Having a high education level can open doors to higher-paying careers and other great occupational opportunities. One great higher-education degree is an MBA (Master’s of Business Administration). Keep reading to learn why having an MBA can help you in the hiring process, on the job, and how to get an MBA in the first place.
How to Get an MBA
Getting an MBA is similar to getting any other type of college degree. This gives two general ways to earn it– by attending classes at a brick-and-mortar university or college or by taking online classes. No matter whether you want to attend a physical or online school, it’s best to do some research on the schools before applying. Make sure you find a school that fits all your needs– and your budget.
If you are unsure if a certain college or university has an online MBA program or not, the easiest way to find out is to simply run a search result for it. For example, if you were interested in attending the USC Marshall School of Business, you could Google something like USC online MBA to find out if they have an online program or not (they do).
Read on:
Once you find a school or schools that you want, the next step is to apply to attend the school. To get an MBA, you will already need to have earned a bachelor’s degree. Depending on the school, you may need to provide a portfolio, showing some of your best work.
When you are accepted, it’s time to take classes. Depending on the school, it takes two years, on average, to earn an MBA. This can be sped up by taking summer classes. Online schools are usually more flexible than physical schools when it comes to scheduling classes as well. This can change the speed at which you can graduate.
Additionally, some colleges and universities also allow their students to have a “concentration” to their degree. These concentrations can be in a variety of business-related fields, including analytics, marketing, and even real-estate. Having a concentration can make a person more employable later on.
How It Can Help in the Hiring Process
According to Monster (the job hiring platform), companies looking for professionals tend to prefer hiring people who have earned an MBA over people who have not. In part, this is because earning an MBA, on top of a bachelor’s degree, shows a high level of both determination and dedication.
Critical thinking is one of the most valued skills in business-oriented workplaces. While there are no MBA courses in critical thinking, employers know that anyone who has what it takes to complete an MBA course has what it takes to succeed in the workplace.
How It Can Help on the Job
Once hired, employees need to rely on their skills to keep their jobs, earn promotions, and raises. Earning an MBA helps employees to learn new skills that can help them on the job. These skills can often translate well from one area of business to another. Some new skills an employee might learn from an MBA program include communication, accounting, and IT skills. All of these skills are extremely valuable in nearly any type of workplace.
People who have earned an MBA also have higher job security than someone who does not. After all, it’s much easier to replace an entry-level employee with only a high school diploma than it is to replace a business school graduate who also most likely has additional job experience in the business field.
So, whether you already have an MBA and are looking for a new employer or if you are just thinking about earning an MBA, hopefully, this article has provided some insight for you on how to get an MBA, how an MBA can help you to earn a new job, and how having an MBA can help you to keep a job once you earn one. Good luck!
