By : Larry Wang
In the course of doing a great many Asian job-market seminars for young professionals, I typically close with a question and answer session. Inevitably, it's never long before someone asks "Do you think it's worth it to get an MBA?" To this question, my initial response is always. "What's the reason that you want an MBA in the first place?"
Most often, people will say that they just feel they need one, as if an MBA is some magical certificate that will allow them to accelerate their advance through the management ranks. Actually, for many it can definitely work this way. But for those seeking an MBA just for the sake of having one, the end result often leaves them little farther ahead after the two years (and an investment of USS50,000 or more) than if they had just continued working!
In accessing whether an MBA is "worth" it or not, you first need to clearly identify your personal and career objectives. Start with an honest assessment of yourself, and your stage of career development. Then ask yourself. 'What do I expect to get out of an MBA program?"
What an MBA represents and can deliver is incredibly diverse, with each person's MBA experience is typically very different. Many people seek an MBA in order to acquire fundamental business training (i.e. accounting. finance, marketing, operations, etc.) that they may not have been exposed to in their lob or may have missed out on in their undergraduate studies. Some use their MBA experience to make a career switch, or as a chance to learn more about a variety of companies and industries. And many people look at an MBA simply as a confidence booster. After all, an MBA does gain attention in most professional circles (and it certainly doesn't hurt to mention it when meeting the parents of a significant other), and it can give people the so called "edge" they're looking for.
Beyond identifying your objectives, you should also evaluate the quality of the MBA program(s) being considered, and the ability of a program to deliver what you seek. The quality of an MBA education varies greatly. There are many who receive their degree from smaller, more obscure programs that are little known even in the U.S. In these cases, the value of your two-year degree often amounts to little more than expensive piece of paper that offers minimal advantages to your career.
Finally, you need to determine what you intend to do to ensure that you achieve your goals. Whether an MBA delivers or not depends on your own effort in the program, as much as the program itself. It is often said that, within an MBA program. What you learn outside the classroom is more valuable than what you learn inside. Being active in student organizations, interacting with diverse and talented classmates, meeting and interviewing company representatives can all offer opportunities to greatly enhance your skills and understanding of business and management.
In the dynamic, entrepreneurial business environment of Asia, practical experience and performance are number one. Certainly in Asia, there are many highly successful non-MBA's. Ultimately and MBA program is merely an environment of career and professional training resources that offers one excellent opportunities to better oneself. As I've told many ambitious professionals. I don't think an MBA ever hurt anyone. But how you maximize its benefits can vary quite a bit. The value of an MBA is greatest for those with focused gains in mind up front, and who are mature and ready to really take advantage of what a good program has to offer.
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In the course of doing a great many Asian job-market seminars for young professionals, I typically close with a question and answer session. Inevitably, it's never long before someone asks "Do you think it's worth it to get an MBA?" To this question, my initial response is always. "What's the reason that you want an MBA in the first place?"
Most often, people will say that they just feel they need one, as if an MBA is some magical certificate that will allow them to accelerate their advance through the management ranks. Actually, for many it can definitely work this way. But for those seeking an MBA just for the sake of having one, the end result often leaves them little farther ahead after the two years (and an investment of USS50,000 or more) than if they had just continued working!
In accessing whether an MBA is "worth" it or not, you first need to clearly identify your personal and career objectives. Start with an honest assessment of yourself, and your stage of career development. Then ask yourself. 'What do I expect to get out of an MBA program?"
What an MBA represents and can deliver is incredibly diverse, with each person's MBA experience is typically very different. Many people seek an MBA in order to acquire fundamental business training (i.e. accounting. finance, marketing, operations, etc.) that they may not have been exposed to in their lob or may have missed out on in their undergraduate studies. Some use their MBA experience to make a career switch, or as a chance to learn more about a variety of companies and industries. And many people look at an MBA simply as a confidence booster. After all, an MBA does gain attention in most professional circles (and it certainly doesn't hurt to mention it when meeting the parents of a significant other), and it can give people the so called "edge" they're looking for.
Beyond identifying your objectives, you should also evaluate the quality of the MBA program(s) being considered, and the ability of a program to deliver what you seek. The quality of an MBA education varies greatly. There are many who receive their degree from smaller, more obscure programs that are little known even in the U.S. In these cases, the value of your two-year degree often amounts to little more than expensive piece of paper that offers minimal advantages to your career.
Finally, you need to determine what you intend to do to ensure that you achieve your goals. Whether an MBA delivers or not depends on your own effort in the program, as much as the program itself. It is often said that, within an MBA program. What you learn outside the classroom is more valuable than what you learn inside. Being active in student organizations, interacting with diverse and talented classmates, meeting and interviewing company representatives can all offer opportunities to greatly enhance your skills and understanding of business and management.
In the dynamic, entrepreneurial business environment of Asia, practical experience and performance are number one. Certainly in Asia, there are many highly successful non-MBA's. Ultimately and MBA program is merely an environment of career and professional training resources that offers one excellent opportunities to better oneself. As I've told many ambitious professionals. I don't think an MBA ever hurt anyone. But how you maximize its benefits can vary quite a bit. The value of an MBA is greatest for those with focused gains in mind up front, and who are mature and ready to really take advantage of what a good program has to offer.
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