This is a classic question many people kept asking me in the past 3 months. Its a frustrating question to react to but a very valid question that must be answered by every graduate. Some people asked my directly on how i am going to use my MBA at work and others asked me very politely that they assume that I have a promotion or a pay rise in the coming months. Many felt there is no use of my MBA degree if i don’t do that “next” thing. This blog is like my journal and I thought of reflecting some thoughts on the big question of what’s next.

Why I did my MBA : 

1. As a technology guy with computer science background, I worked in various industries and not always understood how it “all worked together”.
2. I had no idea why economists, accountants, financial analysts and statisticians are critical to businesses and organizations. As silly as it may sound, I never understood difference between Accounting and Finance topics 🙂
3. I could talk and think about the technology and i felt it might give me a good chance to succeed if I knew how to talk and think business.
4. I could not make much sense of the technology, business models, innovation, customers, markets, international marketing, micro and macro economics, marketing mix, M&A, org. behavior, HR and CRM.
5. I had 2 opportunities to go independent and start a company and i did not have the confidence to do so (and of course, i did not understand if MBA would help)

What I learned from my MBA :

1. Think; Decide; Do it; Get the results; Learn; Move on.
2. How to ask right questions and connect the dots with the answers.
3. I don’t need to have all the answers but i should know all the people who can answer my questions
4. How you decide and what you decide are equally important. Use the right set of tools and methods appropriately and practice the decision making process repeatedly.
5. A right or wrong decision is not absolute. Decision making process is relative to what information, data and goals you have at that time.

Is it worth it ?

It could be a million dollar question. But to make it simple, i would say an affirmative and positive YES. When i look at what I learned in my MBA class, they are applicable to personal as well as professional life. They build confidence that I know how to connect the dots and problems can be solved one way or the other.  While the take home lessons from an MBA degree could be different to different people, I think its mostly to do with how you apply your lessons from MBA and make them a habit in life.

“Knowing and not doing is not knowing”

Not talking too technical here, I feel, I can better analyze and solve problems, find my way out, understand the power dynamics, understand the customers and markets that everyone serves to.

So what ?

This question is hard to answer. If a third person does not feel a difference with you before and after MBA then there is a problem. The problem many people face is when they try to “showoff” business degree knowledge when they talk to others. Instead, i have seen many successful people who mixes business knowledge and human touch to the problems.

Hopefully the MBA graduates do better in their jobs and think about the business responsibility to the society. Ultimately prevent any future Enron, Worldcom, Freddie Mac and likes and hurt the confidence on the economic systems in our society.

What’s next ? 

I have no idea at this point of time on what’s next. I am currently on vacation in India and really not thinking about this next thing in my career. But i am sure I will think about it eventually and do something. I still don’t know what, why and where. I have lots of unanswered questions. While this phase of my life is the most difficult and frustrating one, this probably has meaningful end result.

“Keep looking and don’t settle” 🙂

I definitely hope to write a Update to this story and see “What i did next ?”