Real world experience is what gets the job done. Education is what gets the job. The master’s degree is the new bachelor’s degree. Higher education equals higher compensation. Education is often the deciding factor when all other qualifications of two or more job applicants are equal; with favor going to the better educated. Take five minutes and read the classified ads under the job posting headings. Take note of the way employers are wording employment qualifications for specific job categories including sales, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, and business development managers. There is a theme; bachelor’s degree required, preference given to applicants with post graduate degrees and certifications.
The state of today’s economy has been a boon to employers seeking new hires. With a plethora of job applicants for each open position, employers can afford to choose. Potential job applicants can leave no stone unturned; applicants have on average less than 20 seconds to impress a human resource applicant screener with their credentials. Each time an employer reviews a resume they are looking for the cream of the crop, not just the qualified, but the most specifically qualified. Potential employees applying to positions stating “MBA preferred” which do not meet those qualifications, will rarely be given the opportunity of an interview; regardless of employment history, or actual real world experience.
Make sure to look up free research papers online during your studying because it will give you a better look at the benefits of going back to school for a Masters or other graduate level degree. The internet has a lot of good resources that will give you insight into the best programs, colleges, areas and almost everything that you would need to know to make an educated decision on when,where, and why you should go back to school.
Irrespective of the interval from the completion of a bachelor’s degree, continuing on to post graduate degree programs requires entrance exams. Graduate programs including MBA and Master’s in Finance or Economics will expect specific exam score minimums from all applicants to be considered. Although MBA programs are far more plentiful than some other more specialized master’s programs, acceptance is no less difficult. Properly preparing for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is imperative to testing well and gaining admission to a graduate program.
GMAT tests can be taken several times throughout any calendar year, and are administered exactly like other standardized college entrance exams. Students for whom testing may be an issue should consider GMAT prep courses; usually one or two full day courses, a series of online classes, or self-help workbooks will be sufficient. Students should choose the format that works best for them based on weaknesses, time, test dates, and budget. Post graduate applicants whom have been out of the education system for more than two years will benefit greatly from GMAT classes.
GMAT prep courses aide in the preparation of responding to the unique format of the 75 minute long, 37 question quantitative analysis section. This 60 point portion of the GMAT has proven to be more distressing than the analytical writing assessment section of the three part test. The three year mean score for this section is 32.6, with a score of 50 being rare. Preparation is critical to attaining overall and section specific minimum exam scores for post graduate acceptance.
Employers readily acknowledge applicants holding a MBA have met certain problem solving and critical reasoning proficiency levels prior to admission to a graduate degree program. Exhibition of these crucial business survival skills assists the employer in assessing a potential new hire’s strengths and weaknesses, better MBA programs require higher entrance exam scores. Better schools equal higher scores; the more skilled an applicant is in critical reasoning and problem solving, the more valuable an asset they become to a potential employer.
Employees should always learn. An employee which is not learning is no longer an asset to their employer. Post graduate degrees, bachelor’s degrees followed by professional certifications, and seminars, all qualify as continuing education. Education holds the key to the interview room.