3 less obvious reasons to take an MBA
We return to this topic because the questions our team of advisors gets the most from prospective students often boil down to “Why an MBA?”. In previous articles, we mentioned the prestige and power of the MBA brand; the fact that it is also a Professional Certification in Business Administration; the importance of the kind of networking opportunities that an MBA generates, inside and outside the classroom, for your post-graduation career; how going back to school gives you a chance to reframe your path and ambitions; that the market was again hiring MBAs in 2017; and, last but not least, that MBA alumni would do it again.
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This time, we’ll discuss reasons to take an MBA that aren’t often talked about yet may be relevant for your specific situation.
1 – Because you want to move abroad
Anyone who counsels young professionals with ambitions has had to deal with the Visa problem at one time or another. The story is usually simple: during their studies, exchange programs or travels, two people from different countries fall in love. After a while, it’s clear that the love is still there and they want to be together. Unfortunately, immigration laws in the country they want to live in aren’t sensitive to their beautiful story and getting a job without a Visa is incredibly hard. Getting a temporary Visa, on the other hand, is costly (if you resort to immigration agencies) and often counterproductive in the long term; these Visas come with limitations that will make it difficult for you to get the corporate sponsorship you’ll need to live and work in many countries.
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Going back to school may be a good option for you, and taking an MBA is your best option if you’re a young professional with an international mindset – for all the reasons we listed at the top of this blog post. One or two years of study with networking and possible internships will help you boost your personal brand while establishing relationships with locals that make getting a job and corporate sponsorship more likely.
2 – Because you’re entitled to a trust fund until a certain age, but you must be in school
If you’ve lost one of your parents or your legal guardian, this is a common situation. You’re considered too young and inexperienced to manage your inheritance, so the laws of many lands force you to stay in school before you reach a certain age and entice you to do it by giving you a monthly pension until then. Very bright students finish their undergraduate degrees early, so they must choose between joining the labor force and losing their pension or staying in school one or two years longer and maturing before accessing the funds that they’re entitled to. Depending on the amount you know you’ll inherit, it may be wise to take the most challenging business degree there is before you lay your hands on it.
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While most renowned MBAs (especially in Europe) require applicants to have a certain number of years of full-time professional experience, you can always approach the Admissions Team and explain your case. No harm in trying, right?
3 – Because someone else offered to pay for it
This isn’t as rare a scenario as you might think. Sometimes, it’s cheaper for companies to send employees they wish to keep off to school than to promote them, both in the short and in the long term. This is the dream of most MBA applicants – if it’s a reality for you, reread the beginning of this blog post and go for it!
As always, we await your comments and questions! Feel free to download our ebook below.
