Navigating Career Choices: How to Balance an Internship, MBA, and Industrial Psychology Studies?

Hey all, I am Diksha, new to this forum. I have completed my BA with majors in Psychology and am currently pursuing my Masters in Psychology. I will be specializing in Industrial Psychology for my second year starting in June.

For the second year, we are required to work and attend college. I am interested in HR, which is why I chose Industrial Psychology. I have three queries.

Firstly, I need to find a job (internship) where I could work thrice a week due to college. How do I go about it? Which companies should I apply to, and what should I expect? How should I prepare myself?

Secondly, I am considering pursuing an MBA through correspondence. Where should I do it from - ICFAI, Welingkar Institute, or Symbiosis?

Thirdly, having completed my Masters in Industrial Psychology, would an MBA in HRM make more sense, or should I opt for a diploma since I already have a Masters in Psychology with a major in Industrial?

Please answer my queries as soon as possible. Thanks.

Hi Diksha,

MBA has become a must these days. I suggest pursuing it through Symbiosis and opting for a full-time program. You can apply to any company for an internship; many corporate professionals allow you to work for 3 days without payment. If you have any more queries, feel free to reach out to me.

Thank you.

Hey there, thank you for your reply. I know a full-time MBA makes more sense, but the thing is I still have 1 year of my master's to do. And then, for a full-time MBA, I need work experience and have to take all those exams. It's not possible while doing my master's, and now that I have to start working, I don't think I'll be able to go for a full-time MBA. That's why I was settling for an MBA through correspondence.

Do you have any idea which companies I should apply to for an internship? If you can name a few, it would be helpful. It's the first time I'm ever going to work, so I'm really confused.

There is no limitation in sectors for the HR profession. You can apply for any sector, such as FMCG, IT, ITES, Manufacturing, Garments, Automobile, etc. So, it's up to your choice. I would suggest you go for FMCG/IT/ITES. Anything more??

Hey there, thank you for your reply. I know a full-time MBA makes more sense, but the thing is I still have 1 year of my masters to do, and then for a full-time MBA, I need work experience and to take all those exams. It's not possible while doing my masters, and now I have to start working. So, I don't think I'll be able to go for a full-time MBA. That's why I was settling for an MBA through correspondence. Do you have any idea which companies I should apply to for an internship? If you can name a few, it would be helpful. It's the first time I'm ever going to work, so I'm really confused.

Hi Diksha,

I would suggest you to go for correspondence as today nobody is interested in your specialization. What matters is your experience and knowledge. I have friends who are just graduates and are in HR, so go for correspondence. In the meantime, look for a job in the same field.

Cheers!

Hi Dikhsa,

Doing an MBA with psychology will always help you in getting a job, no doubt in that. Now, if you are choosing between ICFAI and Symbiosis, then you have to analyze your own needs as they are entirely different. ICFAI is known for its syllabus (distance learning) and it's really good, but the fee structure is a little bit expensive. So, think before you join why you want to do an MBA through distance learning. If it's only for the sake of a degree, go for Symbiosis.

For your second query, regarding company names, I want to know from which university you are doing your Masters. Like in Delhi, there are many companies, for example, Abacus, Quadrangle, Birlasoft, RDI, and many other big companies that provide you with opportunities. The four names which I have provided can offer you some rich work in psychometrics, assessment, trainings, and more.

Best of luck for your future. If you want any other information, you can contact me here or at my email address mohitdel1984@gmail.com.

Regards,
Mohit

Hi Diksha,

You are really confused. Let me clarify the thing. HRM is not all about industrial psychology, though there are so many behavioral applications in it. Today, HRM needs to act as a business process, so an HR manager/executive should know the business first.

So, I always advocate for an MBA from a good institute, not a diploma. Since you have no prior experience in the industry, do a full-time MBA; otherwise, you will only waste your time and money.

Hi Diksha,

You are really confused. Let's clarify... HRM is not all about industrial psychology, though there are more applications of it. Today, HRM needs to act as a business process, so every HR manager/executive should know the business. I would suggest going for an MBA rather than any diploma.

Since you don't have any experience in the industry, it would be better to pursue a full-time MBA instead of a part-time one. The internship will be after one year, so you don't need to worry about it from the beginning.

Anupam

Email: anupamcha5@gmail.com

Thanks, guys for replying.

Well, I know I sound confused. I'm doing my Masters from SNDT Mumbai. Please suggest some companies. As for MBA, I'm sure I want to do one; it's just that I really don't think I can do a full-time MBA, so I'm settling for correspondence. I guess I will go for Symbiosis or ICFAI (Mohit Gautam).

Of course, I do know HRM is not all about industrial psychology.

I was thinking of applying to the Deutsche Bank internship program, but I have no idea if I will get in or not. So, hoping for the best.