Should I Go For an MBA Degree in a Downturn?

Sorry if you expect a yes/no answer to this questiona cliché word, which is still the most important word
here, hard luck man! It is still you who has to decide.for your professional and personal growth. I say that
This article is intended to be a small help to put somewith confidence after reading data based reports
career stuff into a clearer perspective. All of us know,about how many people you know and each contact
or at least pretend to know the real reasons behindadding a slight percentage to your future salary level.
choosing engineering branches we opted for. I 'pretend'Consider this, my study group (MBA is all about team
my reason to be my love for computers back there inassignments, from one deadline to another, catching
year 2000. From 'my-dad-told-me-to-become-engineer'food and sleep in classes) consisted of a doctor,
to a 'quick-way-to-start-earning' engineering has beenbanker, two consultants and I (engineer). In my MBA, I
preferred choice of talented people in our country.guess I have made decent friends with lawyers,
But many of us decide later to move for somethingdoctors (all major specialties! consultants, finance
flashier and glamorous called M.B.A. Why so? Simplyexperts, etc. It really helps your personal as well as
stating, the perceptions of success (defined below)professional life
changes over time. I define success by my ownSecond, your aspirations change, obviously with a
concocted formula:positive thrust. That follows from the peer groups and
Success (at time t) = Aspirations (t) + Hard work (0 tointeractions with high achievers in various fields during
t-1) + Intelligence + Luck (t) + NETWORK (0 to t-1)an MBA. Here an important point is that you need to
Aspirations definitely need to high to achieve a highertake care about which school to target. Each school,
degree of relative success. Of course, that has noirrespective of what they project, has a major focus
implication on satisfaction levels which may not bearea from placements point of view. Certain specific
related to success always. But for purposes of atypes of companies visit the campus and get involved
continued well sounding discussion, we will assumein co-curricular more than others per campus.
them to be correlated (satisfaction and success)Aspirations of dream workplace and dream roles are
An MBA degree, may not promise you a superb highimpacted accordingly
paying job as media reports, but it is definitely veryThirdly, hard work and intelligence will not change much,
promising to work on each aspect to ensure a greaterexcept that you will realize that you can put in more
success in the realm of business. I am in no wayhard work / utilize more of untapped intelligence in
suggesting that those without it are any lesser or can'tpressure situations too. This one comes with time and
taste equal amounts of success. But the message Ipeople take some hits in initial terms and then realize
want to put across is, for people like me, it workedthe best that works for them.
wonders to change me as a person.All that is left is luck. Best of luck towards a successful
First of all an MBA, made me much more ''networked",life.