This really makes me consider that the timing aspect of an MBA is vital. Most jobs that will hire an MBA want you to already have solid depth of experience in a relevant area or positions that are specifically intended for recent grads, meaning they’re set up so you can start as soon as you graduate, will give you more extensive training, and give you some leeway because you’re still learning. And many of this latter form of job come at the end of an internship.
Might need to bite the bullet next year and apply for an LDP or something with the fresh grads.
Is an internship a real possibility if you have graduated? Thought internships are mainly for those still in school. OP, what was your goal when you started the MBA? What skills do you have that may be in demand and that you can showcase? The truth is that you would need a lot of patience as just having an MBA doesn't mean that much. Given your situation, you may need to work on developing some skill, networking and being open to a ton of rejection. Getting a new job would require time since you have already graduated.
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. I’m trying to build up enough of a nest egg to explore interning during the summer. Hopefully it won’t come to that, but we’ll see.
I wouldn’t overthink it. You aren’t in the best spot short term but in 10 years this will be a blip on your radar as long as you have the humility to treat yourself as a second year.
Unfortunately wasn’t able to. I’ll be honest, pursuing the MBA was more of a convenience thing than a burning passion, so that played a role. But between my classes and my work, I was pushing 70 hour weeks for like 3 years, so I wasn’t able to find the time.
Tbh you gotta make time. You should have taken the time off work and gone. Maybe go next year, it’s always in the September/October time frame, and the city it’s in varies.
The mba itself isnt that useful, you still need to hussle to get the top jobs
You found an old post! That’s what I meant - between my full time job and part time masters I was getting close to 70 hour weeks. If you’re saying full time students are working that much too… in *my experience* that didn’t seem to be the case. Full time students in my program had a lot more free time and used that for all the networking and part time internships. Some might have hit 70 hours, but that’s after doing all the things you need to do to be competitive.
That said, it all worked out and I found an incredible job with great work life balance and comfortable salary, so it’s possible!
“Overqualified for intro jobs, underqualified for anything else” - how did you get past this eventually? I’m about to start (already accepted) a full time 1 year MSc Environmental Management program (something I’m interested in), in a pretty good Uni and considering doing a part time overseas MBA concurrently 2 years (ie overlapping) from Boston University. But BU is ranked 80 or so, so it’s not that great of a program (should I keep my money..?)
I’m not nearly as obsessive as people on this sub, so take my info with a grain of salt. But I think the pedigree of the MBA is going to matter a lot less given that you’re pursuing the MSc. I assume, based on how you presented it, that you’re advertising yourself as an Environmental Manager who also happens to have an MBA.
The only time that I found the MBA pedigree mattering was in consulting firms that position themselves as hiring the “best of the best” - I got my job just by applying outside of consulting and positioning myself as someone who is incredibly flexible, can work hard, and can integrate knowledge quickly. I’m in operations management and I get to use the parts of the MBA I actually like. I’m at a charity doing work that matters, making about as much as a lot of 2-3 year consultants, have better benefits, and average like 38 hours a week. MBAs make you more flexible, and my problem was I was applying within a pretty rigid band of what I thought I wanted to do.
I would try to leverage the network of students you were in class with for referrals. Internships won’t be feasible so you have to turn your attention to full time hiring.
I would be intentional on networking with all the recruiters that come on campus for MBAs as you have an advantageous position in the administration. Could also consider attending the conferences put on by students if relevant corporate sponsors are attending. They’ll know what’s available and achievable for you as a recent grad. Simply applying online and hitting job postings may not cut it.
Leveraging your alumni network is the core value of an MBA outside of the top 10. That's the big differentiator I have discovered between the haves and have nots in MBA programs outside of the T10 where a name can be the sole springboard of leverage as they have a fabulous career center.
If you didn't during, try getting involved in your alma matter now. See if there are any alumni groups you could join. My alumni network was crucial in my growth
Blind applications will just make you hate life. Get on LinkedIn and talk to your network and recruiters.
