Q&A with Roshan Rathi
I've been working in a reputed bank for seven months as a trainee assistant. I joined work as soon as I completed my undergraduate studies in Business Administration. I had heard that doing BBA will have an edge over BBS graduates. But when I joined the workforce, I saw that there's hardly any difference between BBA and BBS graduates in terms of the employee's preference over candidates.

It makes me feel like I did a mistake by investing an extra year and much more money in earning my BBA degree. Currently I'm also pursuing my MBA degree. Sometimes I wonder if I should have pursued MBS instead, because I see that lots of my seniors in the bank are MBS graduates. Am I wrong?
-Confused

Ans: In general, BBA is positioned as a more practical and hands on degree compared to BBS. Since BBA is based on semester system, both students and teachers face pressure to complete everything on time within the allotted six months. BBA students are assessed on various parameters like presentations, class participation, case study, quiz, and written exams. On the other hand, BBS is positioned as a traditional paper based degree where all the assessment is done during the final examination.

Since you're already working, I'm sure you realize that organizations look for candidates who can deliver results and have practical knowledge. The BBA degree's structure supports the employer's requirement. However, at the end of the day, irrespective of whether you have a BBA degree or a BBS, you need to have knowledge and skills which you can immediately utilize in your job. I don't think you should regret putting an extra year and earning a BBA degree. There must be something you learned in class that you can put to use at work. Or learn from your seniors. In fact, you should concentrate on how you can use your knowledge and skills acquired during your studies to make yourself a valuable employee. All the hard work you put in will ultimately reward you, one way or another. So, focus on your current MBA degree and try to learn as much as possible from your time at college and at work. In the end, it's about being the best version of yourself.

All the best.
Roshan Rathi is the Chief Operating Officer at LCCI Nepal, an International Training and Certification Company.

source:republica, 1 sep 2015