How To Choose Your MBA Concentration

HOW TO CHOOSE our MBA CONCENTRATION So you've decided that an MBA is right for you, but not sure what concentration will fit best? You're not alone! Read through these tips for some help with your decision. Why Does It Matter? True or False: Your Choice in Concentration It only matters that you earned an MBA, so choose whatever concentration seems easy! Does Jwo Things: False Lets you gain valuable knowledge in a chosen field. Your concentration will be very important to the kind of education you get, and how well you will do in the job market. & Signals to employers where your interest and expertise lies. Your Concentration Can: Launch your career in a specific direction Allow you to pursue a lifelong interest Demonstrate your skill and knowledge to employers Make you stand out from the crowd Be the difference between being qualified or not Help prepare you for work in your field of interest Show dedication, concentration, and passion for your specialization, especially when paired with internships or extracurricular work in that field Most importantly, it's essential to pick a concentration that will satisfy both your personal and professional needs. You should be happy as well as successful! Tips to Help You Choose So how do you get started on the path to your decision? Take the time to think critically and do your homework so that you end up content and thriving in your concentration. Krow Yourself The most important factor in your decision should be you. Ask yourself these questions: 3 What am J interested in? } Try making a list of interests and circling the ones that get you the most fired up. Did you list: Taking risks Figuring things out Talking with people Maybe you should explore Project Management. { What are my strengths and weaknesses? } While you might want to go into a concentration you are already strong in, don't rule out anything yet! You can always develop skills in something you're passionate about. Review Your Past Think about the jobs and internships you've had in the past. What did you do in those previous jobs that you were proud of? . If your best moment in an internship was figuring out how to save the company money on the bottom line in an innovative way, think about Finance, for example. { you, It's just as useful to know what areas to stay away from! What did hate? O} Think About the Future Consider where you want to be in 10 years... Ask: { What kind of work life do J want? } Low stress or high octane? Similar or varied tasks each day? Mid-level or top earner? For example, if money is very important to you, you might consider Finance: median mid-career pay is $121,000 one of the highest-paying concentrations. |= $11,000 OOO O0O0 000O An Organizational Leadership concentration prepares you to manage entire corporations. Lead or follow? { What kind of personal life do J want? How important is: } Family life? 1 Personal growth? Leisure time? Research The Field And Get Jnvolved Once you have a couple ideas for concentrations, look into them further. Attend seminars and listen to guest speakers. Visit career fairs and talk to potential employers. Ask: Know where you want to work in the future? Get in touch with them! { How your skills and interests could pit in with the company. } { What day-to-day life is like in your ideal role. } { What they're looking por in a good candidate. } NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORKI Seek out university professors and resources, recruiters, or people who already work in your prospective concentration. Be Flexible Your decision stage is the time to try Remember, change is inevitable. new things and Try out your prospective make connections. concentration in a summer internship for a low-risk way to test the waters. Even if you're not sure what you want to concentrate in, put Your concentration is not a life yourself out there and talk to people in multiple industries. Youʻll learn something along the way. sentence. You can always change focuses within a concentration, or after graduation. Ultimately, your concentration should feel right to you, both professionally and personally. If you follow your passion and take the job market into consideration, you'll be sure to end up in a job you love. If the concentrations above piqued your interest, check out Norwich University's Online MBA, which features Finance, Project Management, and Organizational Leadership concentrations. http://mba.norwich.edu SOURCES: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-businessschools/articles/2012/01/31/5-tips-for-choosing-an-mba-concentration http://career-advice.monster.com/salary-benefits/salary-information/best-payingmbas/article.aspx http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/twice-the-college-advice/2011/11/15/10-tips-forchoosing-the-right-major of