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Is a Part Time Program a good fit for a Career Changer?

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Is a Part Time Program a good fit for a Career Changer? Post Fri Apr 06, 2012 5:21 pm
Hello everyone!

I'm thinking about applying to part time MBA programs in the next few years. I want to change careers, but I am unsure which field I want to enter after graduation. So my thinking is that a part time program could be the answer.

Now, I know full time programs are usually best for career changers, but I'm afraid that 2 years and only 1 summer internship is not enough time for me to be sure of the career I want to enter. I have narrowed my interests down to 2-3 fields, but since I have not worked in either of them, I can't be sure which I would enjoy the most. So in terms of doing a part time program, I think that if I get a job (entry level-ish) in a new industry I can try it for a longer period of time to see if I enjoy it. And if after a year or so, I'm not fully invested into this new career, I can try to get a job with another company in a different field. All this would be going on during my 3 year part time MBA program. This way once I graduate, in theory, I will have had 3 or so great experiences in different fields vs only 1 summer internship. I would hate to invest time and money into a program only to be unhappy with my career afterwards.

I would love to hear what you all think. I'm sure there are many ways of looking at this, so please share your opinions!

Thank you!

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Jon@Admissionado MBA Admissions Consultant
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Post Mon Apr 09, 2012 2:04 am
Hmmmmm. I'm not sure that that makes sooo much sense... I mean you won't have the time to try out all three fully in either a part time or full time program. And if two years isn't enough to figure out what you want to do, that's a tough thing...

Now if you can get an entry level job in one of the fields that interests you BEFORE you apply to an MBA, and you want to delay your MBA by a year or two to gain that experience GREAT!

But I don;t see any way that a part time program could be better for a career changer. A part time program is usually ideal for those in one industry who want to stay in that industry and continue developing linearly, whereas you seem to be seeking something else.

And... there's a LOT more than just figuring out your career to get out of a two years program! Gotta take the leap sometime Smile

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Post Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:53 pm
In addition - before you start any program 2yr, 1yr, part-time, you'll want to know where you want to be afterwards. One thing school's vet for in the app process is "Is this person able ot get a job post graduation?" Yes, even PT programs vet for this, so you'll want to make sure you position yourself best for a PT program if that's the route you inevitably want to take.

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