PanoramaMay 1999, pp. 80
“MBA graduates will get their money's worth from the qualification only if they use what they learn in business school effectively, says Andrew Horsley, NSW president of the Graduate Management Association of Australia (GMAA-an organisation for MBA graduates) and director of executive search firm Horsley & Company. "If, on the other hand, you passively believe that having an MBA is going to make you immediately a better manager, it won't, and therefore it becomes quite valueless;" he says.
The potential boost to your career from an MBA cannot only be measured in monetary terms. The network of contacts that emanates from your classroom can become an asset that endures throughout your working life. “Studying an MBA puts you in contact with a cohort of people who are like-minded a who are going to be the ones who can give you better chances for a boost tc your own career," Horsley says.”.
“PART-TIME, FULL-TIME OR DISTANCE? "As a quick rule of thumb: in your 20s, do it full-time. In your 30s, do it part-time. In your 40s, it's only marginally relevant to your career," the GMAA's Horsley advises.
Ron Frieze, managing director in Australia of AT Kearney Executive Search, agrees it is preferable for younger people to pursue the qualification full-time and that older candidates should do it part-time although, he con¬cedes, it can be extremely difficult juggling MBA study with a demanding job and family commitments.
Both Frieze and Horsley are cautious about MBAs obtained through distance mode. Frieze acknowledges, however, it could be a worthwhile option for someone who had no other alternative.”