“Thank God I didn’t take up an MBA Degree”!

By the time you read this, a college graduate will be filling out forms of various MBA institutes, and shuffling lakhs of rupees on its fees for the obvious reasons we know – considerable popularity- good jobs availability- better salary- good marriage proposals – making Sharma aunty jealous, etcetera, etcetera. No wonder, MBA is the ‘GO-TO’ degree that graduates take up blindfolded, pre-assuming this degree would spike up their career graphs and land them in jobs they have always dreamt of.

We bring you the story of Payal Bahirwani, who, like every second graduate was once a potential target of MBA institutes. Today she has advanced her accounting career, catapulted her practical experience while being internationally recognized, joined the world’s largest accountants association that has its expanse in over 170 countries, all this happened in just 2 years, but not with an MBA. No, you won’t have to wait for a conclusion part like Bahubali- the story unfolds as you read on. Yes- it’s equally exciting as Bahubalis’ conclusion- keep your popcorn ready!

It dawned upon her that she needed a degree that guarantees her employment and makes her industry-ready. She was confused and found herself on the cross-roads of her career. Fortunately, she landed herself on an Online Ad that flashed with big bold letters- ACCA. (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Being a number-cruncher at heart, she was drawn towards it in no time. After thorough research and guidance from mentors, she found out that acca course duration was a more student-friendly, affordable and flexible course that concentrates not only on theory but also on the application of concepts. She was attracted to the fact that ACCA provides global recognition, making her an asset for growing MNCs and Big 4s in India. She realized what she wanted to be- an ACCA. She requested a callback from EduPristine’s ACCA Program– an authorized training provider of ACCA qualification, they guided her towards achieving the ACCA membership.

It will not make you a genius

Businesses have been run well without MBAs for millennia. The merchants of Carthage did not need them. Kanye West does not have one. That said, an MBA will get you up to speed on business in a general sense. But so will a good book, for far less money and time.

The MBA is a club like any other: you are either in or out, that is its main selling point. Incompetent people will get in, and they’ll leave incompetent. But they will beat non-MBAs at job interviews because they had the money to attend a prestigious school and scraped through on Cs. You will not leave business school with the next Google, YouTube or Twitter in your head; if it is to happen, it will happen anyway. Reading case studies about Steve Jobs is not enough for you to become like him. To start something takes imagination and courage.

Do you really want to meet these people?

Business schools constantly boast about the network students can tap into. Don’t be fooled. Do you need to pay thousands to meet middle managers from industries that you have no interest in? I keep in touch with exactly one person from my year at business school, but if I'd met him in any other situation, we'd have become friends. I see a couple of others on occasion. But that's it, one person. If you gave me £24,000 now and asked me to go and network, I’d join a club like Soho House or fly to Gstaad and spend a season working in a ski-rental shop. I’d meet everybody I needed to, or at least someone who knows someone.

Do it because you want to

I was trying to please Asian parents. I had failed them in my teens by not getting into medical school, and instead joining the army. You cannot impress Asian parents. Unhappiness is their default. And honestly, I believe they enjoy it. My mother has berated me for over twenty years for not getting an arranged marriage. She never tires of it. I call home to tell her how my job at The Economist is going and there it is—that painful pause, hear it?—and then “When are you going to get married?” If I did get married, my mother would be unimpressed by my choice. If she chose my wife, she would be unimpressed that I was not yet Lakshmi Mittal. My mother is unrelenting.