When I earned my MBA in marketing back in the 1980’s it was a back-up plan in the event the career I thought I wanted fell through. It turns out that not only was the career I thought I wanted a bad fit but that I would have more fun with my MBA in marketing.
I work primarily in the newspaper and publishing industry using my marketing skills to assess demographics, new markets and technological fits. In layman terms I use my degree to target specific groups of people based on what the needs of my employer are at the time.
My use of my MBA in marketing is only one use of many. I’m constantly being headhunted, that is recruited, by other companies looking for my marketing skills. They want me to do for them what I due for my current employer. The more unstable the economy, the better the offer that land on my voice mail on in my inbox. When the economy is shaky every single customer becomes important. Someone who knows how to target those customers is a valuable commodity. I initially selected an MBA in marketing because at that time most companies geared their commercial pursuits to males in the 35-50 age groups. I wanted more focus on the demographics of women. It was never necessary to use my degree in that specific manner because business caught up with society before I graduated.
Any MBA will open doors. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been contacted by a company that hasn’t been hiring and they are offering me a job. Keep in mind, I didn’t apply or send a resume; they called me. An MBA in marketing is particularly useful because of the focus on expanding the customer base. Companies always want more customers. I use my marketing skills to get them for my company. In my case it’s making our product more relevant and necessary to the consumer. This makes our product worth more in advertising revenue.
While I strongly encourage anyone who wants to ensure their financial security to earn their MBA I also need to caution you that once earned you have to keep refreshing it. There are always new skills to learn and new trends to pay attention to in the global marketplace. Keeping your degree fresh my taking additional courses over the course of your career will keep you relevant and sought after. That’s what I have done and it’s been great. Not only does my employer help pay for the classes but I’m also given time off to complete them.
The fact that my employer is willing to help my keep my MBA fresh gives you a pretty good idea of the basic job market. MBA degrees are valuable. An MBA in marketing opens doors and virtually ensures a successful professional life. It’s worked great for me.