Know-How Exchange : Career/Training

Best of all worlds, when it comes to hiring, would be to have both experience and the degree. But having one or the other could also work.

Some masters programs require work experience to get in, but not all. It varies school by school. I would go to gradschool.com and see what programs are listed there. Also, read Business Week and other magazines that rate business schools (google "top MBA programs" or similar to find them online).

If you do go right for the MBA, do everything possible to get an internship or part time job (if allowed - not sure the US student visa allows it) that is relevant to marketing, so you can work on the experience side.

Dear hkanyoke,

Peter's right. When it comes to hiring, the best of both worlds is to have the qualification AND the work experience.

If it's a coin toss between a new graduate with no work experience and qualifications up the wazzoo and someone WITH work experience who has either gained additional qualifications or who is currently working towards an MBA or some other kind of advanced degree, MOST (not all, but most) employers would err on the side of the person WITH the work experience.

I'm a firm believer in education, but not simply for the sake of getting a piece of paper and a few extra letters after one's name. There's no real reason why you can't apply for marketing or advertising jobs AND study part time.

I know of lots of people who either did this, or who went back to college later in life and who did well academically, AND who then used their new qualification to get themselves a great job.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

If I was you, I'd try to get a job first. If you're having a hard time finding work, then maybe you should try grad school. Working first is the best option, because you can go to grad school after a few years of work. This will make you more marketable after the masters degree, since you'll have both education and experience. Furthermore, it's a great way to find out what you're interested in doing before you go to grad school. You'd hate to go to grad school, start working, and later find out you want to be in another field/industry that your graduate degree doesn't help for.

Lastly, if you're thinking about getting an MBA, you'll need work experience. Very few MBA programs take students without a few years of work experience. I imagine that Masters in Marketing programs are different, since most masters programs in other disciplines will take students with or without work experience.