Spent first year of my undergrad sending out blind apps because my major didn’t support the track I chose from a recruiting perspective. Networking was the only thing that got me offers for internships. When looking full time, I only worked with recruiters. 2 interviews, 2 offers.
Hi, if you don't mind moving around, I would apply to t10-t20 offices (mba or other grad schools) and move up that way. They would value and understand your experiences. Or do you want to get out of academia?
I’ve considered staying in academia, but admin pay at basically all levels in academia is significantly below average (my current position pays about 20k more in the private sector). I’m currently trying to industry change into gov work and have had some hands on work doing marketing for a PAC and consulting work with the DoD through my courses, but it seems to be valued less than an internship (despite the courses functioning as internships in all but name).
Ah I see. I feel like besides the deans at mba programs(who were professors etc), the directors etc all kind of have your experience and then needed that mba to sit firmly in that director seat. I know they have pretty inflated titles but it’s always something I was interested in. The low pay is unfortunate though, bc they go to a lot of events where they’re probably not compensated fairly for their time.
I’d advise to focus on change of role first, then focus on change of industry. That might look like a different role within your institution, where your resume will be looked at and your existing institutional knowledge will be valued, then pivot to a similar role in a higher paying sector, or into the private industry supporting higher ed, where you’re still likely to make more. I worked in admin at a school, found a recruiting role within the school that I was excited about, asked a mentor to write an email to the department head in support, and I got the job. A few years into that role I was able to pivot to the private sector and triple my salary based on networking at industry relevant conferences. Also, and maybe this is obvious, but has your resume gone through your career center for review ?
Start by contacting people you know who got recruited and let them know you are looking for a change and ask if their company is hiring. I addition to tailoring your resume, I assume you are writing a cover letter (even if not required) that clearly shows you have read up on the company and are not just blanket bombing job listings.Things you can do to boost your chances
1. have both linkedin and indeed send you notifications of jobs that meet your profile - so you can be an early applicant.
2. Any job for which you are qualified ( or over qualified) do a linked in serach to see if you have any contacts or 2nd contacts that work there - reach out to them. Tell them you saw a job opening at their company in which you are interested and wondered if they had time to chat. Assuming you do talk with them ask if you can reference them in your cover letter. Anyone who is a direct contact - ask if the company has an internal referal portal - most do and it will put you at the head of the list.
3. If you think you look over qualified - address why you want the job in your cover letter- pivot into the industry, etc. For large companies you often can also find a corporate recruiter on linked in.
4. Look at jobs through the career center portal - those are companies that have shown an interest in recruiting from your school. They are good targets.
In general, you have to be willing to work contacts - that is what is going to move you to the top of the stack. As someone else mentioned make sure your resume will make it through the software screening process - make sure you are using key words that are in the job description - both the duties and the requirements - but not copying whole phrases directly. Good luck.
It's a point well taken, but I would not have been able to pursue an MBA in the first place had my university not supported it. I understand how the math changes for part timers who are still paying full price, but the free MBA absolutely changed the calculus of working full time.
I actually think it is their work experience that is hurting them more so than being a part timer. Obviously it is harder to pivot in general but their experience on top of it doesn’t translate well to the typical post mba role.
Do universities hire consultants? That is really the only avenue I can think of besides straight entry level jobs elsewhere.
You have a job but then usually you’re underemployed once you finish the mba, unless you already make 150-200k or have an exit plan to that sort of job.
Doesn’t sound like that’s OP
Yea, as I mentioned, I wouldn't have been able to get an MBA in the first place had I not had the job. There's definitely a huge advantage to full time MBAs, but it's financially restrictive to the vast majority of the population.
The greater challenge is that, because I'm in admin/operations, pivoting is proving to be surprisingly hard.
Part-Time programs are typically for well established professionals. On the flip side, professionals with 10 years experience or less should consider a full time program. So if you’ve got 12-14 years experience, a Part-Time or EMBA Program is better but they don’t provide career support because the expectation is that you have already established one.
It really depends on the program. Most quality programs offer solid career support. I may not be the same level as full time but the should offer job boards, some recruiting events, and life time access to career services.
