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40 Something Looking For Guidance

by derekk999 » Mon May 06, 2013 2:37 pm
Hi Everybody,

I've been an IT Manager\Director for many years for small\medium size companies and have gone through one downsizing and that was scary and now I may be facing another one which I need to be proactive and find a way to make myself more marketable to not only this organization but if I have to get back out there. When I was downsized and recently on several interviews it seems to come up often where a Masters is preferred whereas years ago I didn't see too much of the advanced degrees. It was more important to be technically certified-MCSE, CCIE, CNE, etc...Also I've been getting questions of where would you like to be in 5 years and is I.T. Management the only area your interested in which makes me think that they are looking for something more than I.T. Management. Current employer doesn't pay for education so I need to be financially responsible and not over do it with things being up in the air. I would really appreciate any advice on what may be the best plan of action.

A little bit of background on me is I have my BS in Management with MIS as my concentration. GPA wasn't the greatest the last 60 hours 2.5-2.8 due to working full-time and carrying an extra full load since I was running out of money. My thought at the time it was more important to finish the degree than to put off and come back later. How the school worked is you paid a flat fee for 12 credits and up so I was taking 18-21 credits a semester which was really overloaded with working which impacted my GPA. Also I was in the Finance arena and started several businesses too but primarily I've worked in the I.T. field for the majority of my career.

Here are my questions.

1. For marketability is a MBA or Masters the way to go for my age? Even if I'm downsized sooner than later I think it looks better to have on your resume your in process of earning your MBA or Masters versus not. What do you think of that?

2. I'm looking at the following programs based upon a mix of cost, and being 100% online due to my job. Degree-College-Accredition-Cost

A. MBA-University of North Dakota-AACSB-Roughly $12,000
B. MBA-Mississippi State-AACSB- $16,000
C. MBA-Jacksonville State-AACSB-$14,000
D. MBA-SE Missouri State-AACSB-$15,000
E. MBA-Eastern New Mexico-ACBSP-$6,000
F. MS Organizational Mgmt- SE Missouri State-AACSB-$9,000
G. MS Operations Mgmt- Univ of Arkansas-AACSB- $9,000
H. MA Global Management-Univ of Alabama-AACSB-$11,500

Mississippi State would be my the top choice but it is at the high end of the finances whereas the Eastern New Mexico and the MS degrees are my economical choices. Not sure which would give the most bang for the buck when it comes to marketability and taking into account that I have to foot the bill with the possibility of my job being outsourced in the near future. I see myself staying in I.T. Management, getting into consulting, transitioning into an operational position since I handle that in my current role even though I'm in I.T. Management. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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by essaysnark » Tue May 07, 2013 8:30 am
Hey derekk999 -

Most people posting on these forums are targeting the full-time MBA programs like Harvard and Stanford. Those programs have really competitive admissions policies and they're designed primarily for people in their 20s and early 30s, and that's sort of where this forum is geared. So we're not sure you'll get a whole lotta response to your question...

What we can suggest is that maybe you conduct some informational interviews with people in the types of roles where you want to end up. If you want to transition into consulting, then figure out what type of consulting and what type of company, and leverage your network to try and talk to people who are doing that. Take them out for coffee, see what they can tell you about what it takes to get into that position. Another idea, if you haven't done it: If you've been turned down for a position, then see if you can get some feedback from the recruiter or hiring manager. What were they looking for that you didn't have? Maybe some further education will help you get that, or maybe they'll be able to tell you something else that you can take action on in terms of improving your marketability.

It's obviously more challenging for the mid-career professional to do a big career jump, but you've likely got some very valuable skills that could be redeployed in different ways. The MBA is a very flexible degree and it can help you figure out where you want to take your career path. Most the big consulting companies are on the lookout for experienced hires even without a graduate degree. You can look on their websites and see if you have the right qualifications to do that type of transition without going back to school.

To be very direct, having an MBA sometimes can help, though we rarely see it as a make-or-break factor in hiring -- and even more importantly, there's a big difference from having just any MBA, and having an MBA from a highly-regarded school. The schools you've named are not in that category. You'll want to do some research to make sure that your target employers would value that; it may not be the difference-maker that you envision.

If you want to go for a higher-ranked school, then you can check out the online MBAs from the University of North Carolina (MBA@UNC), University of Iowa Kelley (KelleyDirect), or George Washington University. Even more prestigious programs also offer hybrid programs with an online and in-person component; the best ones are the Duke Cross-Continent MBA, UCLA Anderson FEMBA Flex, and the Carnegie-Mellon Tepper FlexMBA. Many of these programs are open to candidates who are a little older. They will need to see a solid GMAT score but they might be able to overlook a lower GPA; it all depends on how you position yourself. They're also not cheap but the ROI could be much greater; it depends on so many factors.

On those other Master's: If you're targeting a very specific future career path in one of those areas, then sure, they could be viable - or, they could end up pigeonholing you a bit. The MBA is vastly more flexible, in terms of how you can position yourself afterwards.

Anyway, wanted to offer something to your question - hopefully this gives you more to chew on. Good luck with everything and let us know what you decide!

EssaySnark
EssaySnark has MBA application guides for HBS, Stanford, Booth, Wharton, NYU and pretty much any other school you can name - including a fully revised and expanded 2015 Columbia essay guide!
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by derekk999 » Tue May 07, 2013 3:59 pm
Thank you very much for the info. You've given me quite a bit to think about and to work on.
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by campbellronald7 » Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:12 am
I am sorry that you are in such a scary and uncertain position. It must be very difficult. I commend you for being proactive about making yourself invaluable to your company and absolutely believe that more education is a good way to do this. I am not sure where you are located, but I recently graduated from the fast track MBA program at Babson College and recommend that you look into it. The program blends web-based learning and face-to-face sessions, which are available in both Wellesley, Massachusetts and San Francisco. I am very satisfied with this program, finding myself excelling in my job after attending. I was able to maintain this job while attending classes, just as you would need to be doing. I wish you luck and hope that you are able to find some stability!
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