MBA skills teach candidates to think constructively and judge analytically. MBA is a 2 year postgraduate course that will inculcate the MBA skills in demand for a career in management. MBA course offers the opportunity to intensify knowledge and expertise in a particular business area or a department. The MBA course also helps students to inculcate entrepreneurial skills and helps students to develop business and managerial skills.
To pursue the MBA course, an aspirant needs to qualify the minimum eligibility criteria of having a bachelor’s degree in any field, with a minimum score and relevant work experience. MBA Admissions also involve mandatory rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interviews. See: Top MBA Colleges in India
Pursuing an MBA course requires not only academic skills but also certain soft skills that help candidates ace other rounds of admission along with their entrance exams. Aspirants must be fully aware of some important skills required while pursuing an MBA Degree.
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Skills Required for MBA Students
Students after completing an MBA course must have some of the skills after completing postgraduation. Python, SQL, and PHP are some of the skills useful for an MBA student. Some of the other skills required for MBA students are mentioned below:
- Data Analysis: R, SPSS, Tableau
- Programming Languages: Python, SQL, PHP
- Presentation and Design: PowerPoint, Canva, Prezi, Haiku Deck
- Technical Writing: SEO
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MBA Skills in Demand
There are several skills that an aspirant needs to possess to apply for MBA applications and pursue an MBA course. A few of those skills are discussed below in detail:
- Leadership Skills: Leadership qualities are one of the top characteristics of MBA aspirants. An MBA degree is intended for individuals who have or need to have positions of authority in their organizations. Therefore during the time of internships and work experience, one should take a lead for the project and show how good they are at planning, organizing, and controlling things.
- Problem Solving/ Decision Making Abilities: These skills are also required to be fair-minded regarding the options to be taken. The critical thinking aptitudes originate from communication with time and standard assistance with various area specialists.
- Communication Skills: Every candidate needs to possess effective and efficient communication skills to work in a reputed and top recruiting organization. An aspirant will get to work on these things in their respective B-Schools. Good communication skills help in showing a better impression at the time of the admission process.
- Presentation Abilities: MBA aspirant has to strengthen their analytical and presentation skills, which is one of the top qualities of MBA aspirants.
- Creativity and Innovation: If the candidate is creative and has the skills of thinking of ideas out-of-the-box, then this will add plus points to the candidate’s resume. Creativity and innovation skills will not only benefit the candidate in supporting their aims and ambitions, but it will also help an aspirant to grow within the organization they plan to work.
Other skills and abilities that will help a candidate to turn himself/herself into a good MBA candidate also include ethics and integrity, passion for the dream, an ambition to chase, motivation, and disciplined behavior.
What are the Skills Required to be a Good MBA Candidate?
MBA has become the most sought-after degree in recent years, thus it has its prerequisites which the candidates must be well versed with in order to outshine their career in MBA. Some of the keynotes to becoming a skilled MBA are as follows,
- A good cut-off score in MBA entrance exams: There are lists of entrance exams that are conducted for a candidate to enroll themselves with top MBA Institutes. Some of them are CAT (Common Admission Test), GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), MAT (Management Aptitude Test), XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test), SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test). Once the candidates enroll themselves for these exams, they have to prepare themselves to meet the percentile that is set by these colleges. These exams are conducted to judge a candidate’s basic knowledge about the subject and if they are at all eligible to sit for the exam. Candidates who secure a high percentage of marks will be allocated to the best colleges for pursuing MBA.
- High aggregate score in Under Graduation: Candidates with consistently good academic performance will have a greater chance of securing admission. The minimum eligibility criteria for appearing in these exams is 50% in Graduation, but the more score record a candidate has, the more are his chances of getting admission
- Possess some extracurricular hobbies: Candidates who possess skills outside of work and study, such as playing cricket, football for any club, humanitarian efforts, will add up the points to score more and secure admission.
- Work Experience: To be a veritable competitor, candidates must possess some work experience. A minimum of 2 /3 years of work experience will be considered a bonus points, and also add up to the total score apart from maintaining a consistently good academic record
- Good performance in Group Discussion round: After every MBA entrance exam, candidates have to face the GD/PI round. The GD/PI rounds are the final measurement index once the candidates are shortlisted after the entrance exam. Mentioned below are some of the tricks that will help candidates get shortlisted in the Group Discussion round,
- Ensure frequent participation, along with a stronghold over English
- Should be confident enough to make a mark amongst the candidates
- Should be outspoken, but not aggressive
- Keep a logical base to your arguments
- Should keep the language simple and lucid yet formal
- Analytical and Presentation skills: Presenting data would not suffice, if one can not present the desired analysis of the data, in a short, crisp, and formal way. Thus candidates have to develop presentation and analytical skills to outshine themselves from the rest
- Problem-solving and Decision-making skills: One of the key points to become a skilled MBA, is to have problem-solving skills. Managers need to have all the information to make crucial decisions to help the company. They also need to be unbiased while making those decisions. Candidates who possess a strong sense of decision-making will be preferred over those who don't possess it.
- Integrity and Ethics: Integrity Helps in building trust amongst employees and ethics plays a major role in building an organization. Both integrity and ethics are intertwined in the business world.
- Team Ownership: Leaders are the ones who work together to promote a good and strong team. While leaders credit the team for its success, failure is always the responsibility of the leader. Candidates with such stature can always earn a position for themselves as a good MBA
Questions Asked in MBA Interviews with Answer Tips
Some of the most tricky questions asked during MBA interviews are as follows,
- What are your weaknesses?
-Here the interviewer does not want to discourage you, he just wants to have an idea on your clarity about yourself.
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
-S/He wants to know your ambition and goals
- Reason to take up MBA.
-S/He wants to be clear about your idea of doing an MBA, are you doing it for the sake of it or you have certain ideas in your mind and to fulfill them you have to do an MBA
- Do you have any questions for us?
-S/He may ask this question in a polite way to end the interview
- How do you deal with failures?
-The main motive is to understand how you deal with failures, here the interviewer is expecting an honest answer from the interviewee
- What is your hobby?
-S/He is trying to make you comfortable and easy.
Check: MBA GD-PI Preparation
Preparation Before Starting MBA
Here are few questions that you should ask yourself once you decide to take up MBA,
- Why do I want to get an MBA?
- Is my career stagnant?
- Can I afford it?
- Can I improve my leadership skills?
- Do I have the resource to be successful?
- Would this business school be the best for me?
- What are my goals?
MBA Skills: FAQs
Ques. What are the main skills an MBA candidate should possess?
Ans. The main qualities of a good MBA candidate are having a strong analytical mind with the ability to work as a team. Candidates should also be able to possess a critical bent of mind and willingness to learn new things.
Ques. What are the skills required for an MBA finance
Ans. Some of the main skills required for an MBA Finance include Interpersonal Skills, Logical Skills, Time Management etc. A candidate must possess these skills along with good leasership skills as well to be a suitable candidate for MBA Finance.
Ques. What skills does an MBA degree give you?
Ans. MBA gives you multiple skills like Effective Communication, Problem Solving, Pressure Dealing, Strategic Research, Networking, etc.
Ques. What should I expect in an MBA interview?
Ans. Things that one can expect in an interview related to MBA will vary for each interviewer. However, some of the basic questions that cater to your choices, introduction, portfolios, and resumes must be expected.
Ques. How can I improve my MBA skills?
Ans. Improving communication skills, and focusing on the syllabus and subjects asked in MBA entrance exams can help improve your overall MBA skills.