MBA in SD (San Diego: sales, school, salary)

[earlyretirement]

Ultimately you have to look at the big picture. When an employer goes to hire an employee the big question is, "what does this person have to bring to the table"???

The reality is for many people, just because you have an MBA degree doesn't mean you bring anything more to the table vs. someone that doesn't have one.

That's the thing you always have to keep in mind. Look at it more from the employers view and standpoint.

Any time I have gone to hire someone, that's the first thing I look for. Ultimately it comes down to what they bring to the table, what they have achieved in the past and what are they likely to achieve for me and my company in the future.

There have been many cases where the MBA degree really did no good and it would have been better suited for them to have gotten real life work experience in their field but most likely couldn't find a job so they decided to go back to school. (i.e. time filler on their resume).

[shmoov_groovzsd]

^^ Precisely. This is why I wondering what the real risk/reward was in spending time and money going to school again if he already has experience.

IMHO, based on the replies it does sound more and more like an alternative in not being able to land a job, considering the level of experience he already had. This is regardless of the spin in saying the MBA will give him more leverage or better starting point to move from. I think you are giving the MBA too much credit, not that its not worth something.

At this point I would say work for a company that is willing to pay for some of the education at a Cornell or Columbia in NYC or another financial career city to make the MBA worthwhile (how about UCLA?). Or take the risk in moving here, getting the UCSD MBA and work in a small market hoping to build some local connections to maybe land a job through internships. It sounds like a step in the wrong direction, but its an option if you are dead set on moving.

I think most of us posting here that do live in San Diego NOW or did at some point, have the insight and experience to say they did in fact cut their teeth elsewhere before moving here.

[earlyretirement]

LMP8525,

Also, has your husband tried contacting various companies that he might have an interest in the field he is going in (sustainability) and offering to do a totally free non-paid internship at their company? If his background is impressive they might accept. He probably would get more insight into the industry and experience doing that vs. getting an MBA program and racking up debt.

Back when I had an office abroad, I'd get requests like that to work for my company. I even had people with MBA degrees from Harvard offering to work totally FREE and un-paid internships for up to 1 year just to get experience as they correctly figured that it would be valuable.

I'm not sure if you tried that approach but it might be worth it because it will kill two birds with one stone as he can get valuable experience, make good contacts within the industry and also he can establish residency so if he decides he still wants to pursue an MBA degree he could. Just something to think about if you haven't thought about that already.

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by earlyretirement

LMP8525,

Also, has your husband tried contacting various companies that he might have an interest in the field he is going in (sustainability) and offering to do a totally free non-paid internship at their company? If his background is impressive they might accept. He probably would get more insight into the industry and experience doing that vs. getting an MBA program and racking up debt.

Back when I had an office abroad, I'd get requests like that to work for my company. I even had people with MBA degrees from Harvard offering to work totally FREE and un-paid internships for up to 1 year just to get experience as they correctly figured that it would be valuable.

I'm not sure if you tried that approach but it might be worth it because it will kill two birds with one stone as he can get valuable experience, make good contacts within the industry and also he can establish residency so if he decides he still wants to pursue an MBA degree he could. Just something to think about if you haven't thought about that already.

This is what I don't understand though. If he's a recent grad, that makes sense, but from what the OP said, an MBA for him is just another bullet point on a resume. If he already has the finance background, worked for some big consulting firm doing finance/accounting/banking and so on, what is he actually trying to move into? Intern as something he's already done for the past X number of years? That makes no sense. If he just wants to become a manager, you don't really 'intern' and become one after a year.

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by Pedro2000

This is what I don't understand though. If he's a recent grad, that makes sense, but from what the OP said, an MBA for him is just another bullet point on a resume. If he already has the finance background, worked for some big consulting firm doing finance/accounting/banking and so on, what is he actually trying to move into? Intern as something he's already done for the past X number of years? That makes no sense. If he just wants to become a manager, you don't really 'intern' and become one after a year.

I can't speak for the OP but it doesn't sound like he specifically wants to do anything related to his previous finance/banking industry career. What I suggested he would be interning for a company related to the sustainability sector, which would be totally new to him and something that he wouldn't have had exposure to before.

Much like the people that already had some business experience and MBA degrees offering to work free for my company. They already had business experience but not international business experience or in the various sectors or industries I was in. And they wanted to get experience in that specific sector and make contacts. NO MBA school would be a substitute for some of that hard and actual work experience sometimes.

I can't speak for the OP but it does sounds like she is aware of the possible pitfalls and struggles as well.

