4 ms·

As an MBA I can tell you, that the degree is not as highly valued as it once was. A STEM degree is much valuable even is rolls that were once filled by busines

by TDL 15y ago

As an MBA I can tell you, that the degree is not as highly valued as it once was. A STEM degree is much valuable even is rolls that were once filled by business types (some finance rolls, operations, etc.) A MBA is a relatively easy Masters, but I think it's relevance is rapidly fading.

joejohnson 15y ago
I'm glad to hear this. I often wonder what skills an MBA might have that someone with a strong engineering background can't learn on the job.
- TDL 15y ago
  There are plenty of "soft skills" and it is good to have some academic work done in management, ops, marketing, finance, etc. However, this does not necessarily mean that this knowledge & these skills can't be acquired either on the job or through proper mentoring. I'm not bashing my degree necessarily, it's just that there are too many MBAs @ the moment. In the end, if you are interested in management you can do better by reading Drucker than attending management courses, or read Porter & Ansoff (side note: Igor Ansoff is great example of what I am babbling about) if you are interested in marketing, etc.
  - msellout 15y ago
    Be careful. I once thought that the MBA degree was worthless, too. However I recently found that a friend of mine is earning 30% more than me at the same job, same company, because she has an MBA and I chose to get an MS Economics. We were both hired directly out of grad school with comparable work experience. Whether or not the MBA teaches you anything, businesses still believe it does.
    - TDL 15y ago
      Agreed and a good point. Not worthless, just not worth as much as it once was. Simple supply & demand, same problem w/ JDs at the moment. Credentials still have market value.
forensic 15y ago
The purpose of the MBA isn't the degree, it's the connections. This is why the best MBAs are also the biggest partiers and social butterflies. Networking is far more profitable than learning.

by TDL 15y ago

joejohnson 15y ago

I'm glad to hear this. I often wonder what skills an MBA might have that someone with a strong engineering background can't learn on the job.

TDL 15y ago
There are plenty of "soft skills" and it is good to have some academic work done in management, ops, marketing, finance, etc. However, this does not necessarily mean that this knowledge & these skills can't be acquired either on the job or through proper mentoring. I'm not bashing my degree necessarily, it's just that there are too many MBAs @ the moment. In the end, if you are interested in management you can do better by reading Drucker than attending management courses, or read Porter & Ansoff (side note: Igor Ansoff is great example of what I am babbling about) if you are interested in marketing, etc.
- msellout 15y ago
  Be careful. I once thought that the MBA degree was worthless, too. However I recently found that a friend of mine is earning 30% more than me at the same job, same company, because she has an MBA and I chose to get an MS Economics. We were both hired directly out of grad school with comparable work experience. Whether or not the MBA teaches you anything, businesses still believe it does.
  - TDL 15y ago
    Agreed and a good point. Not worthless, just not worth as much as it once was. Simple supply & demand, same problem w/ JDs at the moment. Credentials still have market value.

forensic 15y ago

The purpose of the MBA isn't the degree, it's the connections. This is why the best MBAs are also the biggest partiers and social butterflies. Networking is far more profitable than learning.