Choosing MBA Specialisation

All of us are not very clear about what we really want in life. Many a times we find ourselves following our peers or relatives and later to step back and think, “Am I in the wrong place?”  Here I am trying to throw some light on how to make a better choice on MBA specialisations, whether you have work ex or you are fresher.

There is a trend among management people were they often prefer either finance or marketing driven by the fact that retail companies are coming up in a big way or investment banking salaries are to die for. But this is just a seasonal feature and everything seasonal has a downside. What we specialise should have a long term perspective. The first question that should strike you is why you should do an MBA in first place. Is it for a carrier change, change job function, better salary, or you want to break through a glass ceiling. These questions are relevant because these, days even doctors and lawyers opt to do a post-graduation in business administration.

The institution and the specialization make a lot of difference to write a successful MBA story. For now we will only see, how to choose a specialisation which suits you. Opting for a specialization depends mostly on your interests, personality and also somewhat on your profile. Start with asking yourself what kind of work interest you. It is one of the core questions which we must truthfully answer. Are you interested in broad general management like office administration or want to work specifically in areas of say data warehousing, workflow analytics, process optimization or design where the profile is usually detailed and narrow requiring select in-depth skills? This kind of introspection will act as guiding point while selecting a specialization.

Marketing/Sales MBA stream is good for people who are outgoing in nature, are good at convincing others and possess excellent negotiation skills. Likewise finance MBA stream is good for those who are good in interpretation, have good mathematical aptitude and are excellent at analysis. An IT MBA stream is for those who want to go ahead in their IT career at much higher pace and want to manage IT related projects. HR MBA stream is for those who are good at understanding people mind-set & bonds easily with people, should be excellent in organizing events and also good at co-ordination.

Each person has specific character traits. It is a known fact. Hence, the aims we have in life vary accordingly. There are people who are outgoing in nature and have leadership skills as well as ability to work cohesively in teams whereas others who perform best in solitary environment. Truly understanding one’s personality, strengths and weaknesses is a must while making career choices. There are also people averse to traveling or outdoor jobs and prefer to work in offices. There are others who are adventurous and love to be on the move and would find a 9-5 desk bound job monotonous and tedious.

In the end, the combination of the specialization and the association with a particular industry or sector makes a certain amount of difference in terms of individual success. But be clear on the fact it require considerable hard work to excel and succeed in any specialisation you choose. Final word of advice, follow your heart once you have done all considerations with your brain.