(Editor’s Note: This post is written by Michelle “Shelly” Gorman, Director of Career Management here at MBA@UNC. She has spent the last ten years working with a leading global career management consulting firm, serving as an Assistant Dean for a top School of Business and assisting over 10,000 individuals in their career management. She graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelors degree and completed her MBA at the University of Tennessee. Michele’s expertise lies in executive coaching, talent development, transition program management for large corporations and individual development. )
Making the decision to get your MBA is not one that should be taken lightly. It’s best made after thoughtful analysis of your current career as well as your future goals, and researching which MBA programs might be the best match for you.
After going through the process to develop a strategic vision of your career path, you may find that enhancing your broad experiences with an MBA education is an important key to securing professional success in the global business landscape.
As you calculate the potential long-term ROI of earning an MBA, you could include higher salaries, promotions and professional networks in the development equation. While there are numerous ways that an MBA can have an impact on your career, here are some of the top benefits.
Career growth: Most people don’t spend enough time proactively managing their careers, evaluating personal drivers and assessing opportunities for growth that can have a real impact on career trajectory. The right MBA will teach you to look at the “career sweet spot” for you, the strategic integration of your passions, expertise and personal drivers juxtaposed against the current global market conditions. If you’re feeling stagnant in your career growth, getting an MBA can help you successfully navigate and leverage your next career step.
Enhanced Networking Opportunities: Earning an MBA at a top business school means that you will be part of a global group of developing business leaders, and you should look for a school that offers an environment that fosters teamwork and networking. From day one, MBA students have multiple opportunities to network with global business leaders in a variety of ways, including case studies, group projects, alumni channels, industry career advisors, expert panels, speaker series and company information sessions. Being part of these programs enables you to create sustainable relationships that are key to your future career success.
Broadened Expertise: An MBA gives you the ability to effectively analyze problems, think strategically and build strong global organizations. For aspiring leaders with strong technical expertise, an MBA education is a great way to round out your technical skills with broader expertise and management skills that can propel you to the next step in your career.
Leadership Skills Enrichment: In the right MBA program, you will deepen and broaden your leadership skills in a safe and experiential manner. The practical approach to learning leadership through multiple channels and continually honing those skills using different methodologies maximizes the impact. This practice and rigor shapes leaders who drive results in the workplace and have increased career success.
