MBA after Graduation VS MBA after Work Experience, What Should be the Right Time?

MBA is a valuable degree that enhances your career by imparting credible skills to you. This degree prepares you completely for the industry where you learn key concepts of business, people management, project delivery, and handling, and you also learn networking and communication skills that give a great boost to your career. As we understand the magnitude of this degree, one of the biggest questions that matter is are you pursuing an MBA from the best institute? To get the benefits of this degree rather than encircling around the confusion to pursue it after graduation or work experience, what matters most is that you choose the best to earn this degree.

One such top B School is CMS B School an integral part of Jain (Deemed-to-be University), it is India's primary business school with a global perspective. It has been one of the most preferred business schools for MBA students situated in Bengaluru India, and it also attracts international students from across the globe.

Advantages of pursuing MBA after graduation

Having an MBA degree is equivalent to having a magic wand. It opens a plethora of new opportunities – both from a personal and professional perspective. From the professional point of view, you will be introduced to newer and better career opportunities and growth whereas, from the personal front, you will imbibe different life skills like critical thinking, leadership, and time management and all of it will help you excel in your life.

So, to put it simpler, here are some advantages of pursuing an MBA after graduation:

• Gateway to a better future: According to a survey, the majority of companies are inclined to select candidates who have completed their MBA in the concerned field. An MBA degree paves the way for a better future for individuals altogether.
• Improved professional skills: Undergoing a highly professional course like MBA makes you industry ready. You learn and develop important soft skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, etc.
• Become a global citizen: MBA allows you to nurture your global perspective on how each industry works in different parts of the world. This makes you more mature and tolerant of different cultures, thereby increasing your chance of growth anywhere around the world.
• Sets you apart from your peers: Many of us wish to beat the competition and secure a better position sometime in life. An MBA degree allows you to expand your skills and differentiates you from other people of your age. It helps you earn credibility in your network.
• Build a diverse network: Your professional network plays a significant role in your career and your MBA journey helps you do that. MBA allows you to build a corporate network based on your internship experiences or encounters and involvements with seniors, colleagues, alumni, mentors, etc.

Different MBA specializations and their scope

MBA is like an ocean full of opportunities. It is very important that you analyse your area of interest wisely and check if it matches your career expectations. MBA offers specializations in different areas and here are the top ones with scope to excel in each domain.

Single Specializations:

Apart from these, there are also dual specializations that one can opt for that offers combined scope and opportunities to excel 2X in your career. Some of the most popular and recommended dual specializations are as follows:

• Marketing and Finance
• Marketing and Human Resource Management
• Finance and Human Resource Management
• Finance and Business Analytics
• Marketing and Business Analytics
• Human Resource Management and Business Analytics
• Marketing and Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Marketing and Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation
• Finance and Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation
• HRM and Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation
• Aviation Management and Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Aviation Management and Marketing
• Aviation Management and Human Resource Management

Developing the entrepreneurship spirit among the students is the fundamental pillar of CMS B School, Jain (Deemed-to-be University). Students handle international leadership projects, International faculties visit for guest lectures, international student exchange projects to various countries across the world.

Differences between MBA from top B Schools vs average B Schools

There is a lot of difference between doing an MBA from a top B-School and an average B-school. It’s a whole new dimension and the former is a gateway to a better future when compared to the latter. So, here are some common differences that make MBA from a top B-School more desirable than doing it from an average B-School.

• Better Career Opportunities: Top B-schools offer attractive placements in top companies, promote entrepreneurship, and do not limit exposure to the corporate environment.
• Great salary packages and placements: A MBA degree from a top B-School ensures that you are placed in top-notch companies in the country and worldwide with great salary packages. This applies even to those students who haven’t performed very well in their exams. However, in an average B-School, you do not always get such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and have to often hustle to score the best marks to be able to make it through the placement drive.
• Builds strong credibility: A college’s reputation will add value to your career in the long run. When you do MBA from a reputed B-School, it adds credibility to your resume and brings value to your career.
• Diverse network: Passing out an MBA from a top B-School allows you to have access to the alumni, mentors, faculties, seniors at internships, etc. and all of it contributes immensely to building a long-term career based out of this networking.
• Rewarding educational experience: Theoretical knowledge is never sufficient. You need to upgrade yourself to develop the necessary soft skills. This comes from exposure to a reputed B-School that allows students to nurture their educational experience and cultivate important life skills for professional and personal growth.
• Lays the foundation of a great future: Having an MBA degree from the top-notch B-Schools creates the right foundation for a lucrative career. Leading businesses and corporations will wait in the queue to hire and recruit you and who knows, it can also be the start to your global career!

