r2i forum

Lately, I have been wondering if I should get an MBA before R2I. The thought gained further steam on my recent trip to India when I met too many people I know who are taking the enterprenerial (is that a word?) route.

To give some background about myself - I work for one of the top 10 semiconductor companies as a designer, with about 8 years of experience and hoping to R2I in 2009. Hoping to do "regular" work for 10-15 years after R2I, and then join/start an NGO or a non-profit doing something worthwhile satisfying.

A slew of related qns follow whenever I start thinking about this....
Should I come back to the same industry post-MBA or should I consider change?
Are the skills developed in managing a for profit going to be useful at a non-profit?
Is mid-30's too late to do an MBA? (ie., would it hurt my chances of admission? I was reading the ISB admissions FAQ, and it insinuated so.)
What kind of MBA? ie., part-time/fulltime etc. (Ideally so far I am thinking a fulltime 1 year program like INSEAD/ISB/?? - any other good schools offering one? Hoping to move to India right after the MBA)
Is it really worth the time and money, even from a top school?


I know a lot of the answers to these are subjective and really depend on my priorities/interests etc., but just wanted to throw the questions out there in the hope esteemed members will give me some sound advice/feedback/opinions.

Regards.

I'm in the same boat too. From what I can see, if u want to grow in management positions (at least engineering management) in tech companies in India, I dont think an MBA is really that big a deal. Most of my friends and lot of people I know are already senior managers/directors/VPs in India with just a bachelor's degree in engineering.

But then, that was a period of huge growth in India. So, people could move into project manager roles and upwards in a relatively short period of time (5 yrs). I'm not sure that the same can be expected in the future.

Now, if you want to join non-tech companies, e.g, strategy consulting, investment banking/management, sales & trading, Private Equity/Venture Cap etc., its really useful. Again, I'm not sure of the ROI on a damn expensive US/Europe MBA if you dont get into a high profile role in a well paying industry.

For someone with ur experience, u should not look at ISB/Indian schools.
The age profile tells it all. Its mostly Bachelor's with 2-4 years experience. And 75% of the class is engineers. Dont bother all that much with it.

For full time MBA, u r on higher age profile for most US univs. The best european univs to suit ur profile would be INSEAD, IMD. (1 year MBAs) and MIT Sloan (1 year) MBA for executives.

U can consider part-time/executive MBAs at Berkeley, UCLA, Chicago, Wharton, Kellogg, Purdue. But these are damn expensive. (Upwards of 130K). Again, if u dont land a great/high paying job or atleast get into an industry where an MBA is seen a strong requirement/necessity for performance, the ROI would suck big time.

The advatage of full time is the oppurtunities for campus recruitment etc.

One mroe thing is that, most people get into part-time/Exec MBAs for contacts with high profile classmates. If u r R2Iing, again., I dont see the point of paying 130K for contacts in the US/Europe that would not be of much help to you in India.

MBA from a top notch school is a zero sum game man. U spend tons of money. U get into a job that pays tonss of money with dog hours (100hours per week types). U then get out and move into executive roles which pay even more money. The cycle continues.

If ur plans are R2Iing, non-profit etc. etc., u have to do a lot more research on ROI and job opportunities in India, bro.

BTW, its never too late for an MBA. There is always an exec MBA (alteast until mid 40s). The point is, how will it benefit you (ROI) , given ur needs and profile.

Just my 2 cents.

DHT,

Good summarization.

One might also want to consider the option of pursuing an Exec MBA course in India instead of the US?

I have given this (enrolling for a exec MBA course in B'lore after R2I'ing) a passing thought.

My interest is in gaining knowledge in certain areas of management rather than using it as a means toward advancements in employment. So, grades and/or prestige of the institution offering the course is immaterial to me.

Would love to hear from anyone who has any feedback on exec MBA courses in B'lore/India.

BTW... I regret not being an MBA: Mittal

Here are the management schools in india offering part-time MBA courses.

http://www.indiabschools.com/exec_mba.htm

OP

Just to give you a perspective from the other side. I did an MBA from one of the top 10 schools. #2 has summarized quite well the pros and cons and line of thinking. I will add a few more:

1. A top school MBA costs a lot and can pay off in investment banking, maybe consulting and otherwise only if you can make it to the top in other jobs
2. The best way is to not bother with an MBA and focus on growing in your job, but in many tech jobs that is not a great possibility. Another possibility is moving into non-technical areas. For this a local part time MBA on the side may help build your knowledge but will not give you a breakthrough
3. Almost certainly R2I after a top school MBA is a bad idea ROI wise. After 10 plus yrs as a chip designer you can make 25 lacs, now after the MBA you go in a different role and start from the bottom, so you could actually make less starting out. The flip side is that maybe without the MBA you have a lesser chance of making it to the top.
4. One thing that I got from the MBA is intangible. Before and after I could see a change in the way I thought and approached everything from a business/ROI/money/strategic angle and in that sense I feel I have an edge over someone I am competing with who does not have an MBA. Maybe the education instills that in you. Second, prior to MBA, I was in awe of senior management and tongue tied in front of them. Now I am comfortable conversing even with CXO level people. I am hoping it all leads to tons of more money:emwink:, that will lead me to rebalance my AAP, but it may or may not happen. I did it because I was done with writing code and wanted a change - in that sense it worked out, although at a high cost.

Even if you have all these skills but, are stuck in a shitty career... MBA from a Top-10 school is worth the money. Full-Time or Part-Time doesn't matter as long as the school has brand name.

(My Top-10: Northwestern, Chicago, Michigan, Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Berkley, Columbia, NY-Stern, Duke);

(Part-Time only @ Chicago, Northwestern, Michigan as these 3 give equal opportunities for PT'ers)

MeraNaseebR2I;15810I have a slightly different perspective than others on this thread.

If you lack
analyzing skills,
understanding the big picture in companies,
analyzing financial decisions made in companies,
leadership skills
decision making skills
strategic decision making
analyzing an opportunity - financially, market perspective, competitive perspective etc.

Doing an MBA will open up your mind to these.

From your description it does not appear to me that you intend to change your career at this stage. If you need to hone up on the above skills MBA is good.
Part-time MBA or Exec MBA will help here.

If you need to change your career (move from engineering to investment banking) - Go for a Full time MBA (do not dick around and waste your time in part-time MBA)

I see that you are in Boston. Two excellent programs in Boston schools - the Greater Boston Executive Program at MIT or Executive MBA at Babson. You can aim for either. It is well worth it.

Cheers and Good Luck[/quote]

Getting an MBA in mid to late thirties -- Is this considered late? Any thoughts on MBA from UT Austin...

If one wants to further his/her career in the same field say IT into Proj. Mgr/Director...etc..is MBA really necessary or PMP certification would be good enough?

However, if one wants to change a career (after spending X years in IT) to Finance such as Corp. Finance, (Investment Banking is too late at this age) what kind of opportunities can one expect....

or

Are you just better off sticking to IT...


Thoughts are welcome...Can anyone post their experiences or suggest if they have actually done this?


TIA,
aspiring:)

I was planning to do the same. But then it would just keep delaying my plans to R2I. And of course the additional $$ that I would spend on GMAT, tution, books, etc. Even after doing MBA, I havent seen many desis in top management positions in Fortune 500 companies. The goras will never let them go high.