If not an MBA what are your career options?

A few years ago, the society used to evaluate the status of the students based on their percentages, grades, number of degrees and colleges attended.

Thankfully, due to the influence of the digital landscape, these basic stereotypes are slowly fading away. Now, the grades and percentages of the students don’t matter that much as they used to a few years ago. In case you are talented enough then you can land an amazing job based on your basic qualifications. Students who are looking for their careers to the upcoming level often find themselves confused in picking up the right degree which can enhance the resume that can lead them to a better job. Hence, MBA becomes a sought-after degree among the students especially the students from an engineering background. However, students from different education backgrounds or degrees such as B.A, B.Sc, B.Arch, etc. are now pursuing MBA degree to improve their standing in the prospective job market.

Cost of Doing MBA

All of this seems to be quite an appealing thing. However, the entire cost of an MBA programme abroad can easily range from Rs. 50 to Rs 75 lakhs. In the case of Indian MBA degree, the cost can be between Rs. 7.5 lakh and Rs. 25 lakh. Now consider that your MBA fees is around Rs. 15 lakh from one of the Top MBA Colleges in Bangalore and you land a job of Rs. 25,000 per month, then it will take nearly five years to recover the entire money that you have spent to earn the degree. Not to mention, the various costs associated with living, travel, basic amenities and other miscellaneous costs. It can also add an additional two years to recover the total cost of your MBA degree. So, MBA degree might seem to be a dicey choice. Even though you can easily earn more money after a few years of experience with this degree, but there is a lot of things that are at stakes.

But if you don’t wish to pursue MBA, then the first question that comes into mind is what your career options are? Well, here we have listed.

Best career options that you can choose instead of MBA.

1. Entrepreneurship

It is quite a common concept among the people is that nothing feels better than having your own business and answering only to yourself. Starting your own business will boost your morale  as well as help you in gaining a lot of experience. In recent times, entrepreneurship has become a prominent trend owing to various governmental schemes, more people willing to invest in new businesses and other funding opportunities. Even if you fail in your own business, you will still gain enough credibility which will help you in focusing in various areas of business management that need to be improved.

2. Working in a Startup

You can easily get a lot of experience and exposure in various domains of business by joining startups. You get the opportunity to learn about front-end and backend, along with marketing, human resources and operations of the business. You are directly responsible for the contribution to the growth of the company. When it comes down to learning, entrepreneurs turn out to be the best people to learn from. People who are working in a startup tend to have a distinct mental as well as a professional frame of mind. These people are defined by their original and innovative way of addressing their own ideas. It provides you with an opportunity to gain more knowledge as well as learn more about the key aspects of business and team management.

3. Home-Tutoring

An MBA needs you to cover a wide range of topics, irrespective of your interest. On the other hand, you can opt for tutoring yourself, and you are completely free to work in various areas that are of your interests. You can easily structure your own curriculum based on your own requirements, and easily cover a wide range of business topics. Industry-specific lectures, strategy and marketing, leadership, management, and public speaking are some of the basic attributes that you need to learn to secure a great future.

4. Professional Writing

There is a huge demand for professional writers in the content industry. Companies in the IT sector especially require professional content writers for their website content and blogs. You can even venture in writing your own book and sell it. Just write down a book about your own interests, publish and promote your own book all by yourself. A published book actually acts as a most effective and impressive business card that you can own. You can easily gather more clients by writing your own book. It opens more door than having an MBA degree after your name.

5. Freelancing

Freelancing is essentially working for yourself without actually having any boss. You can easily choose your own working hours and rates. It is among the best ways to earn good money while studying or doing any other job. You can also consider freelancing as your own career option. You explore in different domains and skills such as translation, coding, accounting, content writing, website development, designing etc. You can easily start off with whatever skills you actually have.

6. Pursuing a Certification Course

There are a plethora of great certifications that are available in India as well as abroad. They are quite relevant to your career in business. Pursuing an MS or MA instead of MBA can be a great idea as it provides you with a much greater niche in the particular subject of your own choice. These various Master’s programmes often add a meaningful and direct connection to venture capitalists as well as small business incubators.

7. Volunteering

Volunteering can easily make you feel good as well as helps you in learning about other people. It provides you with exposure, experience and changes you as a person. You are offered with a chance to connect with various like-minded people, and it can directly have a positive impact on your own growth. It also provides you with an opportunity to easily practice as well as develop your own social skills.

8. Applying for Fellowships

Various Fellowship programmes can assist you in understanding the realities of society. It can help you in getting more connected to both rural as well as urban areas, and there isn’t any better feeling than actually doing something that makes the lives of the people better. It provides you with a lifetime experience. There are various specifically structured programmes which offer work experience, and you can easily take a great role in transforming the sector. Fellowship programmes like Teach For India, LAMP, Gandhi and PMDRF are some of the best programmes that you can easily apply for.

9. Learning a New Language

Learning any new language can not only be quite exciting but can be extremely beneficial. You can easily learn any foreign language by attending classes or even online coaching. No matter what your age is, having knowledge of a foreign language has its own advantages especially in today’s global society. It provides you with a competitive edge whenever you are looking for a new job or trying to improve your capabilities in current employment. You become more creative and smarter by learning a new language. You can also venture into the career of translators which is quite a lucrative field.

Conclusion

An MBA can be quite a great professional tool only if you know what you are actually going to do with it. It is suggested that you remain proactive and even pursue alternative career options which are more lucrative to you and also satisfy your own interests.