Unprecedented times require extraordinary gumption ! (A message for current MBA batches from the last recession hit batch.)

2020 has been tough. There is no doubt that the world has never seen anything like what we are experiencing right now. It’s particularly harsh for all of you who have recently become the first batch ever to have interned over Teams/Zoom/Skype or those who are about to enter an MBA program virtually.

Before we pursue our MBAs/PGDMs, we are always recommended that what matters most are not the courses themselves but the overall experience which an institute offers. Whether it be networking within the batch, getting chances of interacting face to face with the industry/alumni networks, being exposed to team work and collaboration (and getting a sense that teams are often imperfect), the fantastic college library to the softer aspects which one cherishes for a lifetime including all-nighters to complete projects, group watching of cricket/football matches, late night celebrations, getting dressed up for key occasions and the not too bad mess/cafeteria.

The reason I can relate to your situation is because I am from the batch which last thought of themselves as the most unfortunate batch ever, the batch which saw Lehmann Brothers come for pre-placement talks & then declare bankruptcy within the next 3 days.

Ours was a batch where things quickly turned from being superb to horribly wrong. While entering IMT Ghaziabad in 2007, I knew that at that point things were too good to be true as placement records were being broken every year across colleges.

While I knew that at some point economic cycle will turn creating a trough, I couldn’t fathom how it will actually play out. While our batch had seen all our seniors going out with multiple job offers and companies fighting for candidates, our batch on the contrary had seen just 6-8 companies turn up for the first day of placements. Within a year, placement rules changed to a person becoming eligible only for one job offer – even if the next interview you have been shortlisted for is your dream role. If you have a job you were out of the process (though no one really complained about that – given how bad the hiring scene was). Entire placement week went by with only 80-85 in a batch of 360 getting placed. Even adding all PPO cases took the total barely over the 130 mark till the end of the ‘placement’ week.

While I was fortunate to be placed on the third day of the placement week, I accepted a job offer which I was not really proud of at that point of time (in hindsight I know I was foolish to have thought so). I never saw the final placement figures for our batch, but I am reasonably certain that nearly 25% won’t have got placed till the end of our 2 years of MBA.

Why am I telling you all this?

It’s because, tough times come but they do get over. Despite starting with job offers which most of us had not hoped for when we had joined IMT, most have done quite well in the last 11+ years with lot of us more than making up for the bad start we had – both in terms of roles and compensation. We were the first batch in a while which didn’t take things for granted. We knew what adversity was and that we needed to be at our best at all times and constantly look for ways to make a difference wherever we were. Despite our wider world view, we also know that our actions are only one part of the equation, and that there are much bigger forces at play. So we do expect that shocks would come – potentially requiring us to put in hard work in new directions all over again. For most of us, we are not just doing our jobs, but looking for ways in which we and our teams can add maximum value to the organisations we are a part of.

So what does the experience of batch 2007-09 mean for all of you who find yourself stuck in an unprecedented situation.

While we do not have control over the pandemic or its macroeconomic and political implications, here’s what you should do in your two years (some of these are based on my reflections on things which I didn’t do during my MBA – but which I should have done):

• Network aggressively

Most MBA colleges now have a much larger batch size than earlier. While it is definitely a disadvantage when it comes to final placements, but it can be a huge advantage in the long run. What you have at your disposal is a large network of not just 500+ people from your batch but at least 500+ in your senior/junior batch. Do not let this virtual environment be a hindrance as everyone else in your batch would be looking to connect as well.

• Diversify your profile & skill-sets

Be highly engaged with forums and extra curricular activities. In the long run no one cares what GPA you had during your MBA (that doesn’t mean that ‘you’ should not care about your grades). As a manager what matters is how good are you in unstructured thinking, coordination and execution. What industry wants is people who get the job done and not people who only get good scores. Being involved in areas beyond academics makes you think in directions which one would traditionally skip. Remember that these 2 years are a test run for what you would be doing in your careers. You would be expected to manage multiple areas & KPIs, engage with countless stakeholders, achieve outcomes both for yourself and your team and at the same time ensure that you are learning all the time.

• Think about common good

MBA courses (& more broadly our entire education system) generally reward individual performances vs. achieving collective goals. But winning a 2 year journey at all costs can make you look more like a jerk rather than being a real winner in the long run. My strong recommendation will be to NOT think exclusively as an individual & make a good impression on everyone you interact with – including your batchmates. You must realize that during their careers people develop in ways one can’t even imagine. Even those who might appear absolutely careless and who are not doing great during the course may end up being high performers in the long run. So always look to work with others around you and try to create maximum goodwill. Your batchmates won’t like to stay in touch with or promote someone who was known for stealing undeserved credit in team activities.

• Build a strong personal brand by pursuing excellence in at least 2-3 areas

You future employability and performance will depend on how effectively you can manage and excel in competing priorities. While you may be involved in 5-6 areas during your MBA – do ensure that you are able to differentiate yourselves in a few core areas – and at least one of these should be non-academic. Your ability to position yourself as a specialist in a few key areas can really help you grow in your career.

• Take class presentations very seriously

What we don’t realize (or are not even made to realize) during our MBA is that a much bigger takeaway than the interesting case studies we analyze or the projects we complete is the development of our capability to present ideas effectively before a room full of people. Generally I and a lot of my batchmates used to focus all of our energies in developing slides and putting almost zero attention to improving how we present and convey a compelling story to our audience. I later realized that its our ability to effectively drive point of views through conversations both in formal and informal settings which help us win business, drive teams, manage stakeholders and ultimately succeed at our workplaces.

• Acknowledge that uncertainty is for all – you are not alone!

During your tenure in such uncertain times, you will constantly feel that luck has short changed you. You would think that while those before you got a fair deal, you have been robbed of a chance at having a great career. But trust me – everyone is getting impacted – irrespective of how experienced you are, what’s your level of expertise or which sector you are a part of. Everyone is insecure – some more, some less. Some may even lose their jobs (I hope not), and would require restarting their careers all over again.

• Stay level headed & be flexible in your approach

Generally you may have been told by many to approach your curriculum in a targeted way. The expectation is that you should target a few specific roles and work towards them. However, circumstances like this demand a much greater level of flexibility than usual. Be ready to take up roles which you may not have even considered aspirational till a few months back. This is because of two reasons. First – in such an environment, your dream roles may not even have openings. Second – and more importantly – often your dream roles may not ultimately be in line with your preferences. When I joined my first job after MBA, I was not sure what I was getting into but just took it because that was the one which came my way (naturally the pay was also nowhere close to ideal back then). Fortunately, it served as a good starting point, gave me some good experiences & I could pick some of the learnings to steer it in a direction which I am now proud of (similar to what a number of my batchmates have successfully done in the last 11 years).

Times change – But emerging opportunities would need you to be ready !

There is no doubt that the coming months will be tough for all of you. This current landscape is nothing what the modern world has ever seen. Entire sectors have collapsed in ways no one could have imagined and others too have shrunk in an unprecedented way. Current landscape would require all of you to put in much more effort than what past batches had to put in. This was similar in our case when we could see most of our immediate seniors having passed out with much less stress and effort (not taking anything away from them as their environment was not as demanding as ours).

But eventually this scenario is bound to lead to a situation where economy will pick up again and industry will start looking up. Everyone will then be looking for professionals who know how to live with & thrive in uncertainty. That’s when you will have to be ready with your newly developed skills & experiences. Always remember that the ultimate goal of an MBA program is never to give you a highly paid job, but to position you strongly for the future workforce through the right experiences and skills. Best of luck and feel free to reach out if you have any queries!