Anyone who has anything to do with an MBA Programme must have come across this question multiple times at different capacities. Whether it is during preparation, during an interview, cribbing about the programme with friends/family or during soul searching, this question always pops up from time to time. One of the most basic and seemingly redundant questions, it might have a lot more to it than people think. I was talking to a friend a couple of days ago, and I felt that this question needed to be explored. But, it’s mainly to try and understand why this question has kept irritating me for almost 3 years now.
I first came across this question when I decided to appear for the MBA exams. At that time, I wasn’t the one answering the question, but I was on the receiving end of a sales pitch to convince me to try for this course. I had wanted to finish off my studies in one go, and because I didn’t want to continue technical education, doing an MBA in India was pretty much the only option left. And, my desire to not work in a coding job in an IT company meant that I had to find an alternative immediately.
I have personally come across this question at 4 different phases, which I will explain in the remainder of the post.
Phase 1: Pre Entrance.
I never took my entrance exams too seriously, and felt that mock interview and GD sessions were a waste of time. So, when I went for my first interview, I was inevitably asked this dreaded question, and it was something that I had not put too much of thought into. To clarify things a little, the year in which I took the exam was the one when the MBA Bubble was at its peak. The recession had not hit, and Lehmann Brothers was one of the dream companies of most Finance Students. I had very simple reasons to do an MBA, I believed that it was an investment in which I paid 2 years and received a salary around 2-3 times what I would get after engineering. Of course, such an answer might give me points for honesty, but wouldn’t give me a seat in a decent college. This is when I think the first lesson of MBA started. The ability to lie to a person, when he knows that you are lying, yet is there solely to judge the quality of the lie is something that one needs to develop. The interviewer knows the truth, just as well as everyone else why anyone does an MBA that there are very few normal people who genuinely enjoy studying. All MBA aspirants either want to earn more, change their stream, are entranced by a myth, want a break from work or want to delay getting into work. However, when facing this question you have to humbly talk about how an MBA would enhance your skills, give you knowledge for your overall development, some more random gyan and how you always dreamt about this programme and that this is your destiny. I may have exaggerated a little, but I hope you get the point. I believe that this is a good preview of what an MBA programme is, it is an elaborate facade where you pretend to study, analyse, research and come up with a groundbreaking presentation to dazzle the audience and astound your teachers, who know that you have probably spent an hour at night going through a few articles and sites and then collating the result. However, the teacher has to pretend to be completely interested and prod in between, to express involvement and exhibit motivation.
I never took my entrance exams too seriously, and felt that mock interview and GD sessions were a waste of time. So, when I went for my first interview, I was inevitably asked this dreaded question, and it was something that I had not put too much of thought into. To clarify things a little, the year in which I took the exam was the one when the MBA Bubble was at its peak. The recession had not hit, and Lehmann Brothers was one of the dream companies of most Finance Students. I had very simple reasons to do an MBA, I believed that it was an investment in which I paid 2 years and received a salary around 2-3 times what I would get after engineering. Of course, such an answer might give me points for honesty, but wouldn’t give me a seat in a decent college. This is when I think the first lesson of MBA started. The ability to lie to a person, when he knows that you are lying, yet is there solely to judge the quality of the lie is something that one needs to develop. The interviewer knows the truth, just as well as everyone else why anyone does an MBA that there are very few normal people who genuinely enjoy studying. All MBA aspirants either want to earn more, change their stream, are entranced by a myth, want a break from work or want to delay getting into work. However, when facing this question you have to humbly talk about how an MBA would enhance your skills, give you knowledge for your overall development, some more random gyan and how you always dreamt about this programme and that this is your destiny. I may have exaggerated a little, but I hope you get the point. I believe that this is a good preview of what an MBA programme is, it is an elaborate facade where you pretend to study, analyse, research and come up with a groundbreaking presentation to dazzle the audience and astound your teachers, who know that you have probably spent an hour at night going through a few articles and sites and then collating the result. However, the teacher has to pretend to be completely interested and prod in between, to express involvement and exhibit motivation.
Phase 2: Summer Internship
For some reason, I thought that once I am part of an institution, then I would no longer be expected to answer this question, but it wasn’t to be. During the summer internship phase, people started talking amongst each other to try and understand the choices and ambitions of others. This was also the time when friendships became strengthened and ideas were exchanged. During this time, I was asked the same question in an interview. Now, when I joined college, I was focused on majoring in Finance, but during my summer internship I went for a Market Research firm. And when this question was asked by this firm, my previous finance oriented answer became redundant. So, a modified version of the previous answer had to be used. This gave me another valuable lesson of what an MBA is all about. Just because one crosses a certain stage, does not mean that you can forget about what you did then. Also, in case something unexpected crops up, you have to be on your toes and learn how to adapt to it. It also means that if you have learnt something new, it should be used as an input to generate an improved result.
For some reason, I thought that once I am part of an institution, then I would no longer be expected to answer this question, but it wasn’t to be. During the summer internship phase, people started talking amongst each other to try and understand the choices and ambitions of others. This was also the time when friendships became strengthened and ideas were exchanged. During this time, I was asked the same question in an interview. Now, when I joined college, I was focused on majoring in Finance, but during my summer internship I went for a Market Research firm. And when this question was asked by this firm, my previous finance oriented answer became redundant. So, a modified version of the previous answer had to be used. This gave me another valuable lesson of what an MBA is all about. Just because one crosses a certain stage, does not mean that you can forget about what you did then. Also, in case something unexpected crops up, you have to be on your toes and learn how to adapt to it. It also means that if you have learnt something new, it should be used as an input to generate an improved result.
