IT Profile evaluation

[mbasun1]

Hi,

I need your assistance in assessing my application please.

I am an Indian graduate, aged 27, working in Australia for the last 3.5 years.
Total work exp: 5 years
IT industry; middle-level Senior resource.
Job profile includes:
-Solution Design
-Responding to RFPs, RFIs, etc (pre-sales)
-Functional consultancy

I have been thinking about doing a MBA. Havent taken the GMAT yet. I have been considering only the 1-year courses:
1. Nanyang, Singapore - 4th round (31st march)
2. ISB, India - Dates past

My primary concerns are:
1. In these times of recession, many top MBA schools are struggling to get companies on board for placements. Is it better to continue in job at this stage or jump into the arena?
2. Are 1-yr MBAs a good choice? I dont think I have time for 2-yrs. Please suggest some other schools which can be targetted.
3. The main thinig - what does one do after MBA in IT (assuming that I continue in IT post-MBA as would like to capitalize on the 5yrs of IT exp)? Currently, the only MBAs at my place are in sales. All the technical, consultancy roles are done by techies with exp, even the pre-sales. No doubt, post-MBA the salary grades change but does that mean doing the same job at a higher salary only?

Your views will assist me in sorting out the confusion.

Thanks.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear mbasun1,

In response to your questions:
1. In these times of recession, many top MBA schools are struggling to get companies on board for placements. Is it better to continue in job at this stage or jump into the arena?
That depends on your risk tolerance--if you are leery of leaving your job right now, then it might be better to wait another year to return to school. If you believe that by the time you would graduate that the market will be on the upswing for MBA jobs, then it might be a good time to go back to school. Since you are only considering 1 year programs and it is already pretty far into the admissions cycle for entry this fall, you might consider waiting and applying in October for entry in fall 2010. That would give you time to prepare for your GMAT and put together the best applications while also giving the market more time to recover.

2. Are 1-yr MBAs a good choice? I dont think I have time for 2-yrs. Please suggest some other schools which can be targetted.
I will direct you to our sticky on school selection for tips and insight. Most 1-yr programs are outside of the US, so that should help you in narrowing your research.

3. The main thinig - what does one do after MBA in IT (assuming that I continue in IT post-MBA as would like to capitalize on the 5yrs of IT exp)? Currently, the only MBAs at my place are in sales. All the technical, consultancy roles are done by techies with exp, even the pre-sales. No doubt, post-MBA the salary grades change but does that mean doing the same job at a higher salary only?
Where MBAs are utilized varies greatly by industry, country and functional area. Your opportunities will not necessarily be narrowed by a MBA and in fact could be greater in breadth than you expect. How successful you are in your job search and the types of opportunities available to you is mostly a function of you and your efforts in your search. So while your company mainly uses MBAs in sales, that is not to say they would not hire you in some other capacity if you presented a compelling value proposition to them. This is another area where it would benefit you to do some research, and it might be worth waiting to apply so you can get a better idea of what your post-MBA goals are.

Good luck,
Lisa