Taking a Gap Year for MBA Preparation? How to Plan it Right

MBA aspirants opting to take a complete break from studies or work is not new. But, the question is how to plan it right?

You missed getting a seat in the MBA college of your choice? Next, you are wondering, ‘Where do I go from here?’ Some may opt to drop out of the MBA race all together, while others may rise up, gearing to fight out CAT equipped better.

“If, after adequate consideration, you do decide on retaking the CAT again, congratulate yourself on your decision, and actively work on ways to increase your chances of success. These may include a better study plan and plenty of test practice,” says our psychologist Anjali Rameshbabu.

Now that the decision is made, the focus should be on planning it right. Keeping your circumstances in mind, you can either choose to prepare for it while working /studying or take a complete break.

Taking a Gap Year for MBA Preparation

MBA aspirants opting to take a complete break from studies or work is not new. But, the question is how to plan it right? After all, you cannot be preparing for the exam 12 hours a day for the next 12 months?

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• What should you do if your CAT performance is not as you expected?
• What should you do next if you have not done well in CAT?
• Steps to follow if you have not scored well in CAT

Plan it Right

The first step should be to chalk out a complete plan that includes:

• Selecting between coaching centre or self study
• Setting up an annual, monthly, weekly and daily study sheet

Next, comes the question, how to justify an entire year dedicated to CAT preparation? “The candidate should look at doing something parallel alongside preparation. They can take up some part-time / freelance job or NGO / social work. But definitely do something or other that adds value to the CV,” says Ankur Agarwal of catgurus.com.

Social Work

Devoting time towards social causes or working with an NGO is an ideal way to spend the year along with CAT preparation. Reason being, these jobs are not very demanding but add a lot of value to the CV especially during MBA interview.

Also Read:

• How to Justify Gap Year in IIM Interviews
• Gap Year: Is It Worth the Effort?

Part-Time Work

Candidates can also opt to take up part-time job or freelancing. For instance, if someone is good at computer programming or writing and editing, the person can take up a time-bound project (two or three months) or freelance for a certain period. Companies often engage with freelancers on project basis or delegate work on a daily basis for a few hours. The important thing here is to take up a profile that aligns with your career goals.

In absence of any part-time job, it is better to go with NGO work, because looking for a particular profile of job can take up to two-three months thus denting the time spent on CAT preparation.

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