Gone are the days where only straight A's got you the best job the moment you step out of your MBA institute.Practical experience of the things that you learn in the classroom is as important, because only then will you learn the real meaning behind the words that you hear your professor say.Many students are opting to work for an NGO (Non Government Organisation) or NPO (Non Profit Organisation) after they earn their MBA degrees. There are many advantages in opting this which attracts young graduates.First,working with a grass root level organisation makes your real skills tested as there are limited resources to work with.Since NGOs provide an form of learning as opposed to a classroom one,there are real lessons to be learnt.
Second, it ups the ante,at the mental as well as at an emotional level and the students learn to take tactful decisions.It is a mutual give and take relationship. The student needs to learn how the real world works outside the classroom and NGOs need people who know the technicalities of management so that they can help them utilise their limited resources to the maximum.
Third,When the student is entrusted with a certain responsibility while working for the NGO, the manpower too is limited, so getting the work done to the optimum level becomes vital and this hones your people management skills.
A few skills you can imbibe while working for an NGO that will prove beneficial as you venture into the corporate domain are:
People management: When you work with a grassroot level NGO, you don’t know the kind of people who will approach you or the kind of people you will have to approach, so handling people and managing them so that you can meet your mission is of prime importance.
Handling crisis with an edge: ‘Going by the book,’ is a phrase that doesn’t exist in the rulebook of an NGO/NPO, because the situations and problems are so unpredictable that only your judgement and personal knowledge will get you out. Like for example: someone has pulled out a large chunk of your donations, to get it back or rather manage without it, is the biggest challenge. When you handle the aforementioned problems without losing your calm, only then it can be said that you’re a good manager.
Learning what your books are actually teaching you: When you work with an NGO/NPO, you are getting a first-hand practical experience of the book knowledge that you imbibe.You know which theory will or will not work practically and which can be most effective when used as a solution.This is an important corporate lesson.