UK MBA - Help with Selection

VSJ_MBA

3 6

Posted Jul 04, 2020 23:57

Hi All,

I am an IT professional with 7 years experience as Business Analysis and Software Testing, in India and Qatar. I am looking to pursue an MBA in the UK to aid resumption of my career post a 3 year maternity and Child care break.

I intend to work in the IT industry in the UK post completion of MBA with the proposed PSW visa. My husband would be joining me and would be pursuing employment in the UK as a dependent.

I have applied and have received interview calls from the following schools

1. University of Bath
2. University of Birmingham
3. Nottingham University
4. Brunel University
5. Kingston University
6. University of Surrey

I am aware that these are not the best schools in the country, I dont have a GMAT score and would like to join this years intake.

Can you please suggest an order of preference of the aforementioned schools, from the perspective of securing a strong employment offer post graduation. I have already reviewed the FT, QS and Economist rankings and the Employment/salary data available, so I am looking for other qualitative factors not covered in the ambit of those rankings.

Thanks a ton for your help!

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 05, 2020 00:06

What is the qualitative insight you would like? You say you have compared the employment data, so you have seen that these programmes differ greatly in their ability to place people into work rapidly. I think those data answer your question.

[Edited by Duncan on Jul 06, 2020]

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laurie

1.085 549

Posted Jul 06, 2020 19:17

Have you received offers from any / all of these schools?

I would look closely at the salary data for these schools, and see if they line up with your expectations. Have you checked to see if the salary from an average IT job that one of these schools would place in would be enough to support a family while your husband is looking for work?

Have you received offers from any / all of these schools?  I would look closely at the salary data for these schools, and see if they line up with your expectations. Have you checked to see if the salary from an average IT job that one of these schools would place in would be enough to support a family while your husband is looking for work?

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aslamo

720 219

Posted Jul 08, 2020 08:12

What roles in the UK IT sector would you be looking at post-MBA?

During the next 2-3 years, there are two very specific UK IT job market dynamics that don't apply to other countries which may make your job search much tougher and you should consider carefully before relocating.

1) Knock on affect from changing tax legislation (IR35) for contractors and freelancers in private sector from April 2021:
IR35 is tax legislation that applies to freelancers and contractors (not just IT) which has been around since 2000. In brief terms, the legislation change will negatively impact how freelancers and contractors are taxed and increase compliance risks for hiring firms. The change was due to come into force in April 2020 but was delayed a year. Many large firms such as banks were letting lots of contractors go or drastically reducing the number they were hiring. This led to many new people coming onto the job market for permanent jobs. The same IR35 changes were implemented about three years ago outside of the private sector and it took maybe 18-24 months for the market to settle down.

2) Brexit
There is a lot of economic uncertainty regarding the UK leaving the EU in Jan 2021. Coupled with point one above, much of the IT job market was exceptionally poor in the last few months of 2019 into 2020. Now that we've had COVID-19, this is a triple whammy for UK IT job prospects.

Unless there is something particularly special about your business analyst experience such as the types of technology you've worked with or the sector, it will probably be difficult for you to stand out in the job market. An MBA may not make much difference to your prospects with so much extra competition from people who have a lot more experience than you and are willing to take a significant pay cut to find a permanent job.

I've recently hired a large number of people across many different IT roles for my current consulting client. Most of these people have had to take a significant salary cut, sometimes 20%.

Similarly, testing doesn't have great long term prospects unless you're very experienced in automation.

[Edited by aslamo on Jul 08, 2020]

