The Value-Added Graduate School: Proceed with Caution
MBAs are starting to become a dime a dozen in the United States. And with the job market’s continual downfall, how can you be sure that investing in graduate education will provide you with an stepping stone into outstanding workplaces? Let’s take a look at what is happening, rankings that can help you find the right match, and why ‘the creatives’ are the rise.
Graduate School Isn’t For Everyone
Now this first question is critical before considering going back to school. Do you really want to go? First, do you have the drive and determination to do homework again (if you take your work home with you…this may not be so different). Second, do you have adequate experience in the field to bring a working perspective to the classroom and your learning? Now this is something that is underrated in many graduate programs, but knowing your field, the players, and how it presently works can help you get a lot more out of school than if you are fresh out of…well, school. Lastly, will having your graduate degree position you to get jobs that you really want? Masters are typically for people who still want to work with other people, but require a specialized knowledge in a particular field. PhDs will typically place you in more Siloed environments that depend largely on knowledge and academics (not in all cases of course). Now some graduate degrees will overqualify you for positions, others will prepare you for them, so knowing the level, not necessarily the position, that you want to work at and grow from can help you decide.
Now those words of caution out of the way, graduate school can be a phenomenal learning adventure for people of all ages, and help propel you into your career and life goals.
Graduate School Rankings for MBAs, The Social Way
So who is really doing what? How do I pick a good school? What if I want the University’s values system to match my own? Well, if you are looking into MBAs then check out the Aspen Institutes Rankings titled “Beyond Grey Pinstripes“. They rank schools by relevant courses, student exposure, for-profit impact, and faculty research. So you can get a glimpse into the more “social responsibility” aspects of the schools and know what they are noted for with a few clicks of a button (and lots of search features). This is one of the few social rankings developed for graduate schools, so MBA perspectives should definitely give this the once over. There are other rankings available for other disciplines through various bodies, but this was the only site that focused on lifelong learning to prepare students for their whole career.
MBAs are Good, MFAs are Good, and M.#$@s are Good Too
In Daniel Pink’s Book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, he stated that MBAs were a thing of the past and MFAs and other Masters Degrees are just as valuable at today’s top organizations. So don’t feel like an MBA is your only option if you are more creatively inclined. This book speaks about the transitions that our society has undergone over the course of civilization. Our latest phase ruled by the Knowledge Worker (think IT development and the like) is now being shipped overseas and can be replicated by computers and the life, so it is pushing us into a new phase ruled by the Conceptual Worker. These workers are more artistic, intuitive, and creative with skills that cannot be exported or replicated. So follow your instincts, not the market if you are considering going back to school.
There are also a great deal of certificate programs, executive education programs, and other untraditional graduate-level learning courses available that are worth looking into if the ‘piece of paper’ isn’t the main thing you are after.
Why all this talk about school?
Because today’s economic climate has resulted in a huge spike in returning students with no where else to turn. With such high rates of unemployment, many people are seeking the X Factor skills, the skills that will make them invaluable and in-disposable within an organization. Yet being sure that your skills, your passion, and your gut instinct are all aligned for this major decision is important, otherwise you could become just another MBA graduate who is overqualified for entry-level work, underqualified as a mid-career professional, and perfectly qualified for Knowledge Worker ‘work’ that has already been shipped overseas.
So proceed with caution, passion, and a whole lot of instinct. Best of luck to all currently in graduate school, those considering going, and those who have made it through! And remember that social values, environmental justice, and economic equity are not so far off for some ‘business’ schools out there, so take time to find just the right match to lead you toward your goals.
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So who is really doing what?