Is MBA Worth It? Should I do MBA? Who Should Do MBA? Dew Drops, Ravichander Rao
Is it necessary to get an MBA degree to get to the position of CEO? I believe this question summarizes what I have been trying to answer to figure out. Every time I consider the MBA option, I search for answers to very fundamental questions - what specialization, can't it be learnt or acquired, is management about a degree, what traits are required, and what do I expect my life to be after MBA? Additionally, considering the expenses, motivation and time that will be required to get the degree, the task is daunting, and I am convinced that the timing has to be right.
First things first - why I need MBA and what do I want it to do for me. I have tried to answer these for myself by talking to a few trusted people, reading books, searching Internet, and some by pondering over the daily experiences, but haven't been able to convince myself to commit to MBA.
First of all the cost associated with the degree is humongous. The first 5 years will be spent on breaking-even and the next 5 years will be spent on making up for the lost savings. Does this mean more work and more stress, and less time for oneself till one break-evens? This is the most draining thought.
To figure out if this knowledge can be acquired by reading, I have tried to search the available literature and landed on something called as a personal MBA. This is school of thought suggests skills and knowledge acquired in MBA programs can also be acquired by reading books from certain categories. More details could be found here http://personalmba.com/manifesto/
But the best advices and thoughts as usual come from people who are there where you aspire to be and they have done it themselves without that degree. I have been lucky to encounter such people. Their advice is very practical - MBA is probably the last resort, there is nothing to do after MBA, so do it when it is absolutely must. And, before MBA should happen one must understand that getting into management requires personality overhauling. One must learn to lead, articulate thoughts, face and work with the conflicts, find opportunities that enhances business prospects, etc.
The more I ponder over this, the more I feel - it has to wait for a while...If I am able to do all of these without going to the MBA program, then why need an MBA degree?
My after thoughts having an MBA degree are here: http://ravijrao.blogspot.sg/2012/07/is-mba-necessary-post-mba-thoughts.html
Is it necessary to get an MBA degree to get to the position of CEO? I believe this question summarizes what I have been trying to answer to figure out. Every time I consider the MBA option, I search for answers to very fundamental questions - what specialization, can't it be learnt or acquired, is management about a degree, what traits are required, and what do I expect my life to be after MBA? Additionally, considering the expenses, motivation and time that will be required to get the degree, the task is daunting, and I am convinced that the timing has to be right.
First things first - why I need MBA and what do I want it to do for me. I have tried to answer these for myself by talking to a few trusted people, reading books, searching Internet, and some by pondering over the daily experiences, but haven't been able to convince myself to commit to MBA.
First of all the cost associated with the degree is humongous. The first 5 years will be spent on breaking-even and the next 5 years will be spent on making up for the lost savings. Does this mean more work and more stress, and less time for oneself till one break-evens? This is the most draining thought.
To figure out if this knowledge can be acquired by reading, I have tried to search the available literature and landed on something called as a personal MBA. This is school of thought suggests skills and knowledge acquired in MBA programs can also be acquired by reading books from certain categories. More details could be found here http://personalmba.com/manifesto/
But the best advices and thoughts as usual come from people who are there where you aspire to be and they have done it themselves without that degree. I have been lucky to encounter such people. Their advice is very practical - MBA is probably the last resort, there is nothing to do after MBA, so do it when it is absolutely must. And, before MBA should happen one must understand that getting into management requires personality overhauling. One must learn to lead, articulate thoughts, face and work with the conflicts, find opportunities that enhances business prospects, etc.
The more I ponder over this, the more I feel - it has to wait for a while...If I am able to do all of these without going to the MBA program, then why need an MBA degree?
My after thoughts having an MBA degree are here: http://ravijrao.blogspot.sg/2012/07/is-mba-necessary-post-mba-thoughts.html
2 comments:
Ravichander - glad you came across the PMBA!
If you're interested in becoming a CEO, the fastest way to get there is to start your own business. You'll learn what's important very quickly, and instead of spending a few years accumulating debt, you'll be spending your time and energy building an asset for yourself and learning at the same time. Food for thought...
Josh,
Thank you for the advice. Your website has been really helpful and it has been good source of information for me.
I agree there is nothing better than starting on your own and learning the things as they come one's way. Thing that is stopping me are the two crucial ingredients - one idea and lot of guts.
Ravi
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