Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach
Furthering our education can often feel like the panacea for a difficult job search and continued career frustration. It is hard to avoid thinking that if we were to just get one more degree or focus on school for the next few years, instead of looking for work, perhaps all of our problems would be solved.
An MBA is often under consideration by job seekers trying to find their way in the business world. If you can gain admission to a top business school after undergraduate study and do fairly well academically, you are likely to be recruited out of business school and not have much difficulty in finding a position of interest. If you go to a mid level or lower ranked business school right after undergraduate study, you will be in a difficult position. After you graduate, you will have too much education for entry-level jobs but not enough experience for mid-level positions. Going to business school after you have gained over five years of experience, will allow you to leverage your work experience into greater opportunities internally at your current position, as well as externally at other organizations.
I often meet people who are currently working in the nonprofit sector or government administration and are considering the idea of entering graduate school for an MBA. I have suggested to them to take a look at an MPA degree: Masters in Public Administration This degree is more applicable to non profit or government work. To get a practical idea of what a masters degree can do for you, follow the steps below:
1) Go to indeed.com
2) Type in the masters degree symbols along with your geographic location
3) Examine the type of companies looking for candidates with this degree
4) Review the job description to determine what job experience is required in addition to the degree.
Through a thorough review of listed job vacancies, you will have a better idea of which (if any) masters degree is right for you.
About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com