Friday, January 28, 2011

How relevant is the prior job experience before seeking the MBA admissions in MBA colleges?

The Masters of Business Administration is the post graduate degree which provides the skill, knowledge and training in the management of different functions of the business to the candidates. It makes you abreast with the basics of the different functions like the human resource, finance, marketing and other disciplines. The MBA admissions are the most sought after by the candidates looking to improve their career prospects. Most of the reputed business schools intake their candidates through some admission test which can be held either independently or a few colleges can conduct a combined test. The tests can also be conducted by some authority or organization which is entrusted with the responsibility of regulating the affairs of some of the MBA colleges.

There is often a dilemma with the students whether to take the MBA admissions in the colleges immediately after their graduation or first do some job and then take to the MBA education for the furtherance of their career prospects. This dilemma is not something new. Most of the MBA colleges do not require the job experience as their qualifying criteria but some of the reputed ones might still be requiring the same. Some of the reputed MBA schools Delhi do require job experience in the relevant field for getting enrolled. For the candidates, the dilemma is really intriguing since the two years can directly affect their careers. But, it can be resolved by carefully examining the following factors:

1.    Reputation of the institute: If you are trying for the top institutes, then it does not really matter whether you are trying for admissions after having the job experience or not, unless the institute requires the same. For the less reputed ones, doing a job first might mean that the time is lost and even after the completion of the MBA, there is no guarantee that a very good or higher package might be obtained. Therefore, it is normally considered more prudent to complete the education, including the graduation and the MBA in one go.

2.    International or domestic MBA: If you are looking to seek MBA admissions in the foreign institutes then generally job experience is preferred. A stint in the social or non-profit sector is also preferred by some of them. Therefore, if the consideration is to take admission in such an institute, then a job experience is preferred.

3.    Candidate’s own background: For the well-off, there are lesser problems. For the not so well off, the job considerations after the graduation might be weighing heavily on mind. Taking a job is not wrong per se, but the right time for doing the MBA shall be chosen. Too much delay in seeking admissions to any of the MBA colleges might be a loss of career opportunities and prospects in the long run.


Institutes generally view job experience very favourably. This does not devalue your chances of gaining admissions in the top MBA colleges or your ambitions. On the contrary, it speaks volume about your determination to excel and only adds to the positive factor.

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