The trend of choosing the right specialisation had begun a few years back. But the candidates have now realised the importance of acquiring the specific skills to get their dream jobs, says ARUN JAGANNATHAN

In India, about 3.6 lakh MBA candidates graduate every year. But due to the Coronavirus situation, the business schools (B-schools) have had to make changes to their traditional manner of teaching, and these changes will have an impact on the students.

Most MBA programmes have announced that they are planning to go digital by providing online classes to their students. A lot of institutions have pushed their MBA application deadlines. They have also announced that they will reopen the campuses when it is safe for students to start attending classes in colleges. It means that the MBA candidates will have to attend classes online and probably even in classrooms.

Classrooms provide a space for the students to attend classes with their peers, to discuss topics and to clear their doubts immediately. When they take up online sessions, they will miss out on the campus experience and also the face-to-face interaction with other students and faculty members.

But they will learn a lot when it comes to situation management, and they will also be able to attend webinars and other online sessions provided by the institutions.

Given how the MBA programmes are changing, the courses will test more than just the academic potential of a candidate. They will now be a test of the candidate’s ability to manage crises.

If a candidate attends the MBA programme on campus, they will have to work on projects and case studies in teams. When they are with the teams in college, it is easy to have discussions, share ideas and complete projects when they are with the team. But the current situation does not permit that.

In this situation, it comes down to who takes up the leadership role, who brings the team together and who manages the work. The impact of the Coronavirus on the job market has made MBA aspirants think twice before they choose their MBA programme. When an aspirant decides to do an MBA, they can choose to specialise in the field of their choice.

The trend of choosing the right specialisation had begun a few years ago. But the candidates have now realised the importance of acquiring the specific skills to get their dream job roles.

MBA in General Management, which gives a broad sense of management and business, was an MBA programme which was in demand. But now, MBA aspirants choose specific MBA courses. They are now keen to explore the options available to them that include STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programmes as well.

For someone interested in understanding the challenges and importance of sustainable development, B-schools offer an MBA in Sustainable Development. Students learn the techniques and methods to bring about sustainable development, be it within a corporate environment or in other businesses.

Candidates can choose to pursue an MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Blockchain Management and Innovation Management, to state a few. B-schools across the world, including Harvard Business School, Indian Institute of Management, EU Business School and Wharton Business School offer different MBA specialisations options to its candidates. Due to this, there is an increased chance for students to get admitted into the course of their choice.

Every MBA programme will have a unique offering, and every B-school has their way of teaching their students. It is up to the candidate to go through the details provided by the B-schools, do their research and find out which programme and which B-school suits them the most.

To make this decision, the candidate has to know themselves first. They have to know their strengths and weaknesses to choose the MBA programme that suits their personality and aspirations. But it is also necessary to understand the scope of the programme the B-school offers.

Understanding the scope of the programme will help them understand the job roles and pay packages that they will receive after they graduate. A point that all graduates have to remember is that an MBA is an investment, both in terms of money and time. It is important to make the right decision and give it the best during a crisis time like this.

The writer is Co-founder-CEO,CrackVerbal