Management as a Career - MBA In the eyes of a fresher

Many students wish to know the benefits of management education. A study conducted on the graduating class of thirty leading US business schools has given some valuable pointers. The study indicated that professional growth profile of graduates was exceptional. The graduates were convinced that going through the portals of the management schools had made them more confident enterprising and innovative. Most of them believed that more than the academic inputs they had gained from the classroom discussions where they learnt how to think differently. Most managers were prepared to contribute to general social upliftment and were positive in their attitudes. In this fast changing world the 'useful information' that any course could convey in quite limited. Management education teaches students to think in terms of management perspectives and for asking management or business questions. The value of MBA is what the students learn and perspectives they acquire, not the degree or diploma from a premier institute. MBA education has assumed great value also because of applicability of management skills to a variety of sectors. From the old and established hospitality, travel, International business sectors to the new and evolving telecom management, advertising/communication sector as well as rural/forest management and latest being the health sector. The message is clear. Get a basic first degree in the sector of your choice. If you intend to make rapid progress to reach management/decision making positions in any sector the management qualification, general or specific, e.g., simply an MBA or Master in Finance/InternationalTrade/Forest/Rural/Cooperative/Pharma/Technology/Management, etc. will add value for professional growth and satisfaction with jobs in that area.

What the course is about General Management - For a broad business background the general management specialization offered by most universities is the most suitable choice. The main objective of the general management course is that it focuses on developing leadership skills for being able to lead in an organization, irrespective of the organization's purpose. The courses seek to increase critical thinking and persuasion skills and cover courses in accounting, marketing and finance.

Social and Political Environment of Business, Management and Career Development, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, Leading Change in a Quality Organization, Human Resources Management, Power and influence, Management and Leadership, Competitive Strategy, International Management, Behavior Skills.

Prospects with General Management: Smaller companies prefer the general MBA candidates because they have a broad skill background and are better team work and communication skills. Larger companies prefer the specialist MBA's because it gives them depth in a specific area such as finance or marketing. Students whose goal is to work in an institution to oversee the entire operations need a general management degree. Some institutions are well known for imparting a valuable blend of subject and skill specific courses.

Operational areas for managers in any enterprise are marketing, sales, personnel, finance, accounting, Production, materials, exports, and market research. There are post graduate management courses in these areas offered by private institutions as well as Universities. Several sectors conduct specialized management courses - some examples are Travel, Hotels, Hospitals, Fire Departments, Rural sector etc.

Having an MBA puts one in the driver's seat with prospective employers. They know that an MBA degree has sufficiently equipped you with sound knowledge of management principles and practices. They know that a MBA degree has honed and perfected your skills to a sufficient level. MBA gives a kick start that helps scale multiple levels in one's career. Traditionally, MBA's are meant be one of most exclusive group of highly selected students who have survived a rigorous academic program, with a strong emphasis on quantitative and analytical skills. While one might have little or no organizational experience, MBA's are confident to handle the problems, and correspondingly a higher perk. The benefits of an MBA are almost as varied as the programs available and the students studying them. With some 100,000 graduating per year with an MBA from one of approximately 1,000 or 550 European schools, this represents variety indeed. It is therefore not surprising that all these benefits is not fully appreciated, or that outdated ideas of benefits persist. MBA when properly aligned with relevant work experience can help one achieve the necessary impetus and momentum in their career. Even if MBA major is in a field different than work experience, it will help one achieve their goals because an MBA guarantees a certain level of proficiency and achievement. It assures that one has the basic level of understanding and expertise in sustaining and growing in the quality conscious world of today.

An MBA curriculum exposes one to qualitative and quantitative methodologies. These skills are very essential in today's dynamic and ever changing world. An MBA helps you hone your basic quantitative, organizational management and problem solving skills. An internship will add value to your profile and may even help you get a job offer at the same place post MBA. An MBA will give the soft skills and understanding. It helps horning team work skills, to gain and understand of why people in organizations behave as they do, and to become more aware of the problems stress can cause. One will be much better suited to understand and respond effectively to the uncertainty and complexity that is a feature of organizational life in times of rapid change. One may well have developed your own creativity. Above all, the individual will be able to stand back from situations and 'make sense of them' in a range of different ways, reflecting different perspectives. Other benefits of an MBA degree include the following:

· Improved communication skills
· Improved conflict resolution skills

Thus an MBA degree will add significant value to your career at any stage and it significantly accounts for any financial or personal costs that you may incur in achieving it.Getting an MBA means hard work and hard work and sincere devotion should definitely get you where you want to be.

