Internet & MBA

IMPORTANT: Through the whole article and part 2 of this article when I use the acronym "MBA" I'm referring to "Full time MBA"programs from a Top TierBusiness School in Europe and the US (see updated rankings here: BusinessWeek or Finantial Times). When I mention and MBA here I'm not referring to any of the following: online MBA's, Part Time MBA's, Executive MBA's, Masters of other kind nor MBA's from schools that are not consistently listed within the top ten mentioned rankings.

Career choice after MBA Graduation: one of the most important decisions in your professional life

Doing an MBA is a dream come true for lots of professionals. The reasons for doing it are as diverse as the backgrounds of the people who are finally accepted: industry change, higher salaries, get access to top multinational companies, increase opportunities of future promotion, work in a different country, exponential increase of your professional network, etc and... of course ... to learn aboutBusiness Administration in the process. Nevertheless, one thing is true for everybody: it's probably the only time in yourprofessional lifewhere, if you really want it, you could work pretty much in any company in the world. In most cases, you don't even have to actively apply because most companies go to recruit YOU on campus. Depending on the economic cycle and your background, is not rare to see yourself in a position where you have more than one offer and you have to choose the one you like the most. Can you think of any other point of your professional life (in the past or yet to come) where you actually have two or three amazing job offers at the same time? If you can, you're a really lucky person. For the rest, this is a once in a life time opportunity and you have to choose wisely.

There are lots of things to consider when making your career choiceafter the MBA, but I won't get into detail here; this would be material for another article. The only thing I think It's worth mentioning here is that for me the most important factor is that you really like what you'll be doing. It's my personal view that if you get into an industry or a job that you really like, you'll end up being very good at it, and probably making more money in the long run than your peers that chose with a different criteria (high starting salary for example) as their most important factor.

Having said that, if what you like to do or what you're passionate about is the Internet/Technology/Media industry, the rest of this article might give you some tips to decide and help you evaluate some pros and cons of getting into this particular sector where MBA's are not so common. The goal here is to give you reasons in favor and against taking a job in this industry (by someone who made this choice a couple of years ago) so you can take a better informed decision.

The internet Industry for an MBA

At a first glance, it might seem that there are not too many reasons for an MBA graduate to get into the Internet/Media Industry. The opportunity cost is just too high: You know you will earn less money (than your consulting/Banking peers), your title has much less value (in an "engeneering/technology" driven industry) and it will be much more difficult to find a Job. So... why would an MBA from a top tier school should consider the Internet Industry?

First let's take a look at some of the drawbacks...

"MBA Culture"??... Non existent

It's no secret that this industry is ruled by technicians, engineers and programmers. This is reasonable given that most of the early innovations in the industry have been driven people in the "technical" side more than the "business" side of the industry. Just look at some of biggest names in the industry of the last 20 years: Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google creators), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Pierre Omidyar (eBay), etc, all of them where programmers or mathematicians (maybe the only exception here could be Jeff Bezos, Amazon). These companies, with Microsoft and Google at the top of the list have created corporate cultures where the programmer is the king, having all other functions as regarded as secondary. Many smaller start-ups have followed the market leaders developing similar corporate cultures of their own creating an entire industry where Business People (meaning Marketing, Finance, Sales and other functions) are secondary. In this setting MBA's are no exception. There is no tradition for hiring MBA's (the industry is still too young), there are no resources specially dedicated for these kind of professionals, there are very few MBA's working already in the industry and in general I could sum it up saying that that there is not an "MBA Culture" in the Internet Industry.

MBA Hiring Expertise ... Not there yet

The Internet industry is new compared with other MBA demanding industries like banking or consulting. These industries have worked with MBA's in the past and know the value they can obtain from them so they have specific hiring programs for MBA's, HR staff specially trained to hire MBA's, internship programs, rotationalprograms for MBA's, etc. This means that they have a lot of experience hiring MBA's over the years and also that there are lots of MBA's already working in these companies. Usually big consulting firms (Bain, McKinsey, BCG, Booz Allen, AT Kerney, etc) and investment banks (or what's left of them) are the first to come to campus to recruit, even 2-3 months before any other company. Big salaries and the opportunity to eliminate the uncertainty of getting a job early on drive many people, usually many bright people, to these industries. But this is how it works for the Consulting/Banking industry ... on the other side the spectrum there is the InternetIndustry...

