Know-How Exchange : Student Questions

Dear Abbas,

Hmm? A Master Of Marketing or an MBA in Marketing?

How about neither?

Project yourself three years down the road and imagine for a moment that you're sitting in some CEO's office because one of her HR drones has picked your résumé for some reason and you are in her office mopping up her time, to interview for a top notch, kick ass marketing job in her multi billion dollar per year company.

As you're sitting there, admiring the floor to ceiling view of downtown Gotham and imagining how you're going to spend your huge salary and fiddle your expense account, you are suddenly snapped back to reality when she leans across her huge desk and says:

"OK, Abbas. You've got next to no real world experience and an MBA?"

You nod enthusiastically and are about to launch into some canned speech when she knocks the wind out of your sales by telling you:

"OK then. Impress me. You've got 30 seconds to sell me on why I should hire you right now, today. Starting now. Go!"

Clock's ticking. Got a great answer? You'd better have, because sadly—and this is just my opinion mind you—that shiny new MBA of yours? It won't make you instantly employable.

In fact, marketing-wise, it might make you a liability.

Unless you've developed real world, kick ass, valuable skills and the ability to predict the future and read people's minds you may be of no use to the world of marketing at all.

Getting an MBA proves you can pass a series of tests but it offers no proof that you can think on your feet or offer a solid, viable opinion that works and that's backed up by real world experience.

On that day, in that CEO's office three years from now, if it's a coin toss between you with your MBA and no experience and the whip smart guy from accounts by way of the mail room who has three years under his belt and a folder stuffed full of killer business building ideas but with NO advanced degree, you lose.

I know nothing about the schools you mention and I cannot and will not advise you on which course to pick, that's your choice.
But know this: an MBA will not make you a marketer—only time, opinion, sweat, tears, mistakes, and hard knocks will do that.

So, if you can't make up your mind about which course is right for you, toss a coin: best of three. Or, put your MBA on hold and get yourself a proper education from the real world.

How?

Start a business; fill a void; offer a kick-ass service; pick one awesome problem and offer one great solution, whatever. But do something that'll give you some ground to plant your flag in.

I hope this helps and really, I wish you the best of luck.

Go for it!

Gary Bloomer
The Direct Response Marketing Guy™
Wilmington, DE, USA

Abbas.. i know where ur coming from but in my honest opinion right now just focus on gaining some practical market experience.
Get some hands on experience for 2-3 years minimum and then apply for an MBA if u want. If you want to really progress your career , do this.

1. Work now and gain as much hands on experience as you can get in the field on industry you really want to be in in future. Your work ex will add value not only for your mba admission, but also during your masters studies and your work profile thereafter

2. Go for an MBA in marketing rather than just masters in marketing. There isn't much difference cuz you can choose lot of marketing electives in your MBA program as well.

3. Don't go for an MBA which is not recognised. I am sure after your extensive work ex, any good B school will take u in and lot of times for a start the brand name of a good b school does help. If you're lookin at Australia for example, go for AGSM or MBS, they are really good schools.

So for now, just focus of getting some good work ex in the industry.

Hope it helps, buzz me if u need any further help.

Cheers RJ

The MBA program requirements are trying to tell you something. Experience makes it easier to get value out of the program. Without it, you don't even know what you don't know.

MBA program directors aren't requiring experience because they want to make it harder to get an MBA, they have seen what happens under the experience / no experience conditions, and they are giving you good advice. Whether you take it or not is up to you.

Do yourself a big favor, and reread Gary Bloomer's post.