really understood yourself. Without clarity on your core values, skills and interests you can't distinguish between the annoyances you should live through and more profound issues. Your fundamental values may revolve around integrity, or working on a team, or making a difference in the world, or a better work-personal life balance or an array of other things. If the job conflicts with a fundamental value then you owe it to yourself to leave. If you have to contort who you are to do the job then it's time to leave because not only are you being unfair to yourself, you will never be delivering as much as you could.
Name: Nihar Ashish Home: Bangalore, India About Me: Nature soothes me...
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