IT background + MBA = ?

Issac2014

3 5

Posted Apr 17, 2014 15:38

Hello all, I wonder if anybody could offer me guidance.

I am European and have been working in IT roles for about 5 years now and feel like I am at a dead end. I would like to do an MBA from a US business school to build my business skills and get some international experience, but I am not sure if I should specialize in something, to transition to another type of role, or just do a general MBA. I was considering Penn State, a co-worker of mine said that his brother is doing an MBA there now and he is planning on trying to get a job in supply chain after he graduates. I have also heard that the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is good for IT professionals who want to change career paths (I understand that many people go into business analytics roles after the MBA.)

Does anybody have any advice for me? Like many other people, I am on a budget, so I don't know if I can afford top schools like Stanford.

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Apr 18, 2014 01:05

Read http://www.find-mba.com/specializations/7/information-technology-it

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Issac2014

3 5

Posted Apr 21, 2014 12:57

Thanks for that, Duncan - but that list seems to be for people who want to have a career in IT, but more and more I'd like to transition away from it. Any thoughts?

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Apr 21, 2014 14:03

Sorry, I misread your post.

What would you like to transition into?

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Razors Edg...

1.082 833

Posted Apr 22, 2014 14:49

Well, what is it that you would like to do?

IT backgrounds can often be leveraged to get into analytical roles: providing a good understanding of financial information, say, or strategic analysis. As you mentioned, IT professionals tend to fit well in business analytics-type roles, especially when combined with a more strategic understanding of how data can be collected and used to make better decisions. If you are interested in business analytics-type roles post-MBA, you might want to look at the following schools, which either offer specializations in analytics, or at the least, relevant coursework:

SMU Cox
Drexel Lebow
Indian University Kelley
Notre Dame Mendoza
Rutgers
IU Kelley

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Issac2014

3 5

Posted Apr 23, 2014 16:47

Sounds good - do you recommend any schools in the Penn State or Knoxville range (in terms of price and selectivity, mainly) that would allow me to go into finance, into maybe an analyst-type position?

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Razors Edg...

1.082 833

Posted Apr 24, 2014 13:02

Tippie, maybe?

Good schools for finance will usually want good GMAT scores, and many of them will be more expensive. Depending on your price flexibility and GMAT score you might also look at:

Rice Jones
Rochester Simon
Tulane Freeman

The top tier would of course be Columbia, Booth, NYU Stern, etc.

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Issac2014

3 5

Posted Apr 29, 2014 16:07

Thanks for this. Honestly I haven't yet taken the GMAT, that's the next step for me. I've heard that Notre Dame is a good school in general, what kind of GMAT score would I need for this MBA??

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Razors Edg...

1.082 833

Posted Apr 30, 2014 12:42

I think the average GMAT at Mendoza tends to be around 690. Although your competitiveness will also be based on other factors, including work experience (the cohort average this year is five years of work experience.)

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Issac2014

3 5

Posted May 09, 2014 15:08

Hopefully, I will be able to get a score in that range, it seems doable. I only have about 3.5 years of work experience, do you think that I should wait to apply?

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Razors Edg...

1.082 833

Posted May 12, 2014 15:41

Generally, if you are under the median work experience, you'll want to have a higher GMAT score or something else interesting about your profile which sets you apart from the pack.

That said, the lower end of the middle 80 percent of work experience in recent years is around 2.5 years, so it's within the realm of possibility - although it is by no means a sure bet. Talk to the admissions team there, they should be frank about your chances at this point.

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Gredo

2 4

Posted Jun 24, 2014 13:35

SMU Cox
Drexel Lebow
Indian University Kelley
Notre Dame Mendoza
Rutgers
IU Kelley

I'm sort of in the same boat as the original poster and I'm considering roughly these schools. Any advice about which one is best, or maybe the top three that I should focus on?

<blockquote>
SMU Cox
Drexel Lebow
Indian University Kelley
Notre Dame Mendoza
Rutgers
IU Kelley</blockquote>
I'm sort of in the same boat as the original poster and I'm considering roughly these schools. Any advice about which one is best, or maybe the top three that I should focus on?

