The Ten Most Dangerous Things Business Schools Teach MBAs
We’re constantly told by colleges and grad schools that the unemployment rate is 4% for those with college degrees and over 14% for those with only a high school education.
Of course, there are lots of grad school degrees you can take, but most of us would say that MBA is probably your best bet to maximize your future income stream. A whole industry of business schools and test preparation companies have been born to help you get that coveted Master ofBusiness Administration.
But is it worth it? Listen, I have a Master’s degree from Columbia Business School. I love the school, the professors, and the friends I made there. However, there’s a lot of dangerous stuff you can pick up along the way to getting your degree. Here are the 10 most dangerous things your professors and fellow students might teach you while you study to get that MBA degree.
1. That You Matter. A lot of MBA students start to think they’re all that once they get accepted into B-School. They think they’re even more important once they graduate and get that first job post-MBA and start having to rub shoulders with all the non-MBAs of the world. However, speaking as a guy more than 10 years out from B-School, let me burst your bubble by saying that your first job post-MBA is basically the same as a job working in the mailroom. You’re a glorified paper pusher. Your opinion won’t really be taken seriously by anyone in your company who matters. Don’t sweat it. Just work your tush off and you’ll get a chance to matter later.
3. That You Made a Good Investment. Several MBAs I knew created detailed spreadsheets showing me and themselves that they’d have paid off their MBA tuition and two years’ lost income within a very short period of time. They saw getting an MBA as an investment in themselves. I would say, if you want to learn, you can learn a lot from the 2 year experience. But there will be lots of folks out there who never leave their jobs and probably make much more money over their lifetimes. There are lots of MBAs who are still trying to find themselves over the two years. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just don’t kid yourself that you’re making an investment in yourself, when you’re just clueless about what you want to do with the rest of your life.
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