How Are Online MBA Programs Different From Traditional MBA Programs

Distance learning and traditional MBA programs generally share a similar type of curriculum and can be considered equally difficult (depending, of course, on the particular school). Instead of spending hours in class, online MBA students are expected to dedicate their time to studying independently. Online curriculum generally consists of lectures, readings, assignments, and participation in online discussions. Some programs also offer multimedia components such as video lectures, podcasting, and videoconferencing. Online MBA students from some programs are expected to physically attend a certain number of courses or workshops in order to acquire residency hours. Required tests can usually be taken with proctors in your own community. Online MBA students don't spend less time studying than their traditional student counterparts. But, they are given the power to fit their school hours into their own schedules.

The Specialty MBA: Marketing & Market Research

As consumers have gained more control in the marketplace, Marketing and Market Research has become central to critical business decisions. Many CEO's are now demanding their organizations understand and leverage consumer knowledge for competitive advantage. As a result, demand for marketing researchers has grown and the profession has gained national recognition. In 2006, Money Magazine rated marketing research analyst as the #6 best jobs in America, based not only on its growth and salary potential, but also flexibility, stress levels and ease of entry/advancement.

What is Marketing and Market Research?

Most people think that marketing is only about the advertising and/or selling of goods and services. Advertising and selling, however, are just two of the many marketing activities. In general, marketing activities are all those associated with identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market of customers, and then going about satisfying those customers better than the competition.

The first step in successful marketing is conducting market research. By gathering statistical data on competitors and examining prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution, market researchers analyze data on past sales to predict future sales. Market research analysts devise methods and procedures for obtaining the data they need. Often, they design telephone, mail, or Internet surveys to assess consumer preferences. They conduct some surveys as personal interviews, going door-to-door, leading focus group discussions, or setting up booths in public places such as shopping malls. Trained interviewers usually conduct the surveys under the market research analyst's direction.

After compiling and evaluating the data, market research analysts make recommendations to their client or employer on the basis of their findings. They provide a company's management with information needed to make decisions on the promotion, distribution, design, and pricing of products or services. The information also may be used to determine the advisability of adding new lines of merchandise, opening new branches, or otherwise diversifying the company's operations. Market research analysts also might develop advertising brochures and commercials, sales plans, and product promotions such as rebates and giveaways.

Marketing Management and the MBA

Marketing is a growing business that is constantly evolving, and the competition for marketing posts has become quite fierce in recent years. Since many companies are now seeking Chief Marketing Officers, you need to know more about marketing than just the basics of the "four P's" (in standard marketing lore, the four "P's" are Product, Pricing, Promotion, and Placement).
In order to have the edge in the marketing workplace, you need additional credentials, and that is why you need the Marketing MBA.

If you already work in a Marketing environment, you may be looking for a way to move into management. A Marketing MBA is the perfect way to speed up that corporate ladder, and with a Marketing MBA you can look forward to a long and successful career. Because of the cutting edge nature of this area of business, you need to be able to rise to the challenge of a senior or managerial role within marketing, and the Marketing MBA will equip you with the skills, qualities, a confidence to rise to this challenge.

The first year of the MBA course normally covers core MBA areas such as economy, strategy, and leadership skills. Then you begin the in-depth study of your specific field. Some of the areas you may cover as part of the Marketing MBA include development of consumer audiences, consumer behavior, market research, the analysis of demand, strategic planning, marketing campaigns, consumer relations, advertising, studying the market, cost volume and profits, and a range of other areas involved in marketing.

Marketing MBA Job Outlook

There has never been a better time to get your MBA. According to a recent article featured on CNN.com, "MBA graduates can look forward to rosier job prospects and higher starting salaries…as an improving global economy lifts the spirits of employers."
The beauty of a marketing MBA is that it can be used across the whole spectrum of industry sectors. Commercial, not for profit, educational and governmental institutions would all find this qualification of value. Even if an organization is not profit making, an employee well versed in economic and efficient business practices would be of benefit.

A marketing MBA may allow you to prove your business credentials without having to go through the process of working in junior level positions. Since this qualification can be used in any area related to business, you become highly, pardon the pun, marketable.

MBA-Masters of Barely Anything?

