Need Guidance Regarding MBA and Career Path

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some honest guidance from seniors and experienced members here.

I completed my graduation in Bachelor of Science in 2015. After that, I worked in a private school in a rural area of my village for around 3.5 years. In 2022, I worked for a year in the banking sector on a contract basis. For the past two years, I’ve been assisting my brother in running his shop, and side by side, I’ve also been providing home tutoring services.

Along with work, I’ve consistently prepared for government exams like JKPSC and various banking exams. Many times I came close to clearing them, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the final selection list.

In 2024, I appeared for the CAT exam and scored 87.99 percentile. I belong to the general category, so I wasn’t eligible for any IIMs, and I didn’t receive interview calls from most private colleges either.

Now I’m a bit confused. I’m already 30+ years old, and I don’t know whether I should try for CAT again next year or consider switching to a different field altogether. I’m also concerned about the placement opportunities after MBA at this age and with my kind of background. Will companies consider my profile during final placements?

For context, I’ve always done well academically:

• 90% in 12th

• 83.4% in 10th

• 78% in graduation

I would really appreciate some honest advice. Should I give CAT another shot and aim for a better college next year? Or should I think of other options where age and background won’t be such a big factor?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.