CAT is one of the most prestigious entrance exams conducted by IIMs to get admission into the top business schools of India. Over 2 lakh aspirants appear for the CAT exam every year – out of which some aspirants fill their entrance exam application form in the pre-final year or final year of their graduation course. However, there are CAT aspirants who initially find a job to gain some work experience and then appear for the CAT exam.
For some, the reason behind it is to get a break from their monotonous jobs, and for many, acquiring an MBA degree from a prestigious college is an excellent way to enhance your skills and get a big brand name on their resume. No matter why you want to pursue an MBA after your job, it can be difficult to manage your job and get enough time for CAT preparations. At times, many professionals choose to quit their jobs and solely focus on their CAT exam coaching.
However, is quitting your job for CAT preparations the right decision? How will this impact your profile? How to prepare for the CAT after having a job of 9-10 hours? In this guide, we will discuss the same.
Is Quitting The Job For CAT Preparation A Wise Decision?
There are many CAT aspirants who have managed their job and CAT preparation and successfully cleared the exam even after having a tiring job. However, quitting your job to prepare for the CAT is a decision that may vary from person to person. For instance, if you think you can’t squeeze out even a few hours for preparations every day, quitting your job is the only option to crack the exam. But this decision can result in anxiety and pressure to perform well in CAT, which will further impact your performance, especially on your final day. In addition, you may get frustrated with the monotonous routine of studying.
On the other hand, if you think that your job is not too demanding and you can easily get enough time to prepare for CAT every day, you should not quit your job. You need not get bogged down by the misconception that preparing for the CAT along with your job is not possible. All you need to do is make a resolution, manage your time properly and stay focused on your goal. Once you are able to manage all this, no one can stop you from getting admission into your dream B-school.
How Does Quitting Your Job Impact Your Profile?
A year gap in your job profile will put you in a situation where you have to answer the question “why did you quit your job” in every interview. This question is bound to be followed by other questions, including:
Surely, you did it to prepare for the CAT. But does it mean you are not good at multitasking, or do you think those who have cleared their exam along with their CAT preparations had easy jobs that allowed them to reach their goal?
Well, this is a trick to shortlist the candidates for the WAT/GD/PI rounds. So, you need not worry about such questions. All you need to do is join the right CAT exam coaching centre and plan your study schedule carefully so that you clear your exam with a high percentile. And when it comes to WAT/GD/PI rounds, be ready for such questions and prepare a valid answer in advance.
The Bottom Line
Now that you know whether you should quit your job or not for CAT preparations and how it will impact your profile, what are you waiting for? Join the best CAT coaching centres in your area to enhance your chances of getting success.
