Things to do before deciding to go for an MBA

I have been in an IIM for two months now and based on my short experience i would like to suggest few key points one needs to keep in mind before going for an MBA.

Now that the CAT forms are out an MBA aspirant must need to consider few things before deciding anything.The first thing you need to do before going for an MBA is to decide why you want to go for an MBA?? Based on my experience I have found out three reasons for it:

1. You are tired of your job and you need a change.
2. You want to change your work profile, which is basically an excuse for your greed for more money.
3. You are not sure about doing anything and since everyone is doing an MBA you should also do it.

I belonged to the first class of people two months back. My suggestions for them are:

a. If you think that you would enjoy MBA you might be wrong, its much tougher than a regular job and at times more boring than it. Try enjoying your job first, when you are able to do that you are good for an MBA.
b. If you are contemplating about quitting your job, analyze your options thoroughly, think about every situation in a clear and unbiased way.
c. If you do not have a good profile and i mean a good profile compared to a top b-school student, better do not quit your job and try to build your profile in a way that would help you in b-school, talk to as many MBA students you know before quitting.

For the second category of MBA aspirants, I have the following suggestions:

a. An MBA college is the best place to get a profile change, but be ready to face the rigor. Trust me you would not have any freaking idea what is going to hit you.
b. If you join an MBA school to get a better job, your life is going to be very tough for the next two years. You would need to be completely focused on your goals. The competition is tough for anyone and everyone, it does not matter what you have achieved in your life so far . So better weigh your options carefully,I mean if you would have some other liabilities for the next two years, you will need to manage them and that would be very challenging for you.
c. I have seen a tendency in people to choose an easy path and give up. They tend to lose focus and are ready for a job which suits their past profile, which is easy for them to get. If you do this you are defying your initial purpose. So be ready to execute your plans. If you are not good at focusing and achieving long-term goals, better start working on them.

Now for the last category of aspirants, a large part of which is formed by the freshers or guys with no experience.
a. Your career is no joke so better analyze your interests and likings first. There are other things also which will pay you as much as an MBA degree and in some cases more than it.
b. If you are an engineer, be ready for a different life altogether. A b-school life is really different and much tougher compared to an engineering college life.
c. Its better in many cases to get an industry exposure first, but keep in mind you do not lose your different way of thinking. Its a thing which you would find very rare in b-school after you join it.

Now a general suggestion for any b-school aspirant, guys a top b-school is the best place for self-improvement , so always keep in mind that you are for your improvement there and everything will automatically fit in place. Mind you its a very difficult thing to do.

ATB to all for their preparations.