My MBA is Worthless? by maveric2003 via Flickr
Is anyone up in arms yet?
Good.
From the pmStudent Community
Anne from the US 
is a recent subscriber to the Project Management Career Newsletter.
She hit reply to one of my messages to pose a question and get my take. I invite you to join one of the free newsletters and feel free to do the same. If I want to use parts of our conversation in a post here, I will ask your permission first to see what you are comfortable with sharing. Thank you Anne, for permitting me to share some of our exchange to benefit others!
The following is excerpted from Anne’s message:
“Thanks Josh. I’m about to complete my MBA and was wondering if that will ever help me rise in my PM career? I’ve already been in IT for 13 years, working as a PM for 7. My co-workers seem to think my MBA is a worthless piece of paper, but I feel I’ve learned a lot in the last two and a half years.”
Anne
Value of the MBA
Education is never wasted as long as you apply yourself and really learn the material. Having an MBA never hurts your prospects. Just know that the “piece of paper” is not the true benefit…the education it represents is. If you are growing professionally in the direction you want your career to go, excellent. The MBA is not for everyone, I decided not to pursue it myself. It’s fabulous for some people though.
Coping Mechanism
The “worthless piece of paper” syndrome is common. Sometimes what they mean is that it’s worthless to them personally. They didn’t learn the material and have no interest in the business side of things evidently, so of course they are right. Perhaps they are jealous, that is certainly possible as well. I see the same thing with certifications, other degrees, etc.
It’s a coping mechanism. People don’t like change, even when other people around them are changing. If you are doing something like this, it makes them wonder if perhaps they should be doing something to advance their own careers. That makes them uncomfortable, because they are not doing any personal development.
It’s Up To You
My own career started taking off and I started enjoying work more when I realized it’s all up to me. Instead of just hoping my environment would change, I decided to change it myself.
I started by looking for companies where I might want to work (not looking for jobs). I contacted people in HR or in project management at these companies and chatted with them on the phone, via email, even meeting them face to face just to talk about the company and where I might fit into it some day, even though they weren’t hiring at the time.
Handling Negativity
I’ve battled negative attitudes at the workplace. I remember a time where I actually said the childish phrase “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I felt like Thumper. I started responding to people calls to action like “So, what are you going to do about that?” or “I see. Let’s go talk to _____ and make sure they understand why that won’t work.”
After people started seeing that they weren’t going to get any sympathy or complacency from me for their “Complaint Du Jour”, I didn’t have to hear it much anymore. True, some people stopped talking to me….their loss. Most just changed their behavior around me.
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Josh,
As the holder of several masters (physics, systems management), I’d give this advice to Anne, or anyone starting or completing a MBA.
Pay attention in class. Actually read those contract law, general accounting and finance books. Maybe really listen in the “Principles of Product Marketing” class.
The “worthless piece of paper,” syndrome is an indication of your future value to the market place.
Very view graduate I encounter in technical disciplines actual know where their paycheck comes from. It does not come from the Bank of America.
The MBA style graduate degree is the entry ticket to the world of “writing software for money,” or what ever you’re favorite product is. You can always hire people to write code. That’s the easy part. Selling, marketing, managing, counting the money, keeping the money – that’s the hard part.
That’s what they teach in MBA-school.
So to Anne – Tell you co-workers, you’ll soon be deciding who stays and who goes from your upcoming managerial position looking after the business and financial side of your firm – or the new firm that hires you away – now that you understand where paycheck come from.
Thanks for the insights Glen! It certainly puts things in perspective when you look forward 5 years and imagine where your career will be versus the people who are belittling your efforts now!
Hi Josh,
As usual I have a completely different take on things.
A few years ago I was offered a place to do an MBA at Wharton which interested me because it is geared towards Entrepreneurs. I turned it down and am glad I did. Friends of mine who have graduated from MBA’s at Harvard, Stanford and Kellogg in the past 5 years appear not to have had the boost to their careers that they were anticipating. This has lead me to the conclusion that if you have the talent and ability to make it to the top, you will do so with or without an ivy league MBA.
Perhaps though I’m biased. This side of the pond our education system is very different. We essentially specialise at 16 ie Arts or Sciences which means that medicine and law are first degrees here. As a result the average age of a newly qualified lawyer in the UK is 24 and of a doctor 25.
