MBA Losing It's Shine

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by Kizmet, Aug 1, 2013.

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  1. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  2. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    When in doubt, do an MBA. Ask anyone with an MBA. There is still no other business/management degrees that give the consistently high return as an MBA. As in boxing, pound for pound the MBA is still the best.
     
  3. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    What do they mean by "consulting"? I don't get what that could be....what does a mid 20s newly minted MBA, even one from Harvard, have so much experience in that they can consult and make high dollars fresh out of school?

    I'm really asking, clearly I'm missing something.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 2, 2013
  4. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    Typically they are talking about management consulting. Management consultants are awful. I mean truly awful.

    Typically even the ones with MBA only professional experience was the two to four years of, you guessed it, "consulting" they did before going to grad school.

    I now work in consulting and I find most of it to be complete BS. A consultant will ask to see your watch, tell you what time it is....then keep your watch.

    The pinnacle of management consulting is McKinsey and Company. Take a look at their website to see what they do.

    If you haven't, watch House of Lies. It paints a pretty accurate picture of consultants.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 2, 2013
  5. distancedoc2007

    distancedoc2007 New Member

    Hmmm... Well, newly-graduated people who join management consulting firms usually start by using process (rather than content) oriented skills that they are freshly trained in. These are skills that are applicable to many different situations and industries, such as survey design, secondary research, coding, data analysis, financial modelling etc.

    Nobody is trying to pass these people off as deep content or industry experts - they just know how to do certain tasks well and have chosen to do them for a consulting firm. Eventually they may specialize in specific industry sectors or functional areas after years of client experience and additional training.

    If they choose to become Certified Management Consultants (CMC) then the buyer is at least guaranteed that the consultant has a minimum level of academic education, has been examined in all the major areas of business consulting, and has peer-reviewed consulting engagement experience.

    And yes, I agree with the poster that the MBA is pound-for-pound the best degree to have.
     
  6. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    OK, gotcha....I still don't get why anyone would pay big bucks for such things....but I see stupid at work all the time, we currently have Deloitte and Touche explaining how we can run leaner and return to profitability. I'd say your watch analogy is rather apt.

    I think my lack of outstanding personal success is directly related to my loathing of corporate nonsense.
     
  7. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    I'd like to hear an expansion on this thought. My MBA is far from the front of the pack in regards to prestige, but if I can leverage it better that would be outstanding. Might should start my own thread...
     
  8. distancedoc2007

    distancedoc2007 New Member

    My experience with an MBA is that you don't "have" an MBA, you "are" an MBA. It's as if you become this commodity that trades at a slightly higher premium. People say "let's hire a couple of MBA's." Nobody in my experience ever cared where the degree was from.
     
  9. Newbie2DL

    Newbie2DL Member

    AU, I hope its not PR consulting! :)
     
  10. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I have an MBA.

    I've been a consultant.

    I've hired consultants.

    Both have been with very good results.

    Advantages to hiring consultants:

    -- Expertise not normally found inside the organization
    -- Way less expensive--use 'em when you need 'em (You wouldn't keep your dentist on your household payroll, would you?)
    -- Credibility

    Disadvantages:

    -- Lack of expertise (about the business and the organizational climate)
    -- Way more expensive (on an hourly basis)
    -- Lack of credibility (because they're outsiders)

    So, is it good or bad to bring in consultants? Yes. Don't be convinced it's an "either/or" decision; it's not. Organizations--or their leaders, actually--that rail against the use of consultants are typically stupid and in-bred. And those that over-rely upon them tend to stunt the growth and initiative of their own internal experts.

    Like most things, it's more complicated that the polarized stances often taken here.
     
  11. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

  12. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    Rest assured, it is not.
     
  13. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    I have an MBA and it is a good general education degree for business. I consider it the liberal arts masters for a business person. You are not an expert in finance, marketing, management, HR, business law, statistical analysis, information systems, or anything for that matter. But you have had one class in each of these disciplines so it is great for people who have technical bachelors degrees that do not want to commit to pursuing another undergrad in business. That would take too long.

    If you really want to understand a subject you need to have years of academic and professional experience in it. I took an accounting class or two and a statistics class or two plus some research methods courses but I am not an expert in any of those. Ask me to develop an enterprise software application and I will amaze you with my skill developed over the past 20 years.
     
  14. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Toilette and Douche? :biggrin:
     

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