Shweta Arora (Mentor) · 2026-03-19 · 6 helpful
Although it is perfectly acceptable (most B-schools have 30-50% freshers), it is considered better to get some experience first. Reasons:
- gives clarity about corporate setup and if you're a fit for it
- you're able to better understand the concepts taught at a B-school
- recruiters on campus offer better starting salaries to experienced folks (in some fields like product mgmt)
- you can save up some amount & retake CAT if needed
Having said that, if you are clear about your long term goal of doing an MBA and getting into a corporate/starting your own business, then you can join as a fresher. Key advantages:
- you start early, so less opportunity cost (many experienced folks earn the same before/after MBA at IIMs)
- you prepare with more focus since it is your first & last attempt (hopefully)
- jobs after BBA anyway won't be as lucrative, so you get better starting packages
At the end of the day, it is a personal choice. I was a B Com graduate. I didn't like accounts, so the core field jobs were out of question for me. I liked advertising but very few firms hired freshers and starting salaries were low. So I was like why not directly do an MBA and join a corporate in marketing field - exactly what I did. Went from zero salary to 25-28LPA starting.
- gives clarity about corporate setup and if you're a fit for it
- you're able to better understand the concepts taught at a B-school
- recruiters on campus offer better starting salaries to experienced folks (in some fields like product mgmt)
- you can save up some amount & retake CAT if needed
Having said that, if you are clear about your long term goal of doing an MBA and getting into a corporate/starting your own business, then you can join as a fresher. Key advantages:
- you start early, so less opportunity cost (many experienced folks earn the same before/after MBA at IIMs)
- you prepare with more focus since it is your first & last attempt (hopefully)
- jobs after BBA anyway won't be as lucrative, so you get better starting packages
At the end of the day, it is a personal choice. I was a B Com graduate. I didn't like accounts, so the core field jobs were out of question for me. I liked advertising but very few firms hired freshers and starting salaries were low. So I was like why not directly do an MBA and join a corporate in marketing field - exactly what I did. Went from zero salary to 25-28LPA starting.