Is I-banking the only way to go??

Graduate School Business School - MBA
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<p>I don't know much about what kinds of jobs you can get after getting an MBA, but all I seem to see on this board is talk of being an investment banker. Is that the only thing you can do with an MBA?? What else is out there? Does anyone know of any good resources where I can research this further? </p>

<p>I had wanted to go and get my masters in public administration because I had always been interested in public sector and government mangement. My girlfriend and father however are giving me crap about it, saying I should get an MBA instead because an MPA would limit me to only the public sector. My know it all father thinks that an MBA would afford me more opportunities.</p>

<p>I don't feel like listening to either of them, but I want to make sure I don't make the wrong decision, get a non-MBA masters degree and then be stuck in a career with no financial rewards. Is there any trend of MBA graduates working for government related agencies? I just want to know what kind of opportunities are out there for MBAs besides investment banking.</p>

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<p>You can do a lot of things besides I-banking. You can go into consulting, marketing, real estate, nonprofit, high tech, etc, etc.</p>

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<p>The Secretary of Labor has an MBA.</p>

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<p>
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I don't know much about what kinds of jobs you can get after getting an MBA, but all I seem to see on this board is talk of being an investment banker. Is that the only thing you can do with an MBA??

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<p>Hardly so. Even at the top MBA programs, only about 20-40% will go into investment banking. Heck, in some of the most elite circles, Ibanking is considered somewhat passe. For example, at HBS, the sentiment of much of the student body is that you only go into Ibanking if you're just not good enough to get a job in VC/PE or a hedge fund. </p>

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What else is out there?

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<p>Arguably the #1 most common destination of students at the top programs is management consulting. </p>

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[quote]
I had wanted to go and get my masters in public administration because I had always been interested in public sector and government mangement. My girlfriend and father however are giving me crap about it, saying I should get an MBA instead because an MPA would limit me to only the public sector. My know it all father thinks that an MBA would afford me more opportunities

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</p>

<p>Well, that would depend far more on the name-brand of the school and the recruiting opportunities involved, rather than just a simple MBA/MPA dichotomy. For example, getting an MPA at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government will almost certainly give you greater access to more opportunities (including in the private sector) than getting an MBA from some no-name school. </p>

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Is there any trend of MBA graduates working for government related agencies?

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<p>Sure, that happens too. Not that often (probably because of the pay), but there are some people with MBA's who go to government. The government employs plenty of MBA's. For example, George Bush is an HBS graduate, as is Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson. Donald Evans, former Sec of Commerce, has an MBA from Texas. Former Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has an MS (equivalent to an MBA) from the MIT Sloan School. New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has an MBA from Chicago. </p>

<p>Now of course, you can't obviously "get" any of these jobs right out of school. But it just shows you that people who have MBA's do sometimes enter government work.</p>

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<p>Most MBAs, particularly those which aren't at the very top MBA programs, are gotten by people in the middle of their career in order to propel themselves into a management position - perhaps with their old firm (who may pay for it), perhaps with someone else.</p>

<p>It's also very typical for people to get MBAs in order to get a career change. Business school is probably the best opportunity you can have to get a chance to expose yourself to a wide variety of fields, and then get hired as a manager there, or with some position of responsibility (at least if it's one of the better schools).</p>

<p>You know how, in former eras, having a law degree was sort of the union card for making a difference in society and being able to do important work? In order to be in politics, and all that? The MBA is becoming (or has recently become) the multi-purpose degree of the 21st century. Go read Richard Montauk's book on getting into business school, even the first chapter, and it'll explain why people get MBAs.</p>

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<p>Lots of good info from everyone, thanks. My next question is though, about the whole work experience thing, do Business schools want people who are already in management or do they just want those who have general work experience? For instance, I've been out of college for one year and I've had two jobs so far, the one I am at now, while it isn't the most exciting of jobs, the pay is good and the people are great and I don't really want to leave unless I have to, however, the job isn't any kind of business management type job or a job where I manage other people. I would say I don't have a huge deal of responsibility at this job. Do I need to go out and get better work experience or is it possible to have one job after college for a number of years and then go to Business school. I mean, it still shows that you have real world work experience. I just would like to know what the norm is for the work experience thing because it isn't too clear to me.</p>

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<p>Work experience can be pretty much anything. You can be a banker, you can be a teacher, you can be in the military. Whatever.</p>

<p>But as for the management experience, you'll need some kind of leadership, whether it's part of your job or not. I almost guarantee that you'll have to address your leadership experience in an essay or interview question at any school you apply to.</p>