As mentioned before, this is an industry clearly led by engineers/programmers, in which Business People tend to be a necessary, but not vital part of the company. Starting from here, is natural that most of the recruiting resources and efforts are directed to hire the best programmers and the brightest engineers right out of college. As a former MBA student, this is something you could clearly see while still looking for a job during the second year. Just to put an example on the "big three" names on Internet and their hiring processes while I was still on campus 2005-2006.

- Yahoo: Didn't come to any Career Recruitment events, didn't post any Internship or jobs but at the end hired one person for an Internship. This is one of the different types of mistakes when recruiting on campus: Not posting publicly available jobs/internships. If you want to get the best candidate, the usual path is to post it through the Career Services Department so the position is available to all the students. This creates more applications, more competition and the possibility for thecompany to choose the best candidate from several different applicants.

- eBay: This company did have some former MBA students in their staff but during the two years of my MBA they didn't post any job or internship so there's not much I can say about their recruitment process. Maybe in their case it was just a matter of demand and supply: They already had the necessary share of MBA's they needed for their current structure.

- Google: Google was the funniest case of the three. They just didn't want to show up at our career fairs or companypresentations but somehow, our Career Services Staff managed to convince them. They came, made a company presentation and brought nine people in, the most of any company that year (usually companies bring the head recruiter and one or two alumni). At the end they didn't have any internship programs to offer, there were not MBA type of positions and nothing was really clear. They ended up hiring nobody from our school that year... which judging by the resources invested, was not a good strategy.

As you can see, In general these companies don't have well organized process for hiring MBA's. Up to a certain point this is understandable because the industry is still very young (more or less 15 years old). My hope is that this will change in the near future. As new blood comes to the Head positions of Recruiting Departments from other industries, special internship programs for MBA's will be designed and more resources will be devoted to hire MBA's on a regular basis. For now, we can only hope that the few MBA's that managed to get into these companies do well with their careers, climb high in the ranks of their organizations and can prove their value to an industry that is still skeptic with MBA's.

Value of an "MBA" to the Internet Industry

Is well known that the MBA title has a different perceived value across different industries. As mentioned before, the experience and knowledge that a top tier MBA programs can bring you are most valued in industries like consulting, banking, private equity and other financial organizations. Lower perceived value means lower starting salaries after graduation and this is another of the drawbacks of choosing to work in this industry.

If you're not in USA you're not really in the Internet Industry

This drawback only applies to European MBA's (like mine for example). Just like many other industries, the internet industry has also a geographical concentration. Like banking (London), Luxury Goods (Paris), the Internet Industry is highly concentrated in the US, and specially around the area of Palo Alto/Silicon Valley. This is bad news for European MBA Students. Also, when US Internet firms go to recruit MBA's, most of the recruiting will be done inside the US, not in Europe or somewhere else, leaving few opportunities for European MBA Students.

The question here is obvious for an MBA graduate considering going for the Internet Industry: Why would I choose an industry where there is no MBA culture at all, my title isn't recognized like in many other industries, there are much less positions available and on top of that, salaries are lower?

Seems hard to overcome all of these issues, but there are also some very strong reasons in favor that I will explain in the next part of this article: MBAs in Internet

Mba Coaching Centre

MBA Coaching Centers

Long way back, professional knowledge was strictly cornered around certain schools, colleges and universities in India, but in the last decade it has changed dramatically with the inflow of MNCs (multi-national companies) and the rise in economy. All this development has brought in a sizeable chunk of job opportunities. To cater to the need of management graduates, we have witnessed a rise in MBA institutions all across India in the past few years.

