What An MBA Can Do For You

Filed in archive Choosing a Degree , Online MBA Facts on June 10, 2010

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Being able to add a line in your resume about having an MBA is good. But it's not always going to be the magic ticket you thought it was going to be as you look for a job. You have to know exactly how to use that degree to your advantage so that potential employers are really impressed when you get the interview.

Here's how having an MBA can help you.

During tough economic times, an MBA can get you hired

Keep in mind that all other things being equal, the candidate with the MBA will always win over the one with a bachelor's degree. In a recession, the job market is going to be in favor of employers. They will have a larger applicant pool to choose from. The graduate degree may just give the extra advantage you will need to get the job.

An MBA may get you there faster

An MBA is like a ticket on an express train. You can still get to where you want to be with a bachelor's degree, but the MBA will save you plenty of time in reaching your goal. Employees with MBAs often get to manage larger teams, are assigned to run meetings, have greater opportunities to deal with clients (and therefore more chances to find better jobs), are given more decision-making power, and have the better projects.

In some jobs an MBA is required

A lot of companies now include the phrase "MBA required" when they post job ads. Even if they don't, managers often look for those three letters in their applicants' resumes. Job seekers who don't have an MBA are often simply ignored. Among different fields that usually demand an MBA are consumer brand management, corporate finance, investment and commercial banking, production and operations management, marketing new products, and management consulting.

An MBA can complete your education

Not all employees are business graduates. An MBA allows these people to bridge gaps between technical knowledge they may have gained from their undergrad studies with a complete understanding of how businesses should be run. It also shows commitment to supervisors that an employee is willing to exert more effort to get the job done.

For sure, going for an MBA will cost you money and time. But it just may be what you need to get the job you have been dreaming of.