Lets talk about business.
Most of us cringe when we hear of a friend or family member declaring an ambition to get an MBA. We see it as business for the sake of business, that is to say - money and lots of it.
Now I am writing to say that I intend to move out of Ohio in the near future and enter into a business program.
What follows is my effort to rationalize and defend this position.
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To start off, I hate self-interested business entrepreneurs. One of the only things that is worse in my mind are young business entrepreneurs, eg. those fresh out of college.
When I think of a business degree, I envision some one setting up a new commercial company with the specific intent of selling it once it becomes profitable. Keep in mind, this isn’t the same as going public. The very idea of setting up a company just to sell it off is in my mind ludicrous, something of a bastard child of capitalism. I also regret to say I have a cousin who does just that.
As clearly as I can let me say, this is not what I want to do with my life, I’d hate myself if I did. So why does it seem that I am about to go and do what I so despise?
For a moment, lets recognize that this scenario is a stereotype, though perhaps accurate. There is much more one can do with a business degree than manage, sell, and invest in companies.
The truth is I’m not sure an MBA is the right degree for what I want to do, it’s merely the closest degree I have found.
I want to be a high level business analyst in the technical fields for non profits, I am particular to theatre arts and educational organizations (Wolf Trap anyone?). Ultimately I like the position of Chief Information Officer, and I see business analysis as a step towards such a position. It is certainly a fair step closer than programmer analyst, which is my current position.
The term business analyst may be a bit misleading. Typically a business analyst’s job is to build business requirements and to design and possibly manage a particular business process. This isn’t quite what I want to do, nor are there solid graduate level programs for such positions. Business Analysis isn’t as recognized in the academic world as some feel it should be. Most available programs for Business Analysts (within the US) are certificate programs - not graduate degrees.
I know what I want is a masters degree, not having programs in business analysis available the next closest program is a general Masters in Business Administration.
There are graduate programs specific to management of Information Technology. But that’s not really what I’m after either. Personally I feel that such a degree would only allow me to go so far before hitting a wall. I have seen many an IT specialist get closed out of the inner circle of directors in a company for lack of a greater overarching background in business. This boils down to the fact that a CEO will never place a technical specialist in a business decision making process when other candidates are available. A mild disclaimer, I know that there are countless individuals who are perfectly happy in IT management positions, and I think it’s a great career - just not for me.
This once again brings me back to a Masters in Business Administration. To further focus on my personal interests there an innumerable number of MBA programs that focus in management of non-profits. And thus I head out into the world with a Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
Now I am writing to say that I intend to move out of Ohio in the near future and enter into a business program.
What follows is my effort to rationalize and defend this position.
-
To start off, I hate self-interested business entrepreneurs. One of the only things that is worse in my mind are young business entrepreneurs, eg. those fresh out of college.
When I think of a business degree, I envision some one setting up a new commercial company with the specific intent of selling it once it becomes profitable. Keep in mind, this isn’t the same as going public. The very idea of setting up a company just to sell it off is in my mind ludicrous, something of a bastard child of capitalism. I also regret to say I have a cousin who does just that.
As clearly as I can let me say, this is not what I want to do with my life, I’d hate myself if I did. So why does it seem that I am about to go and do what I so despise?
For a moment, lets recognize that this scenario is a stereotype, though perhaps accurate. There is much more one can do with a business degree than manage, sell, and invest in companies.
The truth is I’m not sure an MBA is the right degree for what I want to do, it’s merely the closest degree I have found.
I want to be a high level business analyst in the technical fields for non profits, I am particular to theatre arts and educational organizations (Wolf Trap anyone?). Ultimately I like the position of Chief Information Officer, and I see business analysis as a step towards such a position. It is certainly a fair step closer than programmer analyst, which is my current position.
The term business analyst may be a bit misleading. Typically a business analyst’s job is to build business requirements and to design and possibly manage a particular business process. This isn’t quite what I want to do, nor are there solid graduate level programs for such positions. Business Analysis isn’t as recognized in the academic world as some feel it should be. Most available programs for Business Analysts (within the US) are certificate programs - not graduate degrees.
I know what I want is a masters degree, not having programs in business analysis available the next closest program is a general Masters in Business Administration.
There are graduate programs specific to management of Information Technology. But that’s not really what I’m after either. Personally I feel that such a degree would only allow me to go so far before hitting a wall. I have seen many an IT specialist get closed out of the inner circle of directors in a company for lack of a greater overarching background in business. This boils down to the fact that a CEO will never place a technical specialist in a business decision making process when other candidates are available. A mild disclaimer, I know that there are countless individuals who are perfectly happy in IT management positions, and I think it’s a great career - just not for me.
This once again brings me back to a Masters in Business Administration. To further focus on my personal interests there an innumerable number of MBA programs that focus in management of non-profits. And thus I head out into the world with a Big Hairy Audacious Goal.