Is a Full-Time MBA from a Top College Essential for Success in HR, or Are There Other Paths?

I am currently working in an HR Consulting firm as a Recruitment Consultant with around 14 months of experience (8 months in HR) and will be working in my current company until December 2014 (because of contract). Now, I am planning to pursue an MBA, but I am confused between a part-time MBA (evening lectures) and a full-time MBA. I have done some research on this topic.

My Conclusion

1) We all know that for success, we don't necessarily need a degree; we can achieve our targets through hard work, etc. However, this idea often looks good only on paper. Practically, in today's world, no one gives much importance to this thought process.

2) An MBA is worthwhile only if an individual completes it from a top-tier college or institute. Again, I am speaking practically, as I know that knowledge, experience, hard work, excellence, etc., are more important.

3) A part-time MBA from a top-tier college, with around 5 years of experience plus an MBA degree, can be valuable. But is it truly worthwhile? Do corporates entertain such individuals? Yes, they do.

I would like to add that in my research, I have interacted with some HR Heads and reviewed many CVs of senior people in HR (with over 10 years of experience). Many of them were from XLRI and IIMs (very few). The list of part-timers was much longer, including colleges like JBIMS, Welingkar, and NMIMS. They were earning good money and held significant designations. The sectors I focused on were BFSI and Consulting. I don't want to mention company names, but these included India's biggest mutual fund company, Big-4s, and a rating agency, etc.

So, my point is that an individual can achieve their professional goals and earn good money without an MBA degree from a top-tier college. Again, many people will say it totally depends on the individual, their skills, knowledge, etc., and this is totally right. However, we have to think practically as well.

My conclusion may not be fully correct because I just interacted with some people, did some surfing on the internet, and don't have extensive experience in the corporate world.

So, I need everyone's view on this: do corporates really entertain people without an MBA degree (especially in HR)? This will help me decide whether I should pursue a full-time MBA or a part-time MBA.

My Options

1) A 2-year full-time MBA from a 2nd-tier or 3rd-tier college/institute anywhere in India (because of the fee structure and CAT, CMAT scores).

OR

2) A 3-year part-time MBA from a good college in Mumbai (JBIMS, NMIMS, K.J. Somaiya, Welingkar).

Please guide me on this or provide any additional insights. It would be a great help and possibly a good learning experience.

It went too long, right? ;)

Regards,
Kishor

I think I got my answer that I should go for a full-time MBA. But let's keep my story aside and come to the title of this discussion: Does a Full-Time MBA from Top-Tier Colleges/Institutes Is the Only Key for Achieving Professional Goals?

Presently, I think it's true because:

• Corporate does not entertain MBA graduates from second-tier colleges (in some cases) and third-tier colleges (yes, there are some companies that do not give preference to degree or institute).

• People from third-tier colleges have to work with SMEs or smaller firms (by revenue, team size, etc.). I believe the smaller the firm, the higher the learning and development of the individual, but what about monetary/salary?

Example Scenario

Say there are two guys, A and B, in Mumbai who want to be HR professionals and both have an interest in BFSI.

A's Journey

1) Works hard for preparing CMAT, gets a good score, and takes admission in S.P. Jain (Top tier).
2) Gets placement at J.P. Morgan with a package of 12 LPA.

B's Journey

1) Similar to "A," he works hard for CMAT, gets a good score, but he can't make it to S.P. Jain because he can't pay fees of Rs 10-15 lakhs.
2) Gets admission in some second-tier or third-tier college and also gets placement at ICICI Securities with a package of 6 LPA (third-tier colleges don’t have big companies in placement).

After working for 5 years in their respective companies, i.e., J.P. Morgan and ICICI Securities, they go for an interview at Goldman Sachs.

What Happens with "A"

1) "Ohhhhh, you have done an MBA from S.P. Jain, great."
2) "Ohhhhh, you have 5 years of experience, great."
3) "Ohhhhh, you handled this and this, you did this and this, excellent, perfect guy."
4) "We'll hire you, you get so-and-so designation and a 30% hike on your CTC (e.g., 30% on 12 LPA)."

What Happens with "B"

1) "Oh, you did an MBA from this 'XYZ' college (third tier)."
2) "Ohhhh, you have 5 years of experience, great."
3) "Ohhhhh, you handled this and this, you did this and this, excellent, perfect guy."
4) End of the story.

Both guys are equal in degree, experience, and domain knowledge, but "A" gets hired because of that "S.P. Jain."

Let's say "B" also gets hired, and the hiring manager says, "We'll hire you, you get so-and-so designation and a 30% hike on your CTC (i.e., 30% on 6 LPA)."

And this cycle of hikes goes on, and "B" will never match the package of "A." Of course, "B" gets the opportunity to work with "Goldman Sachs," which he once dreamed of, but what about the package? Now people will say he gets what he dreamed about and money is not everything, and it is completely true, 100% true. Money isn't everything, but everything needs money.

Lol, it went too long. :D

I think either you were rejected from many companies due to not having an MBA or a lack of knowledge of the law, or you did not apply to big firms. Because if you had done so, you would never speak like this.

