Why Not MBA?

I have been fortunate enough to get into the GDPI stage of the selection process of a few B-schools in India. And like most aspirants, my preparation to convert them hovered around the million-dollar question - “Why MBA?” It is very easy to give a well-rehearsed answer to this question keeping aside the fact that convincing the panelists will always be a hard nut to crack. But the purpose of writing this blog is not to give you that perfect answer (of course I don’t have any clue about that either) which will do the trick.  

In the course of attending the interviews, I met quite a number of aspirants like me and talked with them. While it was very random at first, the responses to ‘Why MBA’ became clichéd with time. Some were being honest (a very rare species). Most were not. So for a change, let me list down a few answers that most people (at pre-MBA stage) can sincerely associate with.

1. I work in a public sector unit. I get a hefty salary but they have posted me in a remote corner of some naxal-infested state where I am not being able to enjoy my life. I want to do an MBA.
2. I work in IT sector and that too in you-know-which company/companies. Do you want any more reasons?
3. All my friends are doing MBA. Let me do it too.
4. I was preparing for GRE but I got lucky in CAT. I should do an MBA.
5. I have done/wasted my Engineering playing LAN games. I can’t see my future without MBA.
6. I should get as much as my manager is getting. So MBA.
7. I don’t want to do MBA. My parents and neighbors want me to do it.
8. It has been my dream to do an MBA since the day I saw the placement report of the top B-schools. 
9. I have heard students in B-schools stay in co-ed hostels. Definitely MBA.
10. Foreign exchange programme in B-schools seems cool. So MBA it is.

P.S.  “Management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team. More and more MBA students come to school thinking that a career in business means buying, selling, and investing in companies. That’s unfortunate. Doing deals doesn’t yield the deep rewards that come from building up people.” -- HBR

I sincerely hope and confident that in the post-MBA stage, all of us shall echo this sentiment with greater conviction and not the ones listed down in the post.

P.S.S. Sometimes, the above answers may do the trick. True Story.