Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

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GrayS26
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Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by GrayS26 »

I was thinking of getting an MBA from my state school which doesn’t have a very good program.

Reason being, it’s not that expensive and I want to save money. All the good programs cost a lot.

I don’t expect a super prestigious job or top tier pay obviously, but I would like to move to a really big city after getting my MBA - like one of the top 3 or 4 biggest cities in our country (USA).

Do you think I would be able to find a job in a big city via one of those job application websites (or some other way) after getting my MBA?

Thanks
pejp
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by pejp »

GrayS26 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:24 pm I was thinking of getting an MBA from my state school which doesn’t have a very good program.

Reason being, it’s not that expensive and I want to save money. All the good programs cost a lot.

I don’t expect a super prestigious job or top tier pay obviously, but I would like to move to a really big city after getting my MBA - like one of the top 3 or 4 biggest cities in our country (USA).

Do you think I would be able to find a job in a big city via one of those job application websites (or some other way) after getting my MBA?

Thanks
Might help if you specify what kind of job you have in mind. It’s a pretty vague question.
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GrayS26
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by GrayS26 »

I was thinking finance maybe
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Pajamas
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Pajamas »

You don't need any degree at all to get a job in a big city.

Consider moving to the city first and then getting your MBA. If you are going to go to go to a third-tier business school, it would be helpful to go in the city you want to live in so you can at least make some contacts. You might even be able to find an employer who will give you tuition reimbursement, depending on your undergraduate degree. Then you might even be able to go to a more expensive school.
pejp
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by pejp »

Well, it’s possible to get a job in finance with or without an MBA. You might want to ask again when you have a more specific question.
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Watty
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Watty »

What is your undergraduate degree in?

Most likely you could get a job in a big city just with that especially if you already have some work experience.
GrayS26 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:24 pm .....I would like to move to a really big city after getting my MBA - like one of the top 3 or 4 biggest cities in our country (USA).
Unless there is something that you are specifically looking for then you should keep an open mind to smaller cities too. Once a city gets very large a lot of the size is just more of the same. Moving to a city with 150 McDonalds is not all that much different than moving to a city with only 50 McDonalds. :D That is a bit extreme but once a city is large enough to have pretty much everything you want making the city larger does not necessarily improve it. Think "Goldilocks" not too big and not too small.
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Pajamas
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Pajamas »

Watty wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:16 pm Unless there is something that you are specifically looking for then you should keep an open mind to smaller cities too. Once a city gets very large a lot of the size is just more of the same. Moving to a city with 150 McDonalds is not all that much different than moving to a city with only 50 McDonalds. :D That is a bit extreme but once a city is large enough to have pretty much everything you want making the city larger does not necessarily improve it. Think "Goldilocks" not too big and not too small.
That's only true if you live in the 'burbs. :D
Sockpuppet
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Sockpuppet »

Some financial firms brag about how they only hire folks with degrees from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton and avoid hiring folks from the lesser Ivys like Cornell and Brown.

https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/percola ... tier/27565

Other firms aren’t run by megalomaniacs.
NoGambleNoFuture
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by NoGambleNoFuture »

Got my MBA from what most would consider a lower tier school as I had athletic eligibility left...

Currently split my time between Austin and SF and will probably never have to apply for a job again. Experience, knocking it out of the park once you're in (somewhere, anywhere), and networking / making connections with the right people will take you anywhere you could ever want to go in the world.

Sure, a Harvard MBA or similar will open doors that might not be available to the average joe to start... but if you're hungry enough and smart enough, the school on that piece of paper won't limit you if you don't let it.
mega317
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by mega317 »

I know nothing about finance/business. But I went to a mediocre medical school and got a residency and then attending job in big cities at competitive hospitals.
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gunn_show
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by gunn_show »

pejp wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:01 pm Well, it’s possible to get a job in finance with or without an MBA. You might want to ask again when you have a more specific question.
this #1..... terribly vague questions ....
"The best life hack of all is to just put the work in and never give up." Bas Rutten
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gunn_show
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by gunn_show »

NoGambleNoFuture wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:37 pm Got my MBA from what most would consider a lower tier school as I had athletic eligibility left...

