Entries Tagged 'MBA Everything' ↓

Marketing includes Sales, Brand Management and specializations such as Market Research & Advertising. Sales responsibilities include achieving sales targets, mobilizing resources such as advertising budgets and executing special schemes and promotion drives. Marketing responsibilities include new product development, pricing, market research and sales forecasting. Brand Management is a progressive field where you are responsible for successful management of brands.

Designations like Product Manager, Brand Manager, Market Research Analyst, Territory Manager and Marketing Manager are all careers for people opting for the Marketing stream in MBA studies. Marketing has traditionally remained a very strong specialization option for students because of the elements of strategy, warfare and creativity in this field. Also whatever be the state of the market—bullish or recessionary—marketing people are never out of, or in search of, a job.

Product Management or Brand Management, depending upon whether the product is a manufactured product or a consumer packaged good require MBAs to control and co-ordinate and take responsibility for the growth and profit viability of a product. Promotional opportunities are very much there and a successful Product/Brand Manager might go up the corporate ladder to Category Manager, to even the Vice-President of Marketing or Marketing Director.

Service Marketing is a relatively new segment of the Marketing pie, and is being increasingly seen a separate category because the service side of all organizations are becoming important to retain customers. This is thus a parallel track to Product Marketing in many cases, and the main functions in service sectors like hotels and education. In the service sector, because of the relative importance of this function of marketing, the designation might be Marketing Manager, a person who oversees customer relationship, satisfaction and loyalty.

To help in all marketing tasks, is the very important function of the Market Research Manager. It is the market researcher who compiles and collated all data regarding customer demography, tastes, segmentation and database marketing operations. This job is extremely statistical in nature and requires specialists with a yen for numbers.

In the advertising world, the Account Manager rules. She performs many of the functions of the Product Manager, but on the agency side, handling company accounts and campaigns logistics.

Marketing is the discipline that is the most famous amongst Management Graduates. People with good communication skills, leadership qualities and who are raring to go places generally find it extremely interesting. The career in Marketing has the maximum to offer in terms of responsibility, challenge, innovation and growth. Thus, marketing can be your bread-n-butter if you are willing to take the plunge!

Aspirants for a career in Sales and Marketing should possess creativity and resource mobilization skills, apart from good communication and interpersonal skills without which it’s a waste of time to choose this line. They also display high energy levels and enthusiasm. Companies that typically recruit these live wires are in the business of selling the following categories of goods.

Fast Moving Consumer Goods

(FMCG) are products that have a short shelf life and are instantly consumed. The front runners in this category are companies like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate-Palmolive, Marico, Cadbury, Nestle, Dabur, Pepsi, Godrej Soaps, Reckitt Coleman, Gillette, and Smith Kline - Glaxo.

Consumer Non-Durables

(CND) are products that are in between FMCG and durable goods such as paints and lubricants: Some of the most popular companies are Asian Paints, Madura Coats, Castrol, Seagram, UB Group.

Consumer Durables

(CD) are goods that are durable such as a TV set or a Washing Machine. Companies that are popular recruiters from this category are Blowplast, Modi Xerox, BPL US West, Philips, Godrej & Boyce, Titan Industries, Godrej, GE, Whirlpool, Hero Honda Motors, and LG…so on.

Advertising and Market Research

Leo Burnett, LOWE India (erstwhile Lintas), J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather, Indian Market Research Bureau, ORG - MARG, Gallup.

An MBA with a Finance Specialization learns a variety of subjects like Corporate Finance, Costing, Budgeting, International Finance, Working Capital Management and Investment Banking, Securities and Portfolio management and many more of the same ilk.
The job opportunities could be in corporate finance, Corporate Banking in banks, investment banking in leading Financial Institutions like ICIC, Securities Analyst in Brokerage Firms, a dealer/ broker in the buying and selling of financial instruments. Most people may not be aware that operations in the Security Market or the Stock Market is one of the biggest industries in India or any country’s economy in the world.

Careers in Finance and accounting follow one of two distinct paths. An MBA in Finance can either be in Public accounting or in corporate accounting.

