when an MBA is useless?

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by selino, Apr 15, 2014.

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  1. selino

    selino New Member

    Hi,
    So here's my problem. I am finding it super difficult to find a job. I am located in Europe, and I have been sending thousands of applications since i left my job.
    I keep hearing disturbing things, such as..im not relevant to the job(entry level, mid level..anything), i dont have the background, or even that..i am a red flag because i have many degrees. Here's my profile:
    BA international politics, MSc Strategy, MBA, PGDip Banking,2yrs experience in investment banking.
    Now, i keep getting rejections from everything. I do not know what else to do. Ive sent more than 2.000 apps.
     
  2. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    If you're repeatedly being told that you have too many degrees (after submitting 2000 applications), then maybe it's time to remove some of those degrees i.e. only submit one or two degrees that you believe are the most relevant. Just a suggestion.
     
  3. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    It is not you or your MBA useless. It is the nature of economy crises, which employments nowaday hard to come. With all my credential, but I am trying to secure a senior level IT position in Dallas/Fort Worth before I am moving. But it has been a month, and I have not have any luck. My deadline is May 1st; otherwise I'll apply for unemployment temporary because most of the job require face-to-face interview, and I am currently over 1,300 miles away.
     
  4. selino

    selino New Member

    I am quite confused because I see people finding jobs within a week. Yes i have tried removing degrees or experience, but even when i apply to companies that require a lot of education, i still get rejected. Maybe remove the MBA and just stay with the BA in my profile?
     
  5. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    I guess if you're willing to relocate to another part of the world, you might have a better chance of gaining employment.

    I know for a fact, Singapore is aggressively hiring for their banking sector.
    But not many people want to come to live in Asia. Especially here.

    :laughing:
     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Why, what's wrong with Singapore?
     
  7. selino

    selino New Member

    I have applied to nearly all countries in the world. And nearly all sectors. But i cannot figure out whats wrong. The people i know here in UK find a job within a week. And degrees irrelevant to jobs. So i do not know what degree to hide, i was thinking of hiding everything, and just keeping the BA?
    I understand the economy is crappy, and there are many people who strive to find a job. But when everyone you know doesnt struggle at all, how do you change your job hunting strategy?
     
  8. Koolcypher

    Koolcypher Member

    I agree with me again. Tailor your application to the job at hand. Sometimes listing all of your degrees put you at a disadvantage. Look at the job requirements and make sure your cv and letter meet those requirements. If the job only asks for a bachelors degree then by all mean just list your bachelor degree and so forth. Also the world economy sucks big time. It is bad here in Nicaragua as well. Keep your head up high and something will come up.
     
  9. Koolcypher

    Koolcypher Member

    Extremely expensive! Otherwise an awesome country.:smokin:
     
  10. Koolcypher

    Koolcypher Member

    Well, this statement is an oxymoron. You have been hunting for a long time and your friends find work within weeks. I suggest you ask your friends to do mock interviews. Maybe you look great on paper and then you bomb the interview. There are many many factors at play, degrees are just one part.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 15, 2014
  11. selino

    selino New Member

    That would help, but i dont even get interviews. And yes, recruiters have helped me with my cv.
    So its either bad luck, or just none cares about education.
     
  12. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I think there are possibly three problems.

    The first possibility is that your resume and/or cover letters are poorly written. Spelling and grammatical mistakes will get them immediately trashed. I don't know how it is where you're at, but I've heard many people say to use chronological resumes instead of functional resumes. The employers here do not like hiring the long-term unemployed, and functional resumes make it look like the applicant is trying to hide gaps. In other words, there could be wrong with the format you're using. Your resume could also be too long.

    The second possibility is that, if you have been long-term unemployed, employers probably don't want to hire you. The longer you go without work, the worse it gets. You might have to settle for a low-end job just to end the dry spell.

    The third possibility is that you are stuck between being overqualified and under-qualified. You are too educated for entry-level employment, and you have too little experience for everything else. Even if you have exactly the qualifications required for the job, employers have plenty of more experienced people to choose from in this job market. My measly 7 years of experience in the criminal justice field is nothing compared to those who have 10+ years of experience. Someone interviewed recruiters and found that they have the easiest time placing those in their 30s and 40s. The people in their 20s were seen as too inexperienced, and those 50+ were stereotyped as not being up to date on technology.
     
  13. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    You might qualified for this job.

    "The Boston agency posted this job listing online for a "director of operations" position at a company called Rehtom Inc. The requirements sounded nothing short of brutal:
    • Standing up almost all the time
    • Constantly exerting yourself
    • Working from 135 to unlimited hours per week
    • Degrees in medicine, finance and culinary arts necessary
    • No vacations
    • The work load goes up on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and other holidays
    • No time to sleep
    • Salary = $0"


    URL: 24 People Who Applied for the World's Toughest Job Were In for Quite a Surprise | Adweek
     
  14. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    I've been living here for the last 5 years. Some things I have noticed.

