An MBA after a life in the Indian armed forces (Army / Navy / Air Force) is something that many officers consider after they leave the military. Your operations and administration skills are far superior to those possessed by people in civilian life. After all, as an armed forces officer you are a natural leader – you have commanded large groups of men in difficult conditions, and handled many emergencies. Now, an MBA can help you to further add skills and business acumen that can make possible the attainment of better positions in business and professional life.
The importance of the MBA for Indian Army / Navy / Air Force veterans
You led a good life in the armed forces, but decided to leave due to personal reasons or to pursue other opportunities in the private sector.
Right out of the armed forces, it is difficult to find positions that are high-paying and also leverage the considerable people and management skills that you have garnered so far in your career.
An MBA can help. Here are some reasons why the MBA can be useful in your future professional endeavors:
Gaining a strong foothold in business
Former Army / Navy / Air Force officers bring strong management and crisis-handling skills to the table in any private sector they go to, but they often lack an organized understanding of business.
An MBA can help provide a formal introduction to business that will be handy not just as a credential, but also help you to attain more senior business-centric (rather than only people-centric) positions in your post-MBA private sector career.
Translating your operations skills to the private sector
In the Armed Forces, an environment of hierarchy and discipline prevails. The situation in the private sector is very different.
Your leadership skills are paramount, but getting an MBA can often help to translate them into a form which will help you to excel in the private sector.
Exploring newer avenues in the private sector that may not otherwise be possible
As someone who has led large operations and big teams, you are a natural fit for Operations and Leadership profiles. However, not everyone wants to explore only these areas when it comes to private sector jobs. Perhaps you would instead like to go into consulting, for instance.
Gaining access to these jobs is much easier with an MBA than without, as organizations may be hesitant to take you on directly. For sure, you will need to work on developing the relevant skill-sets and pursing the right firms while still pursuing your MBA, but the chances of success are much brighter through the MBA route.
What is different about MBA Admissions for former Army / Navy / Air Force officers?
The MBA Admissions process plays out very differently for former armed forces officers than it does for candidates from other backgrounds. Your are going to be typically much older than other applicants, have experience that is very non-traditional as compared to theirs, and also be looking for post-MBA positions that are very different.
At the same time, you bring in a leadership profile that is exceptional, and your understanding of strategy is much more than simply theoretical. The GMAT and academic profile you need for success is therefore very different from those needed by other non-forces applicants.
There are a number of other factors as well, and if you get in touch with us, we will be happy to review your profile in detail with respect to your military background and provide our perspective. This service is completely free. We also offer special discounts on our other packages only for you. Get in touch today.
Indian MBA programs for Indian Army / Navy / Air Force officers
In India, ISB (Indian School of Business) PGP and IIM Ahmedabad PGPX are the two programs that have decent experience in handling the post-MBA job scenario for former Armed Forces officers.
It is important to choose not just a program that you can gain admission to but also one that has experience of seeing at least some military candidates and understands the unique needs that they have and aspirations that they bring.
Foreign MBA programs for former officers of the Indian Armed Forces
There are a number of factors that formed Indian Armed Forces officers must consider before applying for an MBA abroad. While this is not a certainty, but there is a chance that your military experience may not be as valued abroad, as your administrative, leadership, and people skills may be seen to be too India-centric.
The costs of a foreign education will be substantially higher, so you might need to stay abroad and work there for a while to pay off the loan. That said, if you are enthusiastic about top MBA programs abroad then some of the schools you should look at are Tuck, Duke, Ross, Cornell, and Tepper (known to be military-friendly schools).
Depending on your profile, even schools right at the top of the list (Harvard, MIT, Stanford) are possibilities.
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