The MBA
 

Who here has their mba, currently pursuing their mba, or thinking about going for their mba? I ask because I want to get my mba soon after I get my bachelors. It seems like a huge process from getting work experience, taking the gmats, applying to the school or schools you want to go to, then financing it which is like $50,000 a year all expenses included. Does anyone have any stories, is the mba worth it?

Matt

I have my MBA. While it is nice to say I have my MBA, it has not paid off monitarily. I went straight through from my bachelors to my MBA. Interviewers, as well as headhunters, have told me the MBA is great, but my work history is much more important. My current employer told me they were much more impressed with my experience than with the degree.

Everyone has been very impressed with my professional history-- I was (at 23years old) a cash manager for a Fortune 500 company. The company was bought out and the new company already had their own "corporate people". While I no longer have the title and the secretary--I do have a job with no stress, I leave my work at the office, and I have alot of flexibility.

Previously I was chained to my desk-often at work at 11pm to meet deadline and back in the office at 6am, so I could reach the trade floors to buy/sell currency in the European markets. It was also not uncommon for me to run into the office at 2am to shoot off an email. There is none of that now-- and i LOVE it!!!! And I have the same pay!!!:D

I am happy I have my MBA-- but as far as pay is concerned it has made no difference.

Good luck.
wendi

thanks, what school did you go to get your mba?

I finished my MBA two years ago, and it made a big difference for me. I got my bachelor's degree in sociology, and I always like to say that a degree in sociology isn't worth the piece of paper it's printed on. I worked a just-above-entry-level job in a bank for a little over two years before I decided to go back to school. Now I work as a management consultant for a large accounting/consulting firm. I racked up about $26,000 in student loans, but I have the means to pay them back. So for me, my MBA improved my situation greatly (although keep in mind I had a LOT of room for improvement to begin with).

did any of you take a preparation course for the gmats?

i just earned my bachelors degree in business this past May and have been considering going back to get my MBA. I want to wait to have more work experience first as I've been told that: a) many business schools won't accept you w/o at least 2 years of professional experience, b) you won't appreciate the MBA as much unless you work, c) although an MBA is great to have, many employers would rather you have the equivalent work experience. In this economy, many of my friends have decided to get their MBA instead of trying to find a job. After talking to a few people who recently got their MBA but have no work experience, they have told me that their salaries are not what they expected. With the lack of jobs out there, they are being considered for the same positions in companies along with recent bachelor degree graduates....and they'll be paid the same.

My view: work for a few years and then return to get the MBA. The MBA will be more of value then.

I am going to take the GMAT's this fall. I'd rather take them when I am fresh out of school than a few years from now when I haven't studied in years.

An MBA is more of a formality than anything else. Unless you're asked to get one by your current company or you're aiming for a top 10 school, and the companies that recruit at those schools, they usually are worthless.

-Rudey

Thanks for posting this chief. I was also a SOC major and am planning on going back to school for my MBA in the fall.

Did anyone go to Wharton??? It seems like an interesting place.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/edlife/EDMBAT.html

This article talks about the hierarchy of business schools. If you want to get recruited and salivate for any of those glam jobs, you better be going to a good core school.

-Rudey

Why would you get an MBA and then go on to graduate work in Child Psych? :confused:

My neighbor went to Wharton for undergrad and Harvard for her MBA. She's an overachiever.

Is she bling blinging and hot?

-Rudey

I will have my MBA in 6 weeks! :D

It will payoff for me (I work in Accounting/Finance). You basically need one now in order to qualify to sit for the CPA exam, which I will be doing this summer.

Before I started grad school, I had at least 3 years of work experience as well as a BA in Accounting.

Please be sure as to what your career aspirations are befoe starting ANY Masters program because grad school IS NOT cheap! :o :p

She's married and has a bling bling daughter. I'll give her your number in 16 years when she is 21.