    It's expensive.

    Cheapest rental apartments here cost about $2000 SGD / Month. Me and wife bought a 3 room apartment 2 years back. 70 SQM, at a cost of $390,000 SGD. This was already considered the 'cheaper' lots.

    Cars (new) cost slightly over $100,000 SGD.
    Public transport connects the whole city-state, which is good. You can drop the idea of having a car.

    Weather is constantly humid with either rain or sun.

    The country has very low income tax rate though. So you see alot of your money.

    :laugh2::laugh2::laugh2:

    Education for primary up to secondary levels are good/better then what I experienced back in the states.

    Many people here are well spoken in English / But would be helpful to know a dialect to speak with the older generation.

    But hey, if anyone wants to come over for employment and needs some help/advise, I'll certainly offer a hand.

    :yup::yup::yup:
     
  15. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I would start by hiding the MBA and MSc in Strategy and just leave the BA and PGDip. I also collect diplomas and used to have different versions of my CV (with or without MBA, etc).
    There are tons of cheap paid jobs in service economies but not so many managerial positions. It is a lot easier to find a job with a high diploma as you are expected to be paid minimum wage than getting a job as a manager in the 100K range.

    Don't feel overqualified, Dr. Mcgee has 13 doctorates and another 10 degrees including BA, BS, etc.

    Education – Robert W. McGee

    When someone tells you that you have too many degrees, just refer them to this site.
     
  16. Koolcypher

    Koolcypher Member

    Oh yes Dr. McGee, my old college professor at Barry University. I remember him well. Cool guy with neat stories to tell. :yup:
     
  17. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I am not surprised, last week we interviewed people for a one year Lecturer position at our University that pays in the 60K and we got few resumes with people with two PhDs and other from a former VP of Operations that was laid off from a well known company that was probably making a salary in the 200K range.

    When you are starting to see resumes with people with two PhDs from well known Universities looking for contract positions, one starts wondering if education is really worth something nowadays.
     
  18. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    This is anecdotal, but...

    It used to be that people who had already "made it" financially and professionally in their field-of-endeavor got a masters degree as a sort of badge of accomplishment. However, now people who have "not made it" are getting masters degrees under the false premise that it will get them a good job. Nothing could be further from the truth, in most cases. All of that is in conjunction with a shrinking market for good high-paying jobs with long-term benefits.

    Federal minimum wage is:
    - $7.25 hourly
    - $290.00 weekly
    - $1256.00 monthly
    - $15,080.00 annually
    There are plenty of minimum wage jobs. Why will middle aged and older Americans not take them? More importantly, will the economy eventually become so bad that those same job-rejectors begin taking minimum wage jobs? Food for thought for the future.
     
  19. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    This is what i have observed, there are plenty of jobs as tech support, customer service, store clerk, etc that pay between $10 to 15$ bucks an hour.
    The issue seems that as education becomes more accessible because distance learning, youtube videos that teach you how to do any technical job, etc. We now see people with two, three masters degrees, doctorates that are not able to find an opportunity at their level mainly because there were very few opportunities at the level from the beginning so the offer increases but the demand remains the same or decreases.

    At our University, due to the lack of academic jobs, we are starting to encourage PhD graduates to apply for admin jobs at Universities (e.g. alumni relations director) as it doesn't seem that they will be able to find tenure track positions.

    MBA graduates are now encouraged to look for self employment options by starting their own business or becoming self employed CPAs, consultants, etc.

    The OP experience is not unique, it would be a lot easier for him or her just to drop the degrees and get 10 to 15 bucks an hour job rather than keep aiming for executive positions that are probably already taken by people that will not retire any time soon.

    It is a sad reality but I guess it is part of the modern world.
     
  20. Koolcypher

    Koolcypher Member

    Agreed to what everyone has said. Sometimes you have to forge your own path. Case and point, I was "downsized" from a cushy job back in the States. After months and months of looking to no avail, the wife and I decided to make a change. We moved to Nicaragua, and I opened my own business here. I also teach English and communications at a couple of universities here. The pay is not that great--compared to the pay in the US--however we are doing just fine. My wife also opened her own business and is doing OK. We are not going to get rich soon, however, we do live quite well. We have a live-in maid, a gardener and I only work four days a week. My point is get off your butt and do something. I know it is easier said than done. However, no one will do it for you. Move to a country that values education and where those with degrees are in short supply. As is the case in Central America. Central America, and Latin America in particular, places great emphasis in people with foreign degrees. Remember the degree is just one piece of who you are, you define it, and not the other way around. Good luck with whatever you decide. Keep us posted!
     

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