Coronavirus Pandemic: Is now the right time to pursue MBA?

Whenever we go through such life-changing experiences the world changes drastically after the calamity passes off. We try to adapt to the new world by bringing many changes in the various facets of our life. Covid-19 has thrown the economy of the whole world out of gear. All the countries and organisations are making plans and strategies to come out of this economic recession. The experts are saying that many things will change permanently. How governments run, businesses operate, town planners plan and educational institutions impart education may change forever.

For a few days or months, the educational institutions will impart education virtually. After the impact of the pandemic starts alleviating they will switch over to a blended method of delivery in which online education will be considered as an important support for classroom teaching. 

When the methods of imparting education are changing and the present job market is depressing what the MBA aspirants should do? They should look at what the working executives do.

When employers retrench employees and cut salaries, what some of the sensible young people do? In most of the cases, it has been seen that they focus on skill-upgradation. They go back to the classrooms and make productive use of their time when they are not working. After some time when they come back, they are equipped with a different set of skills which helps them get the new assignments easily which are better paid.

The young MBA aspirants should learn from this. The year 2020-21 is going to be bad for jobs. But by March-April 2021 corporates will have definite plans for the next year. The year 2021-22 will see a very vibrant job market. Those who are completing their MBA in 2020-21 will have a tough time in getting the job of their choice. But those who start their MBA this year and get ready for the jobs in the year 2021-22 will experience a golden period.

Therefore, those who are planning to start their MBA should not make a mistake of deferring their plans to the next year. They should start their MBA in the current year 2020-21. However, they should be careful in choosing their B-school. As said in the beginning it will not be possible for the business schools to start the academic session before August or September. Even that may be doubtful and we may enter in October before face-to-face lectures begin. Therefore, until students come onto the campuses the business schools should be able to impart education online. This will ensure that there is no loss of time and no compromise on the content and the quality.

Students should ensure that the business school where they are planning to take admission has sufficient and good quality IT infrastructure and their faculty members are capable of delivering online and do small assignments and assessments also online. Such business schools can give MBA aspirants what they expect.

So, don’t defer your plans to do MBA. Do some research on Google and collect information from all the possible sources and take admission in your preferred business school.

About the author:

Dr Dinesh D Harsolekar is Director of IES Management College and Research Centre. He is also the member of Academic Council of University of Mumbai and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Board of Studies in Finance (University of Mumbai).

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha