Engineering job or MBA: which road to travel? Share
It was yet another tough day at the office for Karan Mittal, as he was exhausted by the time he reached his car in the parking lot. His back had been giving him trouble for 3 days now. But, he had to fight on. After all, it was the days of economic recession. He could not take a step back or down, or he will be handed over his firing letter the next day. Nor could he ask for a day off with his family, which consisted of his parents and a younger sister. He also had an elder sister, but she did not live with him. She was married. Locking himself up in the car, he started off the engine and drove away to the main road.
This tension had somehow crippled him. But, he was contempt to fight on. But, there was something apart from this, something else, something entirely different which was hurting him from inside. And it was not until the previous day, that he had realized exactly what it was. It was the work that he had to do. He was a B.Tech degree in electrical engineering from a leading engineering college and an MBA from another good college. He took a left turn. He was currently working as a marketing executive in a good company and getting a good pay, perhaps what he wanted, perhaps what he had not always wanted or perhaps what he had not at all wanted. He did not know. He had been living in this dilemma for quite some time, but had accepted it only yesterday. And he knew that it was actually triggered two weeks back, when it happened.
It was a rainy morning. He had just arrived at his office, when he saw that Mr. Kumar, his senior was sitting in his cabin. He was surprised to see it, even scared for the obvious reason. He hesitantly asked him the reason. He was relieved to hear that it was nothing to worry about. Actually, Mr. Kumar’s office’s fan was not working and an engineer was fixing it. But, it had been quite late and he could not bear the heat, so he got his cabin opened. Karan had no problem with it, but he had to do urgent work in his cabin and he could not ask a senior of his to leave. So, he went up to see where had the engineer reached. When he got there, he found out that the man had not yet been able to identify the problem. He asked the man the problem in the fan. And as soon as he listened to it that the speed of the fan too slow despite of full power, the scene of his power electronics lab flashed through his mind. It was his favorite class. He knew that in this case, the certain problem was the leak in the condenser. He told the man, and as soon he tested it, he knew that Karan had been right. Karan had so easily solved a small problem, but it had somehow haunted him.
He took a right turn.
This was the same kind of restlessness that he had when he had to decide whether he would pursue with a job or with MBA after his four years of engineering education would be completed. He was indecisive. If he would choose for a job, he would throw away the money making opportunities that an MBA gets. If he chooses for MBA, he would waste all his four years of engineering and they would serve only as an undergraduate degree. Surely, having an MBA degree with you is surely a bonus if you are looking for fat money, but it really does take away the essence of your undergraduate studies. Karan’s family was not well supported financially, so he opted for MBA, and went into the thick of things of what you call management studies.
Now, after two years on his job, he had suddenly realized that he was missing his interests. He had always been that sort of a guy who was technical and was goo with gadgets and circuits. He still remembered the radio he had corrected in his eighth standard, the excellent remark smiling to him from the face drawn by the teacher on his general studies project on LCD technology and the always & obvious ‘A’ grades in all his electronics courses at college. His hunger for technology and scientific research was springing up in him as he stepped up all the steps of his ladder to his graduation. It was then that he was caught in the dilemma and chose the convenient one and not the obvious and maybe, correct one of the two paths that lay ahead of him. Maybe he was starting to regret it, he did not know.
Waiting for the red light to go green, he was reflecting upon his interview that he had given in his campus placement programme. It was his first and he was nervous. He showed the company his resume. They were an MNC working on global technical solutions; or rather they said that they did it. Karan was more than optimistic that he would get the job, as he was an engineer as well, making him perfect candidate. He had already thought of many things he would do if he was selected. He hoped of contributing his expertise in everything he knew, which was actually a lot. But it was not to be. They rejected him. They said that they needed a managing executive and would not offer the kind of work that he anticipated. So, he also turned it off, thinking that he can get an even better job. But, it was easier said than done. He never got what he wanted to do. His management skills were wanted more and his engineering knowledge less. If he went for an entirely engineering based job, he would have to compromise on his salary, which he did not at all intend to do. So, he fell for it. The lights turned green. He drove straight, turning left for his house, just at the corner of the street.
Parking his car in front of his house, he remembered his interview for his present job, which was about an year and half ago. They had said the same thing as he had heard in his first, but this time, he accepted it. He separated himself from science, and now he spent his time making more clients for his company and convincing them and taking care of them. Nothing in it involved his interests. But, it gave him money and that is what matters now days. With a huge breath, he pushed the doorbell and went inside his house as his mother opened it for him. He had surrendered