Currently split my time between Austin and SF and will probably never have to apply for a job again. Experience, knocking it out of the park once you're in (somewhere, anywhere), and networking / making connections with the right people will take you anywhere you could ever want to go in the world.

Sure, a Harvard MBA or similar will open doors that might not be available to the average joe to start... but if you're hungry enough and smart enough, the school on that piece of paper won't limit you if you don't let it.
this #2.... very similar to my path, but split socal and SFBA... knocking it out of park often > mba brand ...
"The best life hack of all is to just put the work in and never give up." Bas Rutten
ivk5
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by ivk5 »

GrayS26 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:59 pm I was thinking finance maybe
I didn't do MBA, but know many who have. General wisdom seems to be you need a good reason for it to be worthwhile. If rationale for this degree is "finance maybe," you might be setting yourself up for regret. Don't forget "cost" is not just tuition and living expenses - it's value of your time, opportunity cost. Not exactly what you asked, but perhaps better to start with, "Should I go to business school?" and then "How do I choose a business school that suits my goals and reasons for going?"
Murgatroyd
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Murgatroyd »

There are many ways to answer your question. The most direct is for you to make an appointment with the placement office. Find out what companies and locations recruit there. Get the last few years of stats showing where the grads were hired. It either works for you, or not.

Good luck.
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by michaeljc70 »

Of course you can get a job in a big city. WIll it be for the top tier firms for top dollar? Probably not. After the first 5-10 years though, your experience will probably matter more than the degree. If you have already started working (assume you have a bachelor's degree already), that may have already excluded you from some of those top tier firms based on where you have already worked.
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by quantAndHold »

The top tier MBA programs lead to certain opportunities that you won’t get at a lesser school. If you want to be an I-banker in NYC, you need to go to a top tier school. Beyond that, though...the one piece of advice I’d give is to get your MBA in the city you want to live in after graduation. One of the main reasons to get an MBA is for the networking opportunities. So network with people who live and work in the location where you want to live and work.
Big Dog
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Big Dog »

One of the main reasons to get an MBA is for the networking opportunities.
Exactly. If you are going to go to a lower-rated school, much better to attend in the locale in which you wish to live.
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Glockenspiel »

A job? Yes, of course you can get a job in the big city. Depends on your salary requirements, experience, and type of work you want to do, though.
jayk238
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by jayk238 »

Gotta be more specific man.
Career history
Prior degree
Accomplishments in work
Age and life experience
Field of work interest in. Finance doesnt cut it.
almostretired1965
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by almostretired1965 »

My opinion is that an MBA from anything other than a top 20 program is basically a bad investment if you must pay for it yourself. If you can get someone else to pay for it, that's a another story.

The truth of the matter is you don't really learn all that much, except, perhaps how management consultants approach problems. The value of an MBA is almost entirely due to signaling.
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Tycoon
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Tycoon »

Yes, most definitely.
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by carguyny »

Avoid programs that are only as valuable as the school their from, rather than the program itself. MBA programs fall squarely in that camp.

I've worked in finance for about 20 years - I like hiring people from very functional disciplines like mathematics, engineering, economics. If someone doesn't get the numbers inherently then whatever their soft skills are doesn't matter. It's much easier to teach someone and build someone's soft skills than an inherent grasp of finance.
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Alexa9
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Alexa9 »

MBA is all about networking to get you a job. All of the class material is available online for free if you're just looking to learn. If you're smart and ambitious, you might look into getting a CFA if you want to get into finance. Much more respected than a 3rd tier MBA.
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

