No work experience

[AlbertoT]

Hi,
I'm an electrical engineering student from Italy. After graduating I would like to get an MBA but I don't know if I'd be suitable because I only have one work experience.

What do you think I should do?

Alberto

[havok]

Hi,
I'm an electrical engineering student from Italy. After graduating I would like to get an MBA but I don't know if I'd be suitable because I only have one work experience.

What do you think I should do?

Alberto

From everything I've ever read, MBA programs prefer students who already have relevant work experience that they can relate their studies to. Otherwise, much of what is learned becomes "theory" to the student and it gets reapplied to a lesser degree in their first job.

[Adams Baker]

This is common error bachelor students do. An MBA is a program specially conceived for people with work experience. It takes into account the practical experience of the students and the fact that they have a far clearer idea on what they want and which knowledge they still need to get.

[GMAT_1986_subha]

Look at Young Leadership Programs & Harvard 2+2 Program

[rbwp3e]

I'm also a fresher with no experience.I got to know about Masters in Management.Is it worthwhile to do it after finishing under graduate in 2011?

[AlbertoT]

I came to think that the best option for Europeans (like me) is a Master in Business, then work experience, then MBA if needed...

[DanaJ]

You know what, guys? I have some friends who were doing the MiM program (specifically CEMS). I've also looked into it myself, but I eventually decided against it. Just to put things into perspective, I also graduated in 2010, so I had (close to) zero work experience.

The thing is, I feel there's a pretty big overlap between MiM and an MBA, so it might be harder for you to make the case that you need/want an MBA later on. Especially to top schools in the US, which won't even consider you if you already have an MBA from a different institution. I'm not saying you won't get accepted at all (as long as your official degree is MiM and not MBA), but it might be harder to get in...

For me, it was also the question of time. I had already gone through 3 years of undergrad and devoting another 2 years for a masters seemed like too much for me. I personally felt that a one-year, more specialized degree would help and I still could be on the younger spectrum of applicants if I worked 2 years after getting my masters...

I know this might sound confusing and all, but I just want to make sure you guys analyze this properly before committing a lot of your time. In the end, getting your undergrad degree + a 2-year masters + a 2-year MBA means that you'll be spending about 6-7 years of your 20s in school...

[AlbertoT]

Thanks for your answer.
Anyway the problem is that my engineering degree here in Italy doesn't count as much as abroad if I don't get a master (either in engineering or another field). I plan on working outside of Italy but...you never know. I'm really interested in management also because engineering never included any economical studies.

Have you heard good things about MiM?
I heard at Bocconi (Milano) they also have a great finance program...

Alberto

[DanaJ]

Yeah I was in a similar situation. I also had a three-year undergrad (the new Bologna system; I assume that you, as an engineering student, had about 4 years instead of 5 as it used to be) and was also told that we should get a masters. Just FYI, it does count! I researched this myself, I emailed Harvard and asked them about it. The undergrad cycle, although shorter in Europe, is equivalent to the undergrad cycle in the US.

The MiM program is pretty decent, but yeah it depends which school you go to. Some are more prestigious than others. The thing what makes me shy away from the MiM is that it's pretty general. For me at least, since I already had an economics degree, it didn't make sense to go to a general program. For you maybe it's more worth your time, since you haven't had economics before.
I've also heard about the finance program at Bocconi. And yeah, Bocconi is pretty much the best-known school in Italy, so it's a really good thing to have on your CV. That's a better choice than the MiM, I feel, since it's more specialized in one direction instead of making you learn about the small, general things...

But here's some food for thought: you're Italian and you already have an Italian degree. Have you considered other options as well? You'd get a boost if you were to get a degree from a different country! There are plenty of good programs out there, especially if you're pretty confident in your English ability. Well, of course, there's also the issue of funding, since living costs in Italy are on the cheaper side of stuff in Europe...

[AlbertoT]

Yeah I was in a similar situation. I also had a three-year undergrad (the new Bologna system; I assume that you, as an engineering student, had about 4 years instead of 5 as it used to be) and was also told that we should get a masters. Just FYI, it does count! I researched this myself, I emailed Harvard and asked them about it. The undergrad cycle, although shorter in Europe, is equivalent to the undergrad cycle in the US.

The MiM program is pretty decent, but yeah it depends which school you go to. Some are more prestigious than others. The thing what makes me shy away from the MiM is that it's pretty general. For me at least, since I already had an economics degree, it didn't make sense to go to a general program. For you maybe it's more worth your time, since you haven't had economics before.
I've also heard about the finance program at Bocconi. And yeah, Bocconi is pretty much the best-known school in Italy, so it's a really good thing to have on your CV. That's a better choice than the MiM, I feel, since it's more specialized in one direction instead of making you learn about the small, general things...

But here's some food for thought: you're Italian and you already have an Italian degree. Have you considered other options as well? You'd get a boost if you were to get a degree from a different country! There are plenty of good programs out there, especially if you're pretty confident in your English ability. Well, of course, there's also the issue of funding, since living costs in Italy are on the cheaper side of stuff in Europe...

Thanks for your reply.
What programs do you know in Europe (not MiMs) that offer specific programs in the fields of Finance, Marketing like Bocconi does? I really want to get into Finance atBocconi because you have a chance to get a DOUBLE DEGREE in Stockholm.

Do you have any idea whether, for a graduated engineer, it would be better to get a master in his field or specialize in finance, marketing?

Alberto

[DanaJ]

Hmm... To answer your first question: there are a ton of programs in Europe in finance/marketing, similar to the Bocconi program. You have LSE, Imperial in the UK; HEC in Paris; WU University in Vienna; ESADE and a bunch of other schools in Spain; University of Amsterdam or University of Rotterdam in The Netherlands etc etc etc.......... It's impossibly hard for me to list them all. But here's a starting point: Financial Times publishes a directory of finance programs. Here's the link: https://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolra ... in-finance There's also a listing of MiMs: https://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolra ... management They're both ordered alphabetically, btw.

The thing is, if you're applying for a 2011 intake (i.e. you want to start this fall), then it's a little bit late in the admissions season. Check out each school's website and you should be able to figure out whether there are still some slots open.

I don't know much about that double degree, but I have a classmate who went to Bocconi and one of his friends stayed there to get his masters in finance as well. I'll ask him about it and maybe circle back to you.

Your second question is impossible to answer for me. I think no one can really answer that question but yourself. What do you want to do? I mean a masters in engineering would presumably make you a more employable engineer, so it would be easier for you to get a better position in engineering. A masters in finance/marketing would on the other hand potentially open up a new field for you to work in. Are you attracted to business/economics or do you want to do some engineering stuff? I have no clue what to say, really...