Best short term courses to kick start your MBA

From the rigorous preparations to clear CAT to the painful process of choosing the best colleges for your score, consultations with friends and seniors, the waitlists and the final lap of GD-PIs…rnBut, now that you’ve sprinted through the finish line and got yourself an MBA– it’s party time!rnBut shouldn’t you party responsibly?rnWhat do we mean by that?rnWell, an MBA program is rigorous and highly competitive. There’s no honeymoon period in an MBA – before you realize it, companies will be recruiting for summer placements at your college.rnSo – actually, along with your well-deserved partying, some prep work will really help you manage your MBA well, from the word ‘go’.rnSpending a few hours on good, online short-term courses help you be prepared for this! Here are a few we recommend. For MBA Marketing aspirants:rnIf you’re aspiring to do a specialization in marketing, it would probably be a good idea to look at certifications like Google Adwords or Hubspot Marketing and Sales certifications. Digital marketing skills are a must for any industry – FMCG, Consumer Durables, Ecommerce of course or even Banking!rnGoogle Adwords will help you lay in a good foundation in search engine marketing, display advertising, video advertising targeting etc. Click here to find out more!rnHubspot has certifications in Inbound, Content, Email, Social media marketing and sales oriented ones. The knowledge from these training will surely give you a head-start in your MBA.rnBoth these, certifications are free of cost. But you do need to put in some effort to get the required knowledge. For MBA – Finance Aspirants:rnIf you’re a Finance aspirant, it’s critical that you’ve a strong foundation in Banking and Finance. Your MBA professors are not going to spend time covering the basics .rnEspecially if you’re an engineer, it’s easy to get lost right at the beginning. We don’t want that! The best way to go about it is, to take up a practical & fundamental online finance courses with certificates in Finance that can bring you up to speed in time before your MBA classes begin. So, three criteria – (i) Something you can complete in 3-4 weeks & (ii) a course that’s not heavy on your pockets (iii) recommended by your seniors.rnThe best in its league is undoubtedly FLIP’s Finance and Banking Fundamentals program – gives a strong foundation on corporate finance course ; how financial markets work and an overview of the banking business. It’s very popular and the choice of thousands of B-School aspirants and first-year students. For MBA – Operations Aspirants:rnSix Sigma is a well-known certification amongst Operations enthusiasts. Though the certifications are on the expensive side, it might be a good idea to start with the first level (yellow belt) before you kickstart your MBA program.rnHowever, note that you derive the best value from Six sigma certifications when complimented with a parallel practical experience to implement your learnings. For MBA – HR Aspirants:rnSHRM is a recognized organization that provides certifications for HR professionals. If you’re aiming at a serious career in Human resources, as a student you can take up their ‘Student SHRM – Certified Professional’ program.rnApart from the above-mentioned specialization specific certifications, another relevant skill that will come in handy will be Excel & Power point:rnUnder rated, but one of the most valuable skillsets to possess, proficiency in Excel and power point is not a good-to-have but a must-have skill for any management graduate.rnAnd if you’re an aspiring Finance professional, you rely heavily on Excel not only for data formatting but also critical and complex business decision making.rnA course in Advanced Excel/Power point will be great value add to your CV and your skill set. (Explore FLIP’s interactive Advanced Excel and Power point online course).rnHope the suggestions above were helpful! The bottom-line is to be well prepared and be in right frame of mind when you enter an MBA program. This will ensure you land the best internships for summers and hence the best final placements.