M.B.A. T.I.M.I.N.G.
I had someone ask me the other day why I decided to get my MBA when I did if I thought the timing mattered. I did not have some grand scheme to relay to him that showed some great wisdom in my own timing. However, I did appreciate the "real world" experience I had before obtaining my MBA.I went back for my MBA after approximately 4 years in the workplace. During those 4 years, I held 4 different IT roles. While I am certain I would have still benefitted from the MBA right after undergraduate, the experiences in those 4 years clarified my studies.
To put it another way, whenever I have read books on leadership they always made sense. However, it wasn't until I held a leadership role or two that these books suddenly made REAL sense. Instead of reading the text and thinking, "cool, I like that idea", the thoughts now are "Ah-Ha! Why the heck didn't I think of that, I must make sure and do that next time". The lessons stick better, you retain more and the reading seems more exciting.
In essence, this is what "real world" experience gains you before an MBA. There is no magic formula, no secret timeline. But in the end, I do believe you will be better served getting a few years under your belt before going back for an MBA.
Labels: Career, Education, MBA
Adding Presentations
Someone at a recent networking event asked for a copy of the slide deck used for a technology team step back meeting. So I have added this, along with generic versions of some other slide decks that I often refer to, to www.lichtenwalner.net.These decks really are just the basics, as I have stripped out any organization-specific information, but they may be good starting points or suggestions. If you have suggestions for similar presentations, have something to add, please, let me know.
It's not you, it's your experience
One of the things that never gets any easier for me as a hiring manager is rejecting applicants. At this point, I probably interviewed more than 250 people over the years (it doesn't help that I am always working in high growth organizations). Of those 250, I hired about 50 (generally speaking, HR screens candidates before I meet them). This still means I've rejected many. So what's the problem? If somebody is not qualified, they are not qualified, right? That is essentially true. The problem is, there are also a lot of candidates out there that may be considered qualified technically, but not the right fit any number of other reasons.To give some examples, I have been interviewing candidates for a rather senior technology role recently. The nature of this role results in a number of applicants with greater experience than I have. I have met some amazing folks, with incredible accomplishments and great personalities. Still, these folks need to have "been there, done that" in very challenging roles with organizations of similar scale. I could go on for hours trying explain why this experience is necessary, but it would not help.
The simple fact is, there are certain attributes of the SMB sector you can't gleam from the Fortune 500 and vice versa. The challenges in high growth organizations are simply much different than plateaued ones. No ammount of reading, research or other preparation can ready you for this.
So, the next time somebody says, "we went another way", please don't be offended. Look at your experience, the organizations you worked for and any other relevant factors. Chances are the hiring manager is feeling really guilty about not being able to provide you a more detailed explanation...
MBA / MS for CIO / CTO
Thinking about going back to school? Trying to decide on an MBA or MS? No worries, just choose the rest of your career path (and no pressure either, by the way).When I was preparing for graduate school, I was torn over whether to pursue an MBA or a Masters, when a professor asked me: Do you want to be a CIO or a CTO. This advice stuck with me.
If it's a CIO you want to be, you may want to consider the MBA. The business skills, strategy and management expertise will server you well. If it is a CTO you want to be, the Masters degree, especially in a Science field, will gain you the respect of the technical staff and establish more technical credibility. Of course, both will truly server you very well in either role.
If you are incredibly smart, or just a glutton for punishment, you can, of course, do both. I'm no glutton though.