Public accountants provide accounting services to other businesses. Public accounting firms like the famous Arthur Andersen or KPMG are usually partnerships and engage in audits of companies and giving their expert opinions on the financial affairs of the companies. An MBA here can provide a holistic view of the company affairs and hence works with a broader function base than, say, a Chartered Accountant or a Master of Accounts (USA). Besides most audit firms also provide a host of consultancy and advisory services which an MBA is in a better position to do. The MBA degree’s broad curriculum also helps him give opinions and suggest solutions on client management, and other strategic issues.

In Corporate Accounting, an MBA is needed to manage the company’s financial resources and make sure that there is optimal use of resources. Therefore, functions like budgeting, financial planning, resource allocation etc. come under the ambit of the MBA. The designations could be that of Finance Manager, or Financial Analyst and the career path could lead all the way to Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

This is a career for people generally interested in quantitative skills and who would like to do a lot of planning, managing of resources and policy formation. “Number Crunching” is how most people would describe a career in finance! How best to manage money and its consequences is what Finance is all about? This specialization is a hot favorite amongst engineers. This is a career for people generally interested in quantitative skills and who would like to do a lot of planning, managing of resources and policy formation. “Number Crunching” is how most people would describe a career in finance! How best to manage money and its consequences is what Finance is all about? This specialization is a hot favorite amongst engineers. This is a career for people generally interested in quantitative skills and who would like to do a lot of planning, managing of resources and policy formation. “Number Crunching” is how most people would describe a career in finance! How best to manage money and its consequences is what Finance is all about? This specialization is a hot favorite amongst engineers.

As a finance specialist one is expected to be good with numbers and a keen learner as finance interfaces with accounting, auditing, investor interest management, taxation, etc. A combination of MBA Finance with Chartered Accountancy is considered as the stepping-stone to a lucrative consultancy career.

Firms that usually recruit for Finance are:

Banks:

Citibank, American Express, Credit Lyonnaise, Exim Bank, HDFC, Bank of America, HSBC, Standard Chartered Grindlays.

Consultancies:

AF Fergusson, Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group, Accenture, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Co., KPMG, Monitor, Noble & Hewitt, Booz Allen & Hamilton.

Other Financial Companies:

IFCI, Morgan Stanley, CRISIL, ICRA, CARE, GE Capital , UTI, Lehman Brothers, ICICI, HDFC, Saloman Brothers, Goldman Sachs …so on.

People are the most valuable asset of a company. Management in HR is all about this.

This view is now accepted almost in all sectors and industries. MBAs in this field generally specialize in Compensation, where they decide on the packages to be given to employees if they have a knack for number crunching or in Personnel where they are in charge of Recruitment and Selection, Job Analysis, Performance Appraisals and the Grievance Redressal Cells. They may also be in charge of Employee training and development.

Some new areas in HRD are Change Management, when a company adopts new management practices or after an Acquisition or a Merger. Other specific sections are Affirmative Action Planning and Equal Employment Opportunities. These areas ensure that there is no discrimination in recruitment and that it is done only on merit basis. These areas are not very prevalent in India, except in the Public sector where Affirmative Action takes the form of Reservations for SC/ST/OBCs.

Most people say that HR Management is the management of the next millennium. That is, if you can manage your people well, they, in turn, will take care of your organization well. This has become the most important specialization in management over the recent years.

HRM is all about helping a company reach its goals by focusing on people management.

The two broad categories of HRM are:

1. Plant (Factory) Personnel

The Plant Personnel function of HRD deals with maintaining healthy and positive industrial relations. The activities here include recruitment, payrolls, appraisals, administration, and all matters concerned with the Workers’ Union. A stint in Plant Personnel offers exposure to handling highly sensitive issues such as discipline and union negotiation. Top firms like ITC, HLL, and Coke specifically recruit candidates for the personnel management function.

2. Corporate Personnel

Corporate Personnel deals with HR activities in the corporate set-up that includes all managerial and supervisory staff. It covers all aspects from an employee’s entry to exit, such as recruitment, attendance, leaves, pay, appraisals, audit and exit interviews. A lot of modern HR practices such as ESOP, 360-degree feedback and flexible timings have been path-breaking initiatives by some bright HR manager. You should possess good communication and inter-personal skills and present yourself as accessible, competent and charismatic. Two well-known HR firms are William Mercer and Noble & Hewitt. Apart from these all the top firms need HR professionals as it is one of the basic service functions in every company.

