Is Business School Worth It – Taking a Closer Look at the Benefits

When laying out your future career path, there is plenty to take into consideration. It’s a roadmap of sorts and it’s usually best to start with the destination – your career goal – and then work your way backwards, planning the best route to get there. For many people, that route may include enrolling in business school. Now, because the term “business school” can seem a bit vague, it’s only natural that people find themselves asking “is business school worth it?”, is an online MBA going to make a difference, and will it help you to land your dream career?

Where it used to be that people would be quick to say yes to any sort of secondary education that led to a degree, today people have become much more critical and want to know that their educational efforts and expenses will pay off. So, let’s take a look at what the benefits are of enrolling in business school, and what kind of career it may help you to land.

Students are Typically Mindful of the Cost and the Commitment

When it comes to what may be holding you back from enrolling, for many students the biggest factor is the cost and then the time and effort you need to put into it. Not only can it be rather pricey, but since a lot is required of you, the odds of you being able to keep a full-time job at the same time aren’t very high.

Now, this is where online MBA benefits really come into play, as the online route gives students a lot more flexibility in terms of scheduling. You won’t have to commute to and from campus (typically you can work classes around your existing schedule so you may be able to keep working), and enrollment doesn’t always coincide with the actual campus so you usually have more dates to choose from. Not only that, but the online option tends to cost less money. What this means is that the online option is able to address two of the biggest student concerns.

What Can Business School Offer You?

So, if you can get over the cost, time, and effort you’ll need to put into the venture, the big question is what it will offer you? How can business school make it worth it? While people may respond with a variety of answers, the most common tends to be that once they graduate business school, they will be able to command a job with a higher salary. You won’t be relegated to just the entry level positions with the pay that matches.

There is also the fact that going to business school can help you land that promotion when it does pop up since you have that extra level of skill and knowledge.

What is really interesting is that statistics show that 77% of MBA grads have reported either a pay raise, a promotion, or a pay raise and a promotion and that can be attributed back to obtaining their MBA. They are essentially able to land a job and a salary that would not be possible without their MBA.

A Chance to Grow Other Skills

Business school can also help students in another way that is equally as marketable to employers; known as soft skills, it includes things like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and leadership.

Business school is able to impart confidence in students and make them feel sure of their own skills and what they have to offer. That can then be translated into these soft skills that employers are on the hunt for. It’s just another benefit that a person can offer and perhaps give them a leg up on the competition.

Sometimes It Can be Swayed by the Market and/or Industry

Now it should be noted that for all the positives, benefits, and people raving about what business school did for them, there are times that the market and/or industry will be swayed by other factors. Some will argue that it didn’t help them immediately, or that they didn’t see it making a huge impact at all. So, there is never that set-in-stone guarantee.

Ensure You Pick a Reputable School

Finally, if you have decided that business school does indeed make sense for you and your future, it’s a good idea to do some research and ensure you enroll in a top ranked online MBA program at a reputable school. Not only will potential employers look at the fact you have an MBA, but they will see what school awarded it to you, which can make a difference.

Deciding whether or not business school is worth it boils down to a number of factors. Do you have the time, energy, and money to put into the program? What kind of job do you want to land, and what are your career goals in the future?