Question

Topic: Career/Training

Will Getting An Mba Benefit Copywriter Long-term?

Posted by Anonymous on 3/28/2008 at 3:13 PM ET 125 Points
I've worked as a copywriter for 4 and 1/2 years as part of an in-house creative team at a Fortune 500. My undergrad degrees are in liberal arts, with a minor in English. I also have writing experience from a previous job in the public sector (mostly PR).

At my most recent performance review, my manager (the Creative Director) suggested that an area I should work on is strategy - learning more about why we market our services (b2b and b2c) the way we do, rather than simply focusing on the execution. I asked if he has ever considered getting an MBA and he said yes, and then seemed surprised that I'm considering it. I mentioned that since it's such a big investment of energy, time and money, I really want to be sure it will benefit my career long term. Rather than continue the discussion, he changed the subject.

So, I'm wondering if anyone here can provide some perspective on the benefits of an MBA in Marketing for a copywriter. I have no formal business education - I never even took a basic marketing class during my undergrad - so I wonder if an MBA would help bring me up to speed on the business/strategy side of things, plus give me some credibility with businesses if I decide to freelance (in addition to my day job) or if/when I eventually change companies. I hope to be promoted to sr. copywriter within the next year (it was a good review except for the side-stepping of the MBA question) and long-term I am hoping to work my way up through the ranks to Copy Director and then Creative Director with VP of Creative or VP of Marketing on the (distant!) horizon someday. I'm in my early 30s and it seems like if I'm ever going to go for an MBA or other advanced degree, now is the time to do it.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

E
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by prhyatt on 3/28/2008 at 5:38 PM Accepted
    Hi, Erin-

    You are right that now is the time to pursue an advanced degree if you intend to do so. I was just a few years younger than you are when I did mine, but I had classmates who already had families, and they found it hard to take on the heavy workload on top of work and home responsibilities.

    An MBA program is enhanced by your work experience, and you would find that many of your courses would entail projects that could be done in concert with your regular work responsibilities. But the key, as Juliet correctly points out, is determining whether you really need an MBA or not.

    If you truly aspire to be a VP of Marketing, then by all means you should go for it. You will need the background in basic finance, economics, and so on; plus, to make the transition from copywriting to management, it would give you credibility. If, however, you just want to broaden your scope and understand marketing strategy, then I would think you could get by with a couple of courses in marketing at a local university or community college and would not need the whole MBA program.

    Good luck!
  • Posted by Tracey on 3/28/2008 at 5:57 PM Accepted
    I would actually recommend first spending some time getting your feet wet with strategy before going for the MBA. That will help you make sure that you like it, before spending time/money on the MBA. (If you planned to stay in copywriting forever, I would not suggest an MBA). There are lots of books you could read to get you started w/ strategy, and I'm sure you could also get lots of info from your co-workers (invite them to lunch and pick their brains - most people are happy to share).

    However, now is the time to start researching an MBA and finding out what you would need to beef up your resume/application to get into a good school. Like Juliet, I researched and decided that it's not for me right now, but at least I know what I need to do if I apply in the future. I spoke to someone in admissions at Sloan, and she recommended taking Calculus (but they are very tech-focused - so depends on the school) and volunteering in unique things - ie, something that makes you stand out and demonstrates your passion for it.
  • Posted on 3/30/2008 at 11:52 PM Accepted
    I am 4 months away from getting an MBA from one of the United States' top-20 programs. I am 40 years old and an advertising group creative director w/copy background.

    So though I have a lot more experience than you, I can empathize completely with your thoughts. Ultimately, the decision was made for me due to my career goals. I am moving from the agency/creative side of the game to the corporate/brand side of marketing. So the MBA made perfect sense for me. And, as a creative, the learning I have gained from it has been invaluable and eye-opening.

    My advice to you would be to think about where you want your career to go. If you want to stay in creative the rest of your career, the MBA might not provide you with the best return on investment. However, if like you said, you have aspirations towards a VP of marketing position--something more strategic--then now is the time to start planning for that. In that case, you can't go wrong with an MBA.

    Further, if you do decide to tackle it, do it while you're working so that you can apply, or at least see the context for what you're learning in your day to day life. Also, go for the best school you can afford and get into. MBA competition is stiff, a top degree will help differentiate you.

    Hope this helps.
  • Posted on 4/2/2008 at 5:12 PM Author
    Thank you all so much for your thoughtful responses to my question. I waited a couple of days to respond because I wanted to ensure that I gave each suggestion a lot of thought.

    Each of you made excellent points! I have been researching part-time MBA programs in my area, and will continue to do so. Juliet, you mentioned that MBA programs should have AMBA status - I was not aware of this. Unfortunately, I do not have 3 years experience as a manager, so I wouldn't even be accepted into a program with AMBA status - and by the time I do have 3 years in as a manager, I might not have the time/energy to pursue an MBA. I'm glad you mentioned it though, b/c it is one point I hadn't considered and does give me more to think about.

    Shelley, I think I will take your advice and sign up for a Premium Plus MarketingProfs membership so I can start learning about strategy. As Tracey pointed out, it's probably a good idea to find out if I even enjoy that direction before embarking on an MBA. I'm also looking into taking a few undergraduate business classes at a local university (one of the schools I'm considering for an MBA), as prhyatt suggested. I think this will help me get my feet wet and round out my education a bit before I decide if I'll jump into an MBA program. Also, a little background in business won't hurt if/when I do decide to pursue an MBA.

    bvucsko - I think your response resonated the most with me since you come from a creative/copy background. You make a valid point about my long-term career goals driving this decision, although I do wonder if an MBA would be helpful even if I stay on the creative side (as a Creative Director or VP of Creative). Since I work for a corporation instead of in an agency (and probably will not switch to an agency in the future - although who knows?), I think increasing my business knowledge will be really helpful - even if it doesn't involve an MBA.

    Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply to my question - I really appreciate it and your advice has been very helpful!
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