What roles in the UK IT sector would you be looking at post-MBA? During the next 2-3 years, there are two very specific UK IT job market dynamics that don't apply to other countries which may make your job search much tougher and you should consider carefully before relocating. 1) Knock on affect from changing tax legislation (IR35) for contractors and freelancers in private sector from April 2021: IR35 is tax legislation that applies to freelancers and contractors (not just IT) which has been around since 2000. In brief terms, the legislation change will negatively impact how freelancers and contractors are taxed and increase compliance risks for hiring firms. The change was due to come into force in April 2020 but was delayed a year. Many large firms such as banks were letting lots of contractors go or drastically reducing the number they were hiring. This led to many new people coming onto the job market for permanent jobs. The same IR35 changes were implemented about three years ago outside of the private sector and it took maybe 18-24 months for the market to settle down.  2) Brexit There is a lot of economic uncertainty regarding the UK leaving the EU in Jan 2021. Coupled with point one above, much of the IT job market was exceptionally poor in the last few months of 2019 into 2020. Now that we've had COVID-19, this is a triple whammy for UK IT job prospects.     Unless there is something particularly special about your business analyst experience such as the types of technology you've worked with or the sector, it will probably be difficult for you to stand out in the job market. An MBA may not make much difference to your prospects with so much extra competition from people who have a lot more experience than you and are willing to take a significant pay cut to find a permanent job.  I've recently hired a large number of people across many different IT roles for my current consulting client. Most of these people have had to take a significant salary cut, sometimes 20%. Similarly, testing doesn't have great long term prospects unless you're very experienced in automation.

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 08, 2020 08:48

I broadly agree unless this person is aiming for a very different role where they would primarily be using their new MBA skills.

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aslamo

720 219

Posted Jul 08, 2020 09:45

I broadly agree unless this person is aiming for a very different role where they would primarily be using their new MBA skills.

I've only been reading this forum for about two months but have already come across so many similar queries from people in IT and technology (usually India.) An MBA often seems to be perceived as a magic wand for further progression in technology and/or a move into consulting.
The nature of work and the roles in technology are rapidly changing. A lot of posters would be well advised to do some more detailed research on job prospects before diving head first into an MBA which may not be the best solution.

The continuing growth of the 'hybrid job' where people in business roles e.g. marketers are learning and applying tech skills and people with tech skills are doing the reverse is very noticeable. Those with a narrow tech background need to look at their whole development, particularly the soft skills that are so lacking in many: emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration, problem solving, innovation and leadership. Also, depending on your role and goals, an 'MBA in Project Management' or similar is overkill for many tech roles. Investment in some specific industry recognised IT certifications and personal development may be a better return on investment.

[Edited by aslamo on Jul 08, 2020]

[quote]I broadly agree unless this person is aiming for a very different role where they would primarily be using their new MBA skills.  [/quote] I've only been reading this forum for about two months but have already come across so many similar queries from people in IT and technology (usually India.) An MBA often seems to be perceived as a magic wand for further progression in technology and/or a move into consulting.  The nature of work and the roles in technology are rapidly changing. A lot of posters would be well advised to do some more detailed research on job prospects before diving head first into an MBA which may not be the best solution.  The continuing growth of the 'hybrid job' where people in business roles e.g. marketers are learning and applying tech skills and people with tech skills are doing the reverse is very noticeable. Those with a narrow tech background need to look at their whole development, particularly the soft skills that are so lacking in many: emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration, problem solving, innovation and leadership.  Also, depending on your role and goals, an 'MBA in Project Management' or similar is overkill for many tech roles. Investment in some specific industry recognised IT certifications and personal development may be a better return on investment.

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VSJ_MBA

3 6

Posted Jul 15, 2020 08:24

Thankyou all for sharing your valuable inputs. Particularly on the upcoming IR 35 legislation, which I did not know about.

On reading more about the legislation and its impact, I understand this is likely to impact individuals who are working as contractors through PSC's and such contractors are likely to be in the job market seeking new roles. My focus is predominantly landing a job in consulting space with the skills acquired during the program. I have noted companies like Deloitte and Accenture have previously recruited from some of the schools listed above. Please correct me if I am wrong, I am not sure if the impact on those roles is likely to be significant due to IR 35?

I am looking to decide between Bath and Birmingham as they seem to be the best of the lot. I noted that bath has better ranking and higher salaries, but Birmingham has the advantage of being an Urban area, which helps my husband find a suitable job whilst I am in School.

Can you advise if there is a significant gap between the bath and Birmingham programs which is not evidenced in the rankings and Salary data.

Appreciate your feedback!

I have received offers from four schools and interviewing for the other two in the next week.

