PythaGURUS Consulting: Irony of Top MBA Applicants

[PythaGURUS]

Dear MBA Applicants,

I find it very surprising and I wanted to share an irony I have been experiencing working with you for the past 11 years.

Most of the applicants I work with "DO NOT LIKE" what they are doing in their current jobs. Ironically, when they explore an MBA, they do not want to truly introspect in "IDENTIFYING" the job they are meant to be in or the companies they want to be with.

"I will be proud of myself if I make it to Wharton this year"

This chant is a reference to the words of many students who are not satisfied with the Status quo, and are out there in pursuit of happiness.

They will "DO ANYTHING TO GET INTO A TOP B-SCHOOL"

They will "Engage in extra-curricular and sports to garnish the resume"

They will "stop living and start studying for 15 hours a day"- We do that in India !

Their parents will go to the extent of seeking advice from every GEEK in the extended family to ask "What should our child do to just GET INTO IIM-A or Harvard/Wharton/Stanford?" - He has to be successful.

As I cast about for ways to make it better for the students, I will start with a simple question?

Are you a slave or are you a customer?

Your question "Whether they will take me?"

My suggestion " DO you need it?"

Do not try to become something for them. You are a valuable customer who will be paying $150000 to them. You will be paying 90 lacs to a Top 10 B-School. You have the complete right to know if they will make a difference to your careers.

And I fail to understand the relationship with success.

You decide that right before you start your fearful journey of applying to business schools. Why do you start with the mindset of "Becoming successful" ? - If the end result is "Becoming Successful"- What are you right now?

Be Successful even before applying to business schools. You already are truly.

Getting into a TOP B-School is not a big deal in life. It will bring momentary upswings, and before you know it, you will be on the next path of "Becoming Successful".

You are the customer and a business school is your service provider. You will be PAYING THEM A LOT OF MONEY. YOU WILL BE GIVING UP YOUR JOBS TO JOIN THEM. Can you stop behaving as if your life depends on them? If success has to start, it has to start within you right now.

I wanted to convey this to you that all of you have been very successful in your own lives in your own way. Do not raise the stakes of a business school admission. It does not mean anything.

Be objective and consider the following while applying:
1. You have already spent enormous amount of time doing "What does not inspire you?" It should not be the pattern of the future course of action. An MBA has to be a live changing scenario like Marriage or Child Birth and it behooves applicants to put a considerable amount of time thinking through the future opportunities.

2. Getting into a B-School is not an accomplishment in itself. It is a means to an end. The goal is to find the job opportunity that will really inspire you. The goal is to get out of the LIMBO that you are in right now, and not jump into the next one.

3. Network extensively with the target industry professionals. Get into conversations with people who have built a career in your areas of interest. Do enough due diligence to find out if that job is worth your time.

Just as you spend enormous amount of time doing in due diligence before buying an expensive car, so too you should spend time introspecting and identifying the careers for the future.