Getting into a good MBA college and being awarded an MBA degree is a dream come true for thousands of young executives interested in this field. But, just having a degree does little good if you don’t possess other skills which are equally (or more) important to meet the demands of the modern world. Practical experience, soft skills, ingenuity and ability to execute the learnings are more valued in the real world.

A good MBA degree is valued by the industry and will most likely get you your first job. But, after that it will become just of those things you mention on your CV that make you eligible for certain jobs. Your future growth in your profession will not depend on the fact that you have an MBA degree. It will depend on how much you are able to execute whatever you have learned theoretically and the skills you have been able to acquire over time on the job. So, while an MBA degree will get you employment, your growth in the industry will be depend on other factors and skills.

One concern raised by the industry time and again is of employability of young professionals, graduating from thousands of Business schools across the country. This is something that impacts the employment statistics of the country as well. The industry prefers someone with an all-round personality and multiple skills over someone whose knowledge is only limited to the books they have read. Some of these sought after skills are:

 

1. Domain Knowledge

The industry looks for candidates who have an excellent domain knowledge of their respective fields. A good MBA degree can fulfil this demand but not completely. It all depends on the candidate’s hunger for knowledge, their inquisitiveness and their observation skills, because not everything can be taught.

 

2. Good Execution Skills

The industry wants young professionals to be able to execute ideas and strategize. It may be possible that some of the theory that an MBA program teaches might not be of use in the practical world or may need to be adapted in some other form. Only a candidate who is smart enough to pick these indicators will be able to execute well.

 

3. Language Skills

In today’s world, business corporations don’t run in isolation. There is a growing interaction between businesses. The industry, therefore, wants young professionals to be ready to match up. Candidates with good language skills, who are able to articulate their thoughts well and convincingly, are preferred. For a young professional to excel, it is important that they work on their language skills and, if possible, gain proficiency in more than 2 languages, English being one of them.

 

4. Soft Skills

Soft Skills have become a crucial facet of employability these days. A candidate’s overall personality and conduct, the way they speak, the way they dress, the gestures they use while speaking are things that go a long way in establishing a candidate’s credentials. In the absence of good soft skills, the candidate will not be able to grow and will not be given opportunities that others might get.

 

5. Ingenuity

The industry expects young professionals to possess ingenuity, something that perhaps MBA cannot teach, for this is integral to a person’s personality. Young professionals must think of innovative, creative ideas to tackle problems. They must be able to think out-of-the-box to bring new ideas to the table.

 

An MBA degree needs to be complemented with all these skills to achieve success. In the absence of these skills, an MBA degree becomes superfluous.