But one thing is the same the world over. Companies want people with experience. Qualifications are simply a nice to have and as someone with a law degree, I can safely say that in 13 years of interim project management I have never once been asked what degree or project management qualifications I have. I have however been quizzed about my previous experience and delivery successes.
But each to their own. If you feel you will learn a great deal from studying for an MBA, then go for it. Just remember that having one doesn’t guarantee real world career success. You still need to put in the hard work and deliver.
Regards
Susan de Sousa
Site Editor http://www.my-project-management-expert.com
Excellent points Susan. Personally, I had planned to pursue an MBA with a specialization in IT Project Management after my undergraduate degree.
I ended up deciding against it. I do believe it would have benefited me in the form of the education I would have received. When I weighed the cost/benefit I decided to go another way.
I had already been working full time in project management while doing my undergraduate degree (and years before). After that was done I pursued the PMP certification.
I wanted to focus on writing about project management and helping others get into the profession (please forgive me Dr. Paul!). That is exactly what I’m doing with pmStudent.com and all of the other sites I write for, and I love it.
Hi Anne… I am so glad the topic came up for discussion.
i too am persuing my MBA (executive course) one year through it and two more years to go.. but the current situation in my office is not too great. i mean, financially i am too strained.. too less a money to support my bills and education loan.. so lately i was wondering if this MBA degree is worthwhile… or should i just quit and look for a foreing degree wherein i can complete in a year and earn more..???
tooo perplexed at the moment.. i know MBA is what i want to do but the money is really posing a problem
Thanks for the comment Priya. The MBA may certainly be right for you, just be sure you have a clear plan for your career path and how the degree fits into that. Write it down if you haven’t already done so.
By putting it on a timeline, you can set short term goals for what you can be doing professionally over the next 2 years so that when you earn your MBA, you will also have some great work experience to back it up.
Set yourself up for success!
I think many who may be thinking of pursuing an MBA might want to think about accredidation. Many MBA programs are only “regionally” accreditted and not AACSB accredited. AACSB tends to be the standard for a legit MBA degree. For project management does “PMP” tend to hold as much weight as an MBA? I see more and more people adding this to the end of their title – on linkedin, etc.
Thanks Dave, this is a very important factor to consider!
I don’t know what most people think in terms of MBA vs PMP, but I personally would value the MBA more highly. Of course I value the real skills and experience of a candidate much more highly than either of those!
I recently completed MBA from Univ Of Phoenix and looking to do either gradute certificate or do the specilization
on the PM. What do you think?
By “graduate certificate” do you mean a project management certification program offered through a university? And when you say specialization on PM what exactly do you mean? Since you already completed your MBA do you mean going for a Phd?
Graduate Certificate from Stanford (http://apm.stanford.edu/certificateProgram.htm. I did the MBA in Business Administration I know Penn State and couple other schools offer the specializations in the Project Management. What would you suggest?
I can’t vouch for a particular program, but take a look at these posts to see if they help in your situation:
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
A lot depends on the kind of work you do post your MBA. If you end up a programmer after doing an MBA, obviously its just a worthless piece of paper.In my own experience some of the things I’ve learned at my b-school are priceless, especially now when I work with clients on theirs programs and initiatives. Also my own personal view that a person should have decent work experience before going for his MBA. It helps to see things in the right perspective or in the MBA slang , helps ‘connect the dots’
If you don’t understand the intrinsic value that is derived from an MBA degree, then it probably is nearly worthless to you.
AND
If you don’t understand the value of an education, and an MBA is simply a piece of paper that caused you to go into debt, then the degree truly probably is worthless.
But for those who know why they wanted to go to a business school, learned the material, and have have short-term increased salary gains that exceed the cost of debts, then an MBA is far from worthless. In fact, anyone who gained knowledge and developed through the course of obtaining an MBA could not truthfully say that an MBA is worthless over the long run!
I earned my MBA for a very personal reason. I read the books my wife brought home from her classes and thought they were interesting. Therefore, I signed up for Graduate School. I am very glad I went. Earning my MBA did not produce the huge paychecks reported in the news. It did however; challenge me to think more critically. I learned to be more analytical in my thought and troubleshooting process. I enjoyed the subjects. My instructors were adjunct faculty who focused on how to use this great knowledge and information in the real world. That led to healthy discussions and debates about current affairs. Instructors challenged us to apply the printed word to the real world.
