Career advice plllleassssseee (credit, companies, interest, money)

[marcin1786]

Just togive some backround I got my ba in economics from uconn with a 3.2 gpa. I am trying to figure out what to do next in order to ensure I am able to make great money in the future.

Should I go get my MBA, go back and get a bs in accounting or continue to do this crappy financial counsler job for peanuts? Any suggestions?!?

Thanks!

[bale002]

Go back and get a BS in accounting, then work in the field.

In some states you may be able to qualify to take the CPA exam. But I believe the trend is a minimum number of graduate accounting credits. In any case, check the requirements of your target state (or states).

There have been two recent threads on this very issue, look them up and ...

Good Luck!

[chet everett]

A second BS is not a smart move, if you want to expand your education it probably makes a lot more sense to consider course work that would prepare you for (in order of closest to what you do) Securities dealers' licensing, CFP, CFA, CPA...

Beyond those sorts of things it might make sense to THINK about an MBA, but more importantly think of a PATH that might result in you having a better shot at providing TOP NOTCH skills/talent to employers OR toward being a independant business person /consultant. Learning things in school can help, but to really get there you need to have the kinds of experience that comes from the right employment setting...

If you think your current job is "crappy" it might be tempting to just quit -- that would be a HUGE mistake! Instead think about the PROCESS that you went through to get your current job. Something about it was "right" but obviously you need to "tune up" some parts to get a BETTER job. It would not hurt to spend some time looking at the Monster & Career Builder sites, but also TRY to develop some personal networking to find out about what things INSIDE other careers are really like.

Whether or not you decide to get an MBA building contacts with the kinds of people that have the kinds of jobs you'd like will pay off big time.

[GregW]

Somewhat sarcastically I suggest going back and getting a degree in Civil, Mechanical or Environmental engineering so you can learn to do something useful. Seriously I think there is going to be a tremendous demand in these fields as we rebuild our infrastructure and find alternative energy sources.

[marcin1786]

Thanks for the input! Those are all good ideas. I know going back and getting another bachelors would be smart, but its just hard convincing myself to do it after i already have one, esp in a completely different field like engineering.

Regarding my job, I definatly wouldn't quit and I have been keeping my eyes open to new opportunities, but as you can imagine times are tough these days. Esp in my area, fairfield county CT. I am just looking for the best possible career path to set me up with the best chance of success in the future.

[Oildog]

I'd keep your job in this market, maybe pursue a masters degree at night in something more tangible like accounting or finance.

[8 SNAKE]

Originally Posted by marcin1786

Just togive some backround I got my ba in economics from uconn with a 3.2 gpa. I am trying to figure out what to do next in order to ensure I am able to make great money in the future.

Should I go get my MBA, go back and get a bs in accounting or continue to do this crappy financial counsler job for peanuts? Any suggestions?!?

Thanks!

IMHO, you're going about this all wrong. Figure out a career that's interesting and mentally stimulating for YOU. You'll enjoy a lot more success and prosperity than ram-rodding yourself into a field that you think will offer great income.

[oleo]

Wait till you have a few years of hardcore work experience, then do the MBA.

Try to find a better job. Try to get on board with a large corporation.

Going back for a BS in Accounting is not a bad idea. It will definitely make you more competitive. Try to get above a 3.5 In some cases, you might just need to take like 8 more class to get your BS in Accounting. That's just one more year of school. While you do it, you could get an internship for more work experience.

A friend of mine got his BS in Accounting, graduated, then 6 months later went back and got his BS in Finance. He is extremely diverse now. I don't know a lot of people who have that kind of background. My cousin also double majored in Finance and Econ. I just did Finance, but I wished I had at least done a minor in Econ or Acct.

I ended up having to move about 150 miles away to find a good job. Look around some more.

Back to the MBA. Companies hate to see kids with BS and then MBA and really no work experience. A lot of them really think they know the $h!t and know everything. Some analyst say a lot of companies fail because they are loaded up with MBAs that don't have any real work experience. The classroom models don't translate into real life work experience, or few do.

Interesting topic though, I am in a similar situation.

[shibainu]

Originally Posted by oleo

Wait till you have a few years of hardcore work experience, then do the MBA.

Try to find a better job. Try to get on board with a large corporation.

Going back for a BS in Accounting is not a bad idea. It will definitely make you more competitive. Try to get above a 3.5 In some cases, you might just need to take like 8 more class to get your BS in Accounting. That's just one more year of school. While you do it, you could get an internship for more work experience.

A friend of mine got his BS in Accounting, graduated, then 6 months later went back and got his BS in Finance. He is extremely diverse now. I don't know a lot of people who have that kind of background. My cousin also double majored in Finance and Econ. I just did Finance, but I wished I had at least done a minor in Econ or Acct.

I ended up having to move about 150 miles away to find a good job. Look around some more.

Back to the MBA. Companies hate to see kids with BS and then MBA and really no work experience. A lot of them really think they know the $h!t and know everything. Some analyst say a lot of companies fail because they are loaded up with MBAs that don't have any real work experience. The classroom models don't translate into real life work experience, or few do.

Interesting topic though, I am in a similar situation.

There are not a lot of companies loaded up with MBA. That is what they want you to believe. Some of the best companies in America only have about 10 to 20% of their top management having thoses degrees. Most companies have less than 10%. Second, Most companies fail to realize some of those people that have little experience do have a wealth of knowledge and fail to respect their advice.
Supposly google is number 1 with 23%
#6 is bain and company which is 10.8%
25 Most Desirable MBA Employers - Bain & Company (6) - FORTUNE

[oleo]

Originally Posted by shibainu

There are not a lot of companies loaded up with MBA. That is what they want you to believe. Some of the best companies in America only have about 10 to 20% of their top management having thoses degrees. Most companies have less than 10%. Second, Most companies fail to realize some of those people that have little experience do have a wealth of knowledge and fail to respect their advice.
Supposly google is number 1 with 23%
#6 is bain and company which is 10.8%
25 Most Desirable MBA Employers - Bain & Company (6) - FORTUNE

I meant new employees. It seems next to every job I was applying for, for a finance job, it said MBA preferred.
Now, you pretty much have to have an MBA if you want to be competitive.

Unfortunately, all the wealth of knowledge is textbook knowledge and solutions for an ideal world. A lot of MBA holders are very arrogant and think they can just bust into a company and change everything. My dad works in HR at a very large corporation and tells me stories all the time. Then it goes back to the argument, " I tried working for a small organization, but they didn't have the money for all my great ideas. But, when I went to a large organization, they had the money, but would not listen to my ideas." I personally find it extremely rude and unprofessional for a new employee, MBA holder or not, to start talking about changing everything without even at least a few years of work experience. "I'm gunna shake things up in Washington!!!!" doesn't fly in the corporate world.

I'll be getting an MBA sometime in the future, probably a couple of years. Nothing can beat solid work experience, with someone taking on more responsibility and new roles. Some people with MBAs only see about a $2k annual increase in salary. However, in the market we are in right now, you gotta be competitive, unless you want rice and beans for dinner.