Operations Management is a comprehensive production-related responsibility that includes Inventory Management, Vendor Development, Purchase Management, and also areas which demand multidisciplinary skills like supply chain management and ERP, enterprise resource planning.
A typical career would see one handling a few plants/vendors initially, followed by the responsibility for an entire factory, eventually undertaking a more strategic view like global sourcing for materials and imports.

In Operations Management the two basic divisions are the Manufacturing or Production Operations and the Service Operations. The basic purpose is to increase efficiency to its optimal level. Most MBAs in this line complement their Operations specializations with a lot or credits in IT and Systems. An MBA might start off as a Manufacturing Manager, Product Supervisor and go on to Technical Product Manager of the division. Further Career growth may include General Manager of a division and finally up to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a company.

In the service sector Operations include the same overall functions of Quality Assurance and Process Improvement, with focus on capacity constraints, queuing and outsourcing processes. Production specialization is generally preferred by engineers. Generally people with very specific inclination towards Production / Shop-floor Management go in for this. Manufacturing is one of the most important areas for any product-based business. Many techniques and theories have been developed by management schools which focus on issues relevant to the area. These skills are especially useful to those who are engineering graduates.

The four types of opportunities are in:

1. Productivity Improvement
2. Quality Control
3. Inventory Control
4. Production Planning

Operations Management is a comprehensive production-related responsibility that includes Inventory Management, Vendor Development, Purchase Management, and also areas which demand multi-disciplinary skills like Supply Chain Management and ERP (enterprise resource planning). A typical career would see one handling a few plants/vendors initially, followed by the responsibility for an entire factory, eventually leading to a role requiring a more strategic view like global sourcing for materials and imports.

The focus of the production specialist is not on engineering problems, but on the managerial implications of engineering problems. The specific skills required are behavioral, technical, and statistical.

These techniques are largely applied to manufacturing organizations. MBAs with this background stand a bright chance with several consultancy firms.

Operations is a new stream that has come in the recent years and is getting popular very fast. People with this specialization are basically inter-disciplinary in nature. The responsibilities are huge and so are the returns. The market has welcomed this specialization with open arms. An operations person basically deals in the various internal and external movements and flows within an organization that affect its efficiency. These flows could be processes, relationships, vendor development, ancillary management etc. Again here, engineers are the most preferred of the lot.

The skills required for any of the above jobs are eye for detail, people management skills, ability to negotiate, calmness in tough situations, sound technical knowledge, etc. Every manufacturing and sales and distribution company needs operation generals. Just to name a few…. Larsen & Toubro, GE, Godrej & Boyce, Asian Paints, Philips, Crompton Greaves, Siemens, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Udyog, Voltas, etc.

The emergence of Information Technology (IT) /Management Information Systems (MIS) has left no part of business untouched; especially due to the growth of e-commerce and telecommunications.

The last few years have seen the emergence of Information Technology (IT) /Management Information Systems (MIS) as a major function of any industry, from being just a departmental function earlier. Indeed, no part of business is untouched by Information systems because of the growth of e-commerce and telecommunications.

Operations MBAs require IS in procurement roles. The marketing MBAs use market research, and segmentation to formulate strategies; Finance MBAs require IS in equity research and corporate finance and even HR MBAs require IS in Change Management consulting! This is the reason that more and more MBAs are taking up extra credits in Information systems and IT even if they major in some other subject. For people specializing in MIS, the career path is quite rosy, if skewed in favor of engineers and technical graduates. One can join as System Analyst, and then go on to Technical Systems Manager and ultimately on to Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Systems and Consultancy is almost synonymous with computers. Systems activity is a support function which is responsible for customized-development of IT solutions in all areas — from automating attendance punching to putting daily sales and distribution data online, to developing Enterprise Resource Planning solutions. Consulting is provided to organizations to devise strategies for new initiatives in IT, Marketing, HR, etc. In the IT Industry, the options could be Project Management in a software development company like Infosys and TCS or Sales and Marketing in IT companies like IBM, Wipro, etc.

An Engineer-MBA with a sound understanding of business concepts is seen as the best fit for the job of a project manager in software development, but a non-engineer is no disqualification either. For a successful Systems and Consulting career, you have to possess good analytical skills, be a good team-player and have an unending quest for knowledge.

Companies that usually recruit for Systems are:

IT Companies: SAP, Motorola, Satyam, HCL, TCS, Infosys, I2 Technologies, Wipro Infotech, Mindtree Consulting, etc.

