Is an MBA Worth It? Here’s What You Need to Know

    MBA degrees seem increasingly touted as a prerequisite for any role in business. Some would have you believe that you’ll need an MBA if you want your career to get anywhere.

    Before you spend precious time and money on an MBA, think about whether it’s right for you. Will this investment provide a positive ROI? These criteria can help you determine whether it’s right for you.

    How to Pursue an MBA?

    If you decide that an MBA would help you further your particular career aspirations, keep a few things in mind as you advance your search and narrow down your choices.

    MBA programs are offered through many higher education institutions around the country. It’s worth doing a broad search to get a feel for what’s out there before deciding.

    Contrary to old stereotypes about online degrees, AACSB Online MBA programs can provide superior education quality and opportunities over traditional degrees. Online programs make degrees available that might not be locationally feasible. They can allow you to earn a degree that aligns more strongly with your needs than the MBA programs you might have available geographically. However, in-person MBA programs are suitable for those who prefer meeting people face to face and being physically in an academic setting.

    Finally, check admission requirements for any programs of interest well before you plan to apply. Some require taking the GRE or similar, specific work experience, or have other needs for applicants that are important to know before you embark on the process.

    The Advantages of having an MBA Degree

    MBA degrees can be helpful for several reasons. Here are some of the biggest ones:

    Advanced Skills and Knowledge

    An MBA degree is a highly focused and high-level business education. While many proficiencies can be developed on the job or as you advance through your career, some skills are more effectively learned in the classroom or an academic environment. Knowing them via a postgraduate business degree can also save you valuable time and help you avoid the trial and error and mistakes that come with trying to learn independently. MBA degrees can also help you develop more technical skills necessary for some careers.

    Resume Builder

    Having an MBA on your resume indicates advanced expertise to current and future employers, and it also demonstrates something else: your intentionality in improving yourself as a professional. You are willing to invest in yourself and your professional performance by earning an advanced degree will say something intangible about you for the rest of your professional career. Earning an MBA can be a strategic investment in your advancement opportunities as well as your earning power.

    Completing an MBA degree also requires strong problem-solving, communication, retention, time management, and performance skills that many employers recognize and highly value. An MBA degree shows prospective organizations that you possess honed capabilities they may not find in other candidates.

    Opportunity for Connecting and Networking

    MBA programs often attract the best of the best. The types of people that earn MBA degrees are those that can provide strong network groups and contacts, and you’ll have the opportunity to maintain these relationships for the entirety of your working life (and often longer). Your MBA classmates are usually people at similar points in their careers. They can give advice, commiserate, provide perspective and helpful feedback, and be valuable contact points as you all advance your own professional lives.

    In addition to the other MBA students, you’d get to know as a part of an MBA program, your faculty members can also provide hugely valuable support figures. They might give informal or even formal mentorship, solid recommendations and contacts for helping you land future positions, and advice as you learn and strategize about your career aspirations.

    A Stretching Experience

    Engaging in an MBA program isn’t the most straightforward task, and it’s designed to create an environment where you can grow, and that’s not always a quick or comfortable process. MBA programs will give you invaluable chances to practice skills such as problem-solving, overcoming adversity, surmounting challenges, and accomplishing daunting tasks. Especially for those who complete MBA programs while working other positions, getting them finished can require long nights and tough deadlines. Accomplishing a feat like this builds tremendous self-confidence, teaches invaluable skills that will be useful for the rest of your life, and increases your capacity for bigger responsibilities and undertakings in the future.

    The Potential Drawbacks of Earning an MBA

    Though there are certainly advantages to earning an MBA, there can be reasons not to pursue one as well:

    Not the Right Time

    Some individuals launch into attempting an MBA too quickly. If you’ve not thought through exactly how an MBA would help you advance, it’s easy to take on an MBA degree prematurely. Wait until you know you would benefit from the degree. Give it time to see if you’re able to secure a job that might cover the cost for you. Make sure you have determined your passions and career areas of interest before investing in a degree or specialty that might not be the field you want to stay in.

    It could price you out

    In some scenarios or industries, earning an MBA before having a certain amount of experience inhibits your career development rather than enhancing it. If an MBA requires your employers to pay more for you, but you don’t have the expertise to compete with more seasoned candidates, it can hurt your chances of getting roles you apply for. Avoid this by doing your homework and making sure an MBA would increase your chances of earning the jobs you plan to pursue in the near future.

    Resource Drain

    MBA degrees cost not just monetary resources but time, effort, and energy. This can be a significant undertaking, and it’s imperative to weigh whether your wallet, bandwidth, and workload can sustain this type of endeavor. Take a good hard look – it may be to your advantage to undergo an MBA at a later time when your capacity looks a bit more substantial.

    Sources that can Aid your Decision

    If there could be scenarios in which it wouldn’t be to your advantage, how do you find out whether it’s worth it to earn an MBA? Here are a few of the best ways to determine what step is best for your goals:

    Talk to Trusted Business Mentors

    People with business savvy and more experience in the field that also know you, your situation, and your aspirations can be invaluable voices to help you decide whether an MBA is a strategic decision.

    Ask People Doing your Dream Job

    The people that hold roles you aspire to attain can make some of the best resources available to you when determining what steps you need to take to get there as well. Do they have MBA degrees? Have they found them helpful? If they had the choice, would they get one again? Do they have suggestions for specific programs or program types they would recommend?

    Speak with MBA Program Faculty or Advisors

    Even though MBA institutions have an inherent bias about the value their program(s) could offer you, these individuals can often still provide helpful advice and information that can aid your decision process. They can share the specific strengths of their degree programs, share information about past graduates’ employment rates and role types, and sometimes put you in touch with alumni that can share more details about the program experience.

    So is an MBA worth it? In suitable cases, MBA degrees can be hugely valuable and even change the entire trajectory of your career. Use the tips above to determine whether earning an MBA could be right for you. Earning a strategic MBA can provide a massive boost for you as you pursue your professional goals.


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