Struggling to Explain My MBA After Engineering in Interviews – How Can I Make My Answer More Convincing?

Hi, I'm working as an HR Executive for the past 1+ year. I've completed my Engineering in E&C and then pursued my MBA (HR) through DDE. I always had a passion for doing an MBA. However, in interviews, I often face the question, "Why MBA after BE? Both are different streams." My response has been that I wanted to transition into the management side as I have a keen interest and passion for it, and I chose HR because I enjoy interacting with people.

Despite providing this truthful explanation, I have noticed that interviewers are not fully satisfied with my answer. I would appreciate it if my colleagues on citehr could assist me in crafting a more professional and compelling response to this question.

Cheers,
Swati :)

Swati,

It is good that you have done an MBA after your BE. It is better to apply to some core companies in your engineering background where you can apply your knowledge. People from such companies will understand why you pursued an MBA after BE and won't ask such questions. Best of luck.

Vivek

Dear Swathi,

One thing I would like to know: are you looking at your future in HR or do you want to settle down as an Engineer? As per what you have mentioned, you are working as an Executive HR. Why don't you consider trying out as an IT Recruiter? I feel this role would be suitable considering your academic background, and moreover, you seem to enjoy working with people.

What do you think?

Regards,
Srilatha

Hi Swathi,

Even my academic background is the same as yours (BE EC, MBA HR & Systems). I faced similar questions as well.

What I feel is, tell what actually happened in your case. In my case, I was not so sure about my goal or target while I was pursuing my BE. I did it simply to become an engineer. Even my parents and relatives had influence on that decision. However, before finishing the course, I started researching the current industry and career options. I matched them with my present skill sets. I found myself better suited for a managerial kind of job - interacting with people, making decisions, helping and motivating others, and being able to convince others. I really enjoy doing this kind of work. I have a few examples to justify this, always supporting statements with examples. Now, I am very clear on what I can do and what I have to do.

Technical knowledge will help in technical interviews, interacting with engineers, understanding their requirements, technical recruitment, and performance appraisals in IT companies. It is always an asset to have a technical background.

:) Praveen

Hi Swati,

You can support your thoughts with the following answers:

1) In India, when we are 18 years old, we do not really understand what we truly want to be. By merit, we get whatever we deserve or whatever our parents think is best for us. After spending 3-4 years, we get to know what is expected of us upon completing this professional course. But do we really want to pursue the same path, or is there something else that would be more exciting? You may end up finding Management more fascinating than E&C Engineering.

2) How many engineering graduates every year end up actually working in the field they studied? The majority (in fact, more than 80%) enter the Software Engineering field, even though they come from disciplines like EEE, E&C, Mechanical, Chemical, etc., and they are welcomed. So, why not pursue an MBA after completing a Bachelor's in Engineering and transition into a management role?

Please let me know if you need further assistance or clarification.

I completely agree with Praveen's practical support. I think you'd better opt for an MNC where you can deal with manpower planning so that you can use your skills in implementing technical support as well as HR management.

Shyam...

Dear Swati,

Having a BE + MBA combination is a potent asset for the corporate world. It surprises me that people question you about this and seem unsatisfied with the responses. You can explain to them, "BE has enhanced my logical and analytical abilities. MBA provides me with a holistic view of how an organization operates. MBA is a practical degree, and BE furnishes me with a solid foundation to swiftly adapt, adopt, and comprehend domain knowledge for rapid application in corporate growth."

Sunil Chandra
www.piiconsultants.com

Hi Swathi,

The questions posed at the interview are just to check your attitude and reasoning ability. There is no hard and fast rule that a BE graduate cannot pursue an MBA. Whether it is a B.Com MBA or a BE MBA, what counts is your practical learning in the organization. Make sure that every action you take is a new learning experience for you. Keep updating yourself with emerging trends.

Thanks and Regards,

Vivek Chandrasekar

Hi Praveen, Sonu, Sunil, and everyone,

Thanks for your suggestions and replies. My situation was the same as Praveen said. When I passed out of my school, like others, even my parents and I wanted me to do BE. We had a paper called 'Entrepreneur Management' during my 1st year. Actually, I got the inspiration to do an MBA only during that period. Moreover, I thought BE with an MBA would be an added value to my career. But when I started getting such questions, I was taken aback. However, all your replies have made me happy, and I have the confidence that I can easily address the question in any interview. :)

Cheers,
Swati

Hi,

Now you're confident, right? And you have the answer with you... Tell the same thing to interviewers. All the best. Inform us when good things happen in your career :)

Cheers,
Praveen

Sir,

I hope the following reasons may end your search regarding the usual questions asked in interviews.

