The decision to get a MBA is a big one. Often times it pays off big time. In other cases, it is meaningless. What does this mean to you and when is the time to dive in and make the change?
A Short But Crazy Checklist
The place to start when thinking about this degree is an exercise in thought. It starts as a checklist and ends in a myriad of new thoughts and ideas. Where does this checklist begin? Try this, what made you consider getting the degree?
This is not saying that serious thought is being given to the degree, simply that something put you on the internet looking at this article. Very few people just fall into a website that is talking about college degrees. What was that initial thought that got you started? It could have been a missed promotion at work, a friend from school that is getting ahead quicker than you or perhaps simply that desire to learn more or the need for a little more respect.
That first thought is the place to begin when asking yourself is it worth it to get the next level degree. If you are getting passed by time and time again at the office, it may be a degree or it may be something else. Do those that are getting promoted even have their own MBA or are they simply better at playing the office game than you?
As time passes, friends and colleagues from high school and college may be taking a fast track through life while you seem to linger in place. Will a degree change this? Family members and others you know are following the path they choose and you need to figure out what is right for you. A very intelligent man once said to find what you enjoy doing and then make money with that trade or skill.
Make sure before deciding another four years of your life that you are going in the direction you desire. Education should improve and enhance your life, whether it is in knowledge or in the workplace. An MBA is a rounded degree and you find that you want to specialize in something and follow that path. A bachelor's degree is a good foundation for many degrees, including the MBA.
Final Thoughts?
The idea of this article is to create more questions than answers. The purpose being that a four year commitment is something that is personal. If an MBA will enhance your life in some significant way, then it is a great choice. That enhancement can be financial, career or even the pursuit of knowledge. If you find that you are committing to school just to compare differently with your peers or to chase the office dream that can be gotten a different way, then you will likely find that the passion is not there to follow through the entire four years. Think carefully. Education is not a tool to look good, it is knowledge for knowledge's sake.
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