Over the past one decade the thing that has most astonished people in terms of growth is the IT Industry, popularly referred to as “INFOTECH” or “SOFTWARE”. In all spheres of life, computers are becoming part and parcel of all human endeavors and a career in computers shows unmatched promise, potential and a veritable goldmine in terms of innovation.

India too, has not been far behind as far as “Software Development” or Infotech growth. With the Government’s policy of reforms in 1991, the entire Infotech market has seen a quantum leap. This has enthused job opportunities for computer-savvy individuals like never before. But these days a degree in Computers is not enough. Generally most industries seek graduates who have flair in both Management and Computers. For such people, the career is an MBA in Systems.

A major boom in the next five years is expected in the field of Internet related Electronic Commerce. In fact, most of the IT majors are concentrating on this area as it promises one of the highest growth rates due to the fact that India still has one of the lowest per capita PC penetrations. Once the boom starts, experts predict it would be mind boggling. In fact, several enterprising young people have started companies that are dabbling in E-Commerce already. Engineers are best suited for a specialization in Systems.

Most Management Institutes extend programmes based on the variety of subjects with individual variations.

The unique feature of the IIMs is the flexibility of options in the courses offered in the second year; in most other institutions, students must choose an area of specialization and take all the courses offered in that area.

Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, conducts a two-year postgraduate programme in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations (PM & IR) as well as a two-year postgraduate programme in Business Management (BMD).

Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), conducts a two-year postgraduate programme in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations (PM & IR) as well as a two-year postgraduate programme in Business Management (BMD).Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), New Delhi, offers a prestigious course highly-rated by the employment market, as are the courses offered by Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai; Bharatidasan Institute of Management,Trichy etc.

Specialised Institutes: Some Institutes offer specialized courses. Students interested in pursuing such careers can join institutes like:

* Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) - Offers a Master’s Programme in International Business.

* Institute of Rural Management (IRMA), Anand - Offers Post Graduate programmes in Rural Management (PGDRM), and Development. Placement may be in National and International co-operatives, voluntary agencies etc., connected with rural development.

* Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai - Conducts Diploma programmes in Personnel Management and Hospital Administration which is rated very highly by the industry.

* Post Graduate Programme in Agri-Business Management (PGP-ABM)IIM, Ahmedabad - offers a programme for specialization in Agri-Business Management for students interested in rural and agricultural management.

* Post Graduate Diploma in Computer-Aided Management (PGDCM) IIM, Calcutta - offers a specialized course in Computer-Aided Management (PGDCM).

Let us have a brief idea of the subject that you are going to study in MBA. Why not look at them right now - we are going to managers after all. Lets behave like professionals!!

Most MBA programmes have a similar curriculum consisting of
(a) Foundation Courses
(b) Functional Courses
(c) Courses on Environment Analysis and
(d) Integrative Courses.

Foundation Courses include subjects like Economics, Quantitative Methods, Computers, Behavioural Sciences, etc.

Functional Courses include subjects on Finance, Marketing, Production and Human Resources Management. All MBA students should be familiar with all these functional areas. Depending on the student’s interest and aptitude, he/she may choose one or two areas of specialisation in the second year.

Courses on Environment Analysis enable students to comprehend environmental factors in the overall system like political, economic, social and cultural systems, legal aspects, competition etc., within which all businesses must operate.

Integrative Courses include subjects on Business Policy, Strategic Management, etc., by which students get a total view of the entire organisation.

The Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA) is the most popular business qualification in the world, and is fast becoming a prerequisite for management positions. MBA is normally considered to be the basic and ideal post- graduate qualification for taking up a good and rewarding career in management.

A candidate with a good MBA degree finds no problem in getting a good job and freshers are usually inducted as Management Trainees for one to two years, before getting absorbed in regular scales. After a few years of experience, MBAs may choose the job of their own liking on very attractive terms.

There has been a sea change in the economic and industrial scenario of India over the past few years. The Government’s policy of liberalization has unshackled restrictions and controls on business with the result that there has been a spurt of entrepreneurial activity and a spawning of mega-conglomerates. Increasing globalization has perpetuated severe competition and tough battles for market share. For business success, these organizations need talented, qualified managers with a professional approach. They turn to MBAs from premier business schools.

A MBA differs from many other postgraduate courses in that it requires that you have prior experience of business. It is not normally appropriate to start this course of study immediately after your first degree, and most schools will require that you have 4-5 years experience of business.

