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GMAT Club

Executives Weigh in on the Value of an MBA

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value of the MBAAre you thinking about pursuing an MBA for career advancement, personal development, or a career switch? While the degree can be a transformational experience changing everything about your life, it’s more typically a tool to polish existing skills, build your network or expose you to new industries.

Now then, what b-school hopeful doesn’t love to hear advice from those who have walked the MBA path before them? In case you need more convincing, US News and World Report, for which I write a bi-weekly post on the MBA admissions process, recently published a great story with tips for prospective applicants delivered straight from executives who also possess the degree.

Here are some key excerpts of their advice:

Les Williams, Chief revenue officer at Risk Cooperative, an insurance brokerage firm: “[business school] gives you a really big network so whatever you are interested in down the road, it will take you there,” Williams says, adding that the network he developed at Harvard Business School has helped him get jobs and clients.

Dave Wright,  Managing director in the private banking and investment group at Merrill Lynch: Although MBA degrees are an expensive investment, Wright is “a huge proponent” of the degree, he says. “It broadens your skill set and and surrounds you with like-minded people who will push you further and higher, but it definitely requires some sacrifice.”

Peter Faricy, Vice president of Amazon Marketplace, an e-commerce platform owned by Amazon: Aspiring executives ought to get an MBA, Faricy says. “If you enjoy business roles and you want to do this for the long haul, I put the MBA in the no-brainer category.”

Nicole Sahin, CEO of Globalization Partners, an employment services firm: Sahin urges prospective MBA students to get significant work experience before starting an MBA program so they can use the wisdom that comes from work to thrive in their courses.

As we’ve witnessed many times, business school enables students to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities that can help organizations launch new products, improve the lives of consumers, and help society as a whole.

To read more about the featured executives, where they studied, and their own takeaways from the MBA experience, please click over to the original article on U.S. News.

You may also be interested in:

Why Do You Want to Go to B-School?
GMAC Survey Predicts Robust Job Market for MBA Grads

Image credit: Flickr user Penn State (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) 

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.