The name and recognition of the school from which you are graduated makes all the difference. If you are from the top 20 schools, you will have an edge over others.
Some believe that attending a graduate school while doing a full-time job is not sensible, but it is a sensible idea to be financially comfortable. You have a chance to make your employer bear the burden of your education, if a plan of reimbursement of tuition fees is in place in your company. If you opt for the plan, you will have no career breaks. It also gives you an opportunity to immediately test the application of the concepts you have learnt.
If you attend a business school, you can build your network. Your classmate today may become tomorrow's hiring manager, recruiter or a valuable contact. This makes all the difference between having an expensive degree and putting the knowledge and skill to good use.
Yes your resume looks excellent with an MBA, but the degree can't give every investor good returns. In a saturated MBA market and a volatile financial sector, MBA doesn't seem to be a guaranteed ticket to professional growth. Job experience seems to have an advantage over the business school certificate.
Although acquiring an MBA may not be a waste of time for one and all, some professionals wonder whether it is a worthwhile goal. They say the MBA course imparts knowledge in terms of business fundamentals that are useful, but would it really boost the career. It is perhaps better to have experience with the new media than to have a degree.
If you are in a dilemma to go for MBA degree or not, consider the following points before taking the plunge:
- If you have completed an undergraduate program, and not decided about your next step, don’t go for an MBA course. Take a job in some industry, get some experience and gain some professional perspective.
- Don’t go for MBA thinking it as icing on the cake. Be sure that will boost your career development plan. You can choose a specialized MBA program such as human resources, information technology, and property management.
- Many companies offer reimbursement of tuition fees, or will pay part of the tuition fees to their employees if they are pursuing an MBA program. Talk to your employer and find out to what extent you will get relief. If this benefit is not a part of your existing package, see if you can negotiate it as a perk at your next review.
