Due to various financial/personal reasons, I have elected to enter an MBA program straight out of undergrad. Primarily it's due to the fact that a) I can't find work to save my life in this economy (unremarkable B.S. from state university), b) there are really no other graduate programs that interest me or fit my background, and c) this school is offering me a very substantial scholarship (and I happen to be very short on cash right now). I understand that this goes against the conventional wisdom of working several years and trying for a big school, but I simply have very limited options at the moment. There are tons of factors at work that I couldn't wholly summarize in the context of a single post.
The program I'm in is very well-respected in its region (places in the 30-40 range according to the Forbes ROI rankings) but unfortunately it's a small program and doesn't really place into the top consulting and financial firms that all the top grads go into in NYC, Chicago, and all those other major cities. It sucks because I have a degree that I have on interest in using at the moment and that I've always wanted to attend an elite school. Partially for reasons of self-entitlement, but primarily for the fact that those top, top programs open tons of doors and I want that opportunity badly.
This leads me to ask a few questions:
a)Is it possible to go for a second MBA a few years down the road at a top 10 school?
b) Should I shoot for a Master's or PhD in Finance at a good school?
c) Or should I simply hustle and network my ass to those top jobs?
At this point you're probably thinking that this is the dumbest, most naive kid on the planet but I'm really lost and have nobody to talk to. Figured that this would be the best place.
Thanks in advance your responses.
Need some serious b-school advice
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- ssmiles08
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a) it is seriously frowned upon to obtain a 2nd MBA from any school. Many schools will outright reject you if they see you already have an MBA. you are better off getting a MS or PHD.
b) it seems like you want to go back to school b/c you can't find a job. I don't think that would be the right reason to go back to school. The economic slump is soon to be ending and you are bound to find a job soon enough. I am right out of undergrad too, but I want to change my career b/c it doesn't fit my needs of what I thought my life would be like. I have worked for a year and plan to do a masters b/c MBA is out of my reach right now.
Best of Luck!
b) it seems like you want to go back to school b/c you can't find a job. I don't think that would be the right reason to go back to school. The economic slump is soon to be ending and you are bound to find a job soon enough. I am right out of undergrad too, but I want to change my career b/c it doesn't fit my needs of what I thought my life would be like. I have worked for a year and plan to do a masters b/c MBA is out of my reach right now.
YES If you are not changing careers, then you should network, find friends, and do unpaid internships to get yourself through the door.c) Or should I simply hustle and network my ass to those top jobs?
Best of Luck!