Re: why you want to do mba - 29-01-2006, 06:21 PM

i found something that can be useful In the MBA entrance interview how do I justify my decision to pursue the MBA programme? When you are asked this for God's sake don't tell the panel that you are looking for a "challenging job in a good firm with lots of money, status and glamour". That is the first answer that most candidates think of. Unfortunately it is the last answer that will get you admission. In the answer to a direct question on this subject you must convey to the interview panel that you have made a rational and informed decision about your career choice and your intended course of higher study. There are broadly six areas which your answer could touch upon : Career Objectives : You could talk about your career objectives and how the two year MBA programme will help you achieve them. This implies that you have a clear idea of what your career objectives are and how you wish to achieve them. For example you may want to be an entrepreneur and wish to set up your independent enterprise after doing your MBA and then working for a few years in a professionally managed company. You could explain to the panel that the MBA programme will provide you with the necessary inputs to help you run your business enterprise better. But then you must be clear about what the inputs you will receive in the MBA programme are. Value Addition : That brings us to the second area that your answer should touch upon. What is the value you will add to yourself during your two year study of management. Value addition will essentially be in two forms knowledge and skills. Knowledge of the various areas of management e.g. marketing, finance, systems, HRD etc. and skills of analysis and communication. You will find it useful to talk to a few people who are either doing their MBA or have already done it. They will be able to give you a more detailed idea of what they gained from their MBA. Background : Remember, there must be no inconsistency between your proposed study of management and your past subject of study or your past work experience. If you have studied commerce in college then management is a natural course of higher studies. If you are an engineer this is a tricky area. You must never say that by pursuing a career in management you will be wasting your engineering degree. Try and say that the MBA course and your engineering degree will help you do your job better in the company that you will join. But then you should be able to justify how your engineering qualification will help. Opportunities and Rewards : You could also at this stage mention the opportunities that are opening up in organizations for management graduates. Highlight with examples. At the end you may mention that while monetary rewards are not everything they are also important and MBAs do get paid well. You must not mention these reasons as your primary motivators even if that may be the case.

Mgt521 - Pursuing Mba

Pursuing MBA Pursuing my MBA degree has almost become my greatest dream over the last few years. I always knew returning to school was in my future but had struggled on when to return. I have been interested in business and finance since an early age and throughout my education, I performed well in my classes related to this field. It only seemed logical that I pursue a career in business. Having my MBA would help me achieve my goals and be promoted to a managerial position on my present job. Currently, working at the University of Phoenix as an Admission Intake Specialist, my duties, responsibilities and my commitment to work would allow me to achieve that goal. After completing the Jungian personality test, it describes my personality of being ENTJ the chief which means I am extroverted, intuitive, thinking and judging. Extroverted is somebody who is sociable and self-confident. Intuitive means a person whom known directly and instinctively without being discovered or consciously perceived. Thinking means capability of using mind to reason, forming of thoughts, opinions and conclusions. Judging is giving informed opinion, assess the quality of something or estimate probability. After taking Jungian personality test and received a score ENTJ which means I am outgoing, visionary, argumentative, have a low tolerance for incompetence and often seen as a natural leader. Possible career includes manager, management trainer, stockbroker, lawyer, chemical engineer and police officer. ENTJs are decisive and effective leaders. After completing my undergraduate degree, I had immediately started to chase my dream of having the real life corporate job career. I started working at different companies in order to help and support my family. But, I always believed that I could achieve so much more. I learned that I wanted to be a leader and not a follower. I wanted to be the one that others could come to me for help, share knowledge, skills and

A great believer and follower of the saying, "The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential, these are the key that will unlock the door to personal exellence"; (D) I always had an appetite for business akin (similar,just like) my father, at a very juvenile (young) age. And after being an element of the organising and managing council at the school level, my goals started taking shape. As I grew up my definition of goals kept on augmenting (growing) with me; commencing with becoming a leading enterprenuer, to becoming a hotelier, then to become an ace of the corporate world and finally culminating (concluding,summing up) the list with being successful. But one thing that never changed during all these aspirations, without which I feel all my dreams and goals are incomplete, was the salt of success and happiness. For some they go hand-in-hand, for some they are wide apart, but for me they became my sole destination. And the corporate world seemed one feasible ladder to abridge the gap between me and my dreams and getting a Masters' in Business Administation would be a crucial rung (horizontal bar of the ladder to climb) of my ladder. To enter the corporate world I need an institution that would imbibe in me better decision making ability and the resilience to enter, sustain and flourish in the corporate world. JIMS can give me the credence and the filip to face today's combative era. (D)

