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MBA Grads’ Placements During Pandemic Time

What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters to what lies within us. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

During the current period, we all are concerned about the placement of the students in the second year of their MBA/ PGDM across all the institutes in the country. We have more than 5000 B-Schools* in India & produce more than 5 lakh* management grads per year. The figures themselves explain the intensity of the competition for a good job among the students & it becomes more fierce when we all are facing the hard times in the current pandemic time. The economy has got affected across the globe which has, in turn, resulted in job cuts, salary cuts, shutting the business down, forced increase in the credit time (to survive in the business, to save clients). It is expected an increase in the number of defaulters & NPAs (it was already a concern for all developing countries especially like our country India). Under these circumstances, it is pellucid, to get a little worried about the final placements after the completion of the course, especially for those who have no prior work experience.

On average, a management graduate is in the age bracket of 20 to 27 years, and students are always willing to join the job as soon as possible. If they remain unplaced from the campus or within 3 months of the course, they start getting stressed which makes them a languid, unemployed, fresh postgraduates – a scary situation for them & for the nation too. We need to deal with it & have to avoid such a situation to come our way when the nation is growing. A little slowdown but overall it will go in the north direction & being the efficient resource we have to be a part of it. How can we do this?

Proverb, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” – the mantra. We need to think of omnifarious options to optimally utilize our skill & knowledge. Do it by analyzing the skill set you possess & jot down the various avenues available which suit your knowledge, education, financial devoir (like education loan, etc, if any) & age. We need to take the holistic view of life & the current situation is a negligible proportion of it which will also pass. In the end, we need to think about how best we can live our life & where we will be at the time taking departure from the world. You still have 43 to 50 years to work. Give your best. So, even if your placements have gone for a toss, do not worry about it. Start preparing for various opportunities. Make the best use of the time that is available to you. You have the potential to get into a job that may provide a better career if you invest the time wisely. Two points which I want to mention:

(a) identify your strengths, work & build on it and

(b) know your value in the market.

If you have the skills, companies will do all the efforts to find you & take you along. Do not get into the job, just for the sake of it. Even in the worst condition if you have to opt for one, please do not get settled down till the time you achieve what you really wanted to achieve (your goal – based on realistic analysis).

Finally, this is your life so you have to combat & conquer the situation by optimally using the resources available i.e.: your knowledge, skill-set & your self-motivated personality.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.(Martin Luther King, Jr.)

*data source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/only-7-per-cent-mba-graduates-employable-assocham-study-116042700823_1.html

Author:
Vikas Chandra Sharma, Assistant Professor, Unitedworld School of Business (UWSB)

Disclaimer: The opinions / views expressed in this article are solely of the author in his / her individual capacity. They do not purport to reflect the opinions and/or views of the College and/or University or its members.