Hi

I am doing my MBA from Pune. I have done masters in commerce before joining the MBA programme.. I have to choose between Marketing and Finace.. But I am bit confused.. Initally I thought of going for Finance as my background is commerce.. but then I got the input that MBA Finance jobs are less in numbers as compared to MBA marketing in INDIA ... It would be great if some one can help me out and suggest me , which one would be better for me seeing my background and the indian market conditions.

Thanks in anticipation
Raj

Hi

This is the question which almost every MBA ask.. well no dubt Mktg has more jobs than fin at any given point but issue is not jobs alone but career profile as well

if somebody is an analyst and likes to be in company of balance sheets, analysing company reports industry sector and feel comfortable with Excel and doing numbers, fin is career and if one enjoys mmeting ppl, is an hard sell, sdales is a career for him/her

however the job availability matters a lot and for schools which do not belong to A category, fin jobs are not easy to come, hence ppl majoring in fin from B or lower grade schools might not find job of theoir suitability. hoewever at the same time, ppl alwyas change their career path and shift from fin to mark or vice versa all the time. so it is better to take a judious mix of subjects and see what suits you more and as far as job is concerned, one can move from one area to other at leasrt for the first three years of job.. later shifts are not that easy.

so even if you have commerce as back ground, but you are comfortable with mktg, you can take that but if your heart lies in numbers and you want to be in fin , do study but try to maintain a mix so that you can apply to both sectors during placements

Raj,

Fin vs. Mktng!!! Most people go through this dilemma during the first year (I was one of them!) However here are some thoughts that may help you decide:

- Background in commerce does not necessarily mean Finance is the logical specalization. It's a misconception, which you will soon discover. You are as cut out to do Mktng as you are to do Finance.

- Yes, marketing provides more job options in India but with the BPO mindspace growing there are enough & more financial analytical jobs even for MBA's from first or second rung B-schools out there for you to grab, if you like. So that shouldn't be a deciding factor.

- Evaluate what you want to do long term - do you have your sights set on the CEO position? It's commonly believed that Finance gives a very good grounding of the Business and Operations, and hence is a good launching pad to Management eventually. Which is not to say, people from other functions cannot become Business Leaders! But to start with, even within Marketing or Finance, it is good to know which areas interest you and what growth paths they offer you.

- A career switch from Finance to Marketing is always easier than the other way around, usually. So if within your first year or two, you feel uncomfortable with your decision there is always an option to make a switch.

- Would you prefer going out in the field, meeting people and understand Consumer Behaviour and Branding, or would your rather have a cushy desk job? Most finance jobs tend to be desk jobs (unless you're into Investment Banking/ Corporate Sales, and the kinds).

Here's a thought - take up your summer internship in the field that you have little more inclination towards. While 8 weeks is never enough to extrapolate a career for a lifetime, it would be a good feeler to help you either eliminate or support your choice.