There are two things in life that you do not miss until you need them. One is insurance and the other is education. Not too long ago a college degree was the minimum educational requirement for entry into corporate America. Today, however, to be considered for certain executive positions the bar has been raised to require an MBA, or MS for certain technical positions. In addition, if you have an undergraduate degree in a technical engineering discipline to move up the ladder into management the MBA is the typical vehicle needed to add the business basics to your skill set. These days, many university's are offering the MBA as a timely extension of the undergraduate degree. Most have been promoting a 5 year program encompassing the undergraduate and graduate MBA as part of the new term for students interested in careers in business. In many ways it makes sense and certainly avoids the risk that many take by never going back to school for their masters degrees. On the other hand, to get the full appreciation of the value of the MBA it is better if you study for your MBA after you have had some work experience so that you can have a greater understanding and application of the MBA fundamentals to what you already have already done in your career. This is especially true for engineers. The other real value of returning to get your MBA as a junior or middle manager is that you are introduced to a new collection of peers that usually becomes a critical part of your "network" for the future. Some universities actually require a certain amount of work experience as part of their criteria for being accepted to their MBA programs. In addition the exposure to the typical faculty members that teach in MBA programs represents another set of prospective mentors and networking opportunities. These faculty members are also usually involved in research and with organizations as consultants that could be another door opener for you. Lastly, the courses in most MBA programs and the deliverables require a level of analysis, research and teamwork that can be an invaluable learning experience for you. The majority of MBA programs have a Capstone course that exercises all of the course material that you have learned in the typical MBA. And to really top it off there is also usually an Entrepreneurship elective where you can develop a business plan for an idea that you have probably had for a business for quite awhile, which is another great opportunity to apply what you have learned during your MBA experience. Since you also move through most MBA programs as a team typically called a "cohort", the value of the team aspect of management is reinforced by your MBA experience. There are many projects and team presentations, as well as team competitions associated with almost every MBA course. There is a substantial time commitment to getting your MBA that needs to be clearly explained to your family before embarking on the completion of this particular degree.

You also need to realize that once you have your MBA you need to do something with it other than have it framed and hung on the wall. Unfortunately, the achievement of getting your MBA does not automatically qualify you for an immediate promotion with your current employer. Often, you have to look elsewhere to capatilize on the value of your MBA degree.

But one thing that never changed during all these aspirations, without which I feel all my dreams and goals are incomplete, was the salt of success and happiness. For some they go hand-in-hand, for some they are wide apart, but for me they became my sole destination. And the corporate world seemed one feasible ladder to abridge the gap between me and my dreams and getting a Masters' in Business Administation would be a crucial rung (horizontal bar of the ladder to climb) of my ladder. To enter the corporate world I need an institution that would imbibe in me better decision making ability and the resilience to enter, sustain and flourish in the corporate world. JIMS can give me the credence and the filip to face today's combative era. The other real value of returning to get your MBA as a junior or middle manager is that you are introduced to a new collection of peers that usually becomes a critical part of your "network" for the future. "The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential, these are the key that will unlock the door to personal excellence" That brings us to the second area that your answer should touch upon. What is the value you will add to yourself during your two year study of management. Value addition will essentially be in two forms knowledge and skills. Knowledge of the various areas of management e.g. marketing, finance, systems, HRD etc. and skills of analysis and communication. You will find it useful to talk to a few people who are either doing their MBA or have already done it. They will be able to give you a more detailed idea of what they gained from their MBA. Having my MBA would help me achieve my goals and be promoted to a managerial position on my present job. I always believed that I could achieve so much more. I learned that I wanted to be a leader and not a follower. I wanted to be the one that others could come to me for help, share knowledge, skills and