MBA Business ...Its all about money..

Why MBA? Well not many people ask this question today. After spending 3 years graduating (enjoying college) in arts/commerce/science, when one enters a 'happy realization' mode that he/she is one of those crores of graduates that have flocked out of an obsolete educational system, one wants to do 'something' in life. And that 'something' today is MBA; for students who know that they cant do computers and do not want to do CA. After all it serves as a visa for entry into good organisations. (I am not talking here of those handful of focussed students who decide very early in their life what their ambitions and goals are. My due respect and great thanks to them.)

So coming back to MBA, getting a seat for MBA is not as difficult as it was some years ago, considering that institutes offering MBA courses are exploding like serial blasts occurring all over the country.

My question is not 'Why MBA?', but 'What MBA?' This question has come to me many a times. When I was myself a part of this 2 years ago, and also today when my profession requires me to interact with our 'freshers'.

But our 'freshers' have something else to ask... and that is 'What is the package?' I approached nearly 40 MBA students today, some with jobs and some still in search of one (with a good package). Well almost 90% of them did not bother of what the job profile was, which company, what is their learning. They were just worried about the 'package'! It seemed that they were so burdened with the fact that their parents spent plenty of money for their education; that they want to repay it all with interest asap.

Nearly 70% of these students were unable to frame a simple sentence in English, forget judging them on their communication skills. And one Mr. X played some practical jokes on me: I asked him "What is your role in xxx company as a yyy.?", to which he answered, "Yes, I am on company payroll."!!!!!! Yes, I am still alive and in my correct senses yet, though I truly was dumbstruck.

Is anyone worried of how to increase one's employability, of how to make oneself competent for entry and survival in the market, of what profile to go for that will help shape ones career? I would also blame the institutes that are repeatedly failing to produce leaders for tomorrow. Isn't it the duty of the management colleges to instill the correct attitudes in the students who are going to be the future of India? Or should we assume that its all about making money-be it the institutes or the students who graduate from them?

- VAISHALI PARGAONKAR