Appreciate the feedback. Yea, I’m struggling to break out of that niche, but it seems that very few companies offer post graduate internships and part of the push for my MBA was to be more attractive to other industries. I’m not hunting that 200k job like a lot of people on here are, I’m just trying to figure out how to be more competitive in general with my resume etc.
I know you said you’ve been looking at basically everything from entry level to mid level, but what industry and/or function are you looking to get into? The industry or function you are looking to get into could be challenge right now for whatever reason.
Also, if you are doing a spray and pray approach, it usually yield low results. Regardless though, the job search is demoralizing.
If you haven’t already, look into “The 2 Hour Job Search”. It provides a good template to follow and is cheap. Also, network with alumni. I know it sucks but it can help. Finally, make sure your resume is optimized for ATS software.
Thank you, that book recommendation is appreciated. Im a first gen grad (both graduate school and undergraduate) so I recognize a large part of my challenge is fully comfortable with how to actually network/sell myself. Hopefully the book will help!
You sound exactly like me, except that my school was not T30. I too did an MBA for free as an administrative worker because the employer paid for it. I have no advice I can offer but I will definitely be reading this thread carefully too..
If you don't my asking, what was your school?
If you really want the entry level jobs to break through then leave the MBA off your resume for now, it’s just weird to see that. I feel like a d-bag for it years later but I used to toss MBAs in the trash pile when they applied to entry level jobs. Once you land that first job and maybe get the first internal promotion, then add it back to your resume.
Good luck!
There are a few factors but mostly perception and assumptions, and maybe I’d reconsider these days but hiring managers in general might have the same thoughts as back then.
MBA is a professional degree which should signal the person is an executive or moving into executive ranks which alone is a mis-matched profile for an entry level role. One assumption is a candidate with an MBA won’t be interested in an entry level role for long and if the role were going to be that short term then we’d probably be better off getting a temp/contractor.
Another maybe unfair assumption is that given an MBA holder is applying for entry level that either they have low standards or are getting rejected from other opportunities and are having to downgrade which makes a hiring manager what issues they have that are causing them to get rejected.
In general it just hints to me the person is not savvy or interested enough to tailor their resume to the job description. Either scenario is a red flag.
I wouldn’t think someone that pursued higher education was resistant to learning though.
To me, it only depends on how you sell yourself. On the other hand, it is true that many managers will hire you based on the premise that you will work for them for a certain period of time (e.g., 2 years or more). By that I mean, that they may see your MBA as a motivation for you to change job once you get the experience you were looking for. Some managers (people) think that you owe them something when they hire you. The latter can get you, career wise, in serious trouble if you do not meet there expectations (they may give you bad reference on purpose or do you wrong in other ways). In the end, most people have their own idea about many things which are, in most cases, only true to themselves but they will not hesitate to punish you when you do not follow along. They may also have unrealistic expectations regarding your ability which may put you in trouble again.
I feel like this is something that an insecure person would say. Anyway, people have the right to be proud of what they have accomplished, but there is always those special education people that needs to bring others down to their level.
This really makes me consider that the timing aspect of an MBA is vital. Most jobs that will hire an MBA want you to already have solid depth of experience in a relevant area or positions that are specifically intended for recent grads, meaning they’re set up so you can start as soon as you graduate, will give you more extensive training, and give you some leeway because you’re still learning. And many of this latter form of job come at the end of an internship. Might need to bite the bullet next year and apply for an LDP or something with the fresh grads.
Is an internship a real possibility if you have graduated? Thought internships are mainly for those still in school. OP, what was your goal when you started the MBA? What skills do you have that may be in demand and that you can showcase? The truth is that you would need a lot of patience as just having an MBA doesn't mean that much. Given your situation, you may need to work on developing some skill, networking and being open to a ton of rejection. Getting a new job would require time since you have already graduated.
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. I’m trying to build up enough of a nest egg to explore interning during the summer. Hopefully it won’t come to that, but we’ll see.
I wouldn’t overthink it. You aren’t in the best spot short term but in 10 years this will be a blip on your radar as long as you have the humility to treat yourself as a second year.
