Giving up campus placement?

I am going to pass my final year BE exams this year, and I have already been placed via campus placements in a reputed company. Unfortunately, now I am struck with some tensions pangs, since I am not sure whether I want to start working immediately, or whether I want to opt for an MBA. I have not yet taken any of the entrance exams for MBA, but I am thoroughly confused. My parents are supportive of any decision I make, and they are leaving it up to me. I am a little hesitant to seek advice from my professors and mentors in my college since they all have helped tremendously in advancing my skills for me to land this offer via campus placements. Now, if I tell them that all the hard work was for nothing and that I want to give it up and do MBA, they will be disappointed and think of me as ungrateful.What should I do? – Sanjay Borade (name changed) Dear Sanjay, Often, students feel the sense of continuing their further education immediately after the bachelor’s degree since they want to finish their education in one stretch and after that want to settle with their careers. However, after reading your query, I don’t get a clear idea on the reason why you want to do the MBA right away. You need to ask yourself the question as well. After all, you have studied engineering and the current job offer you have will be related to engineering.

I realise that after a few years of experience, students want to pursue MBA for better prospects, but that is after working for a few years. That’s why you need to ask yourself why do you want to study immediately. Circumstances in the education field have changed a lot, and now, students get back to education even after a few years of experience, and in fact, at that time they are more likely to understand what they want, since they already know firsthand how the industry works.

My opinion is that you should pursue the job for which you have the offer. I am not saying this just because your college professors and you have worked hard for it, but because it relates to what you have studied, and definitely you must be good at your work to have landed that offer. Work for at least a year, if not a few more and then take the decision for the MBA. That way, you will know for sure what you want to study, which specialisation you want and what you are looking for in that programme.