The MBAs recruited are credited with the following:

* The functional knowledge of the business organization
* The knowledge of functional interdependencies
* In-depth knowledge of at least one discipline
* The ability to adapt to new environments - micro and macro
* A problem solving approach
* The necessary inter-personal skills
* The skills of communication
* Self-confidence
* Initiative and the drive to succeed

If one takes a look at the profiles of captains of business and industry, movers and shakers of the corporate world, high flying executives, key decision makers, in short anyone who makes a difference to the fortunes of a corporation, more often than not, you will find they have one thing in common, an MBA from a premier business school. Be it in Marketing, Finance, Banking, Advertising or Consulting. Take any organization and, by and large, occupying the top and senior level positions are men and women of familiar qualification.

In today’s complex and competitive world, personal entrepreneurship is required to succeed irrespective of the profession/position that you are handling. Just having focused / specialized skill sets though important may not serve the overall purpose in a business environment. Some are born entrepreneurs like the Tatas, Birlas, and Ambanis etc. to name a few. However, this quality of ‘entrepreneurship’ is not inculcated or developed in professional courses of engineering, medical, commerce, arts, economics etc.

An MBA course would sharpen your vision, increase your business acumen, enhance you skill set and help you to view things with a business perspective. To highlight the above point, a pure engineer may not be able to appreciate commercial, legal, financial or marketing aspects of a business unit. However, coupled with an MBA, he/she is likely to do better.

For Engineering Graduates an MBA is an added advantage. As an Engineer, you develop:

1. Good analytical skills
2. Good quantitative skills
3. Good decision making
4. The art of attacking a problem head-on and reaching its solution
5. Instant thinking

But the industry these days requires you to have (in addition to the above mentioned skills):

1. Good communication skills
2. Creativity
3. Leadership qualities
4. The right personality
5. The ability to work in a team
6. Knowledge of all functional areas in Management
7. One specialization in Management

An MBA bridges this gap most effectively

Career profiles of specialists get ’stagnated’ and their acceptability from one job function to another is limited. In the modern environment apart from varied formal and informal training, an MBA gets irrespective of specialization functional job knowledge in areas of marketing, finance, HR, systems, legal etc. Apart from the ‘formal’ education curriculum students are vigorously trained and given exposure to industry, asked to take up social projects etc. A few institutes even provide specialized training for development of personality, mental and physical health. In short, B-School MBAs irrespective of their graduation background are specially equipped to tackle their jobs and responsibilities in a more efficacious and business-oriented manner.

The demand for MBAs far outstrips the supply. And that is the reason they command such great bargaining power. Where else does one get the opportunity of making it really big in a short time span, a high-powered life style, lucrative earnings, of fully exploiting talent and potential, except in a career in Management? No matter if one is an Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering or Social Sciences student. An MBA from a premier business school can provide foundation for a successful career path.

Often students opt for MBA in order to sharpen the skills required for being efficient manager. Completion of the MBA program leads students to find an employment where they can apply the gained knowledge. However even after competition of MBA, it is not so easy to get the desired job. But some strategies can drive you till there.

One of such strategies is networking. It is one of the essential techniques as most of the MBA openings are never advertised. Such positions are filled internally, where the management reaches you with their desired qualifications and requirements.

Another way is you can contact companies and mention about your degree and skills. Upon asking for the possible openings, they will get in touch with you as and when there are any vacancy matching to your qualification. For this you need to provide your contact details to them.

Most of the management schools offer career placements and run job fairs too. You can get in touch with college’s career office and check what they have to offer you. However do not rely much on the colleges as they concentrate on offering jobs only, but lack qualities job openings some times.

One of the other ways to hunt the job is recruitment agencies or headhunters. You have to make all your required details available to these agencies. They will help you to find job matching to your profile and expextations. They have details of various openings and it’s their job to find right candidates for the company. So it is easier for them to match your profile with the right company.

Apart from that, now-a-days you can take help of latest technology for hunting job for you. There are many job websites  like www.koolkampus.com etc are available detailing about the MBA vacancies. The recent development on this front is arrival of “aggregator” job sites, which helps you a lot. In addition you can also take help of conventional methods such as newspapers.

In addition, do not compromise on the salary that you wish to draw. Be sure of what salary that you expect.