Importance of choosing the right institute for MBA

• Return on Investment (ROI): Getting an MBA degree can be costly for many of us. Education is often considered an investment as it will reap benefits in the future in the form of employment or entrepreneurial ventures. However, if you spend a fortune on your MBA that doesn’t guarantee proper returns such as a good placement or better career advancements, then it is not a desirable investment in the first place.
• Alumni Network: Connections through alumni play a significant role in propelling your corporate career to greater heights. Alumni are like a mirror of any institute. Therefore, one must be very careful in assessing the alumni background of the institute before applying for MBA there.
• International Exposure: You must go for institutes that offer diverse and global MBA programs in marketing, operations, finance, human resources, aviation, etc. This helps you to understand businesses from a global perspective and can land you international opportunities.
• Placements: There is an end goal for you to apply for MBA unless you wish to take over your family business or start your venture. If your goal is to secure a high-paying job in the corporate world, you must carefully analyze the placement history of the institute and apply based on the statistics.
• Rankings and Accreditation: Consistent ranking and NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council), NBA (National Board of Accreditation), and AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) accreditations speak volumes of the credibility that an institute holds. This is very important when big corporations and multinational companies look out to hire candidates.

Career prospects and earning potential with an MBA degree

There are several streams under the MBA degree that holds great career prospects and earning potential. So, we have listed down some of them for your understanding.

Career prospects after MBA in Marketing

Scope: In retail, hospitality, banking, media, etc.
Job profiles:

• Brand Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Market Research Analyst
• Sales Manager
• Product Manager
• Media Planner
• Internet Marketing Manager

Salary range: INR 7 – 8 Lacs PA

Career prospects after MBA in Human Resources

Scope: In retail, bank, hospital, hospitality, IT, etc.
Job profiles:

• HR Manager
• Recruitment Specialist
• L& D Manager
• Asst. HR Manager

Salary range: Average INR 6.4 Lacs PA

Career prospects after MBA in Finance

Scope: In international finance, investment management, taxation, tax planning, insurance management, financial statement reporting and analysis.
Job profiles:

• Financial Manager/Analyst
• Credit Analyst
• Accounting Manager
• Risk and Insurance Manager
• Treasurer
• Finance Manager
• Cash Manager

Salary range: INR 3 - 21 Lacs PA

Career prospects after MBA in Business Analytics

Scope: In government, finance, education and software development.
Job profiles:

• Financial Analyst
• Management Consultant
• Supply Chain Analyst
• Business Systems Analyst
• Predictive Modeller

Salary range: INR 10 - 18 Lacs PA

Career prospects after MBA in Operations

Scope: In manufacturing, IT, healthcare, and hospitality, e-commerce, and telecom industries.
Job profiles:

• Supply Chain Manager
• Logistics Manager
• Inventory Control Manager
• Project Managers
• Operations Manager

Salary range: INR 3.5 – 12 Lacs PA

Career prospects after MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Scope: In e-commerce, retail, manufacturing, shipping, export, etc.
Job profiles:

• VP of Supply Chain Operations
• Logistics Manager
• Supply Chain Manager
• Purchase Manager
• Warehouse Operations Manager
• Demand Planning Analyst
• Supply Chain Performance Analyst
• Distribution Centre Supervisor
• Logistics and Transportation Analyst

Salary range: Average INR 4 – 6.6 Lacs PA

Career prospects after MBA in Entrepreneurial and New Venture Creation

Scope: Any field.
Job profiles:

• Small Business Owner
• Corporate Supervisor
• Fundraiser and Development Officer
• Business Consultant

There is no earning bar for small business onwers as sky is the limit. However, for other roles, it can be upto INR 12 Lacs PA.

Advantages of pursuing MBA after work experience

The majority of the students who aspire to do an MBA go through the dilemma of whether to pursue an MBA after graduation or after gaining work experience. Right after graduation students are young, energetic and have the curiosity to learn new concepts. But often in this case, they are not aware of the real-world situation or challenges of the industry. Whereas pursuing an MBA after work experience gives you more practical knowledge to develop a mature professional attitude.

It is widely said in the professional circle that there is no substitute for experience. Every experience weighs value when it comes to building a solid career. It helps you implement the knowledge that you gained in practical settings and with advanced soft skills. So, here are some top reasons why you must pursue MBA after working for 2-3 years.

