Career insights by GGI is a new series by GGI sharing hacks and tips around management consulting, MBA, product management and public policy.
In this GGI career insight, we will be sharing insights into: whether a pre-MBA is the right choice for you.
Have you ever wondered what is a Pre-MBA program? Or if you are the right person to attend a pre-MBA program?
Pre-MBAs are targeted at those in their early 20s. This program is typically for those who haven't had exposure to leadership and entrepreneurship qualities as they are absolutely essential for an MBA.
In this career insight, we will analyse the 3 key components of a Pre-MBA program.
1. Goals
You need to have clarity about your goals. If you are ambitious and aiming toward management consulting, private equity or starting a venture, then Pre-MBA makes sense for you.
The acceptance ratio of these jobs is really low and your preparation level before the program will help you stand out. If you want to know more about the life of a BCG consultant in India, then check out my article here.
Personally, I never enrolled in a pre-MBA program. Though, I had professional experience equivalent to a pre-MBA. I worked in a growth and strategy role for a boutique management firm and Groupon India.
This helped me get exposure to the necessary problem solving skills and gain business acumen. These skills ultimately helped me to get into ISB Hyderabad and BCG.
2. Skills
You must evaluate whether you have solved multi-dimensional problems. Since in an MBA you have very specific and field-oriented classes.
I genuinely believe that the leaders of tomorrow are not going to be those who think in silos. The leaders will follow a multi-dimensional approach and connect the dots. It may include connecting climate impact to finance to marketing or ethical dimensions.
If you want to know about skills that you should have before joining an MBA program, then feel free to check out my article here.
3. Network
Your network even before your MBA is very important.
There is a common misconception that MBA is a one-stop solution to skill building and networking. Though, only those who are well-prepared in advance stand out on campus.
You can achieve this level of preparedness by being a part of a pre-MBA program.
If you need more help getting into management consulting and product management, feel free to check out my education venture- Global Governance Initiative. We invite industry leaders to host Masterclasses and teach our students the hard and soft skills required to excel in their careers.
Author: Shatakshi Sharma, Co-CEO Global Governance Initiative, Ex-BCG Management Consultant, Former Policy Advisor, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
If you are interested in learning about GGI's MBA Scholar program, you can learn here.
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