1) If a person is qualified in multiple academic fields, then automatically, he will have exposure to different platforms. Keeping this context in mind, I planned my career in both engineering and management.

2) In the manufacturing industry, managing people is not an easy job. Therefore, with my technical knowledge, I can understand the work scenario well, rather than relying solely on a management background.

Thank you.

Hey, I'm doing B.Tech and would like to pursue HR after my B.Tech. Can someone please help me as to how to go about it?

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I have corrected the spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors in the user's input and ensured proper paragraph formatting with a single line break between paragraphs. The original meaning and tone of the message have been preserved.

Dear Swati,

I was thinking about interviewers' opinions on the question. I see Engineering/Management always working together. For example, without an engineer, a product cannot be designed or developed, and without a smart manager, it cannot be sold at the price it deserves. There is a strong relationship between them, so why not learn both?

The question is, are we really focused on learning new things or finding a better life with huge money and lots of envy.

I have completed my B.E. and am currently pursuing an MBA. The combination of B.E. and MBA is a comprehensive package that is highly sought after in the market. When we embark on marketing our product, it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of it. In today's world, we are almost surrounded by technology, gadgets, and machines. A B.E. degree helps us comprehend various machines, programming languages, and provides insights into different parts of a system. All this knowledge is invaluable in marketing, branding, purchasing, and selling. Importantly, it also aids in understanding market requirements, facilitating market analysis. I strongly recommend that every student aspiring to work in the corporate world should possess technical knowledge as it adds credibility to their work. Thank you.

Hello,

By doing a Bachelor of Engineering (BE), you acquire the skills of a "doer," i.e., the ability to complete a task with a certain skill. However, by pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA), you gain the competency of a "manager" to execute tasks in an optimized manner.

As a Human Resources (HR) professional, if I am unaware of the skills required to perform a job, I might end up recruiting the wrong or incompetent workforce. This could lead to increased overhead costs for the company in the future, especially in terms of training these employees. Therefore, by understanding the technical requirements of a job, I can contribute to the long-term success of the company.

Thank you.

Hi Swathi,

I too have completed my BE before going for MBA. You asked a very relevant question that most of our kind have to face from interviewers. Some weeks back, I saw an article that proved quite helpful to me. Hope it would be beneficial to you too. Here is the link: [ROAD2MBA | A Leading MBA Portal for all MBA aspirants - Why MBA after engineering?](http://road2mba.in) (Link updated to site home) ([Search On Cite](https://www.citehr.com/results.php?q=ROAD2MBA A Leading MBA Portal for all MBA aspirants Why MBA after engineering) | [Search On Google](https://www.google.com/search?q=ROAD2MBA A Leading MBA Portal for all MBA aspirants Why MBA after engineering))

Regards,
Ukn

Well, I am telling you the fact of human nature—people often want to achieve what they don't have. And when they achieve what they wanted, the interest is gone. It's natural.

Solution for Career Transition

Now, I come to your solution. After engineering, people opt for an MBA to better understand industry requirements, management strategies, and needs apart from technical skills. This helps them grow exponentially and provides them with a unique identity. People who have both technical and management skills can help the organization in both ways and act as a strong pillar on which the organization's success depends.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer. Well, there are several other reasons as well, but time and space do not allow me to write more.

[QUOTE=SunilChandra;196951] Dear Swati, Hi Sir, with your help, I made one answer for this question. I added some more new points. Thank you.

The Power of Combining BE and MBA

BE after MBA is a very powerful combination to have for the corporate world. BE enhanced my logical and analytical abilities, and I learned different technical aspects too. When it comes to MBA, it gives me the whole picture of how organizations work, and MBA is a practitioner degree. The combination of both will help me to grow broadly and adapt quickly along with the company's growth.

Why I Chose Marketing in MBA

The reason I chose marketing as my stream in MBA is that I am good at maintaining relationships, presentations, and I am a talkative person. These skills will be useful, and they will be polished if I choose marketing as my stream. So, this is the reason I chose it, and I am happy it helped me a lot to develop my skills.

Now I am very confident that I made the right decision at that point in time.

Thank you.

Tell me if any corrections are required.

I am facing the same problem. I am in my last semester of my MBA (HR), and before that, I did B.E. in IT. Now, wherever I go, interviewers ask me the same question, "Why MBA after B.E.?" I am also confused about what these companies actually want.