The world of business today is dynamic and challenging and only the fittest can and will survive. Gone are the days when employees had singular responsibilities and hardly any performance appraisal.

Today, most organisations expect their employees to not just handle their assigned responsibilities but add value to the organization in many different ways; be it improving systems, building brand image, developing business or represent it at various forums.

This requires the employees to have all round knowledge of the business environment and not just his or her area of expertise. Employees are also expected tobe smart and presentable, not just mentally but physically also. MBA courses by far are the only ones which enable individuals to develop the above required skills and competencies.

From a stage where management education was not previously given its due in terms of recognition or appreciation, today, the industry has acknowledged that it needs academia and the two are no longer exclusive.

Management courses definitely give you a solid foundation for your career and a full-time course always makes more sense compared to a part-time course, unless if one is already working and looking at a refresher to stay updated.

Management education has transformed considerably over the past decade and more so over the past few years after the global recession in 2008. These days, management students have access to a lot of electives that never existed earlier, with niche specialisations like retail or insurance.

Now, independent institutes or autonomous courses have the flexibility to provide a syllabus that is in tune with what the corporates demand at any given stage. From a stage where Indian B Schools had to follow a set pattern wherein courses were concerned, today they offer curriculum, content and faculty from abroad, not to mention the option of completing part of the course in another country.

This brings us to the key factor that prospective students have to consider before joining a B School — specialisations available. If an institution offers two to three electives as part of the syllabus, companies will definitely give it serious consideration from the recruitment point of view.

The choice of faculty also plays a major role. Corporates plan their recruitment after taking into account just who is coming to teach these specialised courses to the students.

Is it an in-house faculty who has never worked in that particular field or is it a mix of in-house and visiting faculty who have industry experience?An institution that offers the right combination will be given greater consideration and preference in the recruitment process.

While Indian B Schools in general and the Mumbai-based ones in particular are very pro-active in terms of guiding and counselling prospective students, the fact remains that a lot of students are themselves unsure about what they want to specialise in.

The question facing us today, is whether the students who select courses are making an informed choice or doing so out of compulsion, probably because they are not able to get admission anywhere else?


Students need to be relatively clear on this aspect. For instance, previously many students wanted to join BPOs because they have heard about starting salaries of Rs. 15,000 and above, but that was before they realised what the job specifically involves, the long working hours and multiple shifts. Specialisation can be a bigger success in future, if the decision is taken after three to four years of work experience.