GrayS26 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:59 pm I was thinking finance maybe
Specifically, what type of finance job were you thinking of applying for?
"One should invest based on their need, ability and willingness to take risk - Larry Swedroe" Asking Portfolio Questions
Grt2bOutdoors
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

mega317 wrote: Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:11 am I know nothing about finance/business. But I went to a mediocre medical school and got a residency and then attending job in big cities at competitive hospitals.
Having the initial of "D" following the "M" is the difference. Attending and graduating from certain schools will open many more doors. If OP believes attending and graduating local school will lead to an M&A, corporate development type function at a major company in year 1-5 he's going to be in for a surprise. It can happen, but for it to happen he'll need practical experience and need to have a large rolodex full of contacts.
"One should invest based on their need, ability and willingness to take risk - Larry Swedroe" Asking Portfolio Questions
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JoeRetire
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by JoeRetire »

GrayS26 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:24 pmDo you think I would be able to find a job in a big city via one of those job application websites (or some other way) after getting my MBA?
Yes, you can get a job in a big city, even if you don't get any MBA at all. Unemployment is very low these days. Plenty of places are looking for help.
If you are really good, you might get a good job.
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wandering_aimlessly
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by wandering_aimlessly »

Most of us can really only offer our own experience - the sum of which is hopefully helpful. Personally I used a top tier MBA program (UPENN) to transition from the Navy to the civilian world (20 years ago)...and it worked out spectacularly (and though I am in finance it was neither banking or Consulting). That said, I had a very specific goal that I wanted from the MBA. I had some classmates who appeared to have no idea on why they were there (other than they wanted to say they had an MBA from a top tier school) - and those struggled more on the transition out. I wouldn't say a job in a major city is a great reason - as many folks have stated - you can get a job with or without an MBA in a city... better to spend some time defining exactly what job you want (and with who) and figure out using specific salary or culture to evaluate an MBA (and whether there is an advantage to a big name program)
JBTX
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by JBTX »

Can you get a job in a big city? Probably.

Will an mba from a mediocre school in a different state help. Maybe. Maybe not. It really depends on what your undergrad is and what if any work experience you have.

Will just having any MBA help? Maybe. Sometimes certain jobs have “MBA preferred”.

Will and mba in mediocre U by itself open doors in different geopgraphies? Probably not.

If you already have a bsinesess finance or accounting underground will the mba help? Maybe a little. Probably not a lot. You would probably be competing for the same jobs.

Is the mba a good long term investment? Maybe. Is foregoing job now to get a full time day time mediocre MBA a smart move? Really depends but probably not.

Mediocre mba is only going to be an additional creditential. Your other academic and career background is more important.
magicrat
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by magicrat »

Picking a "not very good" MBA program over a good one in order to save money is almost always a bad decision. You sound like you have no idea what you want to do or how an MBA fits into it, so I'd suggest figuring those things out before you start picking programs.
SuperGrafx
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by SuperGrafx »

I think this guy is trolling.

This is the same poster who receives $100k yearly from his family without having a job or any ambitions.
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gunn_show
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Re: Do you think it’s possible to get a job in a big city if I get an MBA from a mediocre school?

Post by gunn_show »

SuperGrafx wrote: Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:57 pm I think this guy is trolling.

This is the same poster who receives $100k yearly from his family without having a job or any ambitions.
Wow you are right, never saw that post, but definitely trolling ... or dreaming ... or who knows what

With no job and 100k a year.. not sure why he can't spend an additional 5m writing a more detailed post about why he wants an MBA and "finance job in big city" ... too busy on the boat?

His post from a year ago:
GrayS26 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:24 pm Hello everyone! Great to be a boglehead member.

I'm 26 and have $700,000 liquid. My parents also give me $100,000 a year.

I only spend <3,500 a month for bills and entertainment and save the rest.

I'm currently in balanced funds bc 100% stock is quite scary for me. Is that ok?

I don't have a 9-5 job.
"The best life hack of all is to just put the work in and never give up." Bas Rutten
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