• Better exposure: MBA after work experience provides a deeper perspective into the industry you want to work in the future. It also helps you to plan your career in the right direction and exposes you to better career opportunities. This happens only when you have an idea of how to apply the teachings in the real world.
• Better salary packages: Suppose you are pursuing your MBA in Human Resources Management and you hold a prior experience as an HR executive. This allows you to stay one step ahead of your peers as you have been already exposed to this department. This helps you grab jobs faster than others and that too with better remuneration because a lot of companies like hiring candidates that do not need to be trained much.
• Soft skills enhancement: Although you get to nurture several soft skills during your MBA journey, however, prior work experience helps you accelerate that to the next level. As a fresher, you learn how to respect your seniors and engage in suitable communication, manage your time despite the workload, and be inspired by the leaders of the organization. All of these influence you to develop these skills more efficiently when you join MBA after your work experience.
• Clarity on career plans: Work experience allows understanding of the industry beforehand and gives you clarity if you should pursue this in the future. In case, if you feel that your skill set or interests do not align with your present job role, MBA can help you shift to your area of interest and provide you with a clear career plan.

So don’t just revolve around the dilemma whether to pursue MBA after graduation or work experience, but rather opt for the finest academic B School, if you chose the best it will train you in a holistic way and deliver the best results for a soaring career.

Other factors to consider while deciding between MBA after graduation or work experience

• Placements: This is a very important factor to consider while opting for MBA after graduation or work experience. Irrespective of what you do, you must never settle for B-Schools that do not offer placements. This is also a given fact that students who have prior experience in the relevant field in which they applied MBA, will bag better salary packages than the ones who do not hold any experience. Students who had joined MBA after graduation will land entry-level jobs, however, sometimes this can change and they may end up with a high-paying salary if they are exceptionally talented and skilled.
• Career Choice: A lot of us sometimes want to diverge into another field that attracts our attention. However, with the current graduation degree that you have, it may not be possible. That’s when you apply for MBA in your choice of subject which will help you achieve your goal.
• Financial Stability: Some of us do not have enough financial support to go ahead with the MBA degree. So, they become financially stable through work experience and then go ahead with the program. Sometimes, there are colleges that do provide financial grants and scholarships to help such students cope up with the financial burden.

Cost comparison of MBA after graduation vs after work experience

The cost of pursuing an MBA after graduation remains the same as pursuing after-work experience. The average fees of pursuing an MBA from top B-schools can range from INR 5 Lacs to 40 Lacs. However, if you are asking for a pay scale, then there is a high chance that you will get a higher or a better pay-scale compared to others who hold no experience. However, this is only applicable if you have done MBA in the relevant field where you have previously worked in. For example, if you had been working as Business Analyst earlier, you can get a higher position and better salary once you are through with your MBA in Business Analytics.

Importance of networking and communication skills in MBA programs

Any business or corporation runs effectively with proper communication – starting from the L2 executives to the top management. This is why top-tier business schools focus on improving the communication skills of MBA students. Besides acing this, the MBA curriculum also encourages students to build networks and links that can help them ahead in their careers.

A strong alumni network that generates leads and mentors the students to develop better business and industry-oriented networks. A rigorous placement team works round the clock to connect the top companies with the aspirations of the students. The students of CMS B School are placed in reputed companies with flying salary packages that go upto 15 to 30 lacs P.A. companies such as Google, KPMS, SAP, Accenture, Grant Thornton, Wipro, Wells Fargo, IBM, Nestle, and many more visits the campus for hiring.  The MBA programs of CMS B School has a wide range of specializations such as Marketing, Finance, Human Resource, and even dual specializations. What makes the MBA program even more extraordinary in CMS B School is the opportunity it is providing by offering an MBA program for working professionals.

Here are some of the common reasons why networking and communication skills are important in MBA programs:

• Delegation: When you apply for the role of a manager or a team leader after your MBA, you will have to delegate the tasks to your team members. Possessing smooth communication skills will help you do this efficiently.
• Better Quality Opportunities: The network that you build during an MBA program today will define your future trajectory. You never know which contact can help you someday in your career progression.
• Long-term business relationships: Clear communication helps avoid misunderstandings and mistranslations of your as well the client’s expectations from a task. This will help establish long-term business associations. Connections built through these long-term relationships can expand your spectrum of opportunities.
• Addressing problems faster: Being good at communicating doesn’t mean that one has excellent oration or expression skills. Communication is a two-way process where one must master the art of speaking as well as listening. Listening patiently and intently will help identify problems faster and solve them easily.

Conclusion:

The MBA programs at CMS Business School impart the core management competencies required in modern business such as decision-making, problem-solving, strategic thinking, global perspective, and leadership. This helps the students to hone their skills and talents and emerge as best in the industry.

Learning at CMS Business School is delivered by highly accomplished faculty who possess a wide range of expertise, experience, and knowledge. The comprehensive learning methodology includes a curriculum that is designed keeping in mind all the facets of the industry. Application of concepts in a real-world scenario, Interactive lectures, case study analysis, classroom projects and exercises, class simulations and games, group presentations, field projects, company visits, and activity labs are some of the pedagogical tools used in delivering subjects.