Does an Early Career MBA Make Sense for You?
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Anthony is a test prep and admissions expert in Orange County, CA. Click here to read more articles from The Princeton Review and to learn more about The Princeton Review's GMAT services. |
First, let’s define an Early Career MBA program. Unlike traditional and executive MBA programs, Early Career MBA programs are designed for students with zero to three years of professional work experience (most MBA programs expect applicants to have spent more time in the workforce). Students are typically recent college graduates. The curriculum, hands-on applications and career services are geared to help students accelerate their careers and re-enter the workforce with a more competitive skill set.
These schools do not focus on the number of years you’ve worked, but are much more interested in the substance of your experience. If you have limited experience in terms of your career, then you may demonstrate your accomplishments in other ways, such as through informal leadership or in extracurricular activities during college.
On a side note, there are many business schools that welcome applicants directly from undergraduate school who are motivated and exhibit strong leadership and managerial potential.
Too much? Too little? Or just right?
The average full-time MBA student has between 3 and 5 years of professional work experience. Some people think that it’s too much as they argue that a shift to greater use of early career admissions would benefit both students and business schools. For business schools this surely would give them a more diverse and energetic body of students.
But the question you should ask yourself is not “Could I get in with my current level of experience?” but more along the lines of, “Is this the best time for me to invest 2 years of my life in an MBA education?”
The bottom line on business school timing is that you should go for your degree when the timing is right for you. Your MBA education is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your life. You want to maximize the return you will realize from it.
What are the key benefits of an Early Career MBA program?
Completing an MBA early in your career can make sense. Early career MBA graduates enjoy higher starting salaries than those with just a BA.
- More years to reap the financial and professional benefits of your MBA, the return on investment can be the greatest early in your career.
- You won’t have to readjust to an academic environment.
- You’ll probably have more energy.
- More convenient point in your life, without having to make the financial and family sacrifices needed to return to school in your late 20′s or 30′s.
- You’ll line yourself up for job opportunities that you probably could not expect without the MBA.
- Fewer family obligations than you might have in even a few years’ time.
With an Early Career MBA you can:
- Build your resume through projects and internships with real companies while you complete your MBA degree.
- Get the in-depth knowledge and cross-functional understanding of management needed to succeed in a professional position.
- Develop the behaviors and skills, such as communication and leadership, that employers seek.
- Gain the help of tailored career services to identify your professional career goals and support your job search.
What should you look for when selecting an Early Career MBA program?
Keep in mind that many schools admit recent college graduates into their traditional MBA programs, but a true Early Career MBA is specifically designed to meet the needs of students who are seeking their first professional position or career change early in their career.
Some questions to consider about your prospective program:
- Does it provide experiential hands-on learning, projects and/or internships?
- Will the core curriculum help me understand (insert what you are interested in – for example, the integration of the functions of management, an opportunity to build depth of knowledge in marketing, teamwork, leadership and/or career skills)
- Does it emphasize working in teams?
- Does it have an established, active mentorship programs
- How strong are the career and job placement services? Career development and preparation is especially important with an Early Career MBA. Career services should include counseling and resume and interview skills building.
- Can I gain insight from current students and graduates? There is no better way to understand if a particular program is right for you than by talking to people who went through it. Visit the campus and talk with current students. Schedule an interview with alumni in your area. Ask a graduate how the Early Career MBA benefited them.
What is the profile for a typical Early Career MBA student?
Professional work experience is not required, but there are key characteristics that admissions officers look for in an applicant. Here is a typical profile for an entering Early Career MBA student.
- Looking for a traditional, full-time, 2-year+ study experience
- Has a bachelor’s degree, with a major in any area of study. You don’t need to major in business to get an MBA. Schools often look for a variety of major backgrounds that build critical thinking, reasoning and writing skills.
- Experience leading or working within an organization. This experience can come from part-time work, volunteer activities, student clubs and organizations, or other experiential projects.
- Exceptional academic credentials, including strong undergraduate GPA and GMAT scores.
- Strong references from previous managers, supervisors or professors.
Additional Considerations
There are some possible downsides to being an early career MBA, too such as:
- You may be limiting your business school options. If you’re dead set on getting your MBA right after college, you might have to accept setting your sights on a less prestigious program than would be the case if you had a few years of work experience under your belt. It’s not just a question of ‘paying your dues.’
- You may not get everything you should out of your classes. First-hand experience of how businesses and organizations work provide a crucial context for the theories and tools you’ll learn in class. You’ll be at a disadvantage without it.
- You may not know what you want from a career yet. One of the biggest advantages of having work experience before beginning an MBA program is that it helps you narrow down your range of career interests. By knowing the day-to-day realities of one or more jobs or industries, you have a good idea of what you do and don’t want to do with the rest of your life. Without that knowledge, you may wind up choosing internships and concentrations at random, wasting valuable educational and experiential opportunities.
- You may limit the ‘shelf life’ of your MBA. In general, the longer ago you earned your MBA, the less of an impression the degree makes on employers. Your MBA credential could lose its shine just at the point in your career when you need its boost the most.
6 comments
chinocb86 on February 20th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I really liked your article Anthony. Could you mention some examples of universities that could offer good "early career" MBAs?
Thank you!
Anthony Russomanno on February 22nd, 2010 at 10:58 am
Some examples would be Chicago-Booth, UPenn-Wharton, UCLA-Anderson
and Carnegie Mellon. Obvisouly do your research to find your bext match.
Antonio on March 4th, 2010 at 7:45 am
Please Anthony, could you mention some examples of "early career" MBAs in Europe? What' s your opinion about SDA Bocconi in Milan?
Many thanks
Tom on June 23rd, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Hi,
I just read this article and had to comment. I completed my MBA straight after my bachelor and I must say for anyone else considering to do their MBA so early is to think long and hard and research if it is the right choice.
I studied at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) Australia and they sold the MBA to graduates as the immediate ticket to success, to an awesome graduate role etc .... I was so wrong. In reality, I have a huge debt to repay and no practical experience in anything only theoretical experience. Not sure how graduate employment is in US but Australia, practical experience will out weigh what you studied.
Although there are huge benefits in studying your MBA, the results won't be immediately.
Anthony on June 24th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Thanks for sharing your first hand experience.
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