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      02-16-2018, 12:40 PM   #9
RGlenn
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Drives: 2007 BMW Z4M
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Happy Friday! I'll throw in my $.02 on pros & cons of business school. Preface this by saying I do not have an MBA, only my B.S. in Business Admin. I believe the pros & cons of business school very much depend on the industry/company you plan to utilize the degree for.

Having had to pay for my undergraduate degree out of pocket, you really start to think about how much those loans are costing you for the value you are getting. I'm constantly having to evaluate this myself, although I'll admit the idea of going back to school to get my MBA does not exactly sound appealing .

You mentioned starting your own business in the future. May be worth taking a few minutes to really consider how an MBA would add value to you. Since no one needs to hire you to run your own company/business, having that on your resume won't do a ton in that regard. However if you enjoy learning in a class room setting or maybe want to further your knowledge in a certain area, an additional degree may provide some benefit. Have you thought about what kind of value having an additional degree would bring to your own business?

If you don't end up starting your own gig and continue to work for "the man", some industries will pay you much much more to have your MBA or hire you over someone else because you have the degree & they do not. However in this case it often helps if your degree specializes (if you can) in the company or industry you are trying to advance in. You didn't mention an what type of business you would like to start, but an example: Say today you get your MBA in Marketing, but want to try to get a job at a hedge fund. That degree wouldn't be as useful to you as something in Finance or M&A or Statistics, etc. I'm not saying there is no value if you had your MBA in marketing, but part of the appeal to many companies is the specialty you would bring with your specific skill sets/degrees. Now say you applied to an Ad agency right after you get your MBA in Marketing, that would give you a much better chance to get that promotion or foot in the door or higher salary because it's very applicable to the position you are applying for. Another option is some companies may pay for your degree if it's applicable to your work. For example, at my old company they would have paid for me to get my finance/Business Admin MBA because it was related to my role. Had I tried to get my MBA with a concentration in HR or marketing, my company would not have paid for the degree because it wasn't related to my role.

Of course there are intangibles (social abilities, soft skills, etc) and the case of being "well rounded", but in my experience these are secondary if you are going into a company "cold" or working with someone who doesn't know you. I'm not sure of your exact situation and if you would have to pay for this degree, but if you do have to pay, really consider what value you're getting. Many programs can cost $50k and go north of $100k very easily to get your degree. If you're looking just to learn some more before you open a business, could you maybe take a few classes at a school to help in your areas of interest? (For example Accounting 101 if you feel you're not the best at bookkeeping). Something like that may cost you much much less & take much less of your time before going after a whole degree. If you end up working for someone who gives you $5k more a year because you have your MBA, is that worth the time and cost? What if they give you $50k more, worth it then? Go through that process of thinking why you want your MBA and I think you will make the best decision you can for yourself! Be intentional with your choices and you will go far. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
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