MBA Is It Worth It? Essay, Research Paper
. What is an MBA worth? It depends. As you just
might have realized, there is no one correct answer that
applies to everyone. Career goals, personal
circumstances, and occupational requirements are some
of the major factors to take into consideration. And with
so many different scenarios for each individual, you need
to be in charge of your own reasoning.
Deciding on getting an MBA is no easy task unless you
have lots of extra time and no worries about money. You
could consider it as a possible investment in a new
business, the business of selling a commodity – you.
Interested? Read on.
There are several potential advantages in getting an
MBA:
Recognition as someone with the potential to learn
at higher levels
Self-satisfaction knowing that you had the abilities
to earn a higher college degree
Provides a good background in managing
responsibilities that cross national borders
(especially MBAs with an international focus)
Gain enhanced strategic thinking and managerial
effectiveness
Higher pay than someone with less education (e.g.
Management Consulting Salary Survey)
More upward job opportunities, especially
management positions
Larger professional network through faculty,
fellow students, and others you meet while in an
MBA program
More jobs to choose from, including specific jobs
for people with MBAs (e.g. Career Central for
MBAs, MBA Job Opportunities at The Gap, and
MBA Recruiting at Northwest Airlines)
There are even some potential disadvantages in getting an MBA:
You may be considered by some companies, usually the smaller
ones, as too “expensive”
Sometimes the person hiring may see you as a threat to their
position
You believe that you will accumulate too much debt because of
tuition while an MBA is not required for your career goals
Emphasis on the MBA might not be worth as much as, or can even
be equal to, years of experience to some employers
An MBA does help if you want to improve your
strategic-thinking skills, develop your leadership
abilities, and foster managerial effectiveness. Every
business needs a manager, whether it is a
non-profit organization, a university, or a startup.
So even if you are, say, a civil engineer for a
government engineering department or a salaried
artist at a museum, you can use your technical
knowledge and gain a business background to be
managers of your company. And if you are an
entrepreneur, having an MBA may get you to focus
better.
To help you in deciding whether or not an MBA is
something you should pursue, you should talk to others. A great person to
start with is a college advisor. Consulting with more advisors and
professors would be beneficial since you will be able to get a better
balance of opinions. You should also contact potential employers and find
out if the positions you are seeking require an MBA for initial hiring or if
working and then getting an MBA is better. One question that not
everyone considers, although possibly important, is asking a potential
employer if MBAs from only the top business schools are considered
worthy. If you are currently working, you might want to inquire with your
present manager, potential managers, and/or the human resources
department to find out what an MBA can do for you at your company.
You don’t have to have an undergraduate business degree to pursue an
MBA. And with the increase in degrees offered through distance learning
and part-time programs, you probably won’t need to give up your day job
either. So if you’re seeking a career transition to more managerial tasks and
higher pay, looking to pursue an academic career, or wanting to be
productive when unemployed, an MBA might just help.