Thankyou all for sharing your valuable inputs.  Particularly on the upcoming IR 35 legislation, which I did not know about.  On reading more about the legislation and its impact, I understand this is likely to impact individuals who are working as contractors through PSC's and such contractors are likely to be in the job market seeking new roles. My focus is predominantly landing a job in consulting space with the skills acquired during the program. I have noted companies like Deloitte and Accenture have previously recruited from some of the schools listed above. Please correct me if I am wrong, I am not sure if the impact on those roles is likely to be significant due to IR 35?  I am looking to decide between Bath and Birmingham as they seem to be the best of the lot. I noted that bath has better ranking and higher salaries, but Birmingham has the advantage of being an Urban area, which helps  my husband find a suitable job whilst I am in School. Can you advise if there is a significant gap between the bath and Birmingham programs which is not evidenced in the rankings and Salary data.  Appreciate your feedback! I have received offers from four schools and interviewing for the other two in the next week.

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 15, 2020 08:34

The discussions on this board will help. Most recently, take a look at:
https://find-mba.com/board/uk-ireland/which-mba-program-is-good-for-my-background-62402 and https://find-mba.com/board/uk-ireland/which-uni-is-better-for-a-mba-bath-lancaster-strathclyde-leeds-birmingham-plz-help-prioritize-59256

The discussions on this board will help. Most recently, take a look at: <a href="https://find-mba.com/board/uk-ireland/which-mba-program-is-good-for-my-background-62402">https://find-mba.com/board/uk-ireland/which-mba-program-is-good-for-my-background-62402</a> and <a href="https://find-mba.com/board/uk-ireland/which-uni-is-better-for-a-mba-bath-lancaster-strathclyde-leeds-birmingham-plz-help-prioritize-59256">https://find-mba.com/board/uk-ireland/which-uni-is-better-for-a-mba-bath-lancaster-strathclyde-leeds-birmingham-plz-help-prioritize-59256</a>

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VSJ_MBA

3 6

Posted Jul 15, 2020 12:54

Thanks Duncan,

My assessment from reading the two posts is that Birmingham pips out Bath, but the difference is marginal. Am I right?

Thanks Duncan,  My assessment from reading the two posts is that Birmingham pips out Bath, but the difference is marginal. Am I right?

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 15, 2020 13:06

Obviously neither of these are ideal schools for your goals. The choice really comes down to a much more granular analysis of what support you need to get to your role. Bath has a higher quality cohort bit neither school seems to have excellent careers services or higher than average placement. I image you are avoiding the GMAT for some specific reason, yeah?

[Edited by Duncan on Jul 15, 2020]

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VSJ_MBA

3 6

Posted Jul 18, 2020 17:00

From the FT rankings and research on LinkedIn, Bath seems to have better cohort and employment record. The program modules are more relevant to my background in comparison to Birmingham.

The only factor birmingham scores over bath is that it is an urban center and it will have a greater networking opportunities and is also good for my husband's job search and childcare facilities for my kid.

But I do not want to compromise on the quality of the program and employment for short term convenience. Hence considering accepting bath with a plan to live in Swindon, which is more of an urban center than bath and is also closer to London. Do you commuting from Swindon to Bath daily is practical?

From the FT rankings and research on LinkedIn, Bath seems to have better cohort and employment record. The program modules are more relevant to my background in comparison to Birmingham. The only factor birmingham scores over bath is that it is an urban center and it will have a greater networking opportunities and is also good for my husband's job search and childcare facilities for my kid. But I do not want to compromise on the quality of the program and employment for short term convenience. Hence considering accepting bath with a plan to live in Swindon, which is more of an urban center than bath and is also closer to London. Do you commuting from Swindon to Bath daily is practical?

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 19, 2020 11:20

An MBA is a really demanding experience and with all the group work I am not sure how that will work. The university is not close to a railway station. Would you drive?

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 19, 2020 11:24

It looks like a 50 minute journey from the centre of Swindon to the management school. £300 a.month for the rail season ticket.

