By earning this degree while also balancing work, family, social life, and other personal commitments and not losing your sanity you will find an immense sense of reward and personal achievement.
There are different ways you can establish credibility in your firm and in your industry. You could volunteer for a project at work that stretches you beyond your comfort zone and shows off your hidden talents to company management. You could begin a solo side business or co-found one with family or friends to establish early credibility as a budding entrepreneur. But the academic version of street cred in the business world is the MBA degree.
Much of the knowledge and hard and soft skills you gain from earning your MBA is applicable across many industries. You become more skilled and versatile regardless of your industry or job title thanks to widely applicable qualities like leadership, critical and analytical thinking, creativity, and communication.
Unlike career-specific advanced degrees like a teaching credential or a medical degree, an MBA can transfer easily to many industries and offer you a wide array of careers throughout your life. MBA graduates often possess an innate and insatiable curiosity. They know there is always something more to learn, and they endeavor to learn it. Earning the degree hones their ability to dig into competitive analyses, study emerging industries, and stay on top of all the newest developments, technologies, and trends in their industry.
Curiosity has its own reason for existing. The strategic thinking skills you learn while earning your MBA are not only applicable in the business world but across various areas of your life such as your personal goals and finances. MBA graduates often find themselves communicating better at work with colleagues, bosses, or employees. But these communication skills can also apply at home with your significant other, kids, parents, or siblings, as well as in social situations such as networking events or company functions.
Being a better communicator is essential in everyday life, no matter where or when you communicate your needs and ideas for solutions. To earn your MBA degree, you have to attend classes and study sessions, complete assignments on time, and push yourself to work through rigorous, complex coursework.
Possibly, you have to do this while you continue to work. All of this takes a level of self-discipline that you may not take to naturally, but can cultivate with time and effort while working through the MBA program. A side effect of better self-discipline is the ability to better manage time.
It could also mean being more efficient during work hours to get more done in less time or with less effort. In addition to a wider range of job opportunities and increased earning potential, a Wharton MBA can help you connect with a diverse group of professionals and become part of an extensive global alumni network. Completing an MBA program demonstrates a commitment to learning, improving, and applying skills that can help a company succeed.
Additionally, professionals with MBAs feel a greater sense of confidence in their marketability, as well as the wealth of information they can bring to various endeavors. These are just a few of the advantages of getting an MBA.
Earning an MBA puts you in close contact with other students from around the world who have different work experiences and perspectives on the global economy. In addition to learning from professors, MBA students can expand their knowledge of other industries in the U. Effective communication is a fundamental skill required for professionals to succeed. An MBA can help hone verbal and written communication skills, allowing you to successfully convey concepts to different people at different levels of an organization to ensure everyone is able to work together toward a common goal.
Earning an MBA makes you part of a global network of nearly , alumni, giving you access to respected and intelligent professionals you may not have otherwise had a chance to connect with. In a highly-competitive job market, an advanced degree can help set an applicant apart from their peers.
From energy to consumer products to start-ups, an MBA can be an asset in any industry. Employers typically look to hire or promote a candidate with an MBA because they have skills in marketing and finance that others within the organization may lack.
This allows them to hit the ground running with various initiatives and help their company increase profits. Earning an MBA requires juggling extracurriculars alongside a challenging course load — not to mention other personal and professional pursuits. Getting an MBA can help you manage your time effectively, which is not only an in-demand skill among employers, but a valuable life skill, as well.
Here are some of the most common questions students have when considering an MBA. The skills many organizations are looking for range from empathy and team management to understanding how to look ahead, set strategic goals, and influence stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. Students looking to develop skills around influence often have unique opportunities to do so during the MBA experience.
Many enter case study competitions that emulate the challenges businesses face today and require the students to pitch solutions to a panel of judges. Importantly, everyone in these programs also learns how to improve their communication and collaboration skills by participating in group projects with people from all walks of life.
Soft skills like this are key to MBA classes in addition to rigorous analytical work. An MBA could be key in acquiring the experience you need to have a competitive advantage in the job market — and this is not a bad reason to pursue one.
To explore new industries or functions. Business school is a great time to gain exposure to peers, faculty, and a network of alumni from many professional backgrounds — as well as class projects and case studies that dive deeply into different industries and sectors. Take the example of one student I recently spoke with. She has two career ambitions: to pivot into biopharmaceuticals and to lead an organization one day. She decided an MBA degree would allow her to accomplish both goals because she will be introduced to resources that will help her learn about and more easily transition into a new industry, and attain the leadership skills she will need 10, or even 20, years down the road.
Some students even come to business school to explore an entrepreneurial path. They typically go on to launch their own startups, or join early-stage firms, including those founded by alums. Something to note about the MBA is that you can apply it to most industries.
To accelerate your career path. Not everyone who pursues an MBA wants to make a dramatic change. Many are looking to pick up the pace of their professional development within a certain industry or at their current company. A part of that involves gaining access to more senior roles with higher salaries. Graduates from top MBA programs often land positions that put them on an accelerated path into leadership. The reason is simple: Employers expect graduates of these programs to have the academic, interpersonal, and leadership skills to solve complex business problems.
Accelerated MBA programs are also an option for people looking to earn the degree in a shorter period of time. Kellogg launched the first one-year MBA program more than 50 years ago for candidates with the focus and discipline to earn their degree in 12 months, and other schools like Cornell and Duke have added similar offerings.
The accelerated option is not for everyone, but if you have a business background and the need for speed, it may be the answer. To expand and diversify your network. A part of enrolling in business school is becoming part of a community of future leaders and well-connected alumni.
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