Phase 3: Final Placements
During my final trimester, as I approached the end of my course, I never dreamed that I would still be asked why I was doing an MBA. I thought, wrongly if I may add, that once the course is about to end, and people try to get a job, the why part should have been over, but it doesn’t really end up that way. During my final placements, I had ended up doing a complete about turn and had given up on finance in totality. I was quite selective about the companies to which I was applying, and I luckily ended up in one that fit my criteria. Ironically, this question was asked, not by the company that recruited me, but one that did not. I guess this question required an answer that would be a summation of how doing an MBA programme helped me, and about what I learnt from the course. It also gave an indication that MBA's are a stereotypical bunch and in case there is something that does not fit the bill, people find it unnerving and get curious. This also means that throughout your course you are meant to reflect on what you learn and if it fits into the plan that you had envisaged for yourself. It tries to show that learning is a continuous process and you have to present what you learnt in order to prove that you have become worthy of a higher position. Also, it indicates that you need to learn how to sell the skills that you have honed over these two years and prove that it is the result you were aiming for.
During my final trimester, as I approached the end of my course, I never dreamed that I would still be asked why I was doing an MBA. I thought, wrongly if I may add, that once the course is about to end, and people try to get a job, the why part should have been over, but it doesn’t really end up that way. During my final placements, I had ended up doing a complete about turn and had given up on finance in totality. I was quite selective about the companies to which I was applying, and I luckily ended up in one that fit my criteria. Ironically, this question was asked, not by the company that recruited me, but one that did not. I guess this question required an answer that would be a summation of how doing an MBA programme helped me, and about what I learnt from the course. It also gave an indication that MBA's are a stereotypical bunch and in case there is something that does not fit the bill, people find it unnerving and get curious. This also means that throughout your course you are meant to reflect on what you learn and if it fits into the plan that you had envisaged for yourself. It tries to show that learning is a continuous process and you have to present what you learnt in order to prove that you have become worthy of a higher position. Also, it indicates that you need to learn how to sell the skills that you have honed over these two years and prove that it is the result you were aiming for.
Phase 4: Reflection
This is the phase when the question was no longer asked by anyone, but by myself, when I started to consider whether the decision that I took a couple of years ago was the right one. It is when I did not have to lie or convince the other, but to evaluate myself and determine if I had reached the position that I had desired. Everyone entered the programme with certain dreams and expectations, and at this point of time one checks if they are on the right track, or if the course has ended, if they have reached the place that they wanted. This is when one realises that an MBA isn't just supposed to be a Means to an End, but the programme is supposed to be the starting block of a long journey, where one has to keep evaluating and assessing oneself and not lose track of the final goal. There are checks at different stages for one to ensure if they are on the right track, and if one takes a diversion, to understand how to return to that track. It also shows that the goal is dynamic. One might have started out with a certain aim, but experiences along the way may have given them the insight to understand that there can be a better path, and that there is no shame in changing the target accordingly.
This is the phase when the question was no longer asked by anyone, but by myself, when I started to consider whether the decision that I took a couple of years ago was the right one. It is when I did not have to lie or convince the other, but to evaluate myself and determine if I had reached the position that I had desired. Everyone entered the programme with certain dreams and expectations, and at this point of time one checks if they are on the right track, or if the course has ended, if they have reached the place that they wanted. This is when one realises that an MBA isn't just supposed to be a Means to an End, but the programme is supposed to be the starting block of a long journey, where one has to keep evaluating and assessing oneself and not lose track of the final goal. There are checks at different stages for one to ensure if they are on the right track, and if one takes a diversion, to understand how to return to that track. It also shows that the goal is dynamic. One might have started out with a certain aim, but experiences along the way may have given them the insight to understand that there can be a better path, and that there is no shame in changing the target accordingly.
In my opinion, the above is as close to a perfect summary of what an MBA is all about. It gives a person the ability to create a seemingly sensible conclusion that could convince or tend to convince an observer, even if the writer has no clue about what he is going on about, or is just lying. I believe that an MBA is a nationwide scam that is rampaging undeterred, and that many are using it to their advantage. The only thing one definitely learns from an MBA programme is the gift of gab and the ability to use certain overused terms while explaining anything. The ability to educate someone and convince him that he learnt something relevant, when they do know nothing about what they are preaching and the receiver had no interest in it in to begin with. One just learns how to make mountains out of molehills and try to show the other that he achieved something brilliant. And in case one is at the receiving end, to learn to pretend that the useless achievement is worthy of recognition surpassing Knighthood or a Nobel Prize.
All in all, I still can't answer the question - "Why MBA??" I don't think I ever will be. But. I doubt if this is going to keep me awake at night. For me, an MBA was worth it. I may be stuck in a city in the remote corners of the country whiling my time away, someplace that I never dreamed I would be in, but it is all right, because I know that it is a temporary phase and is something that I was prepared for. I had certain requirements from this course, most of which have been met. Besides, I don't think this question has a correct answer. The course was an investment of time, money and some effort, and personally, I think it paid off. Will it pay off for everyone else, I really don’t know. One thing I am sure about though is that this question will never stop bothering me and I will be forced to reevaluate myself over and over again. I never thought about why I did my Engineering, but Why MBA, this is something that everyone wants to know.
2. the tendency or disposition to do this.
in·tro·spec·tion [in-truh-spek-shuhn]
–noun
1. observation or examination of one's own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.
[from Latin intrōspicere to look within, from intro- + specere to look]