Do not look for an MBA, or other degree, certification, etc. to be an immediate payday. Determine whether the information learned will be interesting and useful to you. Employ what you learn to your career. Chances are your career will change over time. For example, I have a master’s degree in Marketing. My current career is in leadership of business operations and project management. That specific degree I hold may not be directly valid to my career. I utilize the education gained during my graduate school years every day.
Although I have an MBA in business management, it did help me prepare for the type of work I am currently doing, and includeding the PM classes. Without the MBA there is no way I could have gotten as far as I have. And as far as an MBA being worthless, thats a crock, that is the best investment anyone can ever give themselves no matter what the cost.
Hello, Chuck. I agree with you completely on having an MBA is priceless since it is hard to earn. However, people who say that MBA is worthless, they are just do not have any idea how much MBA holder; such as, me, is capable of in the business world!
Hi Josh,
I have one question to you. Is it worthwhile to do an online MBA degree ? I have more personal obligations. Hence will not be able to quit my Job and do a regular MBA. Also an executive or a Part Time MBA is not an option for me since I am not authorized to do that ( I am residing in Saudi and hold a Work Permit only. I am not allowed to study in this country). Hope to receive a reply from you.
Thanks for the question Karthik. The choice must be yours alone. Personally, I wouldn’t shy away from an online degree if it were the best fit for my situation. The primary goal will be to study hard and learn tons of new information you can apply.
As long as you have the right mindset (you are doing this to learn and make yourself more capable) then you can get as much if not more than other students who are doing an MBA program at an Ivy league school.
Just remember, the piece of paper is not what matters. Building your competency is what matters, so more opportunities will become available to you as you network professionally. Networking and getting referrals from people who know you do good work is a much more effective way of getting your foot in the door. If you’ve built your competency then you can knock their socks off after you’ve created the initial opportunity for yourself.
Thank you very much Josh. You made me clear about this.Now I can positively go ahead with pursuing an Online MBA degree. Thanks again for your timely help. It really helped me.
Wow, what’s an interesting post ? The posting described here is exactly matching with my current situation. I am also pursuing MBA. It is certainly true that the knowledge you learn in the program is much more important than how you get it. It is upto the individual to use that knowledge and help to build and make progress in career. I come from IT background. After working for around 9 years, I decided to go for an MBA. I don’t want to leave my current career and go into a completely different way. Rather I want to apply my knowledge more into the existing IT career and start progressing towards a more rewarding career. It’s all dependent on me and my confidence. I am hoing for the best.
Josh,
I am also planning to pursue PMP examination soon. Can you suggest me some template on documenting my experience for the preparation of the application ? You had provided some template more than a year ago. But, I don’t have that now. I will appreciate your help.
Thanks for the comment!
No problem…my PMP Experience Log template is here:
http://pmstudent.com/pmp-experience-log/
As a soon to be graduate of an AACSB accredited MBA program, I have to disagree with some of what is said here. I did my undergrad in Business Economics and then went straight on to my MBA. Looking back, I see what a mistake it was. What I learned though is that my MBA was a dramatically simplified version of my undergrad degree (my masters is from a well respected state school). The truth is that the MBA can hold a lot of value (the social connections, pause to reflect on your career, opportunity to take risks) but the education itself isn’t its primary focus. This could just be my opinion, but I did find that the educational aspect was worthless for me because I had already done the work in undergrad. If you don’t have an academic background in business its great, but I think a solid undergrad in Business or Economics is more valuable than an MBA for general content knowledge.
Very interesting perspective from first-hand experience Matt, thanks so much for leaving a comment and sharing that with us!
I got my MBA from the University of San Francisco, which is nowhere near the top rankings for MBA programs. It has never opened any doors for me or made me eligible for anything except entry-level jobs. Fellow alumni have even shut me out of their networks because they consider my military background to be worthless. Prospective MBA students should only bother applying to the top MBA schools; othwerwise, forget the MBA and just keep working.
Thanks for your input Anthony!
It depends on your field. I can tell you from experience that unless you are much luckier than I, it is a waste of time and money if you are in Aerospace, Defense or industrial sales. I recently got my MBA and when yearly increase time came all I got was the 3% COLA. What it will get you (again in my experience) is more responsibilities without any extra pay.
If you re close to getting it go ahead and finish it, but if you are just starting, don’t torture yourself with a MBA, it is not worth the pain.
Forgot to add, my MBA was from an AACSB Accredited university, not an online degree mill.
Sorry to disappoint
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