Is getting an MBA worth it?

Question

You don't need an MBA to be a successful entrepreneur (see: Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and I'm sure a ton of others who are less famous). What the MBA will provide you with is a thorough grounding in all aspects of business beyond your existing marketing skills (finance, operations, accounting), which you will need to put together a compelling business plan to secure financing for your business, not to mention to run your business. Also, it will allow you to tap into a network of other successful entrepreneurs and supporters of entrepreneurs (such as VCs) that will help support you as you launch your business.

refurb · Answer

I can only comment on my own person journey.

I think the MBA was worth it's weight in gold. The $100K in tuition was a STEAL.

However, I have a very specific background and future goals. I was on the R&D side and moved to the commercial side. I moved from a job with diminishing future prospects to an area with huge opportunities.
RF

The best I can offer is to do your homework. Talk to people who have done what you want to do and ask the right questions.

RF

vequis · Answer

Agreed. There's no better place to launch a new business than b-school (professors can advise, students help and provide sound feedback, alum help with industry and investment introductions, etc.).

n03 · Answer

refurb,

What industry were you doing R&D in? Just curious. I'm in life sciences, trying to move to the commercial side as well.

PinkFlyd00 · Answer

I agree. I don't feel it is completely necessary to get an MBA. It is definitely helpful if you want to apply for certain jobs and get more pay. But it is not necessary.

dzodzo85 · Answer

I definitely believe that obtaining an MBA is worth it. An MBA can help you add value to yourself to be more marketable in the job market, and also the classes offered for it can also stimulate one intellectually. In addition you can also gain some knowledge in various aspects of business, especially some possible new ways of running our business if you are an entrepreneur or a manager of a department in an organisation. Also, you can also meet other professionals, who will be part of your personal network,and this could be very beneficial in the future.

Although an MBA may be expensive to pursue, I personally believe that the benefits outweigh the demerits.

Although an MBA may be expensive to pursue, I personally believe that the benefits outweigh the demerits.

AN225 · Answer

For MBA is a chance to get out of a very closed, narrow and shrinking industry into something wider and healthier. I am not after Mc/IB/PE or whatever other 'sexy' mba jobs, no! Just back to open-field industry jobs.

refurb · Answer

Pharmaceuticals.

RF

vwjetty · Answer

not to sound like an ass, but you think pharmaceuticals is diminishing future prospect?!

damn, i'd like to know what you're doing these days with your MBA then!

OldBrit · Answer

If not yet, then pharmaceuticals could be a diminishing future prospect. The big companies' product pipelines aren't brimming with new potential drugs. It's getting tougher to find new drugs. Meanwhile, the patents are expiring on many companies' existing drugs.

For now, however, I believe the pharma industry still pays excellent salaries ...

For now, however, I believe the pharma industry still pays excellent salaries ...

healthcareguy · Answer

I'm in the pharma industry as well and looking to move from R&D to strategy. I think what RF was referring to was his perception of diminishing prospects in the R&D side of Pharma and I partly agree with that. A lot of big companies are now either outsourcing R&D to Asia or to universities and contract research organizations within the States. I have seen this first-hand and this is one reason I'm changing courses.

The Pharma industry as a whole does have a healthy future (pun intended!) IMHO, especially with Obamacare in the horizon. While it may be getting harder and harder to discover those blockbuster $1B+ drugs, there are untold number of under-served disease conditions still out there. Besides, the generics industry is exploding as someone else mentioned.

acharyabbs · Answer

this is not like MBA is not useful yes its useful but u need to make a strong career in MBA to make it successful..

Is getting an MBA worth it?

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