MBAs are the switch that flips a career path
When someone finishes their undergraduate education and heads off into the world of work, they are still pretty young. They often take jobs that sound interesting, but people change. They get opportunities to learn about careers they may have never thought of before. They get into a role and start to think about the things they do that they like – or don’t. They reach a point that may call for a reinvention.
And that’s what an MBA empowers, said Marla McGraw, director of career management and employer relations for the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University.
It’s especially important if you’re interested in making a career switch. An MBA gives you the education and sets you up for opportunities to make that switch. It exposes you to new career options and opportunities to network with alumni. If you are planning to make a career switch and do not get an MBA, it’s very difficult to do without the education, resources, and opportunities that an MBA would afford.
When you go into an MBA program, not only are you getting an education, but the companies that are meeting with students are used to career-switchers, McGraw said. They’re used to students talking about their transferrable skills and their interest in pursuing an education that would better help position them for something else. That’s a huge advantage.
Another advantage is the resources an office like McGraw’s in career management can provide to students who are interested in switching careers. They help students identify transferrable skills; help them with their self-assessment and thinking through what kind of careers they’d like to switch to; join them on a deep dive to help them determine specific skills and experiences that they are going to want to highlight with recruiters; and think about what’s best on their resume and cover letter, and what to discuss when networking.
At the Broad College, at least half of its MBA students are looking to switch career paths, McGraw said, which makes a lot of sense when one considers the great recruiters and companies going to MSU, looking for talent.
Whether switching for reasons pertaining to industry, discipline, or location – or even the “triple jump” of all three factors – one needs to work on their messaging and positioning and highlighting of transferrable skills so they’re telling a story that makes sense to recruiters, alumni, and companies, McGraw said. When combining two or three factors together, it can be a bigger challenge, but not insurmountable.
It can be overwhelming if you don’t have the tools with which to make the jump. The MBA is the tool kit that lets you build a new career path.
Marla McGraw is the director of career management and employer relations for the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. She is an experienced career services professional with a demonstrated history of working within highly ranked business schools. She has also worked in human resources and talent acquisition, both for campus and experienced hires.
