Graduate school is a significant undertaking, both in terms of the workload and the financial commitment. People get their MBAs with the expectation that doing so will provide them with a better lifestyle. Is this really the case?
In this article, we answer the question: will getting an MBA help you have a better career?
Higher Pay
The median salary of an MBA is 75% higher than that of people who only have an undergraduate degree. That is a significant difference that can have life-changing results. Of course, it is important to keep in mind that simply getting your MBA will not necessarily be enough to increase your salary.
If you already have a job, getting your degree may result in a modest raise or none at all. It’s all about knowing how to leverage your new degree. Consider the following benefits of MBAs:
• Looking For New Job Opportunities
Businesses everywhere are still eager for skilled help, and newly minted MBAs are particularly well-positioned to capitalize on the hot job market. Consider looking for positions that are specifically tailored to what your graduate program emphasized.
• Apply For Promotions Within Your Current Company
If you like your place of work, you may find that your MBA opens the door to promotional opportunities. If you prefer to stay, actively look for advancement opportunities. Your boss may be able to steer you in the right direction if you are unsure how to start.
• Leverage Your Degree
Finally, you can also leverage your new degree to negotiate for higher pay at your current place of work. If there are no immediate advancement opportunities, and you would prefer not to change companies, you can go to your employer, tell them what you could make somewhere else with your degree, and negotiate for a raise. This path might not be as lucrative as a raise, or job migration. However, it might be a good solution for people who are happy with their current careers and are not interested in changing jobs.
Better Networking Opportunities
If you don’t have a career path yet or are looking for something new, getting your MBA can be a very effective way to set yourself up for opportunities. Business schools are full of connections, among students, staff, and speakers that might be brought in.
Many of the people you meet while getting your MBA will already be employed, and may be able to connect you with job openings, and other opportunities that can improve your career. Of course, networking opportunities can vary significantly between programs. Many schools are particularly well known for the networking opportunities that they provide.
Consider researching the program you are interested in’s reputation before making your ultimate decision.
Upward Mobility
People with MBAs are, traditionally, eligible for promotions that people with bachelor’s degrees might not be. Even starting out, MBAs can often skip entry-level work in favor of slightly higher-paying jobs. If you are interested in climbing up the promotion track and being eligible for as many opportunities as possible, getting your MBA is an important first step.
In fact, your company may be so eager to attract MBAs that they are willing to help pay for existing employees to get their degrees. Consider speaking with your employers to find out what sort of educational funding opportunities they provide.
Improved Job Performance
Getting your MBA should help you perform better, either at the job you have or the one you want. It’s important to keep in mind that the world of business changes significantly over time. Participating in continued education allows you to change with it.
If you got your undergraduate degree ten years ago, you’ll find now that business schools are emphasizing technology significantly more than they had in the past. Even if you are not interested in working in a tech-driven job, you’ve probably found that your company has adopted a wide variety of software-driven tools. If they haven’t, they will.
Being able to understand and implement technology, and other more modern business practices will help you do your job better.
More Options
MBAs typically have more opportunities than employees with just a bachelor's degree would. Some positions within a business may only be open to people with MBAs. This is particularly common in leadership roles.
Getting your MBA is also a good way to pivot into an entirely new career path if the one you are on now isn’t quite what you’d hoped it would be. For example, getting an MBA in something to do with data could pull you out of the sales division, and into one of many different rewarding, data-driven jobs.
Will Getting An MBA Help You Have A Better Career?
You will have do define the word "better" for yourself since it is subjective when it comes to career success. Getting your MBA is not in and of itself a magical solution for all of your workplace concerns. It can, however, open many doors that had previously been closed. Some of those doors may lead to promotions and raises. Others may simply allow you to engage with your work on a deeper, more satisfying level.
It’s important to think carefully about what sort of MBA you get. The world is ever and always moving in the direction of digitalization. This means that MBA degrees with an emphasis on data and tech may be the most effective in landing high-paying work and helping you achieve your overall career goals.
More importantly, however, you should approach your degree decision with a clear idea of what you hope to achieve in mind. Is your goal simply to make more money? Or is there specific work you want to do that can only happen once you have got your MBA in hand?
It is true that all MBAs open doors, but to get the most out of your degree, it’s important to think long and hard about what doors you want to go through in the first place. Graduate school is a great way to increase your career options, so weigh it all out on the front end to set yourself up for a fulfilling career.