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Inactive User

2.941 1.801

Posted Jul 20, 2020 18:17

As Duncan mentioned, neither of these schools is a great fit for your career goals and expectations. So why go through all the hassle of a commute and this level of compromise? Based on the average salary outcome, would this really be worth the investment of time / money / inconvenience? Can you not apply to a better school closer to London?

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VSJ_MBA

3 6

Posted Jul 22, 2020 16:56

I do drive. So thats definitely an option.

I have offers from Brunel (with Scholarship), Kingston and Surrey (with Scholarship) which are closer to London. But none of these schools are ranked. I have not appeared for GMAT, so this rules out the top schools in London.

I am looking at Brunel closely, since I have been told that there are coming up with specialised modules focused on Information technology which will further enhance my profile and experience, replacing the airline management specialisation that they had previously.

I have a scholarship from Bath as well, so the difference between Brunel and bath net of scholarships works out to be 10k, (Brunel cheaper) and it provides better accessibility to London for my spouse to find work.

I suppose with most companies permitting home based work, atleast for the next six months to a year with a few days at the office in between, this negates the location advantage Brunel has. And Bath being the better program of the two, i consider this to be better for me to get into a suitable job.

Your thoughts?

I do drive. So thats definitely an option. I have offers from Brunel (with Scholarship), Kingston and Surrey (with Scholarship) which are closer to London. But none of these schools are ranked. I have not appeared for GMAT, so this rules out the top schools in London. I am looking at Brunel closely, since I have been told that there are coming up with specialised modules focused on Information technology which will further enhance my profile and experience, replacing the airline management specialisation that they had previously.   I have a scholarship from Bath as well, so the difference between Brunel and bath net of scholarships works out to be 10k, (Brunel cheaper) and it provides better accessibility to London for my spouse to find work. I suppose with most companies permitting home based work, atleast for the next six months to a year with a few days at the office in between, this negates the location advantage Brunel has. And Bath being the better program of the two, i consider this to be better for me to get into a suitable job. Your thoughts?

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 22, 2020 17:19

Brunel doesn't make such sense over Bath. I think you can use LinkedIn to map the roles and employers. I don't quite understand why you are avoiding the GMAT. I would certainly consider Oxford and perhaps Henley as commutable as Bath and Brunel.

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puja25

32 23

Posted Jul 27, 2020 09:50

Hi Duncan,

i need quick help form you: I'm an IT professional with 9.6 years of experience with the Major Consulting firms. I have gre but have done lot extracurricular, right now I'm not working and I'm busy spreading awareness about covid-19. I got an offer from the University of Edinburgh for their MBA with international exchange but due to pandemic, I deferred it. My long term goal is to set abroad and work for IT sales. Can you plz suggest some good Busines schools in Europe(with my score n exp) about the UK I'm not sure how the situation would be after Brexit.

Thanks
Puja

[Edited by puja25 on Mar 30, 2021]

Hi Duncan, i need quick help form you: I'm an IT professional with 9.6 years of experience with the Major Consulting firms. I have gre but have done lot extracurricular, right now I'm not working and I'm busy spreading awareness about covid-19. I got an offer from the University of Edinburgh for their MBA with international exchange but due to pandemic, I deferred it. My long term goal is to set abroad and work for IT sales. Can you plz suggest some good Busines schools in Europe(with my score n exp) about the UK I'm not sure how the situation would be after Brexit. Thanks Puja

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 27, 2020 10:23

Convert your GRE to an approximate GMAT using an online tool, then take a look at:

GMAT Tiers - strong schools for your GMAT www.find-mba.com/board/27082

Best MBAs for international students' placement http://www.find-mba.com/board/41143

Do you need to speak the local language? www.find-mba.com/board/34713

How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Edinburgh is not a terrible choice, but I would consider Manchester.

Convert your GRE to an approximate GMAT using an online tool, then take a look at: GMAT Tiers - strong schools for your GMAT <a href="https://www.find-mba.com/board/27082" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">www.find-mba.com/board/27082</a> Best MBAs for international students' placement <a href="https://www.find-mba.com/board/41143" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">http://www.find-mba.com/board/41143</a> Do you need to speak the local language? <a href="https://www.find-mba.com/board/34713" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">www.find-mba.com/board/34713</a> How to use LinkedIn to find the best school <a href="https://www.find-mba.com/board/33571" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">www.find-mba.com/board/33571</a> Edinburgh is not a terrible choice, but I would consider Manchester.

