| I am a firm believer that education is very important. If | | | | industry existed. |
| not, there would be no reason to write this article. | | | | I am only 29 now, however as my career has |
| Though, I must tell you that having a MBA, contrary to | | | | progressed, I have come to find myself and decipher |
| popular belief, when it comes to compensation, does | | | | what and what does not interest me. I would have |
| not matter as much as one would think. Actually, a | | | | majored in accounting or finance and I'm so glad I did |
| very, very good grade point average will do the trick | | | | not. In all sincerity, I'm also glad because I make more |
| every time. This is regardless of what school you | | | | money than a lot of accountants. Not all, but many. |
| graduated from. | | | | There is no experience like a real-life career. You need |
| I run a firm which is an executive level recruitment | | | | it. There are a few reasons as to why I feel strongly |
| agency specializing in sales and marketing placements. | | | | about this: |
| All the jobs which we are working on begin at around | | | | 1. MBAs are expensive and I can promise you that |
| $80,000 (minimum base salary). We jobs in every | | | | they don't always provide an immediate ROI. Too |
| industry from sales at a hedge fund to doing marketing | | | | many students think that they can only make money if |
| for a hair care company. In the five years I have been | | | | they have a MBA. Not true. Just like anything in your |
| doing this, not one single employer requires a MBA. | | | | career, it is only true if you make it true. |
| Some, like the hedge funds, want a GPA of 3.6 or | | | | 2. Again, I have not had one client in the five years |
| higher, but no MBA required. | | | | which I've been doing this who has required a MBA. |
| Personally, I know two Harvard MBAs, one UC | | | | These are all requisites for jobs paying 6 figures. |
| Berkeley, one UPenn and one Cornell MBA who are | | | | 3. A MBA does not determine success. You determine |
| having trouble getting jobs. Are these people indicative | | | | your own success, not a piece of paper. |
| of the entire crowd? No, they are not. However, they | | | | 4. For the time being, the education that you have is |
| all had two things in common: they are very smart and | | | | more than good. I find people jobs for a living, please |
| they went to get their MBA right after college. If you're | | | | trust me on this one. |
| thinking you can hide behind a MBA your entire career, | | | | 5. For most people reading this article, I can tell you that |
| well please don't, you will be really, really disappointed. | | | | you don't know what your passion is yet. I didn't mind |
| I have a close family member whom I will not mention | | | | mine until about a year ago and I'm 29. Getting a MBA |
| who never went to get his MBA and is one of the | | | | before you're 100% passionate about something is like |
| more influential and famous hedge fund managers | | | | buying a Ferrari (may cost less than a MBA) without |
| who currently exist. | | | | having a driver's license. |
| A MBA is sort of like a one shot, one kill type of | | | | 6. If you go get a MBA and find out you don't like the |
| situation. You have to do it correctly. For instance, | | | | subjects you are studying, your grades are going to |
| when I graduated college, I had no idea what I wanted | | | | suffer which lowers the ROI you will see from the |
| to do and I am very thankful that I did not get my | | | | degree. |
| MBA. Trust me, I thought about it. The main reason is | | | | 7. When you get to the executive level, almost all |
| that I still can get it. If you were to tell me that I would | | | | resumes have the applicant's education at the bottom. |
| own a recruiting firm while I was in college, I would not | | | | See the connection? |
| have believed it. This is because I didn't know the | | | | |