Comments on: Confessions of an MBA Student http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/ College Student Portal Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:10:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ken Sundheim http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/comment-page-1/#comment-80220 Ken Sundheim Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:03:52 +0000 http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/#comment-80220 Your "MBA hires are routinely perceived to be strong on analysis but weaker on interpersonal skills" comment is 100% accurate. It is all too often that an intelligent person who is having trouble finding a job, instead of working on his or her interpersonal skills, goes right to the MBA route. These people are not in the minority either. Google "MBA programs" and see how many colleges advertise. The PPC cost for these keywords are over $7 a pop. MBAs have become so lucrative that even the best of the best colleges are offering online programs. My name is Ken Sundheim, I run a <a href="http://www.kasplacement.com" rel="nofollow">New York executive sales recruiting firm and marketing employment agency</a> which works on retained contracts for executive level sales and marketing employees. Your “MBA hires are routinely perceived to be strong on analysis but weaker on interpersonal skills” comment is 100% accurate. It is all too often that an intelligent person who is having trouble finding a job, instead of working on his or her interpersonal skills, goes right to the MBA route. These people are not in the minority either. Google “MBA programs” and see how many colleges advertise. The PPC cost for these keywords are over $7 a pop. MBAs have become so lucrative that even the best of the best colleges are offering online programs.

My name is Ken Sundheim, I run a New York executive sales recruiting firm and marketing employment agency which works on retained contracts for executive level sales and marketing employees.

]]> By: NothingVentured_NothingGained http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/comment-page-1/#comment-63815 NothingVentured_NothingGained Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:50:46 +0000 http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/#comment-63815 I really had to lough about that truthful insight, it really is an eye opener and after reflection on my own life I must say it all is true. Unfortunately the other comments show the disparity among high achievers and normal work people. This is something I realized after I dropped out of the MBA rat race for a while. Either you are in the MBA game play or you are not. There is nothing between it, in terms of salary, ambition and recognition. What normal employees don't see is the intense work load during the studies and the incredible work load after studies. In terms of salary per hour there is not much difference. A salary if $180.000 after graduation is quite normal (it is even on the lower level!), I had more than this after INSEAD. However, compared to my previous job in engineering my salary stayed the same!! I just worked 2-3 times the hours and 2-3 times the workload and responsibility. That is easily neglected by outstanders, who only see the salary part. And in addition it is true that a career is 80% decided by the perception of others about you. I say this after 15 years in business. A perception as being a decisive and resourceful leader is something extremely useful which you can learn in an MBA very well, but which takes much longer in a common work place to learn. In hindsight I abbreviated this learning phase by many years through my MBA. I really had to lough about that truthful insight, it really is an eye opener and after reflection on my own life I must say it all is true.
Unfortunately the other comments show the disparity among high achievers and normal work people. This is something I realized after I dropped out of the MBA rat race for a while. Either you are in the MBA game play or you are not. There is nothing between it, in terms of salary, ambition and recognition. What normal employees don’t see is the intense work load during the studies and the incredible work load after studies. In terms of salary per hour there is not much difference. A salary if $180.000 after graduation is quite normal (it is even on the lower level!), I had more than this after INSEAD. However, compared to my previous job in engineering my salary stayed the same!!
I just worked 2-3 times the hours and 2-3 times the workload and responsibility. That is easily neglected by outstanders, who only see the salary part. And in addition it is true that a career is 80% decided by the perception of others about you. I say this after 15 years in business. A perception as being a decisive and resourceful leader is something extremely useful which you can learn in an MBA very well, but which takes much longer in a common work place to learn. In hindsight I abbreviated this learning phase by many years through my MBA.

]]> By: NAz S http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/comment-page-1/#comment-57433 NAz S Wed, 14 May 2008 12:32:06 +0000 http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/#comment-57433 Thanks for the article! I particularly enjoyed reading the bashing comments. I will be getting my MBA this fall. True, I could "save lives" for less money, but I'd rather "spew bullshit" for more. From the comments, I know it's the right choice. One thing business teaches you is that the job is worth what the market is willing to pay. Apparently, firms pay a lot for people to "play golf" instead of doing "something that matters." Some wonder why the ones who, in their opinion, do the least amount of work seem to make more money--others decide to join that group instead of whining and complaining about it. Thanks for the article! I particularly enjoyed reading the bashing comments. I will be getting my MBA this fall. True, I could “save lives” for less money, but I’d rather “spew bullshit” for more. From the comments, I know it’s the right choice. One thing business teaches you is that the job is worth what the market is willing to pay. Apparently, firms pay a lot for people to “play golf” instead of doing “something that matters.”
Some wonder why the ones who, in their opinion, do the least amount of work seem to make more money–others decide to join that group instead of whining and complaining about it.

