When In My Career Should I do An MBA?
We were asked by a fresh University graduate whether or not they should do an MBA straight after their degree or not. This is our response…
An MBA is a significant additional qualification for you to gain. If you are considering doing an MBA now – you may be asking yourself whether it is the right decision or not. It would be reasonable for you to be wondering whether you should do the MBA now or later and also whatyour chances are of getting a job after you graduate.
In the UK it is normal for individuals to obtain their MBA some yearsafter graduating. Typically individuals who self-fund their MBA do so intheir late 20s – early 30s (it is later for those funded by theirorganisations). Therefore, the “norm” is 7 – 12 years after you havefinished your first degree. What this means is that you have experiencedone or two employers, possibly different types of work or indeed specialisedin one discipline.
From this base, a student takes their MBA and then transitions into thenext phase of their career. The next employer sees the value add of the MBAon top of the early career experience – this is of more value potentiallythan a student completing their MBA straight after their first degree. Thishas been the prevailing view in the UK and not necessarily the one mostprevalent in other areas of the world.
From what we have seen – there is a premium paid to MBA graduates in the UK if they follow the route outlinedabove. If you are a new graduate fresh out of University with an MBA, I am unsure if you gain muchof a salary premium having a MBA (it might be treated the same as any otherdegree – Masters or PhD).
Finally, it is not possible to guarantee a job when you finish. The UK jobmarket is very competitive.
Thoughts from: Simon North, co-founder of Position Ignition – career change and job search consultancy
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