Top 7 Reasons to do an MBA Degree

Meanwhile, you may be wondering, “Why should I pursue MBA?”, or any of the questions below:

• Is a Bachelor’s degree enough for me to get a high-paying job?

• Do I need an MBA degree to distinguish myself in today’s competitive job market?

• Should I gain work experience first, or jump straight into an MBA?

• Is an MBA degree worth the time and money?

Most of the fresh graduates have the same dilemma. The job requirements keep changing due to the ever-evolving industries and having just a bachelor’s degree might not be enough to secure leadership roles or high salary package roles. An MBA is often seen as a ticket to better career opportunities, but is an MBA the right choice for you?

If you’re wondering, “why do you want to pursue MBA?” In this blog, we’ll provide top 7 reasons to pursue MBA in India.

1. Career Advancement and Leadership Opportunities:

The job market today has become highly competitive and just a bachelor’s degree may not be enough to secure high-ranking positions. The MBA degree has been designed to fulfill the companies’ need for professionals with excellent leadership skills, strategic thinking capabilities, and problem-solving abilities. Here’s how MBA can be a game-changer in advancing your career:

• Faster Promotion to Managerial Roles: 

An MBA degree may help you transition from entry-level or mid-level positions to leadership roles much faster. Many companies prefer employees with MBA degrees to fill their managerial and executive roles as these roles require advanced business knowledge and ability to handle complex decision-making. Instead of spending years to work your way up the ranks, an MBA makes you eligible for your credentials and confidence to secure leadership roles early in your career. 

• Developing Leadership and Strategic Thinking Skills: 

An MBA program focuses on real-world challenges in businesses along with providing theoretical knowledge. Students may get to engage in group projects, business simulations, and leadership workshops. These activities train students to think strategically and provide them with the ability to make data-driven decisions. 

• Better Job Opportunities Across Industries:

Choosing an MBA degree with a specialization such as Marketing, Finance, HR, or any other, would open doors to enter a wide range of industries. With an undergraduate degree in engineering or science, an MBA degree provides students with business acumen and analytical skills, and allows them to pivot into business-oriented roles with better growth opportunities.

• Increased Credibility and Market Value:

A degree from any of the top MBA colleges in India adds significant value to your resume. It shows employers that you have been trained and possess skills that are required to lead teams and drive their businesses to success. This credibility can give you a competitive edge in job applications, salary negotiations, and promotions, making you a more attractive candidate in the job market. 

2. Higher Salary Potential and Return on Investment (ROI):

An MBA is often seen as a high-value investment as graduates secure significantly better salary packages than those with just a bachelor's degree. Beyond just a higher paycheck, the real financial benefit of an MBA lies in long-term salary growth, financial stability, and career flexibility. Here's why:

• Access to High-Paying and Executive-Level Roles:

Many high-paying positions such as management consulting, investment banking, and corporate strategy require or prefer to be occupied by MBA graduates. These roles are offered with seven-figure salaries, rapid growth, and the potential for attractive performance-based incentives or bonuses. 

• A Strong Return-on-Investment:

A Bachelor’s degree would get you a decent start, but career progression can be slow and financially limited. An MBA allows you to break this earning barrier and accelerates financial growth. According to hundreds of surveys conducted all around the world, MBA graduates often earn double their pre-MBA salary within a few years. 

• Competitive Advantage in Salary Negotiations:

Graduates can leverage their MBA degree during their salary negotiations while applying for a suitable position. The degree strengthens the ability to showcase your worth and demand a higher starting salary package or securing better annual salary raises. 

3. Build up a Professional Network:

What you know is important in the business world. But, who you know can be just as important. Along with being a degree, an MBA is a gateway to a powerful network of professionals, industry leaders, and global business influencers. The connections you form during an MBA can open doors to lucrative career opportunities, collaborations or even long-term mentorship. Here’s how an MBA would help you cultivate a professional network:

• Exclusive Access to Alumni Network:

Business schools encourage students to build communities with their peers. These networks can serve as a direct link to opportunities that are not publicly advertised such as internal job openings or strategic business partnerships. Many alumni actively mentor MBA students and offer industry insights, investment opportunities, and even career guidance, that would otherwise take years to gain.

• Strategic Networking with Industry Leaders:

An MBA program allows students to engage with CEOs, venture capitalists, policymakers, industry veterans through corporate tie-ups, networking summits, and other events. Students get to build rapport with key industrialists in an organic way. These relationships can lead to exciting job opportunities, funding opportunities, and much more. 

• Peer Networking:

According to Economic Times, GMAC’s report says that the percentage of Indian students applying for a management degree course in a domestic college increased to 53% from 41% in the previous year. This proves that students of varied backgrounds are choosing to pursue MBA. Networking and building relationships with your MBA classmates can be crucial for your career success. Peers can be future industry leaders, startup founders, investment bankers, or influential strategists. Many business partnerships and successful ventures have emerged from MBA classrooms, late-night discussions, and collaborative projects. 