]]> By: Squeege http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/comment-page-1/#comment-53252 Squeege Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:10:07 +0000 http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/#comment-53252 "the virtuous circle [jerk] of recruitment?" ... Ass. "No wonder recruiters think we are arrogant" ... followed by; "...can’t you see we are heading for the boardroom not the mailroom?" Douche. Kudos on your new diploma, now go light it on fire and throw it off your balcony. Trust me, it'll release less carbon into the atmosphere than the inevitably life-long amount of bull-shit you would otherwise be spewing from your mouth. Then aplologize to all members of your immediate family for a life lived of such ass-hattery, and get a real job doing something that matters. P.S. Go see if that mailroom is hiring. “the virtuous circle [jerk] of recruitment?” … Ass.
“No wonder recruiters think we are arrogant” … followed by;
“…can’t you see we are heading for the boardroom not the mailroom?”

Douche.

Kudos on your new diploma, now go light it on fire and throw it off your balcony. Trust me, it’ll release less carbon into the atmosphere than the inevitably life-long amount of bull-shit you would otherwise be spewing from your mouth. Then aplologize to all members of your immediate family for a life lived of such ass-hattery, and get a real job doing something that matters.

P.S. Go see if that mailroom is hiring.

]]> By: Slutternaut http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/comment-page-1/#comment-53245 Slutternaut Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:38:15 +0000 http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/#comment-53245 do all of you think that you're worth six figures for what you've learned? do you realize just how easy your major is? for two years you get to bullshit alot, in written assignments and in presentations. you learn a weak set of ideas you might call business theory which is without much substance or rigor. you learn how to use a few pieces of software at a level most learned people will just pick up on their own if they have the need. you learn a weekend's worth of math and statistics and a few pertinant formulas. mostly, you learn the formalities and legal requirements of running business. amirite? wow, that seems like quite the set you've got there now. hey, when i get to making valuable products or performing services, could you come exploit me and take most of the money that my efforts have generated? or would you mind managing me even though you don't understand what i'm doing? better yet, could you think the BIG thoughts and play golf alternately for hundreds of thousands of dollars while i toil to accomplish your simplistic and misguided directives for a fraction of that? that sounds like a good deal doesn't it, asshole? do all of you think that you’re worth six figures for what you’ve learned? do you realize just how easy your major is? for two years you get to bullshit alot, in written assignments and in presentations. you learn a weak set of ideas you might call business theory which is without much substance or rigor. you learn how to use a few pieces of software at a level most learned people will just pick up on their own if they have the need. you learn a weekend’s worth of math and statistics and a few pertinant formulas. mostly, you learn the formalities and legal requirements of running business. amirite?

wow, that seems like quite the set you’ve got there now. hey, when i get to making valuable products or performing services, could you come exploit me and take most of the money that my efforts have generated? or would you mind managing me even though you don’t understand what i’m doing? better yet, could you think the BIG thoughts and play golf alternately for hundreds of thousands of dollars while i toil to accomplish your simplistic and misguided directives for a fraction of that? that sounds like a good deal doesn’t it, asshole?

]]> By: Mao Zedong http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/comment-page-1/#comment-53244 Mao Zedong Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:13:33 +0000 http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/#comment-53244 Joke's on you. Your expensive graduate education is most likely to get you a salary that is far, far lower than the big payout that motivated most of you to enter business school - something more like what a difficult major would have netted you, unfortunately. Don't let that get you down, though. It's still probably more than you deserve considering so many enter an MBA program without any useful skills or education (e.g. a business undergraduate degree), but only an unhealthy disposition towards money, maybe a personality disorder, and a willful disregard for societal responsibilities like reasoning well and not being an arrogant prick. If you're lucky and I'm not perhaps I'll see you out in the industry, drumming up stupid ideas, wasting my time, and generally making life as an engineer miserable. Joke’s on you. Your expensive graduate education is most likely to get you a salary that is far, far lower than the big payout that motivated most of you to enter business school – something more like what a difficult major would have netted you, unfortunately. Don’t let that get you down, though. It’s still probably more than you deserve considering so many enter an MBA program without any useful skills or education (e.g. a business undergraduate degree), but only an unhealthy disposition towards money, maybe a personality disorder, and a willful disregard for societal responsibilities like reasoning well and not being an arrogant prick. If you’re lucky and I’m not perhaps I’ll see you out in the industry, drumming up stupid ideas, wasting my time, and generally making life as an engineer miserable.

]]> By: Bruce Campbell http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/comment-page-1/#comment-53235 Bruce Campbell Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:09:51 +0000 http://www.askstudent.com/career/confessions-of-an-mba-student/#comment-53235 this article is ridiculous. MBA students are the scourge of this nation and will be leading the charge to its ruinous end. A graduating MBA expects to be making $183,500?!? Get your collective heads out of your collective asses. The average graduating physician [with ass loads of schooling and experience that trump your feeble education] won't even receive that -- and that's for saving lives. Realize how worthless you are, then maybe you'll be grateful that somebody will even give you a job to do your worthless tasks. Oh, and congratulations on furthering our broken system you wastes of oxygen. this article is ridiculous. MBA students are the scourge of this nation and will be leading the charge to its ruinous end. A graduating MBA expects to be making $183,500?!? Get your collective heads out of your collective asses. The average graduating physician [with ass loads of schooling and experience that trump your feeble education] won’t even receive that — and that’s for saving lives. Realize how worthless you are, then maybe you’ll be grateful that somebody will even give you a job to do your worthless tasks. Oh, and congratulations on furthering our broken system you wastes of oxygen.

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