Reviewing Forté schools’ blogs is a great way to learn more about their programs and admissions policies. Below is an example of a blog post from Soojin Kwon Koh, the Director of Admissions at the Ross School of Business at Michigan. You can access the Ross Admissions Blog at http://rossblogs.typepad.com/admissions/.
We encourage you to log on to the blogs at all the Forté schools that interest you. Happy blogging!
Why Get an MBA? Part 1.
Many of you may be thinking about getting an MBA but questioning whether this is the right time to do it given the state of the economy. You may be wondering whether you will be able to get a job after graduation. Others may be wondering whether an MBA is the right degree for you; the career path seems less clear than that of an M.D. or J.D. – “What will I do after an MBA?”
I want to provide some food for thought as you grapple with these questions in the coming months or years. No one can accurately predict what the economy will look like in two years. If such predictions could be made, the global economy wouldn’t be where it is today. So in a world where the future is uncertain, you have a choice – you can make a commitment to develop your skills and position yourself to pursue a variety of options, or, you can stay on the path you’re on now and hope that that path will still be valued in two years, continues to provide fulfillment (assuming that it does now), and provides enough development opportunities to enable you to take another path, should that be necessary.
The value of an MBA, particularly one from a top general management school, is that it will equip you with skills that are applicable and valuable to all sectors and industries. It’s not just the private sector that needs people who know how to manage and lead teams, analyze and solve problems, develop growth or survival strategies, and manage resources. From start-ups to nonprofits to the government – all of those sectors need people with these kinds of skills. The same holds true from an industry standpoint as well. From healthcare to education to international development – all industries have a need for people who can think through challenges, identify opportunities, and lead an organization. That’s what an MBA can teach you to do.
I’ll admit it. When I was in college, I was one of those people who thought an MBA was just about working on Wall Street. My interests leaned more towards public policy and corporate social responsibility. So I pursued a Master in Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government. After nearly five exciting years working on Federal budget and policy issues in both in the Executive branch and on Capitol Hill, I was ready for a career change and to learn how other industries worked. That’s when I began exploring an MBA and learned how career-broadening and opportunity-rich an MBA could be. (Of course, if I had known then what I know now, I likely would’ve pursued a dual degree [MPP/MBA] and saved myself an extra year.) My post-MBA career has included management consulting in the consumer business industry to the Director of Admissions at Ross.
The thing I want you to take away from this is that an MBA can make it possible for you to pursue a variety of career paths. And whether the economy is up or down, that kind of flexibility and transferability will always be valuable.
Soojin Kwon Koh, Director of Admissions, Ross School of Business at Michigan
No comments:
Post a Comment