Should I do an Executive MBA or a full-time MBA? What if I'm working in a great job?

2018-03-08T18:13:02-05:00

What would the best option be for a veteran NCO currently working full-time in a prestigious, albeit entry level (post-baccalaureat) consulting role (90% travel) in pursuing an MBA. If you are in your mid 30's or older, top 20 MBA programs tend to shy away from you for consideration of their full-time programs. The Executive MBA program fits the bill being held monthly or bi-monthly at the end of the week into the weekend. Would it be better to put a new job on hiatus while pursuing a full-time MBA? What would the ROI be compared to an Executive MBA.

Response by SP5 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2018 6:32 PM

2018-03-08T18:32:43-05:00

SGT Thomas Sullivan My vote goes to the exec MBA program. Tie that with consulting experience and you become more valuable than a freshly minted MBA without significant experience. Good luck - and 90% travel isn't much fun.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Mar 8 at 2018 6:33 PM

2018-03-08T18:33:37-05:00

What is your goal, that is what will be the decision point.
Do you want to work in a Boston, LA or New York in a top tier investment or management consultancy institution? If you are seeking to join exclusive firms or pursue rare academic positions then you want to get an MBA from a top tier school. I mean truly top tier, Ivy League or top 25 listed for full-time MBA.
One of the questions I had was, if the institution will not have me because I did not attend the 'right' schools, then I am not interested in the institution. This helped me decide against full-time and pursue a private college where I picked up an MBA/JD in six years in the evening all while working full-time and in the Army Reserve.
Each person's experience is unique, It will be helpful to have someone else weigh in with their experience.
I concluded that an MBA / JD is just another qualification on top of your existing job skills and education. You do want the institution to have a solid academic credential and at least regional reputation but just having the MBA is worth something as well.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Mar 8 at 2018 7:35 PM

2018-03-08T19:35:40-05:00

SGT Thomas Sullivan I got my Executive MBA while I was in the Navy. It worked well with my schedule. You have to make the decision that is right for you and your family. What I will say, is that there are a couple of things I would have done differently with my executive course. 1) I would have gotten more of the financial classes that are offered mainly in the full MBA. When I went job hunting afterwords, it was one of the consistent knocks I received in the contracting world. 2) I would have networked better. Granted, I was still in the Navy, and had a few years to go but I did little networking while in the course. Consequently, when I did get out, all my contacts were stale. 3) Find a mentor in the biz community that can help you with what they are looking for at that time, and have them review your CV/resume. Hope that helps, and keep charging!

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Mar 8 at 2018 8:48 PM

2018-03-08T20:48:04-05:00

If already working, do executive MBA. Full-time MBA is more for those who want to transition to new industry or geographic region. Although some full-time MBAs do take older applicants, you are right that top 20 programs prefer young veterans who finish 4-5 years of active service.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 8 at 2018 11:53 PM

2018-03-08T23:53:34-05:00

http://www.uopeople.edu

I just thought you might care to know about this, I realize it might not ne what you'd wanted, howecerz there's no tuition, only admin and exam fees, prorated by per capita income in a given country. Also, it's not regionally accredited, though it is recognized by DETC, formerly NHSC, which is Federally accepted, though I'm not entirely sure if their programs, assocs and bach in Como sci (CS), bus admin, and health sci, and also an MBA, are accepted yet by industry, VA, and/or the services. I merely thought you might find it a convenient online program to at least just look st, they did get Vatican endorsement, I've also read good things, they take transfer credit however, I'm unsure if that'd apply for grad, thst might only be for undergrad? You'd have to ask, their offices are in Calif, you could try falling the!, they've hooked into good schools, of read NYU, Stanford and UCLA also, I think, I just thohght you might care to give them a look, if nothing else, I'll also suggest a couple of other on lines I kmow of that are regionally accredited, as well, hope it was of interest if nothing else, many thanks....

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Welcome to the world’s first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited, online, American university. Follow your dreams. Your career starts here.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 8 at 2018 11:57 PM

2018-03-08T23:57:53-05:00

http://www.excelsior.edu

This used to be part of NYS govt, then privatized, very military friendly, I got a 2nd bach in !math with them using mainly GRE subject tests I'd taken, they allowed 30 pass/fail credits, 15 assocs, 15 bach level, for a minimum raw score. Also, a friend of mine did his bach iin mat with them, and went Navy OCS using it, they have a toll free, also, a !asters in liberal studies (MLS), look also at Oak Tree College in CT, and Edison State Univ in NJ, as well....also, I'd ne most eager to hear my re about what type of company youre with, engineering, sales, etc, so far as you might care to elaborate at all, many thanks...

www.excelsior.edu

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Mar 9 at 2018 12:07 AM

2018-03-09T00:07:26-05:00

When I did my MBA, they jealously guarded the Executive MBA entry. It was limited to people who were no kidding executives that brought decades of hard business experience to the program. I was denied entry and routed to the regular MBA program. I did make friends with some of the Executive students, and I would have been out classed.

