MBA overrated in future employment picture

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by glc0712, Mar 11, 2009.

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  1. Antz

    Antz New Member

    With such a generic, unfounded statement as the one made below, I have to ask if you have ever spent enough time abroad to understand the educational systems in all of the "foreign" countries in the world?

    There are several world class universities in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, India, etc., some AACSB accredited, that offer an education that is equal or superior to many U.S. universities.

    What good is having all of these degrees listed after your name if you have no understanding of how things work in the rest of the world? Believe it or not, as much as I love the U.S., there's a lot more to the world than what goes on in America.

     
  2. JKB2000

    JKB2000 New Member

    What is considered a "lower tier MBA," I am currently shopping for an MBA and have considered several. Do you have any advise on what will steer me away from that stigma??
     
  3. DLer

    DLer New Member

    This statement made my day. Add to that...what good are the degrees if you lack the talent, tenacity and insight to succeed in the actual "business world" outside of academia?
     
  4. lovetheduns

    lovetheduns New Member

    This conversation is interesting.

    I work for a very large financial services industry--- unless you are one of our fund managers, no one even cares if you have an MBA.

    In fact, most companies I have worked at an MBA could be a detriment just as it could be an asset.

    I have seen MANY times where someone who was not overly successful post-bachelors attain an MBA thinking that this will be the thing that will help catapult them into their next steps. I have seen this happen quite a bit! One of my last co-workers, a Gen Y-er had never really made that step from entry level to analyst or managerial level. She thought it was the lack of her education (she held a BA from a top public university). So she went for an MBA graduated in December from a well respected school, AACSB program, etc. She is still unemployed. Few interviews. She is more of a go-getter than most people.

    The MBA has hurt her (especially at my company where she was laid off) because it was an attempt to make up for lack of experience. The MBA may have some utility down the road, but her lack of knowledge and experience has always been evident in the quality of her work and I am sure comes across in interviews. She actually believed that once she graduated with her MBA she should be hired for senior level management roles and should be a Director or VP. *LOL*

    Most of the MBAs I know who are successful are pretty quiet about them. Many gained them while working for our employer (my employer pays almost 100% of a program). These people typically had years of experience in the field and the MBA served as a compliment. Once we get on the topic they talk about the type of program that they went to (if it was a weekend one like Duke's program, night program, distance, traditional, etc) and where. It is usually a part of the conversation so I am surprised that so many here have stated that it never comes up in conversation. Heck, I remember where people earned their MBAs from my last company *LOL*.

    My leadership fully supports continuing education, but they have stated many times that they would never just immediately look at an MBA for a BA, SA or even managerial role carte blanche. They are still more concerned what have you done besides completed a degree? I would say that this attitude is VERY prevalent across the board in my company. My company's culture has always been more about, "so what? what have and can you do (in terms of past performance in a work environment)?"

    It is interesting because my MS IS in progress from UMBC no one cares about where-- they sometimes ask. However, I will say that my management and coworkers are more intrigued that I am also taking the pre-reqs for the HES ALM in Management. In fact my manager is interested in taking many of their strategic management, change management courses. So I find it humorous that more people are interested in that program than a traditional MBA (I liken to it ends up a longer conversation since they want to know what is the difference from ALM in Management versus MBA so it just ends up being a conversation more detailed). BTW-- I doubt it is the Harvard name as my company (based in New England) has MANY grads from the bulk of the Ivy League to the point where there is not a lot of OOHHHHH factor that you would have elsewhere.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 5, 2009
  5. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    My personal situation was I needed a career change, I had no visions of being senior management or of even being management period but simply put, I didn't have a BS in business and I felt stuck in criminal justice. The MBA seemed like the ticket out and it turns out I was right. That being said I think my transition is the exception, not the rule. Also the fact that I had previous technical experience prior to working in CJ helped a lot and I think once I finish my MSMIS I'll be in even better standing but the biggest thing I can do for my career now is study on my own, not as part of a degree program.

    I support Java developers a lot, yet I'm often lost in their conversations, thus I am reading a book on Java before bed every night.

    I support architects and project managers. The PMs I'm good with, the architects I find "dumbing down" the language with me at times and it gets annoying, so I'm reading a book on software development and development frameworks every morning.

    In October I will begin serious study for my PMP certification, which seems to carry more weight around here than my MBA does and likely even the MSMIS but really it all boils down to personal knowledge. Lack of it can kill you, strength in it can make you regardless of education level. Having said that the MBA was the admission ticket into the game not the destination, now I have to train and learn just to get up to speed.
     

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