Every year in India, more than a million students graduate, of which a large percentage are engineers. Students pursuing engineering degree (B.Tech. or B.E.) are known for the following:

1. Strong technical know-how
2. Critical and analytical thinking
3. Problem-solving skills
4. Solution-oriented
5. Work under strict deadlines.

Armed with a professional degree and the above abilities, they are ready to conquer the world. Engineering graduates (both IT and non-IT) either grab job opportunities with companies like Infosys, Wipro, and TCS or pursue higher studies. While there is a shortage of well-paying jobs, many who are absorbed with a decent package experience stagnation in their career after a couple of years. Unless a student is clear about his / her goal and wants to grow on the technical and research side, the idea of studying an MBA certainly comes as a breath of fresh air.

Going by statistics more than 75 to 80 percent of students who join Post Graduate Programs at IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode) hail from an engineering background. Among these, around 30 to 35 percent are IIT and NIT pass outs. The main reason behind the trend of many engineering students opting for MBA is – Quest for better and rewarding career prospects.

Here are some reasons why top MBA aspirants are mainly from an engineering background:

1. To be More Marketable: Engineers can sell their innovative ideas and products better by enhancing their business and functional knowledge. Thus, more engineers opt for an MBA degree.
2. Transition to Leadership Roles: Opting for a degree like an MBA allows growing across verticals in an organization. Engineering graduates can align their technical expertise with functional areas like Finance, Sales & Marketing, Human Resource, Operations, Logistics, etc. and grow to managerial and leadership roles.
3. Holistic Personality Development: Engineers are often notorious for being introverts and technical geeks. MBA curriculum and pedagogy nurture them to be outspoken. It helps improve their oral & written communication skills along with soft skills such as teamwork, negotiation & persuasion skills, and decision-making skills. These, coupled with problem-solving, critical & analytical thinking skills, give an edge to the engineering graduates. The overall exposure and networking opportunities during an MBA redefine a student’s personality.
4. Micro and Macro-Level Problem Solver: With the technical know-how (engineering background) and understanding of business functions (management degree), B.Tech. – MBA graduates are competent to solve micro-level (technical or team related) and macro-level (organization-wide) issues.
5. Pursue Entrepreneurial Aspirations: Engineers are problem-solvers, and many have great product ideas as well. Teaming their engineering degree with an MBA can help them unlock their entrepreneurial dreams. Enhanced business knowledge allows them to understand the journey of their product from an idea on the table to the customer.
6. Get Better Pay Packages: The starting packages for MBA graduates are higher than what engineering graduate is offered. To get better pay scales, most engineering aspirants choose to pursue an MBA for technical background 

In the words of GB Shaw, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” An MBA after an engineering degree helps you create a better version of yourself.

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