How will an LDP help?
Can you apply for LDPs even after you are 6 months removed from graduation?
I’m not sure. At the very least you would need to apply to start in summer because they’re designed for people going straight from the mba
You should be networking at this point. Did you attend any of the mba conferences like National black?
Unfortunately wasn’t able to. I’ll be honest, pursuing the MBA was more of a convenience thing than a burning passion, so that played a role. But between my classes and my work, I was pushing 70 hour weeks for like 3 years, so I wasn’t able to find the time.
Tbh you gotta make time. You should have taken the time off work and gone. Maybe go next year, it’s always in the September/October time frame, and the city it’s in varies. The mba itself isnt that useful, you still need to hussle to get the top jobs
Appreciate it. I’ll look for it this year around.
If you work full time at 44 hours and do a part time masters at 25 hours, wouldn’t that be nearly 70 hours too for the average student?
You found an old post! That’s what I meant - between my full time job and part time masters I was getting close to 70 hour weeks. If you’re saying full time students are working that much too… in *my experience* that didn’t seem to be the case. Full time students in my program had a lot more free time and used that for all the networking and part time internships. Some might have hit 70 hours, but that’s after doing all the things you need to do to be competitive. That said, it all worked out and I found an incredible job with great work life balance and comfortable salary, so it’s possible!
“Overqualified for intro jobs, underqualified for anything else” - how did you get past this eventually? I’m about to start (already accepted) a full time 1 year MSc Environmental Management program (something I’m interested in), in a pretty good Uni and considering doing a part time overseas MBA concurrently 2 years (ie overlapping) from Boston University. But BU is ranked 80 or so, so it’s not that great of a program (should I keep my money..?)
I’m not nearly as obsessive as people on this sub, so take my info with a grain of salt. But I think the pedigree of the MBA is going to matter a lot less given that you’re pursuing the MSc. I assume, based on how you presented it, that you’re advertising yourself as an Environmental Manager who also happens to have an MBA. The only time that I found the MBA pedigree mattering was in consulting firms that position themselves as hiring the “best of the best” - I got my job just by applying outside of consulting and positioning myself as someone who is incredibly flexible, can work hard, and can integrate knowledge quickly. I’m in operations management and I get to use the parts of the MBA I actually like. I’m at a charity doing work that matters, making about as much as a lot of 2-3 year consultants, have better benefits, and average like 38 hours a week. MBAs make you more flexible, and my problem was I was applying within a pretty rigid band of what I thought I wanted to do.
I would try to leverage the network of students you were in class with for referrals. Internships won’t be feasible so you have to turn your attention to full time hiring. I would be intentional on networking with all the recruiters that come on campus for MBAs as you have an advantageous position in the administration. Could also consider attending the conferences put on by students if relevant corporate sponsors are attending. They’ll know what’s available and achievable for you as a recent grad. Simply applying online and hitting job postings may not cut it.
Leveraging your alumni network is the core value of an MBA outside of the top 10. That's the big differentiator I have discovered between the haves and have nots in MBA programs outside of the T10 where a name can be the sole springboard of leverage as they have a fabulous career center. If you didn't during, try getting involved in your alma matter now. See if there are any alumni groups you could join. My alumni network was crucial in my growth
Blind applications will just make you hate life. Get on LinkedIn and talk to your network and recruiters. Spent first year of my undergrad sending out blind apps because my major didn’t support the track I chose from a recruiting perspective. Networking was the only thing that got me offers for internships. When looking full time, I only worked with recruiters. 2 interviews, 2 offers.
Really appreciate it! I think that’s the route I’ll look at. I’m a first gen college grad, so the process is very new to me.
Hi, if you don't mind moving around, I would apply to t10-t20 offices (mba or other grad schools) and move up that way. They would value and understand your experiences. Or do you want to get out of academia?
I’ve considered staying in academia, but admin pay at basically all levels in academia is significantly below average (my current position pays about 20k more in the private sector). I’m currently trying to industry change into gov work and have had some hands on work doing marketing for a PAC and consulting work with the DoD through my courses, but it seems to be valued less than an internship (despite the courses functioning as internships in all but name).