P.S. - I don't have an MBA degree, but I have experience and knowledge in HR, so I receive a good package. At the same time, my colleagues have MBA degrees but not much knowledge about the law, so they receive lower salaries than me. Therefore, only a degree will not guarantee a big package; knowledge matters in this case.

If you have an MBA degree but are not familiar with the law, then no one will hire you for a big package. Don't lose your confidence and always try to learn new things in HR.

Regards

Having worked with many MNCs and trained numerous MBA students across India, I would like to let you know that you are right according to research. However, when opting to study part-time, you have to ask yourself the following questions:

- Will my company be supportive?
- Do I have the self-discipline to study part-time?
- How efficient is the institute through which I am studying?
- Is my choice aligned with my future goals?

Ask yourself these questions and make a decision based on your observations about yourself. You are right that a qualification does not determine one's growth or success, but in the absence of a qualification, one must have raw, concentrated determination.

Thank you for your valuable reply, Arpan. I just want to say four things in response to your reply.

1) No, I have never been rejected due to my MBA or lack of knowledge of law, nor have I applied to any big firm because I have never gone for any interview. I am doing awesome work in my current firm (according to my seniors), and if you read this discussion from the start, you will come to know where I am working and in which role.

2) I am saying all these things based on my research, observations, interactions with HR people, some studies on the current education system, and corporate culture, including hike systems in corporate. I know I have very little experience in the industry, and I may be wrong in understanding corporate culture.

3) As you said, "If you have an MBA degree but are not familiar with law, then no one can hire you with a big package." Again, if you read this discussion from the start, you'll know that I have already stated the importance and value of domain knowledge, experience, etc. The problem is that many companies are giving more importance to degrees (I can mention this with the names of the companies and with the role/designation, CTC, degree, location, etc.).

4) Last but not least, I have done some research on your profile as well. :p I must say you have very good experience in the manufacturing industry (HR & Compliance Department), i.e., 7 years, and you are getting a package of 3 LPA. ;)

Thank you a lot for your suggestions. I didn’t quite understand the first point, "Will my company be supportive." Could you please elaborate on this point?

Kishore

Company Support During Studies

It is important that the company you are employed at when studying supports you in your effort. For example:

- Are they willing to promote you to a better position post your studies?
- Are they going to be flexible with you when you want to take study leave?
- Do they have bursary options? Many companies give students an amount towards their studies; this is done so that the company can retain the employee's talent after studying.

It is great if a company supports you, but what if a company doesn't support you? A non-supportive company will not allow for any decrease in productivity and may not give you a better position once you qualify. You need to be able to handle either situation and have a plan of action.

Regards,
Kishore

I wonder why you chose not to disclose your identity. It's a well-thought-out question, and I will try to reply to you earnestly. In the past, I have written on this forum about the MBA bubble that has burst in India, especially in the last few years. Now, we see that every second person is either pursuing an MBA or has one. I am a victim of this MBA trend as well, having graduated in 2014 with an MBA in HR (not from a reputed institute). I am now facing the consequences of the economic conditions and the oversaturation of MBAs in the job market.

Let me share my thoughts with you. They may be flawed, but they stem from my experiences and reflections.

What Does Success Depend On?

The fundamental question you posed is about what success depends on. I believe success is a subjective and relative concept. However, if we define success conventionally as financial stability, job security, good education, a supportive family, etc., many of these factors are influenced by the type of education you pursue, among other things, including the choice of business school. Factors like ambition, clarity of thought, hard work, networking, people skills, communication, and luck also play crucial roles. Combining these qualities with a good B-School education can be a formula for success. Nevertheless, success is perceived differently by individuals.

Returning to your inquiry, I think that in the current economic climate, investing approximately 5 lakhs in an MBA from a lesser-known institute would likely be a waste of money and time. Instead, a prudent decision would be to explore other job opportunities, work on self-improvement (I noticed room for improvement in your English), and strive for progress. An MBA is not the ultimate determinant of one's career. What truly matters are the values instilled by an MBA, such as people management, communication skills, public speaking, organizational abilities, etc.

I hope this detailed response proves helpful to you.

After reading the chain of conversation, I would like to share my thoughts as well. According to Kishore's statement, "You can be a Professional Giant" only if you have both a degree from famous B-Schools and thorough professional knowledge.

Again, it is based on industry standards because the "IT & ITES" sector is offering higher salaries compared to any other industry. If you are a well-equipped person, obviously, you can be hired in the Big 5, but for a lower cadre. The reason is that "If you look at the jobs posted, especially for HR," on a few websites, especially when they are hiring for big MNCs, they specifically mention "Need candidates from Tier - I institutes only," and because of this, many people couldn't apply for it (includes me as well :) irrespective of the knowledge they possess.

As per the research, Mr. Kishore, you are right. But you can even get higher salaries in smaller companies based on work knowledge, loyalty, dedication towards organizational growth, etc.

Finally, as per Mr. Jade's recommendation, you need to check the feasibility of doing it part-time so that it does not affect productivity at any time. My suggestion would be that even if you are opting to pursue it part-time or through distance learning, choose a reputed institution that offers the same.

Hope I clarified things for you. Have a great day :)

Regards