The Masters of Business Administration is one of higher education's most respected degrees, both a touchstone of managerial ability and a ticket to the higher reaches of Corporate Amercica and India. Now, though, comes an apostate—a respected professor of management studies who challenges the very basics of business education. In the scathing Managers Not MBAs: A Hard Look at the Soft Practice of Managing and Management Development, McGill University business professor Henry Mintzberg says today's B-school is essentially a shame. In this provocative but often repetitive work, Mintzberg posits that MBA programs not only educate "the wrong people"—namely, those lacking sufficient experience—they actually fail to teach management. Rather than producing good administrators, B-schools foster an arrogant, "elitist" class who understand little yet think they can solve any problem. Mintzberg suggests replacing what he sees as broad and superficial MBA training with specialized programs, granting degrees such as a Masters of Business in Finance, or Retail, or Consulting. He also advocates revamping the current Executive MBA programs that offer midcareer, weekend schooling for those with full-time jobs. As a substitute, he favors attendance by teams from the same company, with study focusing on issues the execs are actually grappling with at work rather than on unrelated cases on wide-ranging topics. Mintzberg makes some fair points—his charges of elitism seem particularly well-taken. But his book suffers from some misconceptions, and its prescriptions for change could create new ills. What's more, the author exaggerates, suggesting that MBA schooling is responsible for everything from unlawful corporate shenanigans to the corruption of society. Management education should be for those who already have some background directing personnel, says Mintzberg, and most MBA students do not. "Trying to teach management to someone who has never managed is like trying to teach psychology to someone who has never met another human being," he argues. This lack of experience among students is a basic premise of the book—and it's overstated. According to B-schools and BusinessWeek's own findings, most students at the top 50 programs have four to six years of work experience, often including at least a year or two of project management, team-leading, or service in a position with the title "manager." And though Mintzberg asserts that he has never met an Executive MBA student who is actually in a senior position, BusinessWeek's surveys show that students in these programs often have such titles as vice-president, regional director, and chief operating officer. Mintzberg sees a big problem in how B-schools promote "heroic management"—the notion that a CEO savior can come in from outside and fix anything. His favorite target is Harvard Business School, whose case studies, employed to the near-exclusion of other approaches, provide narrow snapshots of the kinds of problems usually faced only by top executives. That methodology, he persuasively argues, leads MBA students to think of themselves as "superstars," capable of high-level decision-making. Instead, the author suggests, Harvard produces more high-profile failures than you'd think: In Inside the Harvard Business School (1990), former professor David W. Ewing listed 19 alums who had excelled, among them former Bendix CEO William Agee and former Continental Airlines CEO Frank Lorenzo. But as of 2003, Mintzberg says, 10 of those had left their jobs on bad terms. Some were forced out, while others steered their companies into bankruptcy through bad decisions. Only five ended up with good records. B-schools' worst failing, says the author: Promoting the idea of the CEO as savior Mintzberg believes business schools should produce not heroic managers but "engaging managers." These are leaders who assist those under them, seek input from everyone when forming strategy, and reward everyone when the organization succeeds. But Mintzberg's recommendations are flawed. For example, the company-team approach he suggests for executive education—one that he has used at McGill—may lead to a kind of tunnel vision. Its a model that offers limited opportunity for intermingling of execs from various industries and only restricted study of other fields. Finally, Mintzberg overplays his critique by making management education the scapegoat for all that ails corporations—and much that afflicts society. After railing against the "corruption of established institutions," the author observes that "greed has been raised to some sort of higher calling" and that "MBA education plays a significant role in this." That's a heavy load to lay on educational programs— especially since, as Mintzberg acknowledges, most CEOs and other top executives don't even have MBAs.

Making a Way on Your Own: MBA Programs with an Entrepreneurship Focus

Many people think of entrepreneurship as just a brilliant idea, enough time, and a garage full of tools to make it all come together. The reality, however, is that most small businesses struggle to get off the ground. US Bureau of Labor statistics show that 66 percent of small businesses are still up and running after 2 years; after 4 years, this drops to 44 percent. That means that less than half make it past four years. Perhaps you are wondering whether an MBA will improve your chances of becoming a mogul. The Wire enthusiasts will remember Stringer Bell taking classes to learn business fundamentals and apply them to his growing (yet illegal) enterprise. In the same way, aspiring entrepreneurs with a bright idea can use the basics of business administration to set the foundation for a strong and long-lasting venture. But don't expect an MBA to give you all the answers. "From an educational perspective, entrepreneurship is very much an applied discipline," says Emily Gohn Cieri, managing director of Wharton Entrepreneurship Programs at the University of Pennsylvania. "You have to do it to understand it. You can't just sit and study it." John Asmussen agrees. After attending Copenhagen Business School, Asmussen grew a company, Vaimala Ltd., which provides business-to-business services between Europe and China. What was missing from his business school experience that could have helped in his entrepreneurial activities later on? "It would've been great to meet real people who'd stepped off the beaten track and simply done it by living out the dream," says Asmussen.

