Monday, July 18, 2005

Insatiable Expectations II - The B-School Perspective?


Most people from the top b-schools of India whom I have met over the years seem not much satisfied with their jobs.
"I'm doing nothing", "They are pestering me with too much of work", "I would have been better if I had just continued working instead of joining XYZ institute", "They don't know how to treat us", "This is the same thing that I used to do as a mere CA"
These are some of the reasons I have heard in the past few months, if not the past few years. These reasons are quite diverse and differ a lot from person to person. But what does not differ is the tendency to complain. But why are most people unhappy?
One reason I found out is that people have mammoth expectations. Once individuals enter a first tier b-school, they start believing that they will be leaders once they move out of their respective institutions. But the harsh reality is that, though b-schoolers get a head start in the corporate ladder, they still have to fight it out to reach the top. Education in a b-school is supposed to be an ammunition in the corporate jungle, and not a short-cut ticket to reach the other end of the maze.
All said, I wouldn't entirely put the blame on the b-schoolers. When you have 3 or 4 job offers in hand and choose one of them, you are destined to have high expectations in the option that you chose. There is also the fear that by working in the current environment one is narrowing down his/her exit options.
At the end of the day the question is still the same - "Are you happy with what you are doing?". Unfortunately, the answer too seems to remain the same

12 Comments:

Blogger Ravi said...

this was a good post. reflected the thoughts around quite appropriately.

i've no comments but i just wanted to say that after the 6 month anniversary, the quality of posts has definitely improved ;).

keep up the good work!!

19 July, 2005 09:31  
Blogger Jammy said...

@Ravi
Thanks. That's encouraging.

19 July, 2005 09:55  
Blogger Vetty Max said...

Jammy...I will comment next year. ;)

19 July, 2005 12:23  
Blogger Jammy said...

@Vetty
Ofcourse :)

19 July, 2005 13:46  
Blogger Jam said...

Jammy,

I dunno about how a B School can satiate one's expectations. Call me stupid but I was always a person who approached anything without any expectations, and therefore, a B School or a job after a B School are not any more different for me. As long as one has an open mind and is willing to try out any new thing, and not be afraid to get his hands dirty, I guess any job is as good as the other.

Thoughts?????...........Jam

19 July, 2005 17:16  
Blogger Heidi Kris said...

"This is the same thing that I used to do as a mere CA"

Ram i can understand what u ppl do :P
Probably this should be an eye opener to prospective CA students who can putin their efforts to become a B-School graduate rather than struggling to become a CA !!:(

20 July, 2005 06:38  
Blogger Jammy said...

First of all, I forgot to mention that my sampe sample has been majorly restricted to the IT industry.

@Jam
Well said

@wacko_Ram
I have no idea about foreign b-schools. But I don't think they would do anything different either.

@Heidi
To enter a b-school u should first complete your CA :))

20 July, 2005 09:57  
Blogger Heidi Kris said...

:O ram isnt a grad degree enough to enter into a B-School?

I guess most CAs would have done their graduation. IMHO, instead of taking up CA they can very well do MBA...

21 July, 2005 05:28  
Blogger Jammy said...

@Heidi
Yes, graduation is the necessary condition. But you increase your chances of geting in a good b-school by completing CA. That will also help in placements lateron.

21 July, 2005 09:28  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a bull-shit post...b-school or no b-school a guy/girl must know what he/she wants to do in life and go ahead trying to achieve it. if u r unclear/uninterested, obviously u will be unhappy.

b-schools have nothing to do with this....crappy article

08 August, 2005 15:42  
Blogger Jammy said...

@Anonymous
I welcome critics to my blog, but I guess u can do it without using bad language. Your comment indicates that you have been hurt somehow by my post. Am still wondering how.
Anyways my reply to you comment.... yes, a person must know what (s)he wants to do and would be unhappy otherwise. But why this unrelated comment? I have written about people who have high expectations and find their jobs offering them less challenges. Please read the blog again.

09 August, 2005 13:44  
Blogger Sandeep Khemka said...

Ram..ask this Mr. Anonymous to get in touch with me...i'll give him some perspective..for starters...

"Ppl who dont know what they want in life are always happy..because if u dont know anything..then u have no benchmark against which u can judge ur performance and in absence of a benchmark, anything is good and if thats good, it shld make u happy"...hows that!!!

20 November, 2006 17:17  

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