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Inactive User

2.941 1.801

Posted Jun 25, 2014 15:33

Businessweek ranks them in this order:

Kelley
Notre Dame
SMU Cox
Rutgers

Drexel isn't in the 2012 ranking, and Cox dropped precariously from its previous position.

I suppose which school is best for you would depend on your career goals and expectations. Even though Drexel isn't currently ranked, its Business Analytics concentration is one of the best available, so your career goals included some kind of analytics training, that could be a consideration.

Also, your choice would depend on how much work experience you have and how high your GMAT score is.

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Inactive User

3 5

Posted Jun 26, 2014 20:30

Sure you will get Good job once you have IT+MBA certificate.You enter in both field else you can find the job in marketing in IT field.

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Inactive User

2.941 1.801

Posted Jun 30, 2014 12:54

Sure you will get Good job once you have IT+MBA certificate.You enter in both field else you can find the job in marketing in IT field.

...are you really an admissions essay advisor?

<blockquote>Sure you will get Good job once you have IT+MBA certificate.You enter in both field else you can find the job in marketing in IT field.

</blockquote>
...are you really an admissions essay advisor?

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jun 30, 2014 13:30

Wow. He should really get someone to edit that website. It's like a concentration camp for misbehaving commas.

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Gredo

2 4

Posted Jul 01, 2014 14:03

Businessweek ranks them in this order:

Kelley
Notre Dame
SMU Cox
Rutgers

Drexel isn't in the 2012 ranking, and Cox dropped precariously from its previous position.

I suppose which school is best for you would depend on your career goals and expectations. Even though Drexel isn't currently ranked, its Business Analytics concentration is one of the best available, so your career goals included some kind of analytics training, that could be a consideration.

Also, your choice would depend on how much work experience you have and how high your GMAT score is.

Thanks for this insight. I have about 5 years of work experience and although I haven't taken my GMAT yet, I expect to score at least 680 (hopefully higher.) Do you think that I am competitive at Kelley or Notre Dame?

<blockquote>Businessweek ranks them in this order:

Kelley
Notre Dame
SMU Cox
Rutgers

Drexel isn't in the 2012 ranking, and Cox dropped precariously from its previous position.

I suppose which school is best for you would depend on your career goals and expectations. Even though Drexel isn't currently ranked, its Business Analytics concentration is one of the best available, so your career goals included some kind of analytics training, that could be a consideration.

Also, your choice would depend on how much work experience you have and how high your GMAT score is.</blockquote>

Thanks for this insight. I have about 5 years of work experience and although I haven't taken my GMAT yet, I expect to score at least 680 (hopefully higher.) Do you think that I am competitive at Kelley or Notre Dame?

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Inactive User

2.941 1.801

Posted Jul 02, 2014 14:37

I think those schools are in your range if you score 680 (although the average GMAT at Mendoza is closer to 690, so you'll be a bit less competitive there but not by much.)

Just to be clear, are you looking to switch out of IT into something else? Because there might be other options you could consider, depending on what your career goals were.

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Gredo

2 4

Posted Jul 03, 2014 19:09

Just to be clear, are you looking to switch out of IT into something else? Because there might be other options you could consider, depending on what your career goals were.

Not necessarily. I'm currently in IT and wouldn't mind just staying in the field but moving up the food chain. But I'm open to career shifting, and was thinking that an MBA could help expose me to new horizons. I would like a healthy dose of tech- and entrepreneurship electives though, that's why I was looking at technology oriented schools.

<blockquote>
Just to be clear, are you looking to switch out of IT into something else? Because there might be other options you could consider, depending on what your career goals were.</blockquote>
Not necessarily. I'm currently in IT and wouldn't mind just staying in the field but moving up the food chain. But I'm open to career shifting, and was thinking that an MBA could help expose me to new horizons. I would like a healthy dose of tech- and entrepreneurship electives though, that's why I was looking at technology oriented schools.

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badux

218 266

Posted Jul 07, 2014 17:43

Personally, I would suggest that instead of thinking about what you're already good at, consider what it is that you actually want to do after graduation and make your decision based on that. I don't really think that many management level jobs require that much technical understanding, it's more about leadership and other soft skills.

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