The Student Room Group

MBA when you're not sure what to do?

Hi guys:

I'm nearing the mid 20s threshold. Took 3 years between my Econ degree to setup companies / work full time. I reconsidered those due to changing market condition - and came back to "un-drop-out" from my UG Econ degree. I'm exploring the option of sticking around the Uni another year for an MBA (mid-ranking Essex / UK Uni). Would be keen to hear your thoughts re: MBA.

The context is that I want to be running successful startups in about 5 years time - I'm currently low on financial reserve, progress is behind on my new start-up projects (network / startup pool here is not nearly as good as London unis); my job application in the very particular sector I applied for didn't pan out. The sensible thing now for me, is to find a more generic jobs with ease for the short-run, whilst networking & building capital reserve for the next project; however lately MBA has crossed my mind. Unfortunately, right now if I were to do an MBA it would be limited to Essex due to large fee wavier I'm eligible for (PG loan) - basically it's a fallback / way to survive.

To me whilst a MBA at Essex is more attractive than other MSc options offered - that's not saying much as the latter at Essex is basically an extension of UG3. I think MBA probably happens to be more helpful in the context of the employment seeking (however, I partly wonder how it would fit in my career aspirations - given that asap I would like to setup companies / get out of the employment rat race - I partly perceive the MBA as a fall back option in my context, to say "things didn't work out, employ me please":wink:.

A potential worry, if I were to focus on my startup projects in the MBA year - I doubt I'll get the full value of the MBA - which happens to be about £3-5k premium over the standard MSc Managements here (basically there are cheaper options to be stuck at Uni). Looking at the MBA module outlines it's pretty generic. Part of me thinks when circumstance are better, I would get far more value out of a MSc / MBA at a more specialised Uni - at a later stage once I've more relateable work experience / in my own time-frame (I'd be on the lower tier of work experience side for MBA).

If I do go for the MBA option, in a year - I'll wind up in the same low capital reserves rat race position, with a bit more debt - and with a quite an generic MBA - I'm not sure how much premium in skills the MBA would bring to the early days of setting up ventures - rather more smooth springboard into corporate.

If it were you in my shoes - would you pick an MBA, or just get a job and start earning, etc? Thoughts welcomed.

(Apologies it sounded so - though I didn't mean to come across as if options were made up one way or another - it's very much in the flux - though I'm just trying to think what a sensible person would do in my context)

Thanks,
(edited 7 years ago)

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