Essential Skills for MBA Freshers

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program is greatly sought after and is focused on business-related subjects. However, when it comes to employment, employers look for certain specific soft skills in MBA graduates apart from their academic qualifications. Most institutions try to impart these skills so that their graduates will gain an edge in the job market. 

Getting an MBA alone does not guarantee a successful career, you need to acquire skills as well. Most companies hire MBAs for strategic thinking roles and so gaining these specific skills and being able to showcase them will be critical for every fresh MBA graduate. Let us look at what these skills are:

Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills often referred to as people skills are all about being able to communicate effectively and interact with other people. This skill enables you to build relationships and handle a wide range of social situations. These skills become very important for leadership roles where they can enhance your performance and give you an upper hand. Whether you are managing customers, employees or clients, these skills come into play and make a big difference. In MBA school, when you work with a diverse group of people in an effective and efficient way, you will pick up this skill easily.

Communication skills

One the most important skills that come into play daily are communication skills. It is important to communicate clearly and calmly so that information is easily understood by those receiving the communication. Communication can be written or oral and involves active listening skills. Being an active listener can help you absorb information and reply effectively. This skill comes into play while working in a team, networking with peers and professionals and while presenting ideas and concepts.

Leadership skills

Managing a team to achieve a set of goals for the company and motivating them involves leadership skills. MBA graduates are typically hired for leadership roles and are required to be a driving force and ensure smooth operations of a team. Your leadership skills will enable you to achieve the outcomes set for the team by taking everyone along. A leader is someone who everyone looks up to and therefore you must display immense strength, strategic thinking, and resilience in a leadership role. Leadership roles come with stress and therefore an ability to handle pressure and deadlines will also be very important.

Time management skills

Being organized and prioritizing tasks will help you be disciplined and manage time effectively. Business operations will involve project management and in order to ensure smooth operations, managing time efficiently is key skill. This skill will require you to be cued into the various aspects of a project/task that you are handling and track various things like deadlines, deliverables, responsibilities, and progress of various parts of the project. Time is of essence and every organization must have people that display a high level of importance to it thus making the organization successful.

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Whenever there is a problem, you will need to analyse it and gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem. Critical thinking is a skill that allows you to develop solutions and implement strategies that will help solve the problem on hand. Problem solving involves pinpointing a problem so that a solution can be developed. Along with critical thinking and problem solving, you need to have other vital abilities like good communication, research and analysis.

Decision making skills

In leadership roles, there is a constant focus on making decisions. Some are minor and routine decisions; others are major decisions that impact various aspects of the business and many people. These major decisions will involve a lot of thought and sometimes a lot of money too. Therefore, being able to take into consideration the various factors involved, an MBA must be able to take decisions that will benefit the organization. Some decisions will require out-of-the-box thinking and may also require you to consult various people before taking a decision. Therefore, innovative thinking is critical for an MBA if they have to be good decision makers.

Strategic thinking and planning skills

Most MBAs are employed in leadership roles which require strategic thinking. You are in charge of various outcomes in an organization and you will need to plan and strategize to ensure that the outcomes are achieved. Strategy and planning will be very important on the path of growth. Having the drive, initiative and clear-cut strategy will ensure that an MBA can turn anything that comes in their way into an opportunity. Strategy must be supported with planning and execution to succeed and so these skills also come into play here.

Entrepreneurial skills

Typically, an entrepreneur is someone who takes charge of a situation and has knowledge of the market and potential risks. They take risks and display an innovative and creative approach. An MBA is often expected to display these traits and take charge and resolve issues. Even though they are employed in the capacity of an employee, they are expected to act with the mindset of an owner. This will lead to quick decisions and ownership of tasks. This skill is of essence and is one of the most important ones that will separate an MBA from the rest of the team.

Summary

An MBA needs to stay updated with evolving market trends every day. They need to have an adaptable and innovative mindset. Showing initiative at work and taking responsibility for projects and processes will take you ahead in your career. Solving problems and meeting deadlines are also some key things to remember. More than anything, remember to develop good and meaningful relationships, because that can help you stand out.