Traversing from a degree (engineering) to another (MBA )- part 1

Every guy graduating from a tier 1 engineering college , dreams of a plush job. So was the case with me. In 2003 , I had given CAT in november. Don't knw how much I scored but it was no where near the target score that the IIMs wanted. Now, there had to b a twist n we all know now that November 03 paper was cancelled. So again we were supposed to go thru the grind in feb04. The period from nov to dec...i wasted like a CH$$$$TH.....

Feb came...n i SHATTTTTTT ( shockers lingo for goofing up.... ) big time. No calls. Fortunately(or unfortunately as I later realised ) I had a job in hand. So wasnt worried...but before moving to workplace it was drilled into me that this is temporary arrangement,may b a couple of years, NOT more than that...."AFTER THAT YOU HAVE TO GO FOR MBA....." was the cry even my cousin studying in 6th grade kept reminding me of. Parental pressure and Peer Pressure rocks!!!!!

I dunno how the scene has changed from 2004 to 2008 ( life flips 180 in matter of days...4 years is such a long time ) but I still feel that on graduation day every engineering grad feels that this degree equips him to go out there and create something , design something, invent /rengineer miracles. Sadly 80 to 90% of engineering grads realise, within first few months into their work , that the kinda jobs they have been dreaming are far beyond their reach unless they stick onto their firm for 5 or 6 years or join the firm with an additional qualification. The day a MT ( short for management trainee) or a GET ( Graduate engineering trainee) realises this, it's the end of his desire to give 100 % to his first job outta campus and beginning of the never say "give up" attitude to crack CAT, XAT , SNAP ....n plethora of other exams. Countless sundays are spent writing tests , analyzing papers, contemplating n strategising for the next test which is generally scheduled on the following sunday...n this cycle repeats till that fateful day in Novemeber ( It was 19th for me ...god knws wat it is this year) when 3 lakh aspirants slog it out for that elusive freedom from their current jobs or wrongly selected engineering/arts / science /commerce profiles.

My experiences from 2004 to 2008 in this journey from an engineering job to MBA applications and finally some admits in 2008 will b dealt in detail in this multi part series. Part 2 would b on first year of the job...generally known across firms as the "honeymoon period". So keep watching this space for more info on this.....
ciao