The Right Time to Pursue MBA

Candidates who wish to pursue MBA must do so for a variety of reasons. For a small percentage of this population, MBA would have been their goal ever since they completed their undergraduate course. These candidates would have been working to fill up the work experience section in the MBA admission. But most other candidates generally decide to take up an MBA because it will give them better career prospects and make them eligible for promotions.

Taking an MBA is a significant commitment that requires candidates to invest their time and resources. It is because of this factor, that candidates often take a long time to decide what the right time to do an MBA is. Ideally, candidates should consider the number of years of work experience required to enroll for an MBA and join the course as soon as they have met all eligibility requirements. But most of the time, candidates will join for the course only after they have reached certain financial stability to get them through this expensive course.

Factors for Considering an MBA

The right time to enroll for the course then varies according to different people and the situations they are in. But at the same time, there are factors that every candidate must look at while planning to enroll in the course.

New Professional Goal

Candidates who feel that their current position in the job sector has provided them with the maximum level of professional development they can achieve and want to climb up the career ladder, will do better if they take up an MBA. Remaining at the same level that can provide no growth tends to stagnate the potential of the candidate but most often the candidate will not be able to grow further even after switching jobs because of no growth in their qualifications.

This is also because undergraduate programs in the field of management do not offer candidates with a lot of career opportunities that have growth potential. For taking up jobs that require leadership skills and other specialization, it is ideal to complete a postgraduate course within the same field or move on to professional courses like MBA that can give a career boost and at the same time make use of the job skills the candidate has acquired as of now.

Advancing Career in Current Organization

Candidates who have been working in the same organization after their graduation will often reach their maximum growth level within the company within 2-3 years. At this point, candidates will most often start looking for better jobs that their work experience can get them or they will require further educational qualifications to bring them from the lowest ring of employment to managerial positions. Most candidates often realize that their educational credentials are not enough when new positions in the company open up and their credentials are not enough for them to be promoted.

At this juncture, candidates will have the option of doing a part-time MBA with the permission of the company they are working in so they can return with an upgraded resume and join better roles based on leadership. Candidates who wish to grow within the company will have to actively seek out new positions that are open where they feel they are bound to excel. They will then be able to specialize particularly in the field. Taking an MBA might be the easiest way to fill in the necessary role when working in a corporate industry.

Candidates who wish to do this will also have to look for the funding policies of the company to know whether they are eligible to receive employer funding for their higher studies. If this is the case, they will already have a means for financial aid before they consider their target schools.

Pursuing a New Career Path

Candidates who have studied the Sciences or Arts might eventually want to move on to managerial positions within the companies they are working in. If the candidate wishes to take up entrepreneur roles or wish to become part of the human resource team within companies, the best option they have is to take an MBA. This course is designed specifically for corporate careers and though it has been designed for candidates from the field of management, candidates from other fields will also be able to excel in the same as long as they do the extra work.

It is best if candidates who are changing fields become part of focus groups and create networks with people in the business field. The course helps them be an intern at different organizations thereby providing them with the necessary work experience before they have completed the course. It also helps them enhance the necessary skillsets required for any future job they may hold. The networking opportunities that the candidate will receive during the duration of the course will be the best place to start once the candidate has completed the course.

Losing Out in Interviews

Candidates who are looking for jobs with only an undergraduate degree will be surprised to see that the job requirement for decent job roles will always require an MBA. So, if a candidate has been losing out on jobs only because they lack the proper academic credentials, it might be time to consider taking an MBA. This often happens when candidates try to switch jobs when they feel their current job does not have any more growth potential. While switching jobs, even if the academic and work-related credentials are satisfactory for the position they have applied to, companies often look for candidates who have completed their post-graduation.

It will also be noticeable that candidates with a similar resume to the candidate with the exception of an MBA will be receiving the jobs they have applied to. Sometimes, the companies that are interviewing them will be upfront about it and tell them that they are not being selected because they do not have a post-graduation degree or an MBA. At this point, it would be ideal for candidates to do the MBA degree in order to get employed for a job role that suits their interests.

Target Job Positions Require an MBA

Often, candidates will not have to go as far in their quest for a job to realize that an MBA will provide them with better job opportunities. While looking for the best job roles that suit the candidate’s interests, if the requirement of an MBA keeps popping up, it is to be understood that the right time for doing an MBA is here. Most often, candidates will choose to look for jobs that are beneath the roles they prefer to work in meet the credentials required. But this will only lead to the candidate being stuck in work positions they do not enjoy or cannot grow in.

Job searching, then, is the best tool for candidates to realize when they must do an MBA. If more than one of the target jobs of the candidate requires an MBA for the top companies that are hiring, then it is time to join for the course so that the candidate can grow as a person and as an employee.

Work Experience Required for MBA

Candidates who were always sure of pursuing an MBA after their undergraduate degree will be surprised to know that the mandatory 5-6 years of work experience criteria are not so common anymore. Most often, business schools are even admitting candidates straight out of college whether or not they have work experience. Students often think you need significant business experience prior to starting an MBA program but in general, full-time programs are geared toward students with fewer years of experience compared to Executive Education programs.

But at the same time, having work experience always adds up to the resume of the candidate and can be a factor considered during admissions. The average number of years that a candidate has worked before enrolling for an MBA, is estimated to be 3 to 5 years which can be beneficial for candidates in the course. While the average begins at 3 years, it is quite possible for candidates to also be admitted if they have a minimum of 2 years of experience in the work field. The work they do is often not considered as the focus is not on the kinds of jobs candidates have worked in but on the skillsets that they have acquired while functioning within the job industry.