[NYSD1995]

I think if you just needed management skills, a job at Forever 21 may be better than an MBA for learning them. And generally speaking people who manage consulting firms are consultants first, management second, I'm not really sure how well an MBA fits in that world but to me they are more for corporate finance people who need to show lots of creds. Rady MBA seems mostly geared towards engineers who want to move into management.

I think the right entrepreneurial job would be a much better year spent than racking up debt at school, and since you have the transfer, maybe he needs to start trying to line something up now, and when you find the right job, you make the move. It's either sweeping floors at the company he wants to work for or finding the right lateral move (I.e finance jack of all trades for a small consulting firm)

I'm biased, I can handle any meeting with a fussy major client and not bat an eyelash, but I have nightmares about being in college again!

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I think if you just needed management skills, a job at Forever 21 may be better than an MBA for learning them. And generally speaking people who manage consulting firms are consultants first, management second, I'm not really sure how well an MBA fits in that world but to me they are more for corporate finance people who need to show lots of creds. Rady MBA seems mostly geared towards engineers who want to move into management.

I think the right entrepreneurial job would be a much better year spent than racking up debt at school, and since you have the transfer, maybe he needs to start trying to line something up now, and when you find the right job, you make the move. It's either sweeping floors at the company he wants to work for or finding the right lateral move (I.e finance jack of all trades for a small consulting firm)

I'm biased, I can handle any meeting with a fussy major client and not bat an eyelash, but I have nightmares about being in college again!

I would say more than half the people at big consulting firms went to the Kellogs, Colombia, Harvards, etc.
Management Strategy Consulting is a huge selling point for a lot of business MBA. Networking. Good contacts. Corporate world experience. When it comes to the MBA being worth it, a lot of kids try to get into wall street, hedge funds, finance, and IB or they wind up doing the management consulting route and work their way up the ladder to either become a partner, director or become a huge VP at some other company.

Many people who work at the big consulting firms wind up leaving and become VPs of other companies. That's just the way it works because of the networking and experience.

So the fact he was already in this world, means an MBA isn't going to change his career path. It sort of keeps him in line to do the same things. And International vs North American or whatever might be different, but if he's doing the same job, it's not really changing careers. Just doing something a little different in the same career.

From my perspective, I don't get how getting an MBA if you already were in the finance and consulting worlds is going to change your career. He might not be in that work 100 hours all the time world, but instead of working up to be a director at some huge firm, you become a manager at a forever 21? I don't see how that's changing careers.

If he went to UCSD to get a grad degree in biology or wanted to get a PhD eventually because he wanted to become a professor, thats changing careers. Moving from one corporate environment to another, just sounds more like can't find job, lets go get an MBA.

[earlyretirement]

Pedro and Sassberto make great points.

I read this online a few months ago and agree with the premise of the article.

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/...rience-instead

I'm sure you can find "pro MBA" articles out there as well. And again, it's not just cons against MBAs. I think it depends on each person's situation.

I do think that it can help more in some cities vs. others. And some jobs have a requirement for an MBA level. Several of my friends landed jobs (outside of San Diego) and a prerequisite was an MBA degree. So in some cases it makes sense but many employers these days will accept 10-15 years experience in lieu of an MBA.

And ultimately the person they choose it's not just like having just an MBA will land them the job. It's all about what they bring to the table.

[mksd23]

There's a lot of bad advice clearly from non-MBA holders.

I finished the UCSD Rady full time program in 2012 and it clearly helped me get a leg up in the job market - before MBA and after MBA for me was no comparison. My value increased immensely, and my tax returns can back that up. But you have to make the most of the program when you are there -- the networking opportunities, the educational opportunities, etc.

Anyone here talking about how the MBA on the resume as being worthless or of little value unless a top-10 school is off-target. It helps (to land a position you actually want) immensely to immerse yourself in the network associated with the school. It may be expensive, and you may still have to float 30-40k of debt to finance the rest of the program, but you'll see quickly that it should pay off in this local setting. Maybe a 2-3yr cash on cash payoff if you consider the opportunity costs (assuming he could find a job quickly).

Of course, no guarantees -- if you are an unlikable person who doesn't make the most of the opportunities when you are there .... well that's like anything in life, right?

[mksd23]

Oh and by the way-- there are a lot of opportunities at Rady to reduce tuition through TA'ing starting as early as third quarter of the 1st yr. As well, teaching is a great way to hone your skills. He could probably cut his debt obligations in half there alone..