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Razors Edg...

1.082 833

Posted Jul 29, 2020 17:26

Hi Duncan,

i need quick help form you: I'm an IT professional with 9.6 years of experience with the Major Consulting firms. I have very low GRE which is 297 but have done lot extracurricular, right now I'm not working and I'm busy spreading awareness about covid-19. I got an offer from the University of Edinburgh for their MBA with international exchange but due to pandemic, I deferred it. My long term goal is to set abroad and work for IT sales. Can you plz suggest some good Busines schools in Europe(with my score n exp) about the UK I'm not sure how the situation would be after Brexit.

Thanks
Puja

If I were you I would prep for and then take the GMAT. The investment - if only in terms of time - would pay off substantially if you could target better schools.

[quote]Hi Duncan, i need quick help form you: I'm an IT professional with 9.6 years of experience with the Major Consulting firms. I have very low GRE which is 297 but have done lot extracurricular, right now I'm not working and I'm busy spreading awareness about covid-19. I got an offer from the University of Edinburgh for their MBA with international exchange but due to pandemic, I deferred it. My long term goal is to set abroad and work for IT sales. Can you plz suggest some good Busines schools in Europe(with my score n exp) about the UK I'm not sure how the situation would be after Brexit. Thanks Puja [/quote] If I were you I would prep for and then take the GMAT. The investment - if only in terms of time - would pay off substantially if you could target better schools.

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aslamo

720 219

Posted Jul 31, 2020 16:24

Thankyou all for sharing your valuable inputs. Particularly on the upcoming IR 35 legislation, which I did not know about.

On reading more about the legislation and its impact, I understand this is likely to impact individuals who are working as contractors through PSC's and such contractors are likely to be in the job market seeking new roles. My focus is predominantly landing a job in consulting space with the skills acquired during the program. I have noted companies like Deloitte and Accenture have previously recruited from some of the schools listed above. Please correct me if I am wrong, I am not sure if the impact on those roles is likely to be significant due to IR 35?

I am looking to decide between Bath and Birmingham as they seem to be the best of the lot. I noted that bath has better ranking and higher salaries, but Birmingham has the advantage of being an Urban area, which helps my husband find a suitable job whilst I am in School.

Can you advise if there is a significant gap between the bath and Birmingham programs which is not evidenced in the rankings and Salary data.

Appreciate your feedback!

I have received offers from four schools and interviewing for the other two in the next week.

Possibly for the likes of Deloitte etc. recruiting at MBA level, there is less impact but in general, IR35 is having a widespread impact on driving starting salaries down for all kinds of IT jobs at all levels, at least in the short term.

[quote]Thankyou all for sharing your valuable inputs.  Particularly on the upcoming IR 35 legislation, which I did not know about.  On reading more about the legislation and its impact, I understand this is likely to impact individuals who are working as contractors through PSC's and such contractors are likely to be in the job market seeking new roles. My focus is predominantly landing a job in consulting space with the skills acquired during the program. I have noted companies like Deloitte and Accenture have previously recruited from some of the schools listed above. Please correct me if I am wrong, I am not sure if the impact on those roles is likely to be significant due to IR 35?  I am looking to decide between Bath and Birmingham as they seem to be the best of the lot. I noted that bath has better ranking and higher salaries, but Birmingham has the advantage of being an Urban area, which helps  my husband find a suitable job whilst I am in School. Can you advise if there is a significant gap between the bath and Birmingham programs which is not evidenced in the rankings and Salary data.  Appreciate your feedback! I have received offers from four schools and interviewing for the other two in the next week. [/quote] Possibly for the likes of Deloitte etc. recruiting at MBA level, there is less impact but in general, IR35 is having a widespread impact on driving starting salaries down for all kinds of IT jobs at all levels, at least in the short term.

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