OT - career advice / is an MBA worth it?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Hey, @chileanseabass, just the other night our estemed @Pimlach mentioned fine dining on Chilean Sea Bass with his lovely bride.  Said dinning not only made him late for duty in the GDT that day, but made me think of you and how you are doing since we have not heard from you for quite some time.

And here you are.  Fancy that.

So, how are your Gunners doing this season?  I think it was you that was / is the Arsenal fan.  Then again, maybe I have that all wrong.  I have not been keeping up with the EPL much this season.

Also, IMHO, an MBA is very over-rated.

Edited November 19, 2019 by New Scotland (NS)
the darn 'o' and darn 'f' are too close together on my fancy new keyboard ...

[North Buffalo]

The piece of paper doesnt infer competence or knowledge, I'll agree... but it does open doors.  My wife needs her bachelor and masters in nursing if she decides to switch hospitals to do the same thing she is doing now...  I need my MR license when kids graduate hs and we decide to do travel medicine.

[LTS]

Getting my MBA was the best thing I could have done.  While I don't think anyone has ever said, "Gee, you have an MBA." I have heard comments on the fact that 11 years after undergrad, I put myself back through school, in a rigorous program, with a family, and was able to succeed.

Now, if you want to go down that path.  You also have to ask yourself, what's your focus.  What's the school known for?  In Rochester, for example, Simon School (Univ. of Rochester) has long been known as a financial school whereas RIT has a vastly different MBA program.  Both are exceptional, but have vastly different fits.

The networking aspect is important, and if you do the executive path it's a great way to go.  

I would put stock in the comments that have recommended moving down a level and into a bigger company.  There's a world of difference there.  The bigger company may also then help you pay for your MBA.

One thing is for certain, the MBA didn't really teach my anything I didn't already know overall.  It did, however, teach me how to better analyze, frame, and deliver the messages I needed to deliver.  It gave me insight into many things that have happened in the business world that I might not have otherwise known about and as such can pull as references on a moment's notice.  

 

[irregularly irregular]

9 hours ago, chileanseabass said:

A friend of mine got his MBA at Georgia Tech right after he finished undergrad, and he pretty much said the same thing - go big or go home.  He said no one cares if you have one from a smaller state or private school (he works in HR for a major bank), it's all about the name of the school on the diploma.

There is a 3 part answer to this question. The school is definitely one of them and the most easily recognizable.

The other two are a specific program that has a reputation much greater than the school's name and/or specific professor(s) that have the power to drive the value of your degree beyond the school or program reputation. Both of these are much harder to identify, but could provide a better experience in the long run.

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by oregelbundet oregelbunden
more bad spelling and grammar

[shrader]

16 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Hey, @chileanseabass, just the other night our estemed @Pimlach mentioned fine dining on Chilean Sea Bass with his lovely bride.  Said dinning not only made him late for duty in the GDT that day, but made me think of you and how you are doing since we have not heard from you for quite some time.

You mention cannibalism in one sentence and then expect to hear from the victim in the next?

[chileanseabass]

Thanks for all the recommendations and advice.  Per @Eleven's suggestion, I have looked into some non-MBA master's degrees that are a little more appealing to me.  A lot of my work is in the agriculture sector, so I've started looking into MS in Agribusiness or Agricultural Economics; also, my alma mater offers an MS in International Business.  What I like most about what I do now is the global nature of the business, and wherever I end up in the future I would want it to have that same international focus.

Does anyone have any opinions on how an MS in International Business would be perceived to an employer vs. a MBA?  

@Tondas I also appreciate your suggestion of gaining experience at a larger company.  This is something I have definitely looked into and will continue to do so.

[calti]

On 11/19/2019 at 8:43 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

Talk to some HR people if you can to see if they are looking for people with MBAs.  

I have a Law Degree and work in financial services.  Anything that teaches improved skills has value.

Right now I’d suggest learning to code 

 

...and epstein didnt kill himself

[Eleven]

3 hours ago, chileanseabass said:

Does anyone have any opinions on how an MS in International Business would be perceived to an employer vs. a MBA?

I don't know the answer to this, but I do think that you'll be happier pursuing a degree that is interesting to you.

Maybe the MS in International Business would open some doors that a regular MBA wouldn't?