4. Be an Entrepreneur:

Many graduates get excited about starting their own businesses, but turning it into a successful and sustainable company is a complex challenge. Many startups fail due to poor planning, lack of funding, or weak business strategies. An MBA degree provides structured learning, financial expertise, risk management skills, and a platform for building meaningful and professional networks. These are essential to avoid common pitfalls and scale their businesses effectively. Here’s how MBA would help you to be a successful entrepreneur:

• Converting a Business Idea to Execution:

Having an idea is the first step of establishing a business. The real challenge lies in execution of the business plan, such as developing a product or service, identifying the right market, and ensuring long-term profitability. Many entrepreneurs fail in execution due to lack of skills such as building business models, competitive analysis, financial planning and many more. 

An MBA degree bridges this gap by teaching how to evaluate market demand, position a business in the fore-front of competition, and sustainable revenue models. Students are instilled with these skills through case studies, projects, and many more. In addition, some colleges have experienced entrepreneurs mentor their students and provide valuable knowledge in building a strong professional foundation and scaling their businesses.

• Easier Access to Investors and Startup Funding:

The biggest obstacle for any new business owner is securing funding. Running out of funds before becoming profitable is a common problem faced by startups. Through networking, MBA graduates can have direct access to angel investors and venture capitalists for funding required to elevate their businesses. Many colleges host pitch competitions and networking events, where students can present their business ideas to potential investors and negotiate funding terms effectively. 

5. Great for a Career Change and Thriving Business Opportunities:

Choosing a career path after graduation can be overwhelming. Industries are constantly evolving, and new opportunities emerge all the time. Due to this, many professionals realize that they’d want to switch industries, and move into a different job role. Let’s dive deeper into understanding the role of MBA in switching careers:

• Pathway to New Industries with the Right Skillset:

Switching into a new career isn’t always easy without the right skills or credentials, and that’s where an MBA can be valuable. It provides a structured pathway to switch your career and break into new industries, and build expertise. Whether from Engineering to Finance, IT to Marketing, or Sales to Consulting, switching industries can be difficult without relevant experience. An MBA allows you to gain specialized knowledge, develop technical and leadership skills to make their profiles attractive to employers in different industries. 

• Leverage MBA Internships and Projects:

One of the most note-worthy advantages of pursuing an MBA degree is the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a new industry through internships, projects and more. Many companies hire students of MBA and MBA graduates as interns and later offer them full-time positions, making internships a pathway for career changers. These experiences not only add credibility to a resume but also provide practical exposure to new industries, allowing students to test different career paths before making a final decision.

6. Personal Growth and Skills Development:

Apart from being a business degree, an MBA allows students to transform personally and shapes them into well-rounded professionals. While business knowledge, leadership skills and technical know-how are essential, long term success is often driven by self-discipline, resilience, and the ability to adapt to new challenges and situations. Here’s how MBA helps in personal growth and skill development:

• Mind-set of a Business Leader:

Many professionals approach problems from an execution standpoint, such as following instructions and completing assigned tasks. An MBA tries to change this perspective by training students to think like business leaders and decision-makers. Students can learn to see the big picture, identify business opportunities and approach challenges with an entrepreneurial mindset. 

• Comfortable with Uncertainty and High-Stakes Decision Making:

Due to the unpredictable business environment, professionals need to be able to make decisions with incomplete data and adapt quickly to unexpected changes. Many colleges offering MBA courses conduct activities, and projects that simulate high-pressure situations where students are trained to analyze risks and take responsibility for the outcome of their decisions. This exposure builds mental agility, confidence, and the ability to navigate through business uncertainty, which are all crucial for professionals in leadership roles. 

7. Global Exposure and International Opportunities:

Many businesses do not want to be confined to a single country or region. Companies operate or would like to operate on a global scale, collaborate across borders and adapt to international markets. Such companies require professionals who can thrive in such environments with cross-cultural understanding, global business insights, and ability to work with diverse teams. Here’s how an MBA degree helps students to understand global businesses:

• Learn more about Businesses that Works on a Global Scale:

Many industries are deeply influenced by international trade, economic policies, and global consumer trends. MBA courses teach students about international business strategies. Students get a broader perspective on expansion of companies beyond their home markets. This knowledge is essential for students wanting to work in multinational companies or wanting to manage global business operations.

Final Thoughts:

Choosing to pursue an MBA is an important decision that you should consider carefully. If you’ve ever asked yourself, "Why are you pursuing an MBA?" or "Why do you want to pursue an MBA?", the answer lies in your career aspirations. Whether you seek higher earning potential, leadership roles, global exposure, or entrepreneurial success, an MBA provides the skills, network, and everything else that will help you to achieve these goals. According to Fernando, a MarTech expert, an MBA degree itself doesn’t make great leaders, but it gives them a powerful framework to transform experience into wisdom.