Is Business School Right for You

Is Business School Right for You Applying to business school takes a significant investment of time, energy, and money. From deciding between the GMAT and the GRE, to weighing whether to choose a full-time or part-time MBA program, there are numerous matters involved in the business school process. B-school might be right for you if youre looking to advance your current career, youre hoping to change career paths, or youre wanting to gain skills to lead your own business. Getting a graduate degree in business management is a big decision. Here are three ways to determine if business school is right for you: Business school is right for you if you wish to advance in your current career Earning your MBA may help you progress in your current career if any or all of the following apply to you: Earning a promotion at your job requires experience working on cross-functional teams You need outside experience to bring a different perspective to your organization All of your coworkers in positions above you have graduate degrees The knowledge youll gain through completing an MBA and earning a graduate degree can help you compete for promotions at your current company. Teamwork is a hallmark of MBA programs, whether team projects are integrated into the curriculum or collaborative opportunities, like case competitions, are made available for students to participate in throughout the year. Additionally, business school classes are engineered to include professionals from a variety of backgrounds, so that students can learn from the different perspectives of their peers. [RELATED: 4 Steps to Take Today to Prepare for B-School] Business school is right for you if you would like to change your career to a different function, industry, or country Business school provides an array of opportunities for students who want to make changes in their careers. Maybe you want to shift from development to operations at your nonprofit organization. Perhaps your US-based company is expanding to South America, and you want to lead your corresponding team in the new region. Regardless, the right MBA program can help prepare you for such circumstances. At business school, youll learn about different functions from both your classes and classmates, and youll be able to compare and contrast the responsibilities of a position with the same title at different companies. You can also learn from fellow students, alumni, and professors about industries you may not have experienced or even heard of before. Furthermore, many programs allow you to learn about different functions and industries in different countries, whether you want to attend business school internationally or you want to study abroad for a semester before returning to your domestic program. [RELATED: Is a B-School Study Abroad Program Right for Me?] Business school is right for you if you wish to gain additional skills to lead your own business Whether you have a solopreneur side hustle or you run a company with multiple employees, an MBA program can help you build the expertise necessary to more effectively operate your business. A graduate-level course in organizational behavior can help you develop the skills necessary to manage your team. MBA core requirements in finance and accounting will help you manage your business accounts. To generate more revenue, you may discover innovative ideas through your sales and marketing courses. Though you may not need a graduate degree to prove that you can run your own business, the knowledge gained from your classes, your peers, and your professors can help you operate your business. [RELATED: What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Business School] Business school is not for everyone, but it could be a rewarding option for you. Career climbers can benefit from the boost of having a graduate school education. Career changers can learn from the experiences of their fellow students and gain insights on how to enter a new field or a new country. Business owners can improve their own organizations through the proven strategies shared in an MBA program. If you fit one, two, or all three of the above criteria, then business school may be the right decision for you. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.