<p>Can someone explain to me why do you have to work for 3 years before going to MBA? Cause that sounds like nonsense to me! I mean isn't better to get done with your education as fast as possible to try yourself out in real world? And not waste 3 years of your life! Our time is limited right? </p>
<p>False. The point of an MBA is to develop yourself as a professional. You will hopefully learn just as much from your classmates as you do from actual classes. There’s not much someone with 0 work experience can bring to the table. </p>
<p>Not all schools require work experience before begining an MBA program. That said, you’ll get more out of your classes if you do have some work experience and you’ll find them a bit easier as well.</p>
As others mention, there are plenty of programs that will accept a fresh BA/BS. And - 5 years later, you have experience and an MBA… which is a pretty good place to be.
You will certainly get more out of the degree with some corporate work experience and a few more years of life experience.
The challenge many face after entering the workforce - is stepping out. Cars, houses, spouses, kids, etc. all can distract even the most motivated and focused individuals. You also are unlikely to be as willing to relocate after you settle into career mode.
Be honest with yourself. If you think, your only window to go is now… do it. If you are confident you’ll make the commitment to go back, then wait.
As @nickxx mentioned, having work experience allows you to bring a different perspective and your knowledge to the classroom. MBA classes are typically highly collaborative because that’s simply how the real world is. It’s difficult to participate or speak to basic business issues that you haven’t had the chance to be exposed to. MBAs are also valued for their network. Each student brings with them, their professional experiences and network. If I came from a consulting firm and wanted to work in digital marketing, I would pursue relationships with classmates that have the background I’m looking for. Hopefully I would be able to provide value for them in return as well.
Also your logic that those 3 years are wasted doesn’t really make much sense since you will be spending the same amount of time working/pursuing an MBA regardless of what order you did them in.
While every school granting an MBA does not require 3 years of work experience, any of the top schools require at least that much. I guess you need to decide whether you are just trying to get the “initials” or do you want to get into the best program you qualify for and get the most out of the time you are in the program.
As others have noted, at good MBA programs you learn almost as much from your fellow students as you do from your professor. When I was in school over 30 years ago, it was rather common to go immediately into MBA programs after your undergraduate program. However, companies soon realized that these graduates were often over educated rookies with no practical experience and they soon balked at paying high salaries to these graduates. These companies also made their displeasure known to the college deans and presidents, so the work experience requirement became standard throughout highly ranked programs.
I totally understand the dilemma of waiting a few years before going back to school - life can get in the way. If you go to a lower ranked program because it is easier to accomplish your goal of getting an MBA, just be aware that you will not command a true MBA salary immediately after graduation. Those big 6 figure salaries are for graduates of top programs with credible work experience prior to their MBAs. In all likelihood, your starting salary will not be significantly more than an undergraduate business student.
It is also important to remember that your location also comes into play. If you live in an area with very good, nationally recognized MBA programs, going immediately to a third-tier program won’t help you much - as I have noted above. However, if you live in a part of the country where the best or only MBA programs allow for immediate entry after undergrad - go ahead and apply.