But, with this mushrooming of MBA institutions has arisen a new problem – which college to get enrolled in to secure a better future in the cut-throat competition, which is further aggravated by the poor quality of education offered by a large number of MBA Institutes. To guide the students in finding the best colleges, MBA Coaching Centers took the center stage. These coaching centers provide guidance and support in cracking the entrance of the premier MBA institutes.

Services of MBA Coaching Centers

The most vital aspect of an MBA Coaching Center is their multi-dimensional service which stretches from preparing students for the entrances and aiding them in procuring educational loans from leading financial institutions.

Apart from this, MBA Coaching Centers provide information regarding the top-most colleges in India and abroad, how to go about, scholarships, international fellowships and other things.

For students they act as a helping hand in redeeming their dreams by conducting – mock test papers, group discussions and offering study materials – with an objective of enabling the Degreeaspirants to crack the entrance examinations with ease.

How to Utilize the Services of MBA Coaching Centers:

It will be very difficult for anyone to provide a fixed formula to crack an MBA entrance. Therefore, it is advisable for a student to start with a proper planning. Most of the coaching centers do an in-depth study for the same. On the basis of which they provide study materials and help the students in chalking out plans regarding their preparation for the MBA entrance exams.

For better utilization of the resources offered by the MBA coaching centers, students should strictly follow the guidance provided by the experienced teachers and faculty members.

Benefits of MBA Coaching Centers:

To make full use of MBA coaching centers, students are advised to adhere to the guidelines offered by the teachers and faculty members.

1. MBA Coaching Centers guide students about proper planning.

2. MBA entrance exams are always lengthy, so coaching centers give tips to students about time management.

3. MBA Coaching Centers provide study materials and organize mock tests to make the students familiarize with the actual test and time limits.

Finding MBA Coaching Centers Online:

In the age of information technology, it is not difficult to find information regarding the best available MBA coaching centers. There are numerous online websites that offer services and information about MBA Coaching Centers. You just have to google in.

Career Guardian is one such online website that provides information in career building, be it MBA, MBBS, Law, BBA or any other degree courses available in India as well as abroad.

For more information, please visit careerguardian.in.

When to Pursue an MBA Degree, Now or Later?

Most common question rises by those who are interested to pursue an MBA degree is when is the right time to pursue the degree. Does it make sense to continue on immediately after college and earn an MBA? Or, they should decide to go back to schoolafter gaining some work experience.

In fact, there is no right or wrong answer to this question, it depends on the person and the circumstances, so first consider the pros and cons of pursuing an MBA immediately after the college versus after gaining some work experience before deciding the paththat you would like to follow in earning your MBA degree.

Pursue an MBA Degree Now

There are several arguments that support on directly going for MBA immediately after completing an undergraduate degree:

1. Don't wait because the MBA degree will open up new career opportunities for you. The earlier you earn the degree the morecareer opportunities you can grab along your career path.

2. Things may change with time, so don't risk having your MBA plan derailed. You may plan to pursue an MBA after 2 years of working, but there are too many things that can get in within these 2 years such as family, health problem that causes you to have financial burden, lost of job & etc. that may force you to put aside your MBA plan. You just can't really count on things that yet to happen in the future. Hence, if you have intention to pursue an MBA degree, take the action now.

Pursue an MBA Degree Later

There is no right or wrong argument, but the counter-points for pursuing an MBA later are worth to be considered as well:

1. MBA itself has many concentrations for students to specialize in. Gaining some working experience first will help you to determine the type of MBA concentration that can help the most in your career. For example, if your employment experiencetriggers a desire to become a CEO in banking industry, you may want to enroll in MBA program that offers concentration in Banking Finance.

2. You do not know whether you really need an MBA until you have entered the workplace. Your working experience will tell you whether you need an MBA degree to boost your career to the highest level or you can achieve it with your current degree.

Gaining Working Experience & Pursuing an MBA - Do It Concurrently

With the available of online education, many MBA programs have been offered online, you have the 3rd choice of pursue anMBA degree while concurrently gaining your working experience. However, working and studying at the same time can be a heavy burden, but you might find that working and study can complement one another, as you work experiences add dimension to what you are learning, and you could also apply what you have learned at school on your job.

