MBA Crystal Ball

Hi Amit sir,

Thnx for your reply.

You are welcome. Glad to have been of help.

-Amit.

I posted my question, but sadly it has disappeared.

Nabhaite wrote:I posted my question, but sadly it has disappeared.

Did not disappear

As it was ISB related, it's been moved to the ISB Hyderabad thread so MG bhai can respond to it.

I am in very difficult part of life.Need your suggestion badly. Currently I have resigned from my job to support my parents who are not keeping well and some property issue which needs to be settled.

I know property issue will take 2-3months to settle down which is of high priority as it belongs to my father and worth amount.

But I don't want my career to stop. So I am planning to write CAT this year and then go for MBA. Ideally MBA classes will start next year. Do this 1 year gap will have an impact? Suppose I get top 10 MBA school, so whether placement company will see it as negative point.
Ihave total 8 years of experience.

Please let me know your view on same.

Karthik,

Whatever period of time you are going to take a break for, you will need to explain and reason it out with your future employers (and possibly even to bschools during the admissions process).

In my line of work, it is quite common for people to take a 2-3 month break between jobs, the reasoning for which is usually quite simple and straightforward - stress, too little time spent with family over the last few years, no time to pursue personal interests, etc. As a recruiter for my firm, I am fine when interviewees give me such reasons for short breaks (2-3 months). However, when skimming through a resume, if I find a gap of more than 6 months, I start getting suspicious and ask probing questions. I am inclined to believe that most recruiters would do the same.

While I understand the direness of your situation, I think you could consider a number of possible alternatives:

1) Take up a part-time job. Since you have been working for the past 8 years, I think being jobless for a year is going to prove to be a torture for you.
2) Many companies give employees the option of working from home. Many managers are elated if you tell them that you would want to work from home. Would it be possible for you to consider such an opportunity?
3) If you are of the entrepreneurial type, maybe you could work solo for a year. When interviewing for your next job, it is perfectly fine to state that you were running your own business for a year.

If I were you, I would take a break for 3 months, and then consider one of the above options.

All the best.

-Amit.

Hi Amit,

Thanks for your valuable advice. Really appreciable.

Some more doubts i got after reading that.

Currently i am in Noida and working in IT having package of 10L and my hometown is Motihari, a small city in Bihar.

I too really want to do some work side by side as it will be diffcult to spend time and prepare for CAT.

Now out of three option you told me, second will not be possible as company will not allow me.

Option 1 & 3 are bit suitable to me as i can join some computer training institute or can work with my brohter-in-law medical business which requires selling of medicine to Medical store.

In my hometown, i donot think any other work option will be available bcoz of lack of opportunity.

If i go with option 1 or 3, i will not be be wasting my year which is very good thing but will not be earning more than 15k-20k/month. So there will be drastic drop in my salary.

Will it be acceptable to B-School or Comapny coming during placement?

I know i have taken a harash step bcoz of my parents not keeping well and property issue.I didnot find anything wrong in taking this step as my parents have done alot for me and its my turn. Might be, i am sounding bit emotional but i cannot leave them in that situation.

Please let me know your view on same.

Regards,
Karthik

Hi Amit,

Can you please let me your valuable suggestion as bit confused?

I know this forum is not for this type of question but hope you can understand my situation.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Karthik

Karthik,

Apologies for not being able to respond sooner.

If you establish your own company/business (option 3), it is expected that it will take you some time to break even - you might need to make some investments, and revenue will flow in only after a while (weeks, months, or even years). Admissions committees at bschools and companies that you might interview with later would be totally fine with this.

If you opt for a part-time job (option 1), the same audience (admissions committees, and recruiters) is going to be interested in a coherent and believable story, the main ingredients of which I think you already have (property disputes, parents not keeping well, etc.). You will need to "frame" it well, and make it flow smoothly.

Thinking like a recruiter, I would be more at ease with option 3 than option 1.

You have done nothing wrong. In situations such as yours, sometimes hard decisions need to be taken. What is important is to think practically and move ahead; shifting into "post mortem analysis mode" is not going to help.

-Amit.

Thanks Amit for your valuable feedback.
Feeling bit comfortable...