I recently came across more than one book with the title, “What B Schools Don’t Teach You” or something similar. Well, the first thought that crossed my mind was, why pay through your nose to go to a B School and not learn all there is to learn about the business world? Earning an MBA, especially one from a reputable institution, is an uphill climb – at first you have to struggle to get in, and when you do, you need to pay an exorbitant amount of tuition fees. Besides this, you need to survive the rigorous schedule and come out with a good GPA that will enable you to get the job of your dreams.

When you’re joining an MBA program, it is generally expected that you have a few years of experience in the business world under your belt. Why do most B schools emphasize experience? Is it because it is known to be the best teacher? If so, then why do we shell out so much money and spend so much time on trying to get into the best business schools?
The truth is that most organizations set store by the education offered by the best B schools in the business. When the hottest employers are looking to employ graduates from Ivy League schools, there is bound to be a scramble for admissions to these schools. A good school and an exclusive education will help you land a fancy job, but then, when it comes to a question of survival in the business world, there are some qualities you need to have that they don’t teach you at college, even the best ones.
For one, let’s take the issue of ethics – while it’s all black and white when you’re listening to your professor or going through your notes in the classroom, in the big, bad real world, there is no black or white; it’s all shades of grey. And what they don’t teach you in B school is that you need to use your gut feeling and other factors to decide which shade is the best option.
Another thing that you don’t gain at business school is what they call street smarts – the ability to survive against all odds in the shark-infested business waters. You need to fight dirty with dirty and clean with clean. You need to be able to use your instincts wisely and learn to take the rough with the smooth.
And that is why we see people with no education at all making it big in the business world; and on the other side of the coin, we’re now seeing those with degrees from the best business schools out of a job because of the fiasco in the financial world.
But then there are others who graduate from good schools and go on to make a name for themselves in the business world through their hard work and innate abilities. Maybe we can attribute their success to the education they’ve had, or maybe we can say it is because of the breaks they received in the business world; no matter what, at the end of the day, the world only remembers success stories. And education or experience, that’s what we all need to strive for – success.