Find Your Path to an MBA

The benefits of an MBA degree can be realized regardless of whether you earn the degree before, after, or concurrent with gaining working experience, it depends on the person and the circumstances. So, choose your own path that best suits your needs.

Why Should You Get an MBA Degree?

No matter what industry you're in you can benefit from having an MBA degree. Getting an MBA degree can prepare you to be a manager or qualify you to be promoted to an executive position within the company that you work for. You could even learn how to start your own business and work yourself if you have an MBA degree. The biggest reason to get an MBA degree though is because you can earn more money if you have an MBA degree. Statistics have shown that a college graduate with a business degree can expect to earn about $45,000 as a starting salary but a graduate with an MBA can except to earn about $75,000 as a starting salary. Companies know that employees with MBA degrees are going to be an asset to the company and can really help shape the company and guide the company so that the company continues to grow and flourish. People that have MBA degrees usually have the skills and the expertise and the contacts to really move a company forward and most of the time companies are willing to pay high salaries to attract competent employees with an MBA degree. Over the course of an entire career the difference between what your salary will be if you just have a four year degree and what your salary will be if you have an MBA degree can be huge. Wouldn't you rather invest the time and money into getting an MBA degree and collecting big over the course of your career instead of just sticking with a four year degree and staying stuck in the same rung of the salary ladder for your whole career?

With so many different online MBA programs to choose from it's never been easier or more convenient to get an MBA so why put off enrolling in an MBA program? You can boost your earning potential by thousands of dollars and move your career to the next level of success just by getting an online MBA degree. If you work in a company that offers tuition reimbursement for continuing education you might not even need to pay for your MBA. Lots of companies these days will reimburse their employees for any education expenses if that education is going to directly benefit the company and certainly getting an MBA would be an asset to any company. Since you would be putting all the skills that you learn in the MBA program directly into helping the company that you work for progress chances are good that your employer would be willing to pay for at least part of your MBA degree if not all of your MBA degree although you might have to agree to stay with the company for a certain period of time if the company pays for the MBA degree. Companies that do offer tuition assistance or tuition reimbursement will often ask you to sign a contract agreeing to stay employed for a set time period, usually at least a year, after getting an MBA degree. That way the company can be sure that you won't take the MBA degree that the company paid for and quit to go work for another company.

Importance of MBA

If you really want to make a good career, then education is most important factor. There are lots of good career courses available. All of these courses have its own importance. If you want to make a career in Information technology, then you can choose IT Courses like MCA, BCA or MSc. But if you wan to make a career in business management, then MBA is best option for you. MBA is labeled as most preferred qualification. If you want a lucrative and satisfied career, then go and obtain your MBA degree.

What IS MBA

MBA stands for Master in Business Administration. This is most popular course in all over India and across the world. MBA degree is for a person who desires a leadership and manager role in today’s competitive business world. If you are serious in making career in business management, then MBA is best option for you. This degree is recognized worldwide. In your MBA education, you will learn all about business management. You will learn about business techniques, management techniques, leadership skills and all about management. 

Types of MBA Degrees

So, now you have decided you are going to obtain MBA degree. But stop dude, you have to decide which type of MBA degree you are going to obtain. Choose the MBA Degree which best suits your requirements and circumstances. Evaluate each type of MBA Degree and choose what’s best for you.

Executive MBA Programs
Distance Learning MBA Programs
Online MBA Programs
Part-Time MBA Programs
Full-Time MBA Programs
Full-Time MBA for 1 Year
Full-Time MBA for 2 Years

Choosing Best MBA College

Finding the best college for obtaining MBA Degree is really tough work. Choosing best colleges is time consuming and confusing. It is stressful for you and your family. You have to choose the MBA College which is famous and higher rank. You can Visit MBA Colleges In India where you can find list of top mba colleges in India and all over the world. In this website, you can find all famous MBA Colleges. You can visit website of each college. From website of college, gather information about the college. Research that college and choose the best college as per your requirements.

All the best for your MBA.