You may still be wondering if the MBA is a good value to you. You have read articles and looked at some schools, but you would like to have insider knowledge about the value of an MBA degree. What if you could talk to some recent MBA graduates and alumni and learn what they think about the value of the degree? Are they satisfied with what they learned and with the jobs they are doing? What would they do differently if they could?

Twice a year the Graduate Management Admission Council surveys MBA alumni who have been in the post-MBA job market for one to five years to find out what they think about their MBA degree and what it is doing for them in their careers.

In general, MBA alumni report higher salaries than before they earned the MBA, high rates of job satisfaction, confidence that they did the right thing by earning an MBA, and satisfaction with the career opportunities that their MBA skills bring. This article summarizes key findings from the 2005 MBA Alumni Perspectives Survey.

Alumni on Post-MBA Employment

Job Satisfaction, Placement, and Advancement

The majority of MBA alumni are pleased with their jobs and their career progression since leaving business school. Most would strongly recommend their job, would decide without hesitation to take the same job if they had to make the decision again, and say their jobs are very much like the jobs they wanted after graduating from business school.

Forty-one percent of the MBA alumni got their first post-MBA job after graduating from business school. Thirty percent worked for their post-MBA employer during business school, and another 11% had an internship or work project with their post-MBA employer. Five percent of the alumni were self-employed when they graduated.

Overall, 38% of the alumni one to five years out of business school have received at least one promotion in their current job since graduation, and nearly a quarter of that percentage has received three or more. The average salary increases reported ranged from 10% for graduates with one year of post-MBA employment to 27% for graduates with four years of post-MBA employment.

Most MBA alumni say they could not have gotten their current jobs without the management education training they received as part of their MBA degree.

The Why, Where, and What of Alumni Jobs

MBAs both immediately before graduation and a few years out of school consistently cite the same top factors for taking their post-MBA jobs and staying in them: opportunities to learn new things, job autonomy, challenging work, and opportunities for advancement.

Alumni say the most important MBA skills they use on the job are the following:

• Interpersonal skills
• The ability to integrate information
• Oral communication skills
• The ability to think analytically

The large majority of MBA alumni work in their countries of citizenship (80%). Sixty-six percent works for multinational companies, 18% work in national companies, and 17% work in regional or local companies.

The following list shows what percentage of MBAs is working in various major industries:

• 22% work in products and services
• 20% work in finance and accounting
• 15% work in the technology industry
• 14% work in the consulting industry
• 8% work in manufacturing
• 8% work in the healthcare or pharmaceuticals industry
• 8% work in the nonprofit or government industry
• 3% work in energy and utilities

Satisfaction with MBA Choices and the MBA

Most alumni say they definitely made the right decision about pursuing their MBA degree (75%). They were less sure about their choice of schools; 53% said they definitely made the right decision about their schools, and 36% said they probably did. Eleven percent said they probably or definitely did not make the right decision.

With regard to choosing the right type of programme (e.g., full-time, part-time, or executive), the large majority of MBA alumni”78%”say they definitely did. Finding the right MBA concentration is another matter; only 55% say they definitely chose the right concentration, and 37% say they probably did. This result suggests that these alumni may not have had a good enough sense of what they wanted to do with their degrees when they chose their concentrations.

MBA alumni generally express a high level of satisfaction with the benefits they gained from their graduate management education. They express the most satisfaction with the following five benefits of the MBA:

• The opportunity to improve personally
• gaining desired credentials
• An increase in career options (this is historically the number-one reason people go for an MBA)
• Development of management and technical skills
• Preparation to get a good job in the business world

What They Would Have Done Differently What You Can Do Better

We asked the MBA alumni what knowledge and skills they wish they had acquired (or acquired to a greater extent) as part of their MBA education. In retrospect, MBA alumni say they wish they had received more education or training in the following areas:

• managing their careers
• conducting financial analysis and preparing budgets
• developing a strategic plan
• developing their networking skills
• recruiting, managing, and maintaining staff

These hindsight observations by MBA alumni can help you make better educational choices in your MBA programme so you will have fewer or, we hope, no regrets about what you should have learned when you were in school.

The good news for the alumni is that MBA learning never stops; with new degree and non degree programmes being offered all the time by business schools and corporations, MBA graduates can gain the knowledge and skills they need to continually stay ahead of the knowledge curve in their jobs and industries.