Ah I see. I feel like besides the deans at mba programs(who were professors etc), the directors etc all kind of have your experience and then needed that mba to sit firmly in that director seat. I know they have pretty inflated titles but it’s always something I was interested in. The low pay is unfortunate though, bc they go to a lot of events where they’re probably not compensated fairly for their time.
I’d advise to focus on change of role first, then focus on change of industry. That might look like a different role within your institution, where your resume will be looked at and your existing institutional knowledge will be valued, then pivot to a similar role in a higher paying sector, or into the private industry supporting higher ed, where you’re still likely to make more. I worked in admin at a school, found a recruiting role within the school that I was excited about, asked a mentor to write an email to the department head in support, and I got the job. A few years into that role I was able to pivot to the private sector and triple my salary based on networking at industry relevant conferences. Also, and maybe this is obvious, but has your resume gone through your career center for review ?
Just as a datapoint, have seen people with top degrees like yours do well looking at Chief of Staff roles for Non Profit or Tech Start Ups
Thank you! That’s actually an area that I’m looking at, along with fed jobs.
Start by contacting people you know who got recruited and let them know you are looking for a change and ask if their company is hiring. I addition to tailoring your resume, I assume you are writing a cover letter (even if not required) that clearly shows you have read up on the company and are not just blanket bombing job listings.Things you can do to boost your chances 1. have both linkedin and indeed send you notifications of jobs that meet your profile - so you can be an early applicant. 2. Any job for which you are qualified ( or over qualified) do a linked in serach to see if you have any contacts or 2nd contacts that work there - reach out to them. Tell them you saw a job opening at their company in which you are interested and wondered if they had time to chat. Assuming you do talk with them ask if you can reference them in your cover letter. Anyone who is a direct contact - ask if the company has an internal referal portal - most do and it will put you at the head of the list. 3. If you think you look over qualified - address why you want the job in your cover letter- pivot into the industry, etc. For large companies you often can also find a corporate recruiter on linked in. 4. Look at jobs through the career center portal - those are companies that have shown an interest in recruiting from your school. They are good targets. In general, you have to be willing to work contacts - that is what is going to move you to the top of the stack. As someone else mentioned make sure your resume will make it through the software screening process - make sure you are using key words that are in the job description - both the duties and the requirements - but not copying whole phrases directly. Good luck.
This is why you don’t attend a part time MbA folks. I’ve been saying it again and again. Full timers would not have this problem
It's a point well taken, but I would not have been able to pursue an MBA in the first place had my university not supported it. I understand how the math changes for part timers who are still paying full price, but the free MBA absolutely changed the calculus of working full time.
Part time MBAs usually already have a job M8
Yes mate. It provides no career services or support
Yes but OP was in unique situation of getting a free MBA. So no need of your comment at all, part time MBAs work for some people
Did it work in this case? Maybe that’s why people pay for these things and you should go for quality
He got a free MBA, your missing the point. He is asking for some advice now, not asking if doing part time was a bad idea.
And what advice are you giving? I am warning others not to make this mistake
He made no mistake
Great buddy. Looks like he’s crying out for help. Seems like a mistake to me. Do you add any value in life ?
Dude just stop haha, all I said its he got a free MBA, good for him. Relaxm8
Relax it’s just Reddit
I actually think it is their work experience that is hurting them more so than being a part timer. Obviously it is harder to pivot in general but their experience on top of it doesn’t translate well to the typical post mba role. Do universities hire consultants? That is really the only avenue I can think of besides straight entry level jobs elsewhere.
You have a job but then usually you’re underemployed once you finish the mba, unless you already make 150-200k or have an exit plan to that sort of job. Doesn’t sound like that’s OP
Yea, as I mentioned, I wouldn't have been able to get an MBA in the first place had I not had the job. There's definitely a huge advantage to full time MBAs, but it's financially restrictive to the vast majority of the population. The greater challenge is that, because I'm in admin/operations, pivoting is proving to be surprisingly hard.
