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Originally Posted by FireGilbert
I am interested in everyone’s thoughts on the value of an MBA. I’ve thought about it as a way to help me climb the corporate ladder but don’t want to go back to school. Are there tangible benefits that could not be picked up from work experience or is the real benefit more from padding the resume and gaining connections?
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An MBA is pretty general degree but it does provide a fundamental basis to understanding the many challenges of running a large organization. The most important thing is it tells employers that you have the training and the understanding of all facets of operations that management may face. Personally speaking, I'm a firm believer in experience over book learning. I think that most people gain greater insight and understanding in doing more so than learning the theory behind something. It has been pointed out to me (by HR) the fault in this thinking is that experience is many times specific only to one organization and may not be transferable to another, so a fundamental understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of a field is needed, and proven through education and certification. The MBA provides this and gives you a foot up on the competition.
Think about what a hiring process looks like and the number of resumes that are received for each position posted. I can't speak to the Canadian market, but even in a hot market in the US, where there is a shortage of talent for many open positions, we still receive hundreds of applications for most positions. HR must do the initial filter and determine who is qualified for the position. Any advanced degree or high level certification will give you a leg up and help you float to the top of the pile. Education and certifications help differentiate candidates. You may be able to progress further if you're willing to stay in one company, where experience is directly related and transferable job-to-job, but if you're moving around an industry or changing industries it is never bad to have that degree in your back pocket to open the door.