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.