Response by LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 2:45 PM

2018-03-09T14:45:35-05:00

SGT Sullivan. This is a great question. I'd be happy to chat with you over the phone about this! Please feel free to call me @ [login to see] or ( [login to see] .edu). I'll start by saying that term "Executive MBA" is not used consistently between Universities. In some cases, "Executive" is the name given to an institution's Part-Time MBA. In other cases, such as at University of Maryland's Smith School of Business, the term is applied to a specific delivery format of our MBA. At UMD, our Executive MBA is a lock-step, 19 month program with a cohort of individuals who largely hail from Senior Management functions within an organization and bring with them approximately 15 years of professional work experience. Moreover, our curriculum is set by the E-MBA program faculty, with few opportunities for students to choose electives. Our Full-Time MBA program is a traditional program provides that provides students with a fully immersive experience and gives them the flexibility to tailor their curriculum to a particular concentration area, such as Finance or Marketing. Additionally, a summer internship between year 1 and 2 are critical to the experience of all of our Full Time MBAs. Our average age does tend to skew younger, around mid-20's, but it is not uncommon for students in our program to be in their 30's (many of our Vets - including me - have found themselves in this situation). At the Smith School, we also offer two other program formats; these include our Part-Time MBA program and our Online MBA program. Both of these programs provide flexibility for our students to study at a pace that suits them and customize (to some extent) the courses that they take. The beautiful thing about all of our programs is that the courses are the same across all of the formats and the same faculty members teach across all of our programs. There is no "watered-down" MBA at Smith! I'll conclude by saying that the right program choice for you depends on a lot of factors, such as your personal financial situation, your Veterans Education Benefits, career interests (are you a career changer or ladder climber?), current professional situation and your family situation. B-School is a rigorous and intensive journey, by design. That said, pursuing an MBA can be one of the most worthwhile decisions you will ever make. I always suggest that Veterans who are considering going back to school connect with others who have done it before. I'm happy to be a resource for you.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Feb 27 at 2020 12:10 AM

2020-02-27T00:10:15-05:00

Exec- MBA students bring their real life experiences to their classes.

At times, to the consternation of the tenured School of Business professors who are versed and teach about theories, the Exec-MBA students take over the lecture by describing their own successes and failures in the business world!

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 28 at 2020 11:56 PM

2020-02-28T23:56:14-05:00

No offense to MBA holders, but this Col knew what he was talking about.....

Hiring MBAs? You Should Be Looking at NCOs

This article is by Col. David Sutherland (Ret.), who commanded a combat brigade in Iraq, has served as special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and is co-founder and chairman of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Community Services, an enterprise of Easter Seals .

When I speak to corporate leaders I explain that the difference between a master sergeant and an MBA is that the master sergeant has been doing it for 20 years.

Companies that hire MBAs planned to take on an average of 14.6 of them in 2013, up from 11.4 in 2012, according to a Graduate Management Admission Council survey of corporate recruiters. But why do consulting firms, financial service corporations, and energy giants look to hire more than 100,000 newly-minted MBAs when more than 1,000 soldiers leave the military every day and bring as good, if not better, skills to the table?

The GMAC survey said that U.S.-based companies planning to hire MBAs are focused on both growth and efficiency. But you won’t find anyone more qualified and with more experience than a non-commissioned officer. These are senior enlisted personnel, truly the backbone of the U.S. military, including master sergeants and chief petty officers, and they typically have a minimum of eight years of experience under their belt. NCOs know how to problem-solve, under deadlines and often in the throes of crises. They have managed large teams of varying ages and skills while ensuring that multi-million dollar equipment stays in fighting order.

Here’s what NCOs bring to a business through hard-fought experience:

• As an extension of senior leaders, they ensure that the job gets done. An NCO ensures that the officer’s commands are carried out correctly. My brigade command sergeant major in Iraq, Don Felt, expanded my decision-making ability and command in the field. He got the job done before he was ever told to do so.

• They are a vital link between top leadership and the factory floor. Regardless of the commander’s physical location, the NCO makes sure work is done to the standards prescribed and that resources are available. A master sergeant holds responsibility for thousands of people and serves as an essential mentor. How many recently graduated MBAs can say as much?

• They ensure a solutions-driven approach. The NCO serves as a senior adviser to the commander, determining the causes of the obstacles between the present problem and the desired outcome. The NCO then comes up with the solution to achieve the desired result. I have witnessed NCOs in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the sergeant for whom my nonprofit is named, uncovering intelligence and taking action to protect the force. Often this means putting themselves at risk, saving another’s life while giving their own. What other employee in the world guarantees their job with their life? And what CEO wouldn’t prize a manager with such critical thinking and loyalty?

• They provide feedback that translates into opportunities. The dreaded annual performance review in the private sector is an everyday responsibility for an NCO, who is responsible for developing subordinates to take his or her place on the battlefield. NCOs are the ones who develop the bench of future on-the-ground leaders.

• They are motivated by incentives beyond money and instill the same motivation in others. In both the private sector and in the Army, gone are the days of bonuses or performance-based compensation. What, then, motivates a person to show up for work? In the military, it’s a commitment to the team and a loyalty that has been ingrained in the organization by the NCO. Regardless of the means, the NCO knows how to boost morale beyond monetary compensation.

The Army NCO creed begins with the line, “No one is more professional than I.” It’s not just talk. It’s living. To all hiring managers considering an MBA, I ask that you consider an NCO. Don’t fall into the trap of tossing aside a résumé because the service member lacks the pedigree of an MBA.

There is a powerful case for hiring any military NCO regardless the branch they served in - they are all professionals with tried and true experience - that their civilian counterparts will never have.

The biggest thing is to seek work that you actually enjoy, you may stumble at first finding it but when you do - it doesn't seem like work. Education is always good (especially for certain job types), but now a days the way somethings change so much and so fast some degrees are not worth the paper they are written on once you've paid out all that money. I have gotten more out the free MOOC's then I ever got in college courses/degrees I paid for. But of course that just from my experiences and everyone is different. Good luck.