Comparison of Career Opportunities: MBA Marketing VS MBA Finance

At present, marketing and finance are two of the most exciting career field where chances of growth are pretty high. By successfully earning MBA marketing and MBA finance degree, you will get a solid understanding of both these fields.

Career Opportunities with MBA Marketing Degree

By successfully earning MBA marketing degree, you can work as a product manager, marketing manager and marketing head. The average salary of individuals with MBA marketing degree is in the range of $50,000 to $70,000. If you are working in a big company, this figure can go up to $90,000.
To attain success in the field of marketing, it is quite important that you are theoretically very strong. You should know how to implement marketing strategies in a proper way. If your marketing strategy is not up to the mark, your products are not going to be successful in the market. Best marketing managers are ones which has an ability to modify marketing strategy on the basis of market condition. Before launching any product, it is the responsibility of marketing manager to identify target audience.

Career opportunities with MBA Finance Degree

By successfully earning MBA finance degree, you can work as a finance manager, budget analyst and finance head. The average salary of individuals with MBA finance degree is in the range of $45,000 to $70,000. As your experience level increases, there is going to be some increase in your average salary. Finance is the lifeline of any business organization and therefore if the finance department is not in proper shape, your business is not going to function properly. It is the responsibility of finance manager to make sure that organization act on the basis of preset budget. Finance manager also need to interact with the investors on a regular basis because they are the one that provides funds to business organization.

Earning MBA Marketing Degree

To earn MBA marketing degree, you need to study for a period of two years. There are some online universities which runs accelerated program through which you can earn MBA marketing degree in just one and a half years. Some of the best colleges and universities running MBA marketing degree program are University of Phoenix, Walden University and Capella University.

Earning MBA Finance Degree

To earn MBA marketing degree, you need to study for a period of two years. To get an admission into MBA finance degree program, it is quite important that you possess a Bachelor degree in finance. Some of the best colleges and universities running MBA finance degree program are University of Phoenix, Kaplan University and Jones International University

About MBA

Masters of Business Administration - The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out scientific approaches to management. The core courses in the MBA program are designed to introduce students to the various areas of business such as accounting, marketing, human resources, operations management, etc. Students in the MBA program have the option to select an area of concentration and focus approximately one-third of their studies in this area. Accreditation bodies exist specifically for MBA programs to ensure consistency and quality of graduate business education, and business schools in many countries offer MBA programs tailored to full-time, part-time, executive, and distance learning students, with specialized concentrations. Background The Tuck School of Business, part of Dartmouth College, was the first graduate school of business in the United States. Founded in 1900, it was the first institution conferring advanced degrees (masters) in the commercial sciences, specifically, a Master of Science in Commerce degree, the forebear of the modern MBA degree.In 1908, the Graduate School of Business Administration (GSBA) at Harvard University was established; it offered the world's first MBA program, with a faculty of 15 plus 33 regular students and 47 special students. The University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business first offered working professionals the Executive MBA (EMBA) program in 1940, and this type of program is offered by most business schools today. In 1950, the first MBA degrees were awarded outside the United States by The University of Western Ontario in Canada,[1] followed in 1951 with the degree awarded by the University of Pretoria in South Africa.[2] The Institute of Business Administration, Karachi in Pakistan was established in 1955 as the first Asian business school by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1957, INSEAD became the first European business school to offer an MBA program. The MBA degree has been adopted by universities worldwide, and has been adopted and adapted by both developed and developing countries. Accreditation Business schools or MBA programs may be accredited by external bodies which provide students and employers with an independent view of their quality, and indicate that the school's educational curriculum meets specific quality standards. The three major accrediting bodies in the United States are Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which accredits research universities, the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which accredits universities and colleges, and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), all of which also accredit schools outside the US. The AACSB and the ACBSP are themselves accredited in the United States by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). MBA programs with specializations for students pursuing careers in healthcare management also eligible for accreditation by the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).In the United States, a college or university must be accredited as a whole before it is eligible to have its MBA program accredited. Bodies that accredit institutions as a whole include the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASCSC), Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).Accreditation agencies outside the United States include the Association of MBAs (AMBA), a UK based organization that accredits MBA, DBA and MBM programs worldwide, government accreditation bodies such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) that accredits MBA and PGDM programs across India, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) in South Africa, the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) for mostly European and Asian schools, and the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA) in Europe.