Why Now is the Right Time to Earn an MBA

Guest post by Sarah Walton

You might be thinking: Why would I want to apply for an MBA in the middle of a pandemic? Indeed, it might seem counterintuitive to pursue postgraduate studies during a global health crisis, but remember that crises don’t last forever. Applying for an MBA will set you up for when the market goes back to normal and the world is ready to do business again. Sound appealing? Keep reading to learn about your options.

Work and Education in the Age of COVID-19

Working in the time of a pandemic has been a struggle for many. Thousands of non-essential businesses closed their doors, leaving millions of Americans jobless. According to an article by the Pew Research Center, the country’s unemployment rate is at a worse state than it was during The Great Recession. The economic repercussions have made unemployment statistics skyrocket — from 6.2 million unemployed Americans in February to 20.5 million in May.

Luckily, a lot of people are finding ways to navigate through the current crisis. While many have tapped into an alternative means of income, others opted to pursue further studies. The latter is ideal for entrepreneurs looking to set themselves up for when the economy stabilizes. Pursuing an MBA, in particular, equips you with the knowledge you need to be a boss at your dream company. Apart from learning about accounting, marketing, and business ethics, you’ll also be honing your real-world skills. A survey conducted by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found the top five skills that employers are looking for in their workers — communication, teamwork, sales and customer service, leadership, and problem-solving. These are vital for you if you want to climb the corporate ladder, and even more important if you want to manage your own business. Luckily, these are precisely the skills that you’ll be developing during your time as an MBA student.

Where to Apply for an MBA

So, then, where can you apply for an MBA? Though most campuses across the country have closed, many have begun offering online programs. Of course, this is nothing new, but implementation was never at a particularly large scale. The shift has effectively pushed the education sector to a remote learning setup. In response to the growing interest in online learning since even before the pandemic, the MBA program at Maryville University is 100% online, with a careful focus on solving real-world problems and hands-on experiences. The school has partnered with giants like Boeing, Edward Jones, and Maritz for this reason, as well as to boost networking opportunities for their students. Initiatives like these are a huge leap in terms of accessibility, making it easier for students all around the world to pursue their education, regardless of their location. For entrepreneurs looking to return to the academe, it means more and better opportunities.

An Investment

Whether you’re a business professional or a business owner, now is the ideal time to pursue an MBA. It’s a great way to learn more about the technicalities of the business sector. Plus, you’ll be setting yourself up for the coming years. A third of the people who responded to the CNBC’s Fed Survey believe that it will take one or two years for the US economy to bounce back. Production and consumption rates have gone down and will take some time to recover, especially given the amount of funds that have been shelled out for COVID-related matters. Not exactly good news, but the upshot here is that you’ll finish your MBA right around the time the economy stabilizes again. So, by the time you’ve gotten that diploma, the world will be ready for you. So what are you waiting for? Go and get it!

Graphics by Pixabay