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If you have already climbed to the executive levels of the business world, you may be considering an executive MBA program to take your career even further. This accelerated form of MBA training is reserved exclusively for executives who have already found gainful employment and achieved a considerable amount of work experience. The problem is you may not know for sure that achieving this advanced degree will help further your career.
If you are stuck in a moment of indecisiveness, consider this quick rundown of the pros and cons of going through an executive MBA program. By the end, you should have a better idea of whether the degree fits your individual career needs.
Executive MBA Pros
The biggest pro to going through an executive MBA program is the attention that it will earn you from your employer. It is not uncommon for executives to push themselves far ahead of their biggest competitors simply by obtaining this degree on their own ambition. Some employers are now requiring executives to get their executive MBA, but when you step out and willingly sign up without the requirement, you show your boss your dedication to being the best possible manager. It can easily be what pushes you to the next level of your corporate career.
Of course, you also come out a much better leader with superior skills to those who have not undertaken the executive MBA. This will continue to impress your superiors on a daily basis, even after the impression of your drive and ambition wear away.
For these reasons, your chances of receiving a salary hike, bigger office with a better view, or a brand new title on the outside of the door increase drastically when you get your executive MBA. Your resume will look better than ever and you will have less to worry about in terms of layoffs and future periods of unemployment.
The executive MBA program is designed exclusively for working executives and a lot of the work is done while on the job. This means you have much less class time than you would have in a standard MBA program. This means you don’t have to waste a lot of time taking lower level, introductory, or unrelated coursework. You get right to the important stuff that you need to advance your career.
There are also some condensed programs that allow you to get your degree in very little time. It doesn’t even have to take a year if you invest yourself in one of these accelerated programs. This makes a lot of the cons noted below more bearable. You don’t have to endure them for long and the payoffs are worthwhile.
Executive MBA Cons
The biggest con to going through an executive MBA program is the time that it steals away from your private life. If you have a family, you will not see them very often while studying for this degree. You will have a lot of work to do while in the office and then on the weekend you are likely to be fulfilling required classroom time for your degree. The program doesn’t leave a lot of free time for hobbies, family and intimate relationships.
If you are worried about this, consider talking with your employer about possible changes in your work duties while studying. Some employers see the value of this degree and will lighten the load for students.
The expense of the program can also be a con, but many employers will pay some or all of the tuition fees.