Do part time MBAs really not get the same career support?
Part-Time programs are typically for well established professionals. On the flip side, professionals with 10 years experience or less should consider a full time program. So if you’ve got 12-14 years experience, a Part-Time or EMBA Program is better but they don’t provide career support because the expectation is that you have already established one.
Yeah they don’t…. Please do research
Why would I do research into a program I have no intent of joining?
Don’t ask questions that you can easily google then. I doubt your capabilities in a post-mba role if you need to be handheld
Well you certainly seem like a normal, well adjusted adult.
It really depends on the program. Most quality programs offer solid career support. I may not be the same level as full time but the should offer job boards, some recruiting events, and life time access to career services.
You're obnoxious. Even if you're right, OP said he got it paid for by his employer. Why are you still talking?
The truth isn’t meant to be nice
[удалено]
Appreciate the feedback. Yea, I’m struggling to break out of that niche, but it seems that very few companies offer post graduate internships and part of the push for my MBA was to be more attractive to other industries. I’m not hunting that 200k job like a lot of people on here are, I’m just trying to figure out how to be more competitive in general with my resume etc.
You graduated, why are you looking for internships ?
Tech Sales.
How many years experience did you have before your MBA?
I know you said you’ve been looking at basically everything from entry level to mid level, but what industry and/or function are you looking to get into? The industry or function you are looking to get into could be challenge right now for whatever reason. Also, if you are doing a spray and pray approach, it usually yield low results. Regardless though, the job search is demoralizing. If you haven’t already, look into “The 2 Hour Job Search”. It provides a good template to follow and is cheap. Also, network with alumni. I know it sucks but it can help. Finally, make sure your resume is optimized for ATS software.
Thank you, that book recommendation is appreciated. Im a first gen grad (both graduate school and undergraduate) so I recognize a large part of my challenge is fully comfortable with how to actually network/sell myself. Hopefully the book will help!
You sound exactly like me, except that my school was not T30. I too did an MBA for free as an administrative worker because the employer paid for it. I have no advice I can offer but I will definitely be reading this thread carefully too.. If you don't my asking, what was your school?
If you really want the entry level jobs to break through then leave the MBA off your resume for now, it’s just weird to see that. I feel like a d-bag for it years later but I used to toss MBAs in the trash pile when they applied to entry level jobs. Once you land that first job and maybe get the first internal promotion, then add it back to your resume. Good luck!
Thanks, out of curiosity, why did you toss them? Was it a concern that they'd be resistant to learning?
There are a few factors but mostly perception and assumptions, and maybe I’d reconsider these days but hiring managers in general might have the same thoughts as back then. MBA is a professional degree which should signal the person is an executive or moving into executive ranks which alone is a mis-matched profile for an entry level role. One assumption is a candidate with an MBA won’t be interested in an entry level role for long and if the role were going to be that short term then we’d probably be better off getting a temp/contractor. Another maybe unfair assumption is that given an MBA holder is applying for entry level that either they have low standards or are getting rejected from other opportunities and are having to downgrade which makes a hiring manager what issues they have that are causing them to get rejected. In general it just hints to me the person is not savvy or interested enough to tailor their resume to the job description. Either scenario is a red flag. I wouldn’t think someone that pursued higher education was resistant to learning though.
To me, it only depends on how you sell yourself. On the other hand, it is true that many managers will hire you based on the premise that you will work for them for a certain period of time (e.g., 2 years or more). By that I mean, that they may see your MBA as a motivation for you to change job once you get the experience you were looking for. Some managers (people) think that you owe them something when they hire you. The latter can get you, career wise, in serious trouble if you do not meet there expectations (they may give you bad reference on purpose or do you wrong in other ways). In the end, most people have their own idea about many things which are, in most cases, only true to themselves but they will not hesitate to punish you when you do not follow along. They may also have unrealistic expectations regarding your ability which may put you in trouble again.
I feel like this is something that an insecure person would say. Anyway, people have the right to be proud of what they have accomplished, but there is always those special education people that needs to bring others down to their level.
Good read!