Why should I get a MBA?

[magicalpoop]

Ok, so before I get flamed, yes I did do a search - no one has asked this question before.

Why should I get a MBA?

I want to but I can't even explain to myself what good would it truly do for me.
(Please read abit more before you judge). I'm a freshly minted B.Comm graduate and I haven't even begun to work yet. I don't expect on getting/starting my MBA for at least 5 years. (Another issue, having a B.comm makes a MBA feel redundant)

But I know 10-15 years down the road, I want to be in a high up position for a non profit / NGO / or even the United Nations if I have the chance. I'll take a paycut or quit my job, I don't really want to have kids TBH. I don't think I'll be settling down. Now I guess my better question is, do I really need a MBA for those high end positions? Do you guys think a B.comm is sufficient with private sector experience? Sure that can get me a long way, but I think if I'm aiming towards leading these - don't I need some more formal credentials (Unless I somehow pull a Bill Gates along the way).

I have read tons upon tons of successful people who are working in those areas, and many of them have either
a) Incredible private sector experience with the money (Bill Gates)
b) The educational background (Nenshi has a Masters of Public Policy from Harvard. It is true that it was simply his consulting company working with the UN, but that's still impressive)
c) Have shitloads of money and the " public pull" to do so. Matt Damon and his water campaign are an example, or any other celeb backing a NGO


Please don't get me wrong, I realize I can go on a relief corps mission right now and go build a school in a 3rd world country. But I don't think that's enough, I want to be attacking the actual problem - not relieving symptoms.

But now that I have written this up, I think I have missed something. Maybe I should just go to the non profit sector now and go at it? But what I am worried about is getting the $$$ to get to a high end program (I'm talking top20 global) MBA's.

My main concern is, quitting my job and going to a random MBA program is a bit of a gamble.
Quitting my job and getting a Harvard/MIT Sloan/Columbia MBA is...not as much of a gamble.
(Please don't read me off as condescending, but it's a fact that headhunters are all over the major MBA schools. So if shit hits the fan, I can always sell out without walking off the campus grounds)

What do you guys think? (Yes I know, this is basically a ramble)

[ercchry]

not sure about your ivy league MBA programs... but cant you do an executive program while you still work? thats what my dad did. MBA opened a lot of doors for him, and his employer paid for the course.

[cycosis]

Most MBA programs allow you to work now at the same time. Night classes but youll have no life for 2 years

[ExtraSlow]

You said you won't be starting the MBA for five years, so why worry about making this decision right now? Five years is a long time, and you may find that the private sector is more rewarding than you think. In five years your goals are likely to change a lot.

[Markov7]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I've had the same sort of questions on my mind. What I want to know is, are MBAs overrated these days? Have the value of MBAs dropped in recent years?

[ercchry]

Originally posted by Markov7
Not trying to hijack the thread, but I've had the same sort of questions on my mind. What I want to know is, are MBAs overrated these days? Have the value of MBAs dropped in recent years?

if you want to head towards the executive route i would say its more important now as chances are your competition would have theirs :dunno:

beyond being a career employee i would say the contacts you make in the program are also very valuable

[ExtraSlow]

the value of a top-teir MBA is still high. the value of an e-MBA is entirely in the eyes of the employer.

Still, as with most things, expereince beats education every time.

[dangleberries]

Originally posted by magicalpoop
having a B.comm makes a MBA feel redundant haha yeah theyre basically the same thing as youve said. therefore dont bother.:thumbsup:

[davidI]

Originally posted by dangleberries
haha yeah theyre basically the same thing as youve said. therefore dont bother.:thumbsup:

Add 5-10 years of experience and your B.Comm studies would have likely offered you a lot more knowledge.

My view is that you should assess your position in 5-10 years and determine the value then.

MBAs are usually either done to provide the boost needed in your exisiting path, or allow a change in career direction.

Until you've worked, how will you know what you need? Seems to me like you're getting a little ahead of yourself.

[R-Audi]

For friends of mine that have done their MBA.. the most valuable part of it all is the connections they've made. Not the schooling.

[rx7boi]

Originally posted by magicalpoop
I'll take a paycut or quit my job, I don't really want to have kids TBH. I don't think I'll be settling down.

So what exactly do you want?

Do you want money? Do you want a meaningful job? Do you want both?

What exactly are you planning to prioritize? Sounds like you're doing alot of daydreaming about the possibilities of what your future career COULD be.

[borN]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/business-education/mba-is-a-plus-but-not-a-must/article2367434/

As stated in many posts, it'll mainly be the connections that drive the underlying value of an MBA. I personally think the Global MBA program at Haskayne is pretty cool.

[Ebon]

Do an MBA if you're looking to change fields. Also pick the one at the best school you can get into, its the connections that are important. The schooling is secondary consideration.

[swak]

Sorta the same, but im going after my MA, and from all the prof's ive talked to during my undergrad, its the supervisor you go for and not the school (for example, i'm anticipating heading out to Winnipeg in Sept).

The supervisor thats going to take me on has incredible resources etc... and thats what will make you successful in your studies. Not just being at a well named university.

For example for the field im in, if i were going for prestige of university, then the U of A would be my first choice, as Beverley McLachlin went there and she's incredibly successful.

Just an FYI.
Choose universities wisely when you take on Graduate Studies, it'll pay off in the end :thumbsup:

[Super_Geo]

I have heard from a lot of pretty senior people that, while still valuable, it is starting to get watered down because so many people have MBAs now, especially after the 08 crash when a shitload of recently laid off people decided to get theirs.

Also, from what you're saying in your OP, it doesn't sound like you need an MBA, it sounds like you need some real world experience.

I was thinking of getting an MBA about 2 years ago as I just hit 4 years as an engineer and wanted to get my P.Eng and transition into something else. If went the MBA route I would now have it, along with the $100k of tuition fees and 2 years of lost wages.

I networked and was able to get the job I wanted (despite having been told by some that engineers need MBAs to transition) and have a 1.5 years of job experience. Now that I'm here, having an MBA is somewhat irrelevant. If you do well, you'll get promoted. If you get promoted enough, it might make sense for you to get an MBA, and if it makes sense for your company as welll then they may also cover it.

I don't think it's worth it for the majority of the people in their early/mid-20s. Get some experience and see what you actually want, then figure out what you actually need to get there.

[sexualbanana]

I got a chance to speak to Dick Haskayne when I was in my undergrad about doing an MBA and he told me that unless I went to a different school, the MBA I would take at Haskayne is basically the same as my B.Comm in terms of material.

In general what he told me was that the people who take MBAs are people with a technical background looking to further their understanding of business. Whereas a lot of people in law are people from a business background looking to further their understanding (and practice) of law.

In my experience speaking to some people, that seems to be true. Most people currently taking MBAs are people who come from a background like engineering and science, and that taking an MBA when you already have a B.Comm is like repeating your undergrad years.

[Canmorite]

Originally posted by cycosis
Most MBA programs allow you to work now at the same time. Night classes but youll have no life for 2 years

My supervisor just finished a her